The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday May 11th, 2023

[cat shepard]

23 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Ann I can't take credit for This Day in History.  That was all Rich @richwmn who added it to the Daily several weeks/month ago.  He's always looking to improve the product!!

 

Thanks for all of your input on the font size so far and it seems lots like it larger.  I am on a mission to find out how to establish new defaults on my CC posting.  Otherwise I have to remember to upsize it every time I post.  (which I just did LOL)

Sandi, I did give Rich credit for adding TDiH - while cruising no less. 
 

I agree the majority of responses prefer the larger font. Is that a 20? I will try to see if I can find a way to change a “personal default font”. I bet there is a tech wizard out there who can help. I promise to share anything I find out. 

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Sandi, Eva, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann.  A chilly morning but over 80 this afternoon.  I tend to like technology but it can be very frustrating.  I've been to Santarem twice, both times on the Elegant Explorer.  I'll pass on making the book; interesting quote by Martin.  I do eat what I want but try to control my portions.  I'll pass on the soup,  My alternative is Classic Caesar Salad, Grilled Molasses Lamb Chops, and Strawberry Sundae which would have been my choices on Nieuw Statendam April 28, 2019 if I had not dined that day in Canaletto.

 

Roy

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

It is going to be a gloriously beautiful day here in mid-Michigan.  We have a cool start and will be warming up to 80F by this afternoon.  We held off cleaning the decks yesterday, but we're going to tackle them today.  We got a quote on painting our house and have decided that we're not going to do it ourselves.  The quote is reasonable enough that we'll hire the job out.  I didn't want to get up on ladders anyways.  

 

The only books I have made were memory books of my mom and dad after they passed away.  We ordered copies for all six siblings and the 8 grandchildren.  They are still favored gifts in the family.  

 

I wish I could eat what I want, but I'd be twice the size I am now.  With the diabetes, many foods are very limited or off limits.  I do try to limit the sugar as much as possible and when I do have it, it is a real treat.  I also limit starches.   Tomato soup is one of the things I have passed on because it tends to be high in sugars, hence carbs.  I do know many enjoy tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.   So, let's look at today's meal.  It looks like we are going to continue a bit with the tortellini.    https://www.delish.com/uk/cooking/recipes/a32373871/creamy-parm-tomato-soup-recipe/

 

 

This next one looked so rich in flavor.   https://www.simplyscratch.com/creamy-tomato-parmesan-tortellini-soup/

 

 

I did find one recipe without the tortellini.  https://letsdishrecipes.com/creamy-tomato-parmesan-soup/

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Sandi, thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Eva, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here!

 

The train museum that I am a member of had it's annual fund raiser this past Sunday. Sort of no surprise that I started feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and was hoping it was just a continuation of my East Coast allergies. Never had any when I lived in Illinois! I did take a COVID test which thankfully was negative, and no fever. Not feeling much better today so hopefully just a regular cold. I'll do another COVID test tomorrow to verify.

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Heartgrove

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 Crystal Symphony voyage from San Diego to New York.  On May 11 Symphony began an overnight call in Cartagena.

 

 

Roy

[StLouisCruisers]

27 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

Sandi, I did give Rich credit for adding TDiH - while cruising no less. 
 

I agree the majority of responses prefer the larger font. Is that a 20? I will try to see if I can find a way to change a “personal default font”. I bet there is a tech wizard out there who can help. I promise to share anything I find out. 

 

Oh, thanks Ann, I must have misread and thought you meant I was the bright one.  Lord knows I'm not!  lol  The font is size 18, and I checked out my profile, etc. and see nowhere to change the type of font, size of font, or even color used.  Maybe Gerry  @ger_77 can tell us about size since her posts use larger font size.  

[quilty964]

Good morning, thanks for all of the info here.  @dfishThe tomato soups look great.  I just got my straw bales, so will start to condition them soon so I can plant tomatoes and cucumbers.  I made some soup with fresh tomatoes last year.  These recipes look great to try again.  Our local library had a little talk on container gardening last night, I'm going to check out some herbs today to try in a pot this year.  I'm wondering if  I could put spinach in a pot.  We have very hungry rabbits here!  (grr)  

Technology has been interesting here..we've had the new car around 6 weeks now, still trying to figure out all of the bells and whistles.  (The old car was 16 years old!)  

Hoping @marshhawkis doing ok on her cruise...I've been reading Crew News and his story, sure sounds like a bad day yesterday!   

