The Fleet Report and Daily for Tuesday August 23rd, 2022

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Another pleasantly warm, sunny day here in the PNW.  We're having a great summer!

With my fear of heights I'll pass on riding the wind.  Will definitely hug my sweetheart, and love daffodils but will have to wait another 8 months to see them here.

 

The drink sounds yummy, will pass on the meal and wine.  There are very few drinks I can drink from a can....not sure why.  I even prefer beer from a bottle.  Have not been to the port, but hope to get there on the '24 Grand Australia.  I hope we have some photos today.

 

Yesterday we had a fun afternoon with the grandsons and today it's back to those apples.  I'll finish the applesauce today, it will be nice to get the kitchen put back together.  It's always a mess when I do canning.

 

Speaking of messes, I'm also a messy painter and definitely get it in my hair too -- especially when painting ceilings!  I don't know how anyone could not.  Another reason I hate to paint ceilings lol.

 

@Vict0riannAnn Happy Birthday!!

@rafinmdRoy I hope the low sodium level will be easily treated -- maybe they will have you take daily sodium pills.

@kazuJacqui enjoy those fur babies, they're adorable.  When we had our DD's kitty here for a week recently we covered all the couches (2 are new, one is leather).  I never saw the cat even go near the new couches lol.  He did get on the covered leather couch a few times but really preferred the guest bed. 😉  

@HeartgroveJack thank you for the photo of Lily -- she's so cute!

 

 

[Cat in my lap]

@Vict0riann happy birthday!

 

I really like daffodils- but don’t grow them anymore.  In Pennsylvania and Virginia I loved to see them pop up!

 

Last night coming home from a baseball game we got drenched by rain even though we had rain jackets.  Tonight there will be another game and likely showers again.  
 

best wishes!  

[HAL4NOW]

According to the Urban Dictionary, "Ride the wind" means to live without direction or without any specific goals.

I prefer to think of literally riding the wind. One night, when I was taking flight lessons, my instructor decided it would be a good time to just cut the engine to see if I was paying attention to potential emergency landing sights. We were just a couple miles away from the Tacoma Narrows Airport, and I determined that I had enough altitude to glide to that runway. I still had instruments to show altitude and speed until she cut off the electrical power and everything in the cabin when dark. I mentioned that the runway lights were giving me a good guide into the landing. She clicked the radio and shut off the runway lights. 

Now I was riding the wind in the dark with just a minimal amount of illumination from a crescent moon.

It was the softest and quietest landing I have ever experienced. I think I would love to try flying a glider but have never followed through on that dream.

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Yesterday was my 6-month followup with my primary Doctor.  I got a bit of a surprise that he is a bit concerned that my blood sodium level is lower than normal.  I would have thought that would be a good thing but he is a bit concerned and ordered an extra lab test that I'll take care of today.

 

Roy

Good luck with your lab test today Roy.

Graham.

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

@VictOriann

 

I love this birthday meme.

Graham.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! I’ve already hugged my sweetheart a few times today! We’ve often enjoyed cauliflower steaks,  it we have company coming tonight and the menu is already planned. We visited Nuku’alofa in 2020 and enjoyed Tonga. It was a VERY hot day!

Unlike the steep jagged volcanic islands we had been visiting, Tonga was very flat and close to sea level. 
On arrival, guards at the pier watched to make sure no one ‘accidentally’ went ashore before their officials had gone over the ships medical records very carefully.

 

Tonga is the last independent Kingdom in the region, and has never been colonized or conquered by an outside nation. Although it is now closely allied with New Zealand, it is still its own nation. This is the palace, as seen from the Amsterdam..

 

The tourist market on the pier.

 

And the local market in town.

 

Sights from our tour: Tsunami Rock, a chunk of coral reef carried several miles inland by a tsunami long ago.

 

A flying fox, which is a fruit bat the size of a cat. A colony of them is quite impressive!

 

The blowholes. No single one is huge, they stretch for miles along the coastline like an endless Pan pipe. Each wave sends up a series of jets appearing in the far distance to your right and running along the shore until eventually they pass you and then wind along the shore to disappear in the distance to your left. I’ve never seen one like it!

