First Beach Trip

We have spent the norm amount of time around the Castaway for the last few weeks. Which is to say, we have been there at least once a day (for the Captain) and I have been over at least five days a week.  This is the beauty of having the boat docked five minutes from home.  And having the boat stocked with decent red wine.

During the last few weeks, the following happened:

Last weekend, we stayed on board on Friday night.  It was a fun, laid-back evening.  Drinks on the deck (technically, I brought a daiquiri on board after work and sat on the forward deck for hours and hours, knitting and drinking and listening to an audio book.  Because I am a nerd.  But, I am a nerd that owns a boat.) and then dinner and then we hunkered down for television before we passed out cold in the beds.

Daiquiris on the fore deck toes.

In the morning on Saturday, Rick suggested we enjoy our coffee while we rode up and down the bayou.  Great idea, so we did that.  So beautiful in the morning and there were dozens and dozens of alligators to look at.  There was a pair of raccoons (pictured below) fishing, and we saw an otter.  I know it seems ridiculous, but the whole Discovery Channel animal-viewing is one of our favorite things about the boat.  We love the alligators best, including the one(s) that live in our marina.  Two weekends ago, we were way up on the aft deck cover, working on the radar (which we haven't been able to fix - sigh), and I looked up and saw an eyeball staring at me.  I think he was saying, "y'all are some weird looking birds.  Take a couple big steps to your right, you look tasty." I tried to get a picture, but it was kind of dark out so the best I got was a flash in his eyeball (as seen here).

Gator head.

Here is the (similarly hard to make out) picture of the racoons, fishing.  So damn cute!

Fishing.

I haven't gotten a picture of the 700ish turtles that gather around our aft deck because Rick feeds them dog food.  They are very cute and turtley.  One has a pretty shell that isn't covered with mud.  The rest are super muddy.  There is also a gar fish.  Good times.

It was fun to take her out, in our pajamas.  I even drove a little, myself. 

The captain.

My foot on the bridge.

Driving.

This last weekend, we tried to stay onboard again, but we were run off by a termite swarm.  This is one of the worst things about where we live.  Every spring, the termites swarm for about 2 weeks, usually coinciding with mother's day.  That sounds like no big deal (and the termites are not there to eat our house or boat, they are looking for love), but it is grosser than gross.  Think of clouds of flying disgusting wiggly bugs that invade your personal space and get caught in your hair, and then drop their wings EVERYWHERE and ultimately leave tiny dead bodies on your pillow.  Welcome to Louisiana.  Ugh.

So when the swarm happened on Friday night, we high-tailed it the heck off the boat, drove home in disgust, and called it a day.  Disappointment.  No morning coffee on the bayou.  

When we bought the boat, there was no seat base on the fly bridge where there, clearly, should have been.  My nice dad made me a replacement and he came to install it yesterday.  It works nicely.  He and my mom went for a little cruise with us on Saturday morning, but it started raining and so we turned back.  Rick had told the drawbridge operator that we would be back in about an hour...  but we were back in 20 minutes.  "The owner didn't want to get the boat wet," he told the bridge.

Thankfully, yesterday was much more fun.  We took the boat to a nearby beach and anchored down.  My brother and his family came to the same beach via pontoon boat from my parents house, and rafted up.  Our kids swam and played while we sat on the aft deck and listened to country music and laughed and talked and drank beer. On the way to the beach, the first mate fell asleep on the new bridge seat.  <3

Snoozing.

After a swim.

After we went back to our slip, we ordered pizza and enjoyed it on board, and then considered staying for the night.  Suddenly, and thankfully, after we were done with supper and dishes, another termite swarm showed up, so we hauled ass out of there before it could get too gross.

It was a great day on the boat, probably the best we have had yet.  I couldn't be happier with this part of my life.  Is it expensive?  Yes.  Is it a pain in the butt to fix all the broken things, or to constantly need to clean?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Last night, Caleb said, "can we go to the beach again, soon?  I had so much fun!" And this was right after he ate four pieces of pizza, with pink, sun-kissed cheeks.  

Is it worth it?  Oh, it really, really is.