Thanks again for sharing your pictures and stories...I travel to all of these places through you.  Have a great day, our weather should be great today!  Karen

 

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! DH and I tend to eat what we want, and it shows!  LOL  Ever so thankful for technology, especially for the 8 years our son was living in Japan - we were able to stay in touch almost every day.  I've never made a book, but have a friend who has made them for her family, just as @StLouisCruisers is doing now.

 

It's partly cloudy and only 8 degrees right now, but we're looking at a high of 22 today, which will be very nice.  I'm sure there will be a bit of a breeze to keep those working outside more comfortable.  DH is going out to get his hair cut, then we're heading off to various grocery stores to see what they have for hanging baskets.  Because it's Mother's Day on Sunday, all the greenhouses (both full time and temporary) will be bursting at the seams with plants.  After looking at the dahlias we bought and planted the other day, we both agree, they are less than stellar, so will also be looking for pot stuffers to fill them out.

 

Re: technology - I've gone to 18 font for my posts for I don't know how long.  It just seems easier to read, I guess.   Sometimes people use different fonts on their iPads which look nice, but are really difficult to read on a PC.  And I'm talking about myself - some time ago I used a script font to wish folks Bon Voyage, and was quickly told by one of the cruisers that they couldn't read a "dam thing".  'nuff said, will change fonts.  LOL

 

I'm pretty sure I'd like today's wine, will give the drink of the day a hard pass (don't like Bourbon), and know we both would like today's menu suggestion.  I think a lazy girls version (which would be mine) would be to put a tablespoon of grated parmesan into each bowl of tomato soup.  I'm all about easy when it comes to cooking.  For us tonight, though, we'll be having baked salmon with the delicious strawberry relish (I use sugar instead of honey which makes it too sticky for my liking), parmesan potatoes and coleslaw on the deck.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations.

 

Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

[GTVCRUISER]

Greetings from San Diego 

[HAL4NOW]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Thanks for all of your input on the font size so far and it seems lots like it larger.  I am on a mission to find out how to establish new defaults on my CC posting.  Otherwise I have to remember to upsize it every time I post.  (which I just did LOL)

@RuthC might have figured out how to change the default setting for your posts. Hers always seem to come out larger and in green.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from another cloudy day in central Texas.  It is currently 72F with just a whiff of a breeze and a predicted high of 85F.  Right now, there is no rain in the forecast until 7 pm tomorrow.

 

We generally eat what I like since I'm the cook, but I'll also make things DH really likes and that I don't mind eating.  Without technology, DH would not have been able to write the software program that gave us the means to travel as much as we have.  Older DD works at a company that designs computer chips.  Technology allows younger DD to work from home for a company in San Francisco.  The only book I've made is my personal cookbook that is a compilation of recipes I use or ones I might use.  It is always a work in progress, but it means I don't have to hunt through a lot of cookbooks to find the one recipe from a cookbook that I regularly use.

 

Today's quote is one I agree with totally.  Books have taken me many places.

 

The creamy parmesan tomato soup sounds good for a winter day.  I have a tomato soup recipe I like, but I haven't made it in a few years.  It needs very good tomatoes or else it's not that good.  Finding really great tomatoes has been difficult lately.  We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine if only it wasn't slightly pricey.

 

We have not seen "Cats", but I love the music from the show.

 

We have been to Santarem twice in 2006 on b2b cruise from Ft. Lauderdale.  I'll look for my pictures shortly.

 

@puppycanducruise  Melanie, I'm glad Bertie is getting better.

@Heartgrove  Jack, I hope you feel better soon.

@StLouisCruisers  Safe travels to your DS, DDIL and Ren today.  Wishing Ren and the Jaguars good luck in the tournament this weekend.

 

I'm trying to use size 18 type, but I found that it reverts back to default size whenever I add the blue bubble.  There has to be an easier way to set the type size to 18 for all posts and including blue bubbles, etc.

 

 

@kazu  Jacqui, I thought of you and Ivan when I saw this.

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to Santarem twice on the old Regal Princess in 2006, as we did a b2b roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.  Flying into and out of Manaus, unless you are on a charter flight, is difficult.  Besides, who could pass up an extra 14 days on an ship, even if it is not a BHB.

 

The first time we stopped in Santarem, we took a tour out on the river, which was very high as it was the end of the rainy season.  Houses that are on land during the dry season are more than waterfront property during the rainy season.

 

Not sure what type of fish this is, but it looks like a member of the catfish family.

 

On the boat, they gave us primative fishing gear baited with red meat.  This is the one that DH caught, but it was a small piranha

 

One lady caught this big guy.  The crew filleted and cooked it.  We were each given a bite along with some manioc.  The fish tasted like perch and the manioc was hard and nearly broke teeth.