 

 

A Tapa cloth making demonstration, peeling mulberry shoots, pounding the inner bark to wide thing strips, laminating them together with tapioca past, and then it is painted with dye.

 

 

 

 

Participating in the Kava ceremony.

 

 

A visit to the caves.

 

 

A meal of fresh picked fruits at the end.

We came back to the island yesterday. We had company from Salt Spring in Chilliwack. It was another round of early, busy mornings, so I’ve been lurking here and catching up at bedtime when it’s too late to post.

@Vict0riann Happy Birthday, Ann! Enjoy the day!💐🎂💐

@ger_77 it really takes a while for appetite and energy to return. Be patient, take it easy, and I’m so sorry this is dragging on like this.

@kazu Jacqui, I’ve been following the sad story of Little Shadow, and hopefully she settles well in her new foster home where they have the strength and energy to attend to her needs. Your short term, healthy babysitting charges are probably just what you need right now.

@Heartgrove Jack, what an adorable picture of Lily! She seems so alert for one week old - you may all have your hands full in a few more months!

Prayers for our Dailyites in Texas, and anywhere that is flooding now. The flooding here last November washed out the historic Othello Tunnels along the Coquihalla River. The River rose so high it used the old railroad and tunnels as a secondary river and there is a lot of damage. It is officially closed for 2022, but with all the tunnel support footings washed out and fragile rock areas slammed with water and logs, I have doubts they will ever reopen the public trail through the tunnels again.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For those aboard a BHB, enjoy this last week of August away from heat and flooding!

 

[puppycanducruise]

@Heartgrove Thanks for the pictures. 

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning everyone.

Hope everyone is having a good day. We are expecting another day of rain—hopefully not as bad as Sunday.

Thank you Rich for the Daily and Fleet Report.

I have no desire to Ride with the wind.  i like daffodils and definitely love to hug my sweetheart.  I do it as often as I can.

Will skip the meal, drink and wine for today

Never been to the port.

 

Roy, thank you for the Cares and Celebration lists.

Prayers for all who need them and Cheers for those who are celebrating and cruising.

Roy, here’s hoping your blood tests are okay today.

God bless,

Terri

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! I’ve already hugged my sweetheart a few times today! We’ve often enjoyed cauliflower steaks,  it we have company coming tonight and the menu is already planned. We visited Nuku’alofa in 2020 and enjoyed Tonga. It was a VERY hot day!

Unlike the steep jagged volcanic islands we had been visiting, Tonga was very flat and close to sea level. 
On arrival, guards at the pier watched to make sure no one ‘accidentally’ went ashore before their officials had gone over the ships medical records very carefully.

 

Tonga is the last independent Kingdom in the region, and has never been colonized or conquered by an outside nation. Although it is now closely allied with New Zealand, it is still its own nation. This is the palace, as seen from the Amsterdam..

 

The tourist market on the pier.

 

And the local market in town.

 

Sights from our tour: Tsunami Rock, a chunk of coral reef carried several miles inland by a tsunami long ago.

 

A flying fox, which is a fruit bat the size of a cat. A colony of them is quite impressive!

 

The blowholes. No single one is huge, they stretch for miles along the coastline like an endless Pan pipe. Each wave sends up a series of jets appearing in the far distance to your right and running along the shore until eventually they pass you and then wind along the shore to disappear in the distance to your left. I’ve never seen one like it!

 

 

A Tapa cloth making demonstration, peeling mulberry shoots, pounding the inner bark to wide thing strips, laminating them together with tapioca past, and then it is painted with dye.

 

 

 

 

Participating in the Kava ceremony.

 

 

A visit to the caves.

 

 

A meal of fresh picked fruits at the end.

We came back to the island yesterday. We had company from Salt Spring in Chilliwack. It was another round of early, busy mornings, so I’ve been lurking here and catching up at bedtime when it’s too late to post.

