Quartzsite Cruiser

Good morning from a very overcast central Texas. We may have gotten some rain overnight, but I haven't checked the rain gauge yet. I slept well last night, and only got up once. When I looked out the window it looked like the driveway was wet, but it was really too dark to tell for sure. It is 74F with a 6mph wind from the NNE, 98% humidity and a dew point of 73F. It looks like our rain is over until late this afternoon. Unfortunately, it looks like Cleburne will be getting rain all morning when we head that way for DH's routine CT scan. It also looks rain free, but cloudy tomorrow when we head to Dallas for DH's routine follow up appointment after the last shunt adjustment. Three good days today. I don't remember the last time I saw a pressed penny. Some skyscrapers are wonderful and some are just weird looking. We have been in some that were among the tallest in the world. I like the Aristotle quote. A good hamburger is nice, and we had burgers Sunday. DH might like the drink, and we'd both want to try the wine. We have been to Southampton once in 2000 to board P&O Oriana for their round world cruise. We landed at Gatwick very early in the morning where a car and driver were waiting to take up to Southampton. Once there, we spent a long time in the cruise terminal waiting to board at 2pm even though the ship had been there overnight. We did not see much of the town, and our visits to London have all been from Dover except one time when we spent six days there to break up the long flight from Cape Town to Dallas. The 1783 Treaty of Paris was the important last step in the US gaining our independence. In 2016, we had to cancel a tour to San Marino from Ravenna. We still want to see that small country. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, I'm sorry Austin was sick on his birthday. I hope you DDIL had a safe flight back to Texas. Thank you for you pictures of Southampton. @marshhawk Annie, I hope Quiffy's blood test comes back with no surprises. @Cruzin Terri Terri, I hope the PT helps your shoulder and arm. @Denise T Denise, I hope you do graduate in January, and are able to join one of the universities as a full-time faculty member. @cunnorl Charlene, just an idea about the broken window in the Crow's Nest. There was one on Prinsendam in 2016 and 2017, and we were told the windows are specially made to fit the opening. That may still be the case, and they may need to wait for the window or for drydock to replace the window. Lenda

Thank you very much. Lenda

No surprise really. It's after 8pm and we've still haven't seen a drop of rain. Radar shows rain in the area, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not sure even for those times that show 75 to 90 percent chance of rain, we'll see any. We had a quiet, laid back anniversary. We opened a bottle of Prosecco with dinner. I made shrimp creole with rice, and we have enough left over for one or two more meals. I also will make a casserole and freeze the leftovers in two serving portions. Terri, thank you for the good wishes gor our anniversary. Lenda

Thank you, Graham. Lenda

Thank you, Brenda. I'm glad the weekend camping went well. Graham, thank you for the heads up about your internet. Denise, safe travels back to the mainland next week. Great pictures of Shawn and Annan. I love this new painting. It is so peaceful and relaxing. Vanessa, you accomplished a lot today. Thank you for the anniversary wishes, and your nice comments about my pictures. In 2006, when we walked around Port-of-Spain, we didn't go to far from the dock area. We felt relatively safe, but stayed in the newer area, where we found the car rental company which we used on the return voyage from Manaus. Lenda

Gerry, I know you are both relieved that DH's heart was not the problem. I hope time, pain meds and the heat/cold routine, has him feeling much, much better soon. It's good to know today is already a better day. If you need another cucumber recipe, I have a tomato, cucumber, onion salad recipe that we had often when we had our garden in Pennsylvania. Cucumbers were one vegetable we did not have nay trouble growing in abundance. Thank you for the Happy Anniversary wishes. Oh so close, but we were there on Noordam III in April or May 1999. At least in 2015, they used buses. Karen, I'm glad the 50th anniversary party was nice. Thank you for the Happy Anniversary wishes. We're having a quiet day here. Thank you. Fred. Sandi, as you probably read, we were in Trinidad several months before RNB. That would have been too much of a coincidence. We almost met in Trinidad if we hadn't been on different buses. When we sold our house in 1999, we packed everything, and the movers loaded and stored the boxes and furniture for us until our house was finished. Susan, I hope the corgi was picked up and is safe. Hopefully, the owner and dog will be reunited soon. Carolyn, I'm sorry your DS and DBIL have covid, and are stuck in a hotel on top of that. I hope they feel better soon. That is good news Amber had her final surgery and it went well. Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you, Bruce. @RMLincoln Maureen, I don't know how I managed to not offer congratulations on the birth of the new great grandbaby earlier. I hope Sandy and the baby are doing well. @dfish Debbie, and @ottahand7 Nancy, and any other Dailyites on the January 11, 2025, Koningsdam sailing, we had a final notice from HAL that the Labor Day sale ends tomorrow with our cruise featured. I checked, and even though we booked last week under the sale, we can save money with a price drop. We're going to call tomorrow to see what we can do without losing our cabin and everything we've booked. Debbie, I wonder if the FCC on board could help you and Sue. I forgot to mention in my pictures from Trinidad that the naval ship at the dock is the Royal Netherlands Holland Class ship, Zeeland. It is the second ship in that class. Lenda