 

A couple of pictures of Santarem as we returned to town.

 

The sunset that day as we headed towards Manaus.

 

Heading back down the Amazon, we stopped at Santarem again.  That day, four of us hired a taxi to take us to Belterra, one of Henry Ford's rubber plantations.  I posted pictures of Belterra on an earlier Daily.

 

Our first stop was to watch the locals prepare manioc.  After our experience on the river cruise, we did not taste it again.  Besides being hard, I don't remember it having much taste.

 

Two boys with their green parrots

 

When we got back to Santarem, we stopped at this museum.  

 

The museum gardens

 

The street outside the museum.

 

Lenda

[travelnap]

During the pandemic I did start on a new book, since I had extra time on my hands.  Great news, I have only four more pages to color in and I will then be able to go back and add the dialogue to each page.  I believe it will be finished sometime next year.  

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Here are some pictures of Belterra.  We stopped at the "city hall" to ask about the town, and we were taken to a back room to view an old map of the town and the rubber plantation.

 

 

 

A rubber tree scored to collect the rubber.

 

 

Pictures of the town.

 

 

 

 

Lenda

[rafinmd]

7 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

I'm trying to use size 18 type, but I found that it reverts back to default size whenever I add the blue bubble.  There has to be an easier way to set the type size to 18 for all posts and including blue bubbles, etc.

It might be more of a pain than it's worth but try typing a word or 2 that would be after the Blue Bubble and then inserting the name in the middle.  I think that way the format may carry over to the next area.

 

Roy

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

4 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

It might be more of a pain than it's worth but try typing a word or 2 that would be after the Blue Bubble and then inserting the name in the middle.  I think that way the format may carry over to the next area.

 

Roy

 

Thanks for the suggestion Roy.  I also thought I might type the entire post in the default size; then, highlight the post and resize it that way.  I guess getting it right is a work in progress.

 

Lenda

 

[superoma]

You may remember that I struggled with font size, holding and highlighting for the care list and basically gave up because it was too cumbersome to make changes. I also cannot find anywhere to change the default font size. Perhaps @POA1has some ideas?

[kochleffel]

5 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Do you find the default size font too small to read? 

 

I prefer the default size.

[grapau27]

Relaxing in the garden where it is sunny and 66°F.

Pauline said yesterday was 6 years since we were at our Queen's Royal Garden Party 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by grapau27

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

20 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

I prefer the default size.

 

Paul, I also have no problem with the default size, but since others seem to want a larger size type, I'm tried to use size 18.  The default size is about 16.  Since I have a monitor hooked to my laptop, the size is not a problem.  On my tablet I can change the size with a swipe of two fingers.

 

Lenda

Edited May 11, 2023 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[StLouisCruisers]

42 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Good morning from another cloudy day in central Texas.  It is currently 72F with just a whiff of a breeze and a predicted high of 85F.  Right now, there is no rain in the forecast until 7 pm tomorrow.

 

We generally eat what I like since I'm the cook, but I'll also make things DH really likes and that I don't mind eating.  Without technology, DH would not have been able to write the software program that gave us the means to travel as much as we have.  Older DD works at a company that designs computer chips.  Technology allows younger DD to work from home for a company in San Francisco.  The only book I've made is my personal cookbook that is a compilation of recipes I use or ones I might use.  It is always a work in progress, but it means I don't have to hunt through a lot of cookbooks to find the one recipe from a cookbook that I regularly use.

 

Today's quote is one I agree with totally.  Books have taken me many places.

 

The creamy parmesan tomato soup sounds good for a winter day.  I have a tomato soup recipe I like, but I haven't made it in a few years.  It needs very good tomatoes or else it's not that good.  Finding really great tomatoes has been difficult lately.  We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine if only it wasn't slightly pricey.

 

We have not seen "Cats", but I love the music from the show.

 

We have been to Santarem twice in 2006 on b2b cruise from Ft. Lauderdale.  I'll look for my pictures shortly.

 

@puppycanducruise  Melanie, I'm glad Bertie is getting better.

@Heartgrove  Jack, I hope you feel better soon.

@StLouisCruisers  Safe travels to your DS, DDIL and Ren today.  Wishing Ren and the Jaguars good luck in the tournament this weekend.

 

I'm trying to use size 18 type, but I found that it reverts back to default size whenever I add the blue bubble.  There has to be an easier way to set the type size to 18 for all posts and including blue bubbles, etc.

 

 

@kazu  Jacqui, I thought of you and Ivan when I saw this.