@Vict0riann Happy Birthday, Ann! Enjoy the day!💐🎂💐

@ger_77 it really takes a while for appetite and energy to return. Be patient, take it easy, and I’m so sorry this is dragging on like this.

@kazu Jacqui, I’ve been following the sad story of Little Shadow, and hopefully she settles well in her new foster home where they have the strength and energy to attend to her needs. Your short term, healthy babysitting charges are probably just what you need right now.

@Heartgrove Jack, what an adorable picture of Lily! She seems so alert for one week old - you may all have your hands full in a few more months!

Prayers for our Dailyites in Texas, and anywhere that is flooding now. The flooding here last November washed out the historic Othello Tunnels along the Coquihalla River. The River rose so high it used the old railroad and tunnels as a secondary river and there is a lot of damage. It is officially closed for 2022, but with all the tunnel support footings washed out and fragile rock areas slammed with water and logs, I have doubts they will ever reopen the public trail through the tunnels again.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For those aboard a BHB, enjoy this last week of August away from heat and flooding!

 

Thank you for posting your lovely photos.

Graham.

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Daily/Fleet Report.

No riding the wind day for me. I like daffodils. No sweetheart to hug. A true, sad quote.

Maybe on the meal. I'll pass on the drink and wine.

I've never been to Nuku’alofa.

 

It's cloudy here and low 70's. Maybe a sprinkle later. The grass has grown from the recent rains, so I need to get out and mow soon.

 

@Vict0riann HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎂

@grapau27 Cute picture of you two! Have a great dinner tonight with Pauline and Sarah.

@rafinmd I hope the lab tests come out ok. Sometimes a diuretic can cause a lower sodium.

@ottahand7 You're busy! The tomatoes look great; mine were a failure this year 🙁.

@kazu Fun to have 2 boarders in the house! 

@aliaschief Enjoy Oslo!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Safe travels to Dallas today.

@ger_77 Hopefully your appetites improve soon.

@HAL Sailer Sorry to hear DSIL's surgery was so extensive, but hopefully that will improve her prognosis. Prayers for her and for her son's recovery.

@Heartgrove Thanks for the picture of adorable Lily.

@HAL4NOW Wow, quite the flying adventure!

@Horizon chaser 1957 Thanks for the great photos.

 

Prayers for the Care List and those experiencing flooding. Cheers for the Celebration List.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Texas weather is unpredictable.  Right now, our wind has changed to out of the north and it can't decided whether or not it should be cloudy or sunny.

 

@dfish Debbie, @superoma, and @Cruising-along Carolyn, just think how much fun and messy it would be if we all got together to paint a room, or maybe help paint the hull of a BHB.  🤣😉

 

@HAL Sailer  I'm glad your DSIL came through the extensive surgery and is resting comfortably.  I hope the further tests do not show much more spread of the melanoma.  Sending positive thoughts for a complete recovery for you DSIL.   I'm happy her son was able to get the news to you about the surgery.  I am amazed at how well he is doing given the extent of his injuries.

 

@Heartgrove   Jack, , thanks for the wonderful picture of Lily.  Have you thought of getting a bigger couch for Sam, although he does look comfortable.

 

@Horizon chaser 1957  Thank you, Laura for the pictures of Tonga.

 

Lenda

 

[Overhead Fred]

We had a thunderstorm Sunday night. One bolt seemed to be right on top of us and there must have been some type of power surge because our router was dead in the morning! No internet on Monday, instead a trip in the rain to Peterborough's Costco for a replacement. At least it was on sale. 

 

We are now back up and running and trying to catch up. I did download a couple of the cauliflower steak recipes...

[rafinmd]

Thank you for all the thoughts on the sodium.  I think I will likely resist all attempts to treat it, something I may have partially brought on to myself.

 

I have watched my diet many years to control my diabetes but really concentrated on carbs, fiber, fat and total calories.  I never really looked at sodium but was encouraged to do so as part of my cardiac rehab so I have been trying especially hard to minimize it for about the last 8 months.  The "reference range" is 135-146 and I think this time it was about 129, actually up a bit from 126 in December.  I think the Doctor was concerned that he did not want a precipitous drop and I don't think that's the case, and it may actually be in my best interests for heart health to stay on the low side.

