Author: Phil

August started slowly.  We kept up the house and Carey got together the supplies we would need should a hurricane come our way.  I started work on Paget, replacing some wood, varnishing and painting.

Toward the end of the month, the hurricane came.  Hurricane Dorian was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Dorian developed from a tropical wave on August 24 in the Central Atlantic. The system gradually intensified while moving toward the Lesser Antilles, before becoming a hurricane on August 28. Rapid intensification ensued, and on August 31, Dorian intensified into a Category 4 major hurricane. On the following day, Dorian reached Category 5 intensity, peaking with one-minute sustained winds of 185 mph and a minimum central pressure of 910 millibars  while making landfall in Elbow Cay, Bahamas, at 16:40 UTC. Dorian made another landfall on Grand Bahama several hours later, near the same intensity. The ridge of high pressure steering Dorian westward collapsed on September 2, causing Dorian to stall just north of Grand Bahama for about a day. It is the strongest known tropical system to impact the Bahamas. Shortly after, a combination of cold water upwelling and an eye wall replacement cycle weakened Dorian to a Category 2 hurricane by the next day. On the morning of September 3, Dorian began to move slowly towards the north-northwest. Dorian subsequently completed its eye wall replacement cycle and moved over warmer waters, regaining Category 3 intensity by midnight on September 5. In the early hours of September 6, Dorian weakened to Category 1 intensity as it picked up speed and turned northeast. At 12:35 UTC on September 6, Dorian made landfall in the U.S. at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Luckily for us it turned north after going through the Bahamas and missed us. 

Worried that the storm would come ashore at us we evacuated to George and Polly’s place in Sebring, FL  for the first part of September while the storm was near Port St. Lucie. George had some medical appointments so we visited a day and they left their place to use as they traveled to the west coast of Florida and stayed with George’s daughter to get to his appointments.

We’re  now barely into September and hoping we only see one hurricane this year.

We have found that Florida is no hotter than Virginia in the Summer.  We were in both this month.

We started the month with a visit from George and Polly.  The four of us relaxed and enjoyed each others company.  George helped me find a spot to get Paget in a garage for the rest of the work I need to do on the boat.  Out in the summer sun it is too uncomfortable to work all day on Paget.  Another friend, Rowdy Rowan helped me back the boat, on its trailer, into the pretty tight but covered shed I rented on the 19th.  I had the bottom repainted in late June so that’s done … just the rest of it to prep, paint and varnish.

We packed up and headed to Virginia on the 23rd, stopping at our usual overnight stay at the Best Western in Santee, SC.  By Wednesday we joined Jack and Ann for a couple days at their place.  Friday the four of us were off to Colonial Beach, VA for an overnight stay and visit to Bill Bowman and Diane and Peggy.  The town hasn’t changed much but we get word from a lot of folks that there are a lot more activities in town … a hopping town.

Saturday morning we packed Maddy into Jack and Ann’s car and headed for Annapolis to visit Lauren, Cynthia and the grandkids.  Jack and Ann traveled home.  We had a great visit with the family in Annapolis; dinner out, trip to the pool, and an afternoon at the upgraded Market House in downtown Annapolis.  We also had plenty of quiet family time at their home.

Up Monday, the 29th, we headed back to Manassas to pick up Maddy.  We stayed two nights and had dinner with Steve and Mary Ann Andrews one of those two nights.  Good to see them.  We missed seeing several other couples we wanted to visit with but we’ll make it happen on our next trip.

The trip home was uneventful and we’re now back in Port St Lucie and loving it.  (Click on first picture for enlarged slide show.)

We are enjoying the month of June.  Carey is finishing her rehab from knee surgery.  I’m starting the work on Paget.  I must get her re-painted and varnished for selling, and we are visiting a lot with George and Polly; they visited from 7 to 11 June this month.  We really enjoy their visits. After George’s latest chemo he and Polly came to our home for some relaxation and camaraderie … great to be with old friends!  And we got together with Tom and Jan (Jan is my cousin) on the 1st of June to try out a new steak house in Fort Pierce.  The company was great, even though the food was a bit over-priced for what was delivered.  A local rancher has opened a restaurant to sell the beef from his ranch … and he is very proud of the product.

Carey and I took George and Polly to the Elliott Museum during their visit and were impressed.  The Museum’s pride and joy is their antique collection of cars, along with a few antique boats.  Over 50 of the cars are assembled in a stacked garage that has an automatic movement system that allows each car to be delivered to the showcase seating area for viewing.  Here is a sample of antiques available for viewing on the main floor exhibit and on the stacked garage.

It almost feels like summer but the cool breezes are still here so it really is a pleasant period.  Carey is still recovering from the knee operation.  It is going ok — not as quick as when she did the first knee replacement, but the rehab folks say the healing is going very well.  She is very mobile and driving without issue.  Now she just has some swelling at times, but hopefully that condition will go away soon.   George and Polly came over from Sebring for a 4 day visit.  We really enjoy their company.  We had a great time and got out on the boat for a day, visiting the Vero Beach area.

Still loving Florida with such great weather.  We started off April preparing for the worst, as we clean and lubricate the hurricane shutters should we need them.  Hopefully we’ll pass this year without a hurricane, just like last year.  We stopped a while in our preparations to welcome George and Polly for a visit.  From the 11th thru the 16th we caught up, ate, relaxed and visited some of the areas many features.  Saturday we toured the Botanical Gardens in Port St Lucie.  Sunday we visited Summer Crush Winery and enjoyed a “Mustang” car show and good Beach music, along with friends Rowdy and Chris.  Luckily the winery had plastic curtains for the late afternoon thunderstorms; they were heavy this day.   The weather cleared Monday so George, Polly and I jumped on Apolonia for a couple hour boat ride down the ICW.  Carey wasn’t able to go on the boat ride as she is still in rehab for the new knee operation.  She’ll be ready in a week or two. CLICK on first picture to see larger version of file.

Easter Sunday was to be a quiet dinner with family.  Carey and I drove to Jan and Tom’s home in Vero for what was to be a fantastic meal while enjoying good company — and we did enjoy both fantastic food and good company.  The only hick-up to the day, and it was a minor one, was that I tripped on the steps going back into the house after going out for a bottle of wine.  The fall caused a serious cut to my forehead.  Luckily the urgent care facility was empty and they had me in, cleaned up, sewn up with 9 stitches, and out the door in just over 30 minutes.  We headed back to Jan and Tom’s and continued the day.  Now, I just have to recoup from the cut and accompanying bruising.