New Camera!

My birthday and Christmas present from Tom arrived about ten days ago, months late only because of my delay in ordering it. Tom's been wanting to get me a new, better camera with interchangeable lenses, and my research has been extensive (and enervating - I became paralyzed with indecision - as if this were the most important decision I'd ever made - crazy). But I finally broke through and got myself an amazing Sony Nex7 with a zoom lens (18-500). It is remarkably compact and light for such a camera, and promises to perform wonderfully - if I can learn to use it.

I've done some practicing, experimenting, trying to remember my old pre-digital knowledge about shutter speed and apertures and such, knowledge that, in my lazy way, I have not used much since finally going digital. But this new mirrorless DSLR is too special not to make use of all that it, and I, can offer.

Trying out the panoramic feature - in the salon of the boat

And, in both the shots above, trying ot the 200mm lens (at beautiful Brookgreen Gardens, about an hour south of Little River).

And these are examples of the micro setting, 18mm - also taken at Brookgreen Gardens.

I'm feeling less overwhelmed by my new Sony; I think I can do this, and I look forward to both the learning process and the product.

Plan . . . D?

New move-in date: May 1. Aargh!

When we set Tom's doctors' appointments for the end of February, we planned to stay in Baytown until time to move in, which we thought would be imminent . . . But no, so we came on back to South Carolina. All along we've planned to settle in our new house, then head back here to SC and boat, and then cruise north. But with this new development, we've developed a new plan.

We hope to get the haul-out and everything else completed here in South Carolina by early in April, at which time we'll set sail for the Chesapeake. Ideally, we would get to our Chesapeake home marina in Kilmarnock, the Chesapeake Boat Basin, by the last week of April, and then leave the boat there while we head back to Texas for the great move-in.  We'll be there well into May and then drive back to the boat and resume our cruise to more northern ports of call.

Time is of the essence when going north. If we get up into Maine or Canada, we'll want to have time to enjoy it thoroughly before having to start back south to avoid cold weather. So we don't want to get too late a start.

But I want time to nest in our new house before abandoning it for a while, too. And Elizabeth and Nathan will be visiting us there a week after we move in!

So . . . we continue to play it by ear.

Did You Miss Me?

I think not, since few people have read my last two posts. But for those who are hanging in there, let me apologize for my laxity. I simply haven't been inspired to write, at least in the blog, for some time, though I have begun trying to get to know, to understand, my mom (and my relationship with her) through my own private writing.

A quick encapsulation of the last couple of weeks:
1) We drove to Texas in two long days, and enjoyed our brief time there, visiting with Susan, Beau, and Bryce; having dinner out with Steve and Ellen one evening (Cadillac Bar!) and Courtney and Larry and Pat another (El Toro!), and enjoying another dinner out (the Monument Inn!) with Pat.
2) Tom saw his three doctors and had tests run - nothing to report on that front.
3) We got our tax info ready and in to David Start, on time for once.
4) Nephew Eric and his partner Mike paid us a visit at the Funny Farm, getting to experience it for themselves for the first time (and being appropriately amazed).
5) Annie learned to trust us a little bit again, though not as readily as before, as we had left her for about five weeks. She looks good, well-fed, sleek, and shiny.

6) Another two-day drive, this time back to Little River.
7) We enjoyed spending last weekend with Crawford and Mary, including celebrating Tom's birthday early with a good salmon (with a balsamic vinegar reduction) dinner followed by homemade apple cobbler.  (Helpful hint: Don't substitute fine flour made for gravy [all that was available in Crawford's kitchen, I discovered too late] for regular flour when making pastry.)
8) Leigh Jones has almost finished his work on the boat, and Tom and I have been working on it, too. My latest project: painting the walls around the portholes in the stateroom, teak walls that have suffered water damage. The result is good, lighter and brighter - a very, very pale yellow. And never fear, my traditional friends, the room is still massively, classically, nautically teak.
9) We now await word from the shipyard that it's time to take her in to be hauled out for cleaning and painting and such.