We were also in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in 2015 on the same cruise as @StLouisCruisers Sandi. We also did the same tour that day, but we went to the Botanic Gardens first and then the Monastery. Sandi, thank you for your pictures from the bus. Then windows on our bus were so heavily tinted that my pictures turned out blue. We've been to Trinidad three more times. We were there twice in 2006 on the old Regal Princess on b2bs roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale to Manaus. Our first time was in 1999 on Noordam III, so those pictures are pre-digital. The port area and it's approaches are very shallow with shifting sand, so there were many ships that had run aground in 1999. The Noordam even ran aground for a short time, but managed to work herself free. That was when we learned they need a diver to inspect the hull before she could sail from Trinidad. That is the case whenever a ship runs aground. In 2006, on our second visit, we rented a car and drove to the tar pits. Known as Pitch Lake, the tar pits are the world's largest natural asphalt deposits. Along the way to Pitch Lake we passed was a beautiful oceanside park with huge piles of firewood under several platforms. Every Wednesday, families come there to cremate their dead. On our way back, the cremations were underway. Out of respect for the dead, we did not take any pictures, but it was an interesting introduction to one island custom. The tar pits A band greeting us in 2006 Contrasting views of the port area. The first pictures were taken from the ship in 2006 and the second ones in each set in 2015. More pictures of Port-of-Spain taken from the ship in 2006 The Botanic Gardens A few different views of the monastery Now it's time to finish reading the Daily, so I'll be back in a while. Lenda

Good morning from a cloudy and gray central Texas. Our much needed rain prediction was moved from 4am to 6am, and now the weather app is saying we'll get rain at 6pm. I'm not holding my breath, but since DH has an appointment Tuesday and another Wednesday, my guess is that is when we'll get rain. It is 77F and feels like 77F with a 9mph wind from the NE. The humidity is 90% with a dew point of 73F. Our predicted high is 83F, quite a change from last month. I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing Labor Day. Calendar Adjustment Day is celebrated on September 2 to commemorate the day Britain switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Someone else can enjoy my coconut. I think a small amount of fear in our lives is necessary to keep us from doing some dangerous things. The quote is interesting, but I don't totally agree with it. We'll pass on the meal, but would love to try the wine. I've enjoyed a few Tequila Sunrise drinks on BHBs. We have been to Port-of-Spain four times. The Great London Fire in 1666 was devastating to the city. V-J day ended a horrible war. @StLouisCruisers Sandi, please wish Austin a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY for us. If Brenda and Paul still have their motorhome, they will have a place to live until they find a new house. We did that for four or five months before the house we're in now was ready. @grapau27 Graham, glad your internet is back and you are back on The Daily. @ottahand7 Nancy, I hope the fishing is good today. I hope the doctors can finally figure out what is going on with your DB and find a cure. @RedneckBob RNB, we were on a tour in Trinidad where they ran out of bus space, and many were loaded into taxis. This was in 1999, and our taxi was so old it was a Datsun. We did the entire tour feeling like sardines, and were very glad when we reached the beach and could get out of the car for a few minutes. Thank you for wishing us a Happy Anniversary. @Denise T Congratulations, on getting your dissertation sent off for review. @Heartgrove Jack, that is good news your DSIL came home Saturday. Thank you for the anniversary wishes. @Mr. Boston Thank you for the anniversary wishes. Enjoy your DBIL's visit. @Seasick Sailor Thank you for the nice anniversary wishes. Thank you too for sharing the pictures of your cabin. @dfish Debbie, enjoy your day in Charlottetown. Thanks for the anniversary wishes. @marshhawk Annie, thank you for the good wishes. @smitty34877 Terry, thank you for the good wishes today. Enjoy your dinner cooked by DSIL. @puppycanducruise Thank you for the good wishes today. @seagarsmoker Thank you for the anniversary good wishes. Lenda

Thank you all for the Happy Anniversary wishes. We appreciate every one of the good wishes. It's hard for me to believe it's been 57 years, and even harder to wrap my mind around the fact, I'm old enough to be married 57 years. My preference is to thank everyone individually, but if I did that, The Daily would become too long and cumbersome. Lenda

@RMLincoln Maureen, I hope you have a VERY HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY! Lenda

We've had two ginger cats, and one was a female. Lenda

Rich, I'm glad everything went smoothly. Enjoy the Westerdam and your cruise. Lenda

Good afternoon from a cloudy and windy central Texas. We had a small rain shower early this morning, but not enough to measure. Our heavy rain is supposed to start about 4 am, and then be on and off through Wednesday. The good news is our predicted highs will be no higher than the low to mid 90s for the the foreseeable future. I'll be very happy if we're really finished with triple digit highs for this year. Carolyn, thanks for the pictures of the group. Rich and Sue look so sweet and happy. Karen, enjoy your afternoon with your DIL and her parents as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Karen, it's sad when people don't thank someone for gifts, but at least, two have good manners. Joy, I'm glad check in was so easy. Great picture of the two of you. I agree. I'm still hearing the song too. Glad it is a favorite one. Marcia, safe travels. We did the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman tour when it was first offered and loved it. It's one of the best tours we've done. Lenda

