Cruising-along

Good morning all!

It's a cloudy, drizzly day today, highs in the high 60's.  Starting Tuesday we'll have a long stretch of sunny, much warmer days.  As usual our summer will start around the 4th.  We had rain overnight, so I'm sure the slugs are having a field day -- hopefully on the Sluggo I put down, and not my flowers and herbs.

I will pass on the California avocado (and all avocado), and celebrate the other two days.  I agree with Debbie @dfish, I prefer my lobster without the roll.  In fact I prefer crab, but that's another story.  And not a fan of butter, I like mine with cocktail sauce.  The wine sounds lovely, and I would try the drink and hope it isn't too sweet.  Have not been to Korea, thank you Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser and Sandi @StLouisCruisers for the great photos.  I avoid crowded cities whenever possible and I read that Busan is the 2nd most populated city in Asia (and that says a lot).  So there's 0% chance I'll get there. I wonder if it still has an air pollution problem like when Lenda was there.

Not much on the agenda today, we need to get groceries -- and most likely will do more cruise planning.  Have a great day everyone!

13 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Carolyn, I wish people would leave the fireworks to the professionals.  We don't have pets now, but I remember how scared they were, and how younger DD was when she was little.  The fireworks stand about half a mile from us has been open for a week now.  I haven't seen any customers when I've driven by, but I'm sure we'll hear from the next week.

Lenda, from your lips...

There's a huge lot in the next town that always has dozens and dozens of firework stands.  It isn't legal to shoot them off here, but that never stopped anyone.  It's the deafening loudest ones going off at 3 am that really make me mad.  

@SusieKIslandGirl Oh no about the deer eating all your flowers!!  I don't know what repellent you used, but a friend has had success with Deer Out.  It has a peppermint oil base.  

I went out and bought both Sluggo and the diatomaceous earth today and put them around the plants most bothered by the slugs.  This morning it wasn't raining so not many slugs out, but I did find one in a flower pot -- the biggest, ugliest one yet.  He is no more. 😈

Good morning all!

I'll pass on the mud, although I remember making mud pies as a child.  DH has a great camera and attachments, I just use my iPhone 15.  Scleroderma is a terrible, terrible disease.  Lake Chelan is a lovely area, but I'll pass on the red wine.  We've gone wine tasting "east of the mountains" many times.  I would try the drink, and might like the 2nd recipe (but probably cut the spice even then).  Lots of great port photos today, thank you all!  We haven't been to this port.

Thank you for the suggestions yesterday about my slug problem.  I'm going to get some Sluggo and diatomaceous earth today.  Of course now we're headed for a stretch of dry weather wouldn't you know?!  But we'll get some drizzle this weekend, so I'll be prepared.

Prayers for your DB Nancy @ottahand7

Annie @marshhawk Thank you for the photos of the cats and kittens.  All beautiful cats.

DD and family are now in Yosemite.  That's where DH and I had our honeymoon back in 1969.  It's fun to see her photos of these places I haven't seen in years.  The kittens have been behaving themselves for the most part, and are now completely at home here and relaxed.  I'm just worried about when the booming of the fireworks start 😞  Our neighborhood and town are awful about it.  I'll have as many sound blocking things going as I can, but it's really impossible to block it out.

Have a great day everyone!

20 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Have you tried putting out a saucer of beer? That seems to attract them and hopefully keep them away from the plants. For some reason, this year we have a bunch of snails along with the slugs. Where did they come from? Ugh!

Yep, I've tried everything. I just may try it again, now that it *should* stop raining quite so much. 

19 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

I had a problem with a slug this week.  I transplanted my Tithonia and Zinnia seedlings and heavily sprayed them with deer spray to keep the Chipmunks from digging them up.  The next day one was snipped off laying on its' side.  I keep diatomaceous earth for such soft bodied creatures and spread it around the seedlings and I haven't lost another.  This is the slug attracting hosta garden so I guess I should have figured that would happen.  

 

My DSIL texted me today with a picture of my brother's knee all red and swollen and asked what I thought. I said contact the nurse to get hold of the surgeon but they didn't seem to be alarmed.  After asking if he overdid it and she said no.  I said if it gets worse have them take him to the ER since they are now into the weekend.  He has been on three times a day IV antibiotic since his second surgery 5 weeks ago. He can't catch a break.   

I need to look up diatomaceous earth 🙂 

I agree your brother should get to the ER, that doesn't sound good. 😞  

6 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

Some recent pics.  Sunrise two days ago and a White Admiral and Red Admiral butterflies on ninebark bush.  

