The Daily for Thursday Mar 18, 2021

[Cruising-along]

30 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

Good thing it is just "almost" into Canada. One of our neighbors in Skykomish is a Canadian citizen and his 90 year old mom lives just over the border. He hasn't been able to visit her since last March.

I know someone with the same problem.  Her 92-year-old Mother lives in BC, has dementia, and they haven't seen each other since this started. 😞  No, my sister moved from Bellingham to Lynden -- seems so much further than Bellingham, another 20 minutes each way!

[kazu]

40 minutes ago, cruzn single said:

Yesterday I joined the appliance cursed households!  My dishwasher started leaking all over the floor.  Seems the bottom of it is full of water.  (Hadn't run it since Sunday).  After talking to a plumber this morning, I found out that the dishwasher is so old there won't be parts for it!  So, I conveyed the good news to my landlord's daughter.  So a new dishwasher is in my future

 

Yikes!  At least your landlord is paying for it (I hope) 

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

I know someone with the same problem.  Her 92-year-old Mother lives in BC, has dementia, and they haven't seen each other since this started. 😞  No, my sister moved from Bellingham to Lynden -- seems so much further than Bellingham, another 20 minutes each way!

 

And @HAL4NOWthere have been a number of stories here of families meeting at the border (each on their own side, of course) waving and shouting to each other.  So sad.

[NextOne]

Speaking of awkward moments, the cats decided that I would NOT wear my jeans today....

 

 

[Vict0riann]

The only "foreigner" at Butchart's the other day was a California car - perhaps someone on his way to Alaska stopping for a visit along the way -  so it is possible to get into Canada!

[kazu]

43 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

I have been tied up with the local Humane Society the last few days

 

I’ve been meaning to say this for a while.  Thank you ♥️ You are a woman after my own heart - helping animals in need.  Bless you 💜 

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!   DD is half way through her quarantine, so far so good!   We are a week after our first shot, so grateful as the variants are concerning! 
 

So grateful for beautiful weather, spring is coming!  

We’ve been to Belize,  but were warned to avoid the city,  so enjoyed a day in an island. 
 

Feeling hopeful, booked a fall Japan 2022 cruise,  but looking at Celebrity.  Is that cheating?
 

 

 

how many deer are hiding?   😉

Edited March 18, 2021 by bennybear

[garlictown]

🌴🌴🌴🌴Morning from Maui....will check back later...going for a 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️.....check back later!

[Cruising-along]

21 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

And @HAL4NOWthere have been a number of stories here of families meeting at the border (each on their own side, of course) waving and shouting to each other.  So sad.

Here too.  I don't know why they haven't done that, unless it's because it would be too hard on the 92-year-old.  They live in Sooke, not sure how far that would be.  Also with dementia she's having a hard time understanding why her daughter isn't coming to visit like she always has in the past.  She doesn't believe the border is closed. 😞  

[cruzn single]

Thanks for the concern.  The landlord will be paying.  I just have to live without a dishwasher till replacement and then be here when it is installed.  I have a great landlord.  Better than owning would be for me at this stage of life.

[bennybear]

1 minute ago, Cruising-along said:

Here too.  I don't know why they haven't done that, unless it's because it would be too hard on the 92-year-old.  They live in Sooke, not sure how far that would be.  Also with dementia she's having a hard time understanding why her daughter isn't coming to visit like she always has in the past.  She doesn't believe the border is closed. 😞  

dementia is so hard!  We had phoned my sweet elderly aunt, and sent her a birthday card,  she told her daughter we had visited.  When her daughter said we couldn’t as the border was closed, she insisted we had.   A mixed blessing!  

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Feeling hopeful, booked a fall Japan 2022 cruise,  but looking at Celebrity.  Is that cheating?
 

 

Not at all if they have what you want itinerary and timing wise 😉 

 

As a regular hope you feel free to list that cruise on the FCL if you want a Bon Voyage 😄 

[bennybear]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

Not at all if they have what you want itinerary and timing wise 😉 

 

As a regular hope you feel free to list that cruise on the FCL if you want a Bon Voyage 😄 

Aw sweet!  Thanks Jacqui!    We have enjoyed spring and this one does fall to ports we haven’t been with friends we met last time in Japan. 

[StLouisCruisers]

31 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all!   DD is half way through her quarantine, so far so good!   We are a week after our first shot, so grateful as the variants are concerning! 
 

So grateful for beautiful weather, spring is coming!  

We’ve been to Belize,  but were warned to avoid the city,  so enjoyed a day in an island. 
 

Feeling hopeful, booked a fall Japan 2022 cruise,  but looking at Celebrity.  Is that cheating?
 

 

 

how many deer are hiding?   😉

 

I see three but the possible head of a deer or ? above that leaning tree to the right of the right hand deer.  I see nothing in that mass of brush in the middle but one could be hiding there.

[bennybear]

31 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

I see three but the possible head of a deer or ? above that leaning tree to the right of the right hand deer.  I see nothing in that mass of brush in the middle but one could be hiding there.

Hard to see but there were at least six or seven,  but some may not be in the photo,  they hide well even in real life!  So I think you nailed it! 

Edited March 18, 2021 by bennybear

[JazzyV]

2 hours ago, cruzn single said:

Interesting day--and I need to quit hanging out with all of you people!!!! Yesterday I joined the appliance cursed households!  My dishwasher started leaking all over the floor.  Seems the bottom of it is full of water.  (Hadn't run it since Sunday).  After talking to a plumber this morning, I found out that the dishwasher is so old there won't be parts for it!  