 

Roy

[Cruising-along]

41 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

@dfish Debbie, @superoma, and @Cruising-along Carolyn, just think how much fun and messy it would be if we all got together to paint a room, or maybe help paint the hull of a BHB.  🤣😉

Oh, that could be fun!  🤣 

Thank you for the great photos today.  It makes me excited to see it in '24 (other than the "VERY hot" part!

[kazu]

3 hours ago, HAL Sailer said:

DH's DS surgery was extensive with large swaths of her right arm, underarm, upper chest involved as the melanoma had spread from the mole into lymph nodes. There is concern of breast involvement, too, but a diagnostic mammogram and other tests will be done before any decisions. At this point, she is resting comfortably as we all await further test results, a prognosis, and the best plan…

 

Thanks for your continued prayers,

 

Oh dear, Melissa 😢. My prayers continue, indeed 🙏🏻 

 

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Yesterday Lily celebrated being one week old.

 

 

Ahh, how precious ♥️ 

 

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

And that is why my dogs were not allowed on the couch - they were bigger than Sam. 😂 

[sailingdutchy]

 

So sorry I am late to the party today . We were watching La Vuelta a Espana a grand bicycle race through Spain this morning and one of our favourite riders Primoz Roglic from Slovenia from our favourite team Jumbo Visma , yes from the Netherlands ,won !  Seventeen more days to ride for the overall victory! 

 

First of all let me wish our dear friend Ann @VictOriann with whom we have cruised a good number of times to many corners of the world a Happy Birthday with many happy returns .

I was going to call her last evening just after midnight local time to be one of the first to congratulate her because our time zone is three hours ahead but than thought better of it and left that for her dear husband Pat to do early this morning .

 

Happy Birthday Ann from Martha and Tony , have a wonderful day ! 

You must have wondered when you woke up this morning what the heck was going on …….......sorry about spoiling to keep your secret , at least I did not tell them your age , I would never do that to a lady friend  ! 

 

Tony 😍😍

[durangoscots]

Good morning - actually almost afternoon here. I was away early this morning for my dermatologist appointment and all is well. Will return in 6 months. There is a small spot she is watching, but it is on my noise and she thinks my noise has had quite enough trauma with my fall a few weeks ago. I do have some rather interesting new bumps (internal) on it. 

 

Little news from here. I did visit today's destination on the QE2 years ago and I loved it. I also am hoping to return on the Grand Australia in '24. While there, a lady I was walking with tripped and fell. Two huge men got her to her feet - she says before she even knew she had fallen. She was ok and very grateful for the assist. No pictures of the visit available, but like others we visited the palace and the blowholes and we walked from town back to the ship. Look forward to a return although I know the damage has been extensive.

 

@kazuGlad you are enjoying your canine visitors - they look very sweet and because they are trained and come from a loving family, much easier on you both physically and mentally. I too hope Little Shadow is happy and settled with her new foster family and that they are strong enough to give her the help she needs. If you hear about her, please let us know.

 

Susan

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!  Love daffodils! 
@Vict0riannHappy birthday 

@HAL Sailer sending prayers for a good recovery for your DS
@summer slopeyum that drink sounds great., 

@kazu nice to see the dogs in your home

giggling at all the dogs on couches! 
@aliaschief I think the park is Vigeland park we loved the one of the crying baby, the sculptor apparently literally took candy away! 

Edited August 23, 2022 by bennybear

[jphks]

How much time do ships get between cruises? 

[rafinmd]

3 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! I’ve already hugged my sweetheart a few times today! We’ve often enjoyed cauliflower steaks,  it we have company coming tonight and the menu is already planned. We visited Nuku’alofa in 2020 and enjoyed Tonga. It was a VERY hot day!

Unlike the steep jagged volcanic islands we had been visiting, Tonga was very flat and close to sea level. 
On arrival, guards at the pier watched to make sure no one ‘accidentally’ went ashore before their officials had gone over the ships medical records very carefully.