Wow!!!

26 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

When I lived in Maryland, Carolyn, I had a lot of hosta plants. And slugs.  My lawn guru told me they attract slugs, so he helped me get rid of the hostas at my house. And once they were gone, I never saw another slug or slug trail. 
 

if you don’t have Hostas, you might check to see what else could be attracting them. 

Thank you, I do have Hostas, but they aren't near the flowers and basil that the slugs are really going after.  The slugs here eat everything -- we've even seen them eat grass... And yes, they go after the Hostas too but honestly not as much as my pansies or all my bedding plants. I'm not about to give up on all my flowers, even though they love them all 😞  Once our summer really starts, it will get drier and we won't have as much problem.  From about April-July is the worst.  

*the good news is I haven't seen signs of the mole in a long time*  

12 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Sprinkle "Sluggo" around your plant. I have a beautiful basil plant and our landscaper Claudio said use Sluggo!! I did and those little sucker's love it and croak. 

Thanks Joy. I’ve used other brands (and they always worked until this year) but haven’t tried Sluggo. Will get some asap. 

21 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Wow!!  That’s crazy. I would actually leave it alone but just check for those slugs, it might come back. 

Sharon if only it was just 1 slug. Every morning and evening I kill dozens of them. I may have killed the one(s) who did this in my morning slaughter today. This area has tons of them. Probably the only thing I dislike living here. 

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Carolyn, yes overnight marinating is best. I have to admit that several times I’ve done two nights. I think it makes them more tender and flavorful. Glad you enjoyed them. 
 

I saw a slug near my basil plant and now need to go check it out. I didn’t know they can be so damaging. 
 

 

Thank you Sharon. I wondered about 1 hour but missed that you marinated yours overnight. Makes more sense. 
 

Yes slugs are extremely damaging. Here’s my poor basil plant. And this was done in 1 night. 😢

17 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

My experience is that slugs love basil. You can thwart them by growing it in containers.

 

It is in a container. 🤔 So strange because they never bothered it before.  My flowers yes, but not the herbs.

For the next month at least I can always get basil from my DD's garden.  I'll be going there every week to water things while they're gone.  

Good morning all!

It should be a nice day, sunny and around 70 F.  Hope to get out to do some gardening.  Yesterday I discovered that *overnight* slugs ate my whole Basil plant. 😞 Basil supposedly repels slugs, but I saw the slime....I think we have mutant slugs here. 😞  

Unless I have to type something like UPS etc., I never use all caps as it's considered bad netiquette.  Knock on wood, we've never experienced a close-by lightening strike.  I'll pass on the wine and gnocchi, would try the drink, and haven't been to the port.

@Vict0riann So glad you're doing well!

@luvteaching I'm happy to hear that you had a good day yesterday with your family.  I'm pretty sure I've been to Mexico Cafe.

@Sharon in AZ I made the pork chops last night!  But I missed where you said you marinate them overnight and wish I had done that.  I marinated them for the hour called for in the recipe and think they needed longer.  It was tasty though 🙂  I used some fresh lemon thyme and parsley. 

40 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Carolyn, you may need a vacation after your kitty sitting is over.  I'm glad the family is enjoying their trip.

Lenda I think you're right.  They've settled down now, and one of them is even lying down relaxing.   I've been trying to wear them out with one of their favorite toys.  Nap time should be soon, right???? As I keep telling them, it's a very good thing that I love cats.

53 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

I am able to open my recipe box today and wanted to share the grilled pork chop recipe. I marinate them overnight and sometimes add different spices depending upon my mood. 
 

Grilled Pork Chops

Sharon this looks really good, thanks!  

Good morning all!

We're having a rainy day and up to high 50's.  Yes, summer hasn't arrived here yet.  Probably sometime around the 4th...

I started reading the Daily hours ago but have had many interruptions.  These kittens are keeping me on my toes!  You would laugh if you saw the barricades I've built to keep them out of certain places (like behind and under couches).  They're trying their best to outwit me.  😉  Yesterday the more mischievous of the 2 actually managed to knock something down that put out our wifi/internet until DS could come over after work and fix it.  NO kidding!  It was more than a matter of just putting it back in place.  Oh my.... Meanwhile, DD and family are having a great time on their road trip and have so far been to Lassen and Tahoe, heading next to Yosemite. The youngest DGS is proud, his 4th grade pass is getting them into all the National Parks.  