🐰 RABBIT 🐰 RABBIT 🐇 WHITE RABBIT! Good morning from an increasingly cloudy central Texas. It is 75F and feels like 75F. We have a 4mph wind from the NE with 93% humidity and a dew point of 72F. Later, the wind will increase to 10+mph. Our rain chances are pretty good we'll get rain beginning tonight and lasting through Wednesday. We need the rain, but I hope the rain ends before Tuesday when DH has a follow up CT scan, and a follow up appointment at UTSW on Wednesday. The traffic in Dallas and the last 10 to 15 miles there is bad enough without rain. While the forecast for rain can change quickly in Texas, sometimes when you want it to change, it doesn't. Today, I'll be doing the laundry since I really don't want to wait until Thursday. Building codes and the staff that administers them are good, and I wish there were building codes in our county. Ginger cats are wonderful, and we had two many, many years ago. I used to write letters, but after my stepmother died, there was no one to write to. Now, my letter writing, such as it is, is in the form of emails and Christmas letters. Todays quote is true, and we know some people who are lovely, but who believe some weird things. They probably think the same thing about us. Eggplant parmesan is good, but I prefer chicken parmesan, which we had just the other day. We'll pass on the drink. If the wine is not too sweet or too dry, I would like to try it. We have not been to Fakarava. We were in Rangiora in 2004 on Tahitian Princess. Hooray for Emma Nutt for becoming the first female telephone operator in 1878. Growing up I didn't want to be a telephone operator, but a switchboard operator. I was lucky enough to have that job at the HEB headquarters when we lived in Corpus Christi. A good day in 1905 when Alberta and Saskatchewan joined the Confederation of Canada as the 8th and 9th Canadian provinces @doobieb Debbie, I'm glad you, your DH and your DD are over covid. I hope your DGS is well soon. @TiogaCruiser Laura, I hope you have a safe, smooth and on time flight home today. @cat shepard Ann, I hope the lady who lives in the retirement community you are interested in can give you some good information and advice. @Ichiban Nekko Cat, thanks for checking in today. I'm glad your DH has recovered well from the broken hip. Your cruises sound wonderful. Please check in with us occasionally. @ottahand7 Nancy, I'm sorry your DB is worse. I hope the doctors can figure out what is going on and can help him. I was sorry to read about his DGD's diagnosis. I hope there is a way to help her. @RMLincoln Maureen, I hope things keep progressing and pick up soon for your DGD Sandy, and the baby arrives soon and is healthy. @cruising sister Lorraine, I'm glad your invitation got your friend out of her house. I hope she starts bending her knee soon. While it must have been difficult, I'm glad your friend was with you when you opened the cards. HUGS! @Denise T Denise, congratulations on having your dissertation ready to send to the committee for review. @Lady Hudson Katherine, I hope you and your DS stay well after the last cruise. @LAFFNVEGAS Welcome home, Lisa. @dobiemom Welcome home, Marcia. Lenda

@USN59-79 Enjoy your cruise, Ray and Sara. Lenda

@richwmn Rich, enjoy your cruise. I'm looking forward to traveling with you through your Live From. Lenda

@lindaler Linda, I'm happy you are able to join the others, and I hope you have a great time on your cruise. Lenda

@Seasick Sailor Joy, I hope you and Allen have a wonderful time on your amazing cruise. Lenda

@Cruzin Terri Terri, wishing you a very Happy Birthday. Lenda

The October cruise should give you a good chance to see the Northern Lights, especially that far north. We saw them in mid-September near Fairbanks.

Today was partially successful in preparing for our December and January cruises. We have the HIA excursions booked for the Mexico cruise, and we didn't go over the credit, plus we only left $15 each on the table. The Hawaii cruise is harder since our normal is to rent cars in all the ports. Also, since Kauai could be missed due to high winds, and it's the next to last port, we're hesitant to book something there. We'll figure something out. We also have our HIA dinner reservations made. The rest will be made on board. Joy, I'm glad you had a good flight from Austin, and made it to Seattle safely. Hope the boarding goes smoothly. Have a wonderful time on the cruise. Annie, I love the shirt, and it's you, even if it doesn't have enough cats. Lenda

The cruise looks interesting. I hope you can see the Northern Lights, just remember they are harder to see when the sun is up most of the time. Safe travels home.

Bruno, between Covid, the shutdown, and health problems for several of us, we missed a lot of chances to meet fellow Dailyites. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet your Dear Dad. Lenda

Bruno, I don't blame you. I hope to meet you on the Westerdam next June. Lenda

Sandi, it looks like we're going to finally meet next summer. We booked the Solstice cruise in late June. We've wanted to get to Nome, and figured this was probably safer than flying there, and more fun. Lenda