 

Tonga is the last independent Kingdom in the region, and has never been colonized or conquered by an outside nation. Although it is now closely allied with New Zealand, it is still its own nation. This is the palace, as seen from the Amsterdam..

 

The tourist market on the pier.

 

And the local market in town.

 

Sights from our tour: Tsunami Rock, a chunk of coral reef carried several miles inland by a tsunami long ago.

 

A flying fox, which is a fruit bat the size of a cat. A colony of them is quite impressive!

 

The blowholes. No single one is huge, they stretch for miles along the coastline like an endless Pan pipe. Each wave sends up a series of jets appearing in the far distance to your right and running along the shore until eventually they pass you and then wind along the shore to disappear in the distance to your left. I’ve never seen one like it!

 

 

A Tapa cloth making demonstration, peeling mulberry shoots, pounding the inner bark to wide thing strips, laminating them together with tapioca past, and then it is painted with dye.

 

 

 

 

Participating in the Kava ceremony.

 

 

A visit to the caves.

 

 

A meal of fresh picked fruits at the end.

We came back to the island yesterday. We had company from Salt Spring in Chilliwack. It was another round of early, busy mornings, so I’ve been lurking here and catching up at bedtime when it’s too late to post.

@Vict0riann Happy Birthday, Ann! Enjoy the day!💐🎂💐

@ger_77 it really takes a while for appetite and energy to return. Be patient, take it easy, and I’m so sorry this is dragging on like this.

@kazu Jacqui, I’ve been following the sad story of Little Shadow, and hopefully she settles well in her new foster home where they have the strength and energy to attend to her needs. Your short term, healthy babysitting charges are probably just what you need right now.

@Heartgrove Jack, what an adorable picture of Lily! She seems so alert for one week old - you may all have your hands full in a few more months!

Prayers for our Dailyites in Texas, and anywhere that is flooding now. The flooding here last November washed out the historic Othello Tunnels along the Coquihalla River. The River rose so high it used the old railroad and tunnels as a secondary river and there is a lot of damage. It is officially closed for 2022, but with all the tunnel support footings washed out and fragile rock areas slammed with water and logs, I have doubts they will ever reopen the public trail through the tunnels again.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For those aboard a BHB, enjoy this last week of August away from heat and flooding!

You were lucky to get to Tonga in 2020, one of the few cruise ships allowed in.  I was on the Crystal Serenity a few days before you and then we and I think 2 other cruise ships were not allowed in.  One of the other ships actually had some replacement crew waiting in Tonga and they were not even allow a tender to come in and pick them up.

 

Roy

[aliaschief]

A beautiful serene evening sailing out of the fjords of Oslo is why we love cruising. With the Pilot Boat arriving we also had a Norwegian Coast Guard helicopter maneuvering for an emergency evacuation of one our guest.

Another example why we get evacuation insurance.

Prayer for our fellow guest.

 

 

[dfish]

3 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

@dfish Debbie, @superoma, and @Cruising-along Carolyn, just think how much fun and messy it would be if we all got together to paint a room, or maybe help paint the hull of a BHB.  🤣😉

 

This would be tons of fun especially if we had some cardbordeaux.   

[4966and556]

40 minutes ago, jphks said:

How much time do ships get between cruises? 

I'm not 100% sure of what you mean.   They cruise continually unless they are in dry dock for maintenance  as far as I know.

[irishjim]

32 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

A beautiful serene evening sailing out of the fjords of Oslo is why we love cruising. With the Pilot Boat arriving we also had a Norwegian Coast Guard helicopter maneuvering for an emergency evacuation of one our guest.

Another example why we get evacuation insurance.

Prayer for our fellow guest.

 

 

Very nice  photos.

                               Jim.

[irishjim]

2 minutes ago, 4966and556 said:

I'm not 100% sure of what you mean.   They cruise continually unless they are in dry dock for maintenance  as far as I know.

Normal about  24  hrs sometimes 4hrs.