It was many, many years ago we decided to be married, and today is a friend's son's birthday.  That's the only person I know who has this birthday.  If I had to choose I would choose the 3rd recipe, maybe on the drink and pass on the red wine.  We've been to Denmark but not this port.

@Vict0riann Prayers for a successful surgery.

@luvteaching Hugs today on the anniversary of your DD DH's passing.  Enjoy that lunch with family.

@kazu Prayers that the vascular surgeon can help.

@ger_77 Congratulations on your 10th anniversary of retirement!

@RMLincoln Love the flowers!

 As I was writing this, there was a crash 😞  The naughty one tried jumping onto a small ledge and a framed photo fell and broke.  Heaven help me....😲

The first of the Lilies and Astilbe have started to bloom.

Good morning all!

Today will be cooler than yesterday, only mid 60's with a mix of sun and showers.  Maybe I can get outside in the garden sometime today.

Bar codes have been a big help, I've been kayaking several times but never gone canoeing.  I'm probably one of the few who have never read Harry Potter or seen the movies.  No to the drink (coconut) and red wine, but the meal sounds great.  I don't mind arugula, but DH hates it so I would substitute something else.  All the recipes look good, and I have all the herbs in my garden. Never have been to the port.

The kitties have definitely settled in, and are taking actual rest times now 😉  DD brought over all their toys and that has been a big help too.  I just hope I can find everything when they go home in a month.  It's been a lot of fun having them here.  Hoping DD and family made it to their first stop last night, they were going to drive clear to Lassen. It would be a long, long day.  I worried about them every time I woke up during the night, but no news is good news and hopefully they're still sleeping now.

Happy Birthday Carol @mamaofami!

Oh my @Nickelpenny!  I can only imagine what you felt when you realized you had a 2-inch opening in your incision.  Thank goodness you went in quickly.

27 minutes ago, dfish said:

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser @Cruising-along Lenda and Carolyn, how fun!! I’m sure you’ll really enjoy that cruise.

 

Beautiful! Glad your drive was uneventful. 

Wish you could come on our cruise too! I know it will be fun. 
 

The kitties have settled down and we’re having a  peaceful afternoon. How long will it last?? 🤣

It was nice to see DD, DSIL and the boys off on their adventure. Well worth driving through the awful traffic for those hugs!

Here they are, ready to go!

1 minute ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Thanks, Carolyn.  I looked at the roll call Sunday and will join shortly.  I tried to book our HIA dinners and shore excursions.  The site said no dining options available, and the excursions I wanted to do were sold out.

Yes, I was going to mention that the shore excursions are already selling out.  But do get on a waitlist if you see something you like.  We just cleared the waitlist for one we wanted, and it happened faster than I thought it would. 

With the number of times you've been to Alaska, you'll be a wealth of information for most of us.  We haven't been any further north than Anchorage and never been to Wrangell, Valdez, Nome, Homer, Dutch Harbor or Kodiak. 

40 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Yesterday, after fighting the HAL website, we did something we never had done.  We booked the 2025 Artic Circle Solstice cruise.  We normally book a lot closer to the cruise, but this is one I've wanted to do, and they had a good sail going until the end of the month.  Carolyn @Cruising-along if all goes right, we'll finally get to meet.

Great news!

Now I have even more reason to look forward to that cruise. 🙂  (we really need a "love" button choice)

Pop on over to the roll call -- it isn't super active yet, I think most of us are avidly following all the live froms and roll call for this year's cruise.  

Good morning all from wild kitties central!  Our lives are definitely more "lively" with 2 16-month-old cats 😉  Everything is going well and they've settled in but are still exploring every nook and cranny of the house this morning.  Thank heavens I put away all the breakables. 😂

I'll celebrate all the days.  Love/loved the Beatles and saw them in CA when I was 14.  I think Carrie Fisher was trying to be funny with that quote, I'll pass on the wine, not sure about the drink but would try it, and I like French Onion Soup but more for the topping than the onions. I don't have it very often and shouldn't, the sodium level is too much for me.  Have been to Costa Rica but not this port.  Thanks for all photos!

Happy Birthday to Juan @Crazy For Cats!  It sounds like you'll have a nice day celebrating.  Thank you for the lovely photos.

@Cruzin Terri I hope you don't have a torn bicep, and that it's something that just needs time to heal.

@marshhawk I'm sorry to hear about the death of your friend, also sorry he didn't do the 3 things he wanted to do.  

I'm rushing this morning, as I need to be down at DD's in a couple hours.  I'll be bringing them cookies for their trip and hugging them goodbye as they leave. It's a lovely day for their first day of driving, lots of sunshine and mid 70's.  