 

 

 

Lenda

 

 

Does your DD work in Austin?  One of DS's companies is there.  Name begins with an A.  However I don't think any designing goes on there.  They already have their designs.  Not sure if production is there or someplace overseas like Taiwan.  I should ask some questions when I see them later this month for DGS's graduation.  Never really thought about it.  Thanks for the good wishes for the family and tournament.  And thanks for the photos today.

 

 

 

 

44 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

@RuthC might have figured out how to change the default setting for your posts. Hers always seem to come out larger and in green.

 

Yes, maybe she will see the notification of your post and come give us the answer.  Some folks don't care for the Daily I guess and don't read it every day, but if there's a notification she might come take a look.

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Thanks for the suggestion Roy.  I also thought I might type the entire post in the default size; then, highlight the post and resize it that way.  I guess getting it right is a work in progress.

 

Lenda

 

 

That's what I did this morning.  I typed it in default then at the end thought about trying an experiment and changed the size as you mentioned in your post.   

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

I prefer the default size.

 

You and I believe Graham like the default type.  I mean, I find it fine to read the smaller size but wondered if people were struggling and too polite to mention it.  This is default size type.  This is 18 font size.

 

I'd better get back to my photo book.  Not much progress going on with me reading CC instead so back to work!  

[0106]

Love the quote, reading takes me places I have never been, and the soup, and the memes, great way to start my day.
 

@StLouisCruisers I can read the default font on my phone.   Thank you for starting us off EARLY every day while Rich was on the world cruise.  I bet you will enjoy a few days without setting the alarm clock.

1 hour ago, ktbraun said:

I'm wondering if  I could put spinach in a pot.

I grow spinach and leaf lettuce in window boxes on my deck. Planted the seeds in March, brought them into my kitchen a few times when frost was predicted.  I should be able to cut it for the first time next week.  It will continue to flourish until the MD weather gets too hot, probably in July.

 

I appreciate the port pictures every day but every time we have an Amazon port, I am not impressed with the experience.  Am I missing something?  Has anyone done it more than once?

 

Positive thoughts to those who need them.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

[quilty964]

@0106thanks for the info.  I may get some seeds today...maybe we'll have salads in a few weeks or so!

[Cruising-along]

Greetings from Yellowstone!

We had a minor hiccup yesterday when we checked into our cabin/suite here in Gardiner. Somehow there was a mistake in our booking. I don’t know if it was my fault, the hotel, or the booking agent. I was sure I’d booked a suite with full kitchen for all 5 nights. But they had us in a suite with micro and small fridge the first 4 nights and full kitchen the last night (we did add that night later, when we decided to stay an extra day). We’ve stayed here several times and I always booked the same suite. 
 

Here we were with a trunk full of groceries and I planned on having a stovetop and oven. Well we cruisers/travelers are nothing but flexible, right?? We had a spaghetti dinner all prepared in the microwave. DH was quite impressed LOL. Also this cabin does have more items in the kitchen than I expected. 

 

The manager was able to get us into a full kitchen suite for the last 2 nights so we’ll be fine. It’s an adventure!

 

Heading out soon for our first full day in the park, photos later and everyone have a great day!

[StLouisCruisers]

12 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Love the quote, reading takes me places I have never been, and the soup, and the memes, great way to start my day.
 

@StLouisCruisers I can read the default font on my phone.   Thank you for starting us off EARLY every day while Rich was on the world cruise.  I bet you will enjoy a few days without setting the alarm clock.

I grow spinach and leaf lettuce in window boxes on my deck. Planted the seeds in March, brought them into my kitchen a few times when frost was predicted.  I should be able to cut it for the first time next week.  It will continue to flourish until the MD weather gets too hot, probably in July.

 

I appreciate the port pictures every day but every time we have an Amazon port, I am not impressed with the experience.  Am I missing something?  Has anyone done it more than once?

 

Positive thoughts to those who need them.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

 

Tina, thanks for the input on the default font.  You're welcome about the early start but that just worked out better for my schedule in the mornings.  Whatever works for Rich is gonna be fine with all of us.  I'll be continuing posting for him through Monday.  

 

As for feedback on the Amazon ports, most of the time they weren't what I thought they would be.  The Amazon itself reminds me of a larger, wider muddy Mississippi.  I should know because I grew up on that river!  I can't believe I'm saying this but we used to water ski in that muddy river.  Seems yucky now.  😂  For us the Amazon River is one and done.  I would rate it as one of my least favorite destinations.  But I am glad I did it just for the experience.  And the Amazon cruise is the book I'm working on right now.  I've gotten one page done so far this morning so back I go.  When I see a notification of a post here I can't resist coming here. Three lashes with a wet noodle for me!