 

That sounds like my former 35+ year old Kitchenaid dishwasher. It didn't leak, but when I went to load it I noticed the bottom was full of water. A guy came out and said it was too old to find parts for, so I had to get a new one. Then the fridge went. Last year I remodeled the kitchen and only had to replace the stove (38 years old) and microwave since I'd replaced the other appliances the year before.

[Copper10-8]

Continuing on with Amsterdam's visit to Qingdao in the PRC, the arrival was uneventful We were assigned one of the commercial finger piers where Capt. Eversen parked his ship without any problems. Across from us was an array of PLAN (People's Republic Army Navy) war ships of various types and sizes. On the way in, we had passed the Qingdao submarine base with four diesel electric attack subs of the Type 039 'Song'-class visible. Also in passing we saw the PLAN Type 926 ''Dalao''-class submarine rescue and supply ship 867 Changdao (meaning 'long knife') and across from us once berthed was the new looking Type 054A 'Jiangkai II'-class multi-purpose frigate 538 Yantai (named after a coastal prefecture-level city on the Shandong Peninsula). On the helo deck of the Yantai were twelve sailors in their whites, their chief, and two officers in their blues lined up for morning colors.

 

We were apparently assigned a PLA (or police, hard to tell the differance) guard dressed in his long green military winter overcoat, four-color woodland camo pants and soft hat. The corporal would stay outside our gangway all day long until our departure. I felt sorry for him so, just before our departure, I walked down to him and gave him one of our orange metal HAL pins. We were unable to communicate verbally due to the language barrier but he gave me a smile and a "hsieh-hsieh" which is about the only Chinese I know (thank you). Made me feel good!  We were using our long gangway once again which had to be lowered from the bow to the pier, and hooked up/rigged by a group of our sailors which was watched with apparent interest by the waiting Chinese Customs officials. 

 

At 1015 hrs., we had a regularly scheduled muster for crew on the outside decks. Roll (muster) was taken by the boat commanders and yes, life vests are still donned by the crew for musters, unlike is the case for passengers.

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Copper10-8

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! I will do my best not to celebrate Awkward Moments Day, but you never know. The meal sounds interesting, and chicken is on the menu, so one of the two suggestions might make it to the plate. Roy, unfortunately my DH was not one of the people who got their jab yesterday. That’s still weeks away at best. He did, however, get the BBQ going and grilled the first cheeseburgers of the season. In his books, that’s cause for celebration! The apple trees have both had their base circles cleared, the fences fixed, and have been fertilized. Now the forecast solid week of rain will do them some good!

Happy Thursday, everyone, and may we look down and see one of these sooner than we think!

[Copper10-8]

As stated, there is a large European - read German - influence in Qingdao, especially visible in some of the buildings and churches. Germany came in late to the practice of colonization but they had their eyes set on China as early as the 1860’s. It wouldn’t be until January 15, 1898 that Germany was able to coerce China into leasing them 553 square kilometers of land in Northeast China (incl. Qingdao city) for 99 years. The colony was to become to the first European colony on mainland China, as Taiwan (Japan), Hong Kong (Britain) and Macau (Portugal) were all islands.

 

Although it was to be a rather short stay for the German occupiers (they would be defeated by Japanese forces after only fifteen years) they would within this short period of time leave a sizable footprint. They built a railroad, made improvements to the harbor and even opened a shipyard. They would also continue to establish their Christian presence through the construction of churches, and were able to construct a brewery, whose first batch of beer was finished in 1904. The brewery has continued to produce beer ever since, and has brought the city national and international recognition

 

Departure came for Amsterdam at 5:30 PM with Capt. Fred making a 180 with his ship and retracing his morning route to leave Qingdao behind us. Next stop Shanghai for a 3-day stay! Oh boy! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mtn2Sea]

We’ve been to Belize twice, first on the Ryndam in 2010 and the later on the Veendam in 2018.  Both times we took excursions to Mayan ruins.  On our first visit, we went to Xunantunich.

 

 

 

 

On our second visit, we went to Lamanai.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Mtn2Sea

[cat shepard]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

The anniversary and date stuff got me intrigued on this miserable stormy morning.

 

Since I found a way to find when Rich started the Fleet Report (now the Daily).  It took a bit of time so since I was that far along I decided to check to see when I started doing the Bon Voyage and FCL threads.

 

OMG This is scary 😱. July 5th will make it 8 years!  😬 

Woo hoo!

[cat shepard]

4 hours ago, Lady Hudson said:

Love coming here each day.  Thanks to all.  Other news - at 1:00 am I got a vaccine appointment for Monday.  Pfizer.  Now I need to get over my fear of needles.  Haven't been jabbed in over 45 years - because I avoid shots.  Katherine

 

Katherine, these people are experts! I may have felt my first jab, not sure.
 

Make sure you relax your arm. It will help manage any soreness you might feel.  They should tell you, but they might forget. 

[rafinmd]

26 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Roy, unfortunately my DH was not one of the people who got their jab yesterday. That’s still weeks away at best.

OOPS.  When I read your post yesterday a LINE had "DH is getting his jab".  I missed that it was part of a SENTENCE where the first line of the sentence ended with "your".  Sorry, reading too quickly.  May your DH (and you) get jabbed soon.

 

Roy

[Rowsby]

I was just visiting with one of our sons.....he said HAL should offer fully vaccinated "Cruise to No-Where" in Alaska....no ports....but plenty of scenery and glaciers....:)

 

[Norseh2o]

We never visited while on a cruise but visited Belize and Belize City as Peace Corps Volunteers (stationed in Siguatepeque, Honduras).  It was so long ago that any pictures were surely taken on a Brownie camera... Thanks to all for The Daily, was 'mourning" a bit earlier today for missed opportunities, for lost days, lost visits, and for those gone from our lives.   Reading your shared stories and memories is good for the soul.  Thank you!