16 minutes ago, kazu said:

What a wonderful pic!  Tha cats are lovely but the boys - - oh my.  Just precious ❤️ 

Aw, thank you Jacqui, so nice of you to say. 🙂 

I love your wedding photos and can see why they're your favorites.

Good morning all!

We're going to have 2 days of sunshine, 70-75F, then  rain showers will return.

Three good days, maybe on the drink, no on the red wine, and the meal sounds yummy for a side dish.  I think I'll print off the first recipe.  We've been to Spain but not this port.

DD and DSIL will be bringing the cats here in an hour -- and they will be mine for 5 weeks. 🙂 She just sent this photo of the DGSs saying goodbye to Smudge and Soot before they head off to school.  DD and DSIL are picking up a rental RV after they drop off the cats, and tomorrow they will head out for their long road trip through the western US.  

 I think the cats look very suspicious, they know something is going on!

Happy Birthday Sharon @Sharon in AZ!  Enjoy your day!

Happy Birthday to Sandi's @StLouisCruisers DD!

Sending hugs to Jacqui @kazu today. I hope the good memories will help as you think of Jose today on your anniversary.  

Good morning all!

I think our area is the only part of the US that isn't hot and humid right now -- it will get up to only 60 today, a drop of 20 degrees from what it was a few days ago.  Maybe some raindrops too.  The next week will be a mix of sun and showers, but still only up to 70. I'm actually enjoying the cooler weather.

I will celebrate women in engineering and letting it go, but will pass on the thick crust pizza.  I like the quote, would like the wine (but haven't seen that one at our Total Wine), and drink.  Will pass on the meal. I like tomato soup, but it always gives me heartburn. 😞   The Suez Canal is on the itinerary for the '26 World 🤞, thank you for the interesting photos Sandi @StLouisCruisers and Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser.

DH and I got the double recliner covered (that cover has 6 pieces) so now we're as ready as we'll ever be for the month long visit by the grand-kitties who are coming in the morning.  They're only 1 1/2 now, so still very active (!)  It probably took the 2 of us an hour+ to get that one done.  Hopefully it's safe from kitty claws now.

A very happy birthday Roy @rafinmd!!

Prayers for your friend @Lady Hudson

Working fine this morning for me...

Good morning all!

I'll celebrate radiant peace and positive media, but we don't need a stupid guy day. Would love to try the drink and wine, but I'll pass on the meal (like yesterday, I don't care for eggplant).  Haven't been to the port, thank you @kochleffel and @Quartzsite Cruiser for the great photos!  I remember when Stevie Wonder's first single came out.  I was 12 and it was the first record I ever bought.  Seems like yesterday. 😉  

It's a little overcast this morning and will be a few degrees cooler than yesterday, but still in the high 70's here.  Cooler starting tomorrow.  We continue to do trip planning -- the latest idea is to drive to our cruise in November out of LA.  It would be cheaper than flying, and I'll avoid flying whenever I can. Also it would make the 7-day cruise more of a real vacation.

@cat shepard I chuckled at the croc meme because the sandals I wear in the summer leave a geometric pattern on the tops of my feet. 🤣 

@kazu Lovely Clematis!  I'm glad to hear that the infection is gone.  I hope the treatment the foot nurse did wasn't as painful as it sounded -- all that digging around...

Have a great day everyone!

1 hour ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

I hope we can cruise with Carolyn and Maurice someday.

Lenda I hope to cruise with you some day too!  (but I'm sure Gerry @ger_77 would rather that Maurice sails with her). 😉😁

30 minutes ago, CNSJ said:

On Princess I need a mini-suite to get a loveseat/sofa.

We recently booked our first Princess cruise (just a one-week get away) and our Deluxe Balcony shows it has a sofa.  I do see that regular balconies don't have one (?) 

As for HAL vs Princess, we'll see how they compare after that cruise.  I have heard good things from friends about Princess, so it may become our 3rd go-to cruise line, or maybe it won't.  

Jacqui @kazu Gorgeous peonies!!  I hope the foot nurse can help.  You're overdue for some improvement!

Terry @smitty34877 I hope Tana's fever breaks soon -- praying.

@bdrcole Thank you for the great photos of Bodo.

Gerry @ger_77 I'm giggling too!  

Elizabeth @Haljo1935 The position you had to have your shoulder for the scans sounds so painful 😞  

Brenda @bennybear Now I'm really jealous.  Janis Joplin was one of my favorites, I would have loved to see/even just hear her live.  Gone too soon. 😞