BIG DAY!

Today is a big day for the Jones family. We will close on the sale of our house. One big giant step towards our dream of going cruising. We are both really excited and really nervous at the same time. I'm sure we are going against any prudent financial advice by taking this path. At the same time, we have a dream and it has never felt so close or so tangible!

When we found out that Troy had cancer we felt that our future was so uncertain that we could not continue with our plans for cruising. We spent a year concentrating on defeating the cancer and at least another six months getting Troy healthy again. We decided that the doctors try to kill the cancer AND you with the chemo, radiation and surgery. Thankfully they only managed to kill the cancer. Then, of course, the cancer is trying to kill you too. Once again - God had other plans for Troy.

The lesson was really driven home to us that we only have a limited time on this earth. You know the saying, you only regret the things you didn't do. We are determined that we will follow our dream and see where it takes us. We feel so blessed that we have been given another chance to live life to the fullest. And so, today, we celebrate being one giant step closer to following that dream!

Troy worked really hard on this house. He made it our dream home. We will miss it (until it's time to mow the grass again!)...

Fear not that life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. ~John Henry Cardinal Newman

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older. ~Larry McMurtry, Some Can Whistle

When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch. ~Author unknown, from a television commercial

We Went Sailing!

Finally, at long last. It was the first time we have had a chance to get Storyville out of her slip this year. We've had a really cold winter and between Troy working on the house and working his real job, there hasn't been much time for any fun.

This weekend was a little different. I don't recall any work, just lots of fun, and it was high time for some sailing and some fun. We led a TMCA cruise to our favorite cruising destination, Double Bayou. There were 12 boats on our cruise and because of the strong north wind, there wasn't much water in the bay. Double Bayou can be a little tricky getting into with a sailboat, especially when there are really low tides.

If you sail you know the saying - if you ain't been aground then you ain't been around. Trust me, this weekend, we got AROUND. Us and the other four sailboats that were with us! Nothing serious, just had to feel our way up the Double Bayou channel.

We had a decent motor sail over on Saturday, got all the boats situated, put our dinghy in the water and opened our first beer of the weekend. Ahhh, sunny weather, a cold beer, a dinghy and a bayou. Life doesn't get much better than that. We had a wonderful time that night with our TMCA friends and our friends at Channel Marker. It was Ernestine's birthday and there was a DJ at the bar and lots of dancing and having fun.

TMCA Cruisers and Cruise Leaders!

Sunday dawned bright and clear and we shared a great breakfast aboard s/v Waltzing Matilda. About the time we headed out for home a nice east to southeast breeze was blowing. After feeling our way out of the channel again, we set sail and headed back to Kemah. It was a beautiful day and the wind cooperated to create a perfect sail all the way home and into the Kemah channel and past the boardwalk, all under sail. Just wonderful!!!

Troy had great news from his doctor last week. The PET Scan was all good and he received the coveted NED (No Evidence of Disease). His doctors seem to feel like the three year mark is a milestone for him and we are very glad to hear that. He will be back for another PET Scan in June.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Where Have We Been?

So much for my promise to blog more. I guess the problem has been that I don't seem to have much to write about. We've been dealing with a few personal issues, plus, it's been a long, cold winter and we've basically been hibernating on Storyville and dreaming about sailing in warm weather.

We signed a contract to sell our house this morning! That's exciting news because it puts us one giant step closer to our goal. This is what we've been wanting for so long, but now that we signed on the dotted line it all seems so much more real and just a little scary. First time in a long long time that we won't have any real estate to call our own. Just a floating house that is full of dreams and plans for the future!

We're planning a move to a new marina in March. We will be moving Storyville to Portofino (still in Kemah). We will be on a floating dock and that will make us safer for the upcoming hurricane season. We're looking forward to the change but at the same time it's so hard to leave the comfort of our marina that we've come to know as home. The hardest part is leaving our great friends and neighbors. I have a feeling that we will be spending plenty of time back at the old stomping grounds this summer. They can't get rid of us that easily. It's gonna be a fun spring and summer, making new friends, keeping our old friends and making plans for our future.

Troy has a regularly scheduled PET Scan on Monday. As usual, we are hoping and praying for good results (NED). I always try to pretend that the tests aren't coming, that way I don't worry about them so much. It's kind of easy when they are months or weeks away. It gets a little harder when you are down to days. It's always an anxious time. We really do appreciate the thoughts and prayers of our friends.

Looking forward to a spring and summer filled with sailing and photography and fun and blogging!

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. ~Zachary Scott

Storyville

I really do promise to start blogging again. I am wrapping up some business that has kept me busy over the last year. It's almost done and I really want to be able to devote more time to my photography and sailing and getting Storyville ready for cruising and blogging and........ :-)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12

STORYVILLE

Final Isla Post

I gotta wrap this up. We've been back from Isla from over 6 weeks and I'm still trying to finish the blog posts. This post will just be some of my favorite pictures that didn't make it to the other posts. In no particular order:

Seahawk Dive Shop - This is where we stay while we're on Isla. The owners, Ariel and Bonnie Barandica have become good friends over the years.

A beautiful sunset from the roof of the dive shop

What a pair!

Catchin' some rays!

This old guy lives on the patio of our room. He really likes tortillas, chicken, ham. He charges the patio door if he sees you coming with food in your hand.

Love the view!

Check out the handsome guys on the golf cart!!!

So many questions! Why does Steve have four arms? Why is he wearing a dress? Why, why, why?

We wanted to stop at this place, but there were too many rules for a bunch of yahoos!

Each side had the same message in a different language.

Barco de pesca

Really big turtle at the Sea Turtle Conservation Farm

Crab dodging the waves

Guarding the nest from a bunch of yahoos

We discovered the site of the mysterious flip flop graveyard (moment of silence please)

Patrick is practicing the ancient art of crab taming. He put the crab to sleep

Sleeping Crab

View of Isla Mujeres from the plane as we flew away. Can wait to return with Storyville!

If once you have slept on an Island, you’ll never be quite the same; you may look as you looked the day before and go by the same old name. You may bustle about in street and shop, you may sit at home and sew, But you’ll see blue water and wheeling gulls wherever your feet may go. You may chat with neighbors of this and that and close to the fire keep, but you’ll hear ship whistle and lighthouse bell and tides beat through your sleep. Oh you won’t know why, and you can’t say how such a change upon you came, but once you have slept on an island, you’ll never be quite the same. ~Rachel Field

Spiral Island

On this trip to Isla we met a very interesting and special person, Richi Sowa. Richi built a floating island in the lagoon on Isla. The entire island floats on plastic bottles. This is Richi's second island. The first one (the original Spiral Island) was near Puerto Aventuras and was destroyed by a hurricane.

Richi is an artist and musician and it was a privilege and honor to meet him and get a tour of his incredible island. The island contains his home complete with a composting toilet, a solar oven and several other interesting accouterments. Richi was very friendly and gracious. We were sad that we met him on our last full day on Isla as he invited Troy and Colleen (and the rest of our group) back to jam with him. That would have been an experience to remember. Hopefully we will be able to meet him again when we return to Isla.

Here are a couple of web sites for more information on Richi and his island:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Island

http://www.spiralislanders.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvn9l1pJ3-A

Some pictures from our 3 hour tour! LOL:

Foundation of the Island


View from the shore


View from the lagoon

View from the lagoon

View from upstairs

Richi giving us the tour

Steve and Richi have a conversation on the conch phone

Steve and Colleen enjoy the view

Floating bed
Shower and sink

Solar oven (the cake was pretty good)

Guest quarters

Richi's wish for us all!