The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

Jim and Joan,

I have really been off the list for a while, (that work thing) and just now went back and caught up, (from before the boat job at Yellowstone). I got interested when I saw the predictions re: Dolly. (When I was in the service, S. Padre was my favorite get-away.) The worst is past, and you have been in our thoughts and prayers, or your's, your homes and boats safety. You two provide a fine example of C-Brat Quality people, and we love your posts, humor, details and views, and would enjoy crossing wakes and spending time in the PNW. Love your photography, and know some about making it your profession. Your love of it shows. Glad you share here, and you three are all OK.

I applaud your integrity and wish that in the big picture, your decision at the Park, helps to improve you are going to write it up for the safety of the incoming tourists.

Travel safe, and please, don't have too much fun, unless of course, you are going to write it up, and put the rest of us in stitches :wink :lol: :thup

Harvey
SleepyC
 
Our friends walked around our house and saw only some flashings that had come off on one end of the roof, and that's over the deck, not the actual house. When they went inside, they did a quick look-around... dark because the power is out and all the metal hurricane shutters are down. No standing water in the house, no evidence that anything was breached! That's the good news. Everything in the underneath storage area was soaked, but we had covered and packed it well. That area is designed to allow water to flow OUT as well as in, so when things start to dry up, we should be OK. Some evidence of wet ceiling, so that drywall will probably have to come out so we can make sure there is no mold behind/above.

Considering what she was describing with the other damage in our neighborhood, it sounds like we were relatively unscathed by comparison.

Our fridge was empty and shut off. Only left the a/c and ceiling fans on... and hopefully they will come back on when power is restored. Our friends took our generator to keep their fridge and freezer going. Still no way on/off the island; not sure when the bridge will be repaired.

Still no word on Wild Blue - we haven't been able to get through to the people who have the storage lot.

Joan and I will be deciding tonight what the plan is from here - stay out for a while, yet, or head back right away.

Thanks, friends, for your concern and good thoughts. I consider this to be an initially favorable outcome, until we can inspect things closer.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim,
Just think, you could have been jobless, homeless and boatless all in one go. :teeth

Glad to hear the good bits, will keep em crossed for the rest.
should be the source of some great cartoons....

Merv & Kathy
 
Jim and Joan-

I've seen TV coverage of South Padre Island after Dolly and it sounds like your home was spared the worst of the damage done to many other structures on the island.

Good luck with everything and please keep us informed as things progress.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Water and power are out. Water had to be shut off because there is no way to pump sewage off the island. Folks are eating good right now, since freezers are off... that will come to a rather abrupt end very soon.

The bridge is still out - no way on/off the island other than by boat. This situation is very different from many others, and looting will not be a problem... owners only on the island.

We lent our generator to our neighbor, so they have lights, a fan, and their fridge. They are having to siphon gas out of the car to keep it going, but they aren't driving anywhere any time soon. The word is that electricity will be "5 days or more before it is restored." Knowing how things get done there, I'm guessing more. We also told the neighbors where to find the porta-potty, solar shower, Zodi water heater, and propane tank. All stuff from boats... where you need to be self-sufficient.

The word we are getting is to stay away for at least a week or so to allow emergency work to be done. We are concerned about the lack of ventillation in the house without electricity. Joan is ready to go now, but we have to go back to the Black Hills to pick up some of our stuff before heading south.

Quite a bit of damage throughout the island. No idea what is happening IN our house, other than "no standing water."

More when we know more.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim, hope "no standing water" means not any water at any time. Sounds grim there. Glad you're North but I know it's worrisome. Have been following your adventures, don't think we could have done it! Just moving into a new house has been excitement enough.

Keep us posted!

Charlie
 
Jim,

Why don't you get your boat, launch it, park it next to your house, and do the things you have to to get the house back in shape?

Fred
 
Sounds like your house came through OK -- so glad to hear! We only get sporadic email here in the San Juans, so have had a hard time steering with all our fingers crossed. Now hoping for good news about Wild Blue -- got our toes crossed for her. Thanks for keeping us all posted.
 
Thanks, folks. Still no word on Wild Blue. The power is out, cell towers are down, no way to get ahold of the storage lot folks. We know there was some flooding in the area where this place is located.

We will be heading back sooner than planned. I'm still trying to hold off for a week or so to allow emergency crews to get streets cleared and power restored. Joan and I are in agreement that we will learn whatever skills are necessary to do the repairs. This has less to do with "stuff" and more about protecting our investment there.

Before we put Wild Blue back in the water (assuming she's OK), I intend to put the inflatable in and "sound" the canals. We've been through tropical storms there before and know that a lot of crap winds up in the canals.

Still no definitive word on the real condition of the house. We've been told that the management company that runs our community is bringing in a truck with food and water for those who stayed on the island. Looking through the web sites of the area newspapers, the damage in the residential areas looks to be more widespread than what was shown on TV. Many of the South Padre Island "landmarks" (like Tequila Frogs, Coconuts) are gone and others (like the Raddison, Amberjack's, Louie's) have suffered considerable damage (a boat come through the doors of Amberjack's). Most of the gas station overhangs are on the ground; lots of roof damage, windows blown out. Many streets are impassable because of trees down and debris.

We talked to friends who have a weekend place across the street from our house... their home in the valley has no power and trees are down everywhere. They can't get on our island to check out their place there.

In spite of all this, most of the folks we've been able to contact are pretty upbeat. No one we have talked to has been injured. There are some concerns about hygiene. When we are able to get back on the island, it will be with an RV with a generator, full water, and empty holding tanks. We'll let you know when that will be.

Thanks for your concern and well wishes.

Jim & Joan
 
Here's the latest from the pen of our son-in-law, Dan...

7_28TheBeginningStripE.sized.jpg

The house is sold, the stuff is gone, it's time to head out. Apparently Molly the cat hasn't figured out yet that "home" can be afloat.

Hope you enjoy.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

PS - We recently drove by our previous home up north... no butterflies in the stomach, no longing. The hedge needed to be trimmed, the doors needed to be painted, and there was a giant mound of dirt in the driveway (something is being dug out somewhere). Still no definitive word on our house in south Texas... we know there is some minor exterior damage, but still haven't been able to determine what's going on inside. Looks like we'll be heading that way soon.
 
One more update 07/29/08...

We were finally able to get ahold of the couple who have the storage lot where Wild Blue has been resting indoors. They are both having medical problems (not related to the hurricane) and have not been answering their phone. We were told that "the stuff stored inside the quanset hut is all OK" (that's where Wild Blue is). One more big sigh of relief.

Power has been restored on our island, so that should eliminate the sewage problem and hopefully have our bridge operational again. Assuming our lights and air conditioning in the house are working, we should be able to hear more about the inside condition very soon.

We've been able to visit with several neighbors. Sounds like the Sea Cottages (3 levels) were more vulnerable than the single level cottage homes (what we have). Finally able to get ahold of our insurance agency... and promptly transferred to voice mail. Since they are the only wind/flood policy writers in the area, I have no doubt that they are up to their eyeballs in claims right now.

It's been a roller coaster ride...

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Sure glad to hear that you are all rightside up and close to the top there. Doesn't hurt to know Wild Blue is OK too. You travel safe, and our thoughts and prayers are on for you and your neighbors. Wishing you all a really great night,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
We are gearing up to head south; still in the Black Hills. For any of you who ride motorcycles, you may know have heard of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The first full week of August, hundreds of thousands of bikers (motorcycle enthusiasts?) decend on the small town of Sturgis. This is the 68th year of this revelry, and the crowd is predicted to be down (yes, gas prices affect bikers just like boaters)... only about 500,000 + or -. When you put that many people in a town of 5,000, it makes a bit of an impact (major understatement).

For 28 years, we not only participated in the Rally, we often worked it. At one time, we shot and processed the "official Main Street photos"... imagine a couple hundred thousand of your best friends gathered together for a group photo!

Since we retired, we have skipped the last couple years here. Joan wanted to stick around and see what has become of the Rally. By the way, we have been motorcyclists much longer than boaters. I wasn't so sure... the Black Hills has some of the best motorcycle roads in the country, but during the Rally it is over-saturated with traffic.

So, here we are. This is hard to describe to the uninitiated. The crowd size is over-whelming. The noise is deafening. There is much about the atmosphere that is shocking (yes, some folks that are really going out of their way to BE shocking). I've always considered it "Mardi Gras on Motorcycles." Much of it is certainly not family friendly, and you won't see that side of it in this post. There are seasonal campgrounds (only operated a few weeks each year) that host tens of thousands of bikers - each campground with its own vendors (people trying to sell you stuff... food, t-shirts, leather, motorcycles, trailers, motorcycle stuff., tattoos, etc, etc. And big name entertainment. Performing this week: Kiss, Kid Rock, Kelli Pickler, Kenny Chesney, Dan Fogelberg, Larry the Cable Guy, and dozens of others... including an appearance by John McCain. There are custom motorcycle shows. Helicoptor rides. Motorcycle demo rides from all the major manufacturers. Harley-Davidson rents out the entire Rapid City Civic Center to showcase its new bikes. This is a very big deal. An economic shot in the arm to the entire state. The single biggest event in the state.

But mostly, people come to gawk. OK, more so than Mardi Gras, it's also the biggest motorcycle themed flea market you can imagine (my description). You can buy the greasiest food imaginable. Alligator on a stick? Sure. You want a fender for a '38 Harley? Someone here is going to have one for sale. You want to see people at their weirdest? You've come to the right place. Enjoy reading t-shirts? There are plenty of "official" Rally t-shirts, and plenty of others that somehow manage to use all 7 of George Carlin's words you can't say on the radio.

The Rally doesn't "officially" start until Monday, August 4th. Main Street in Sturgis is already blocked off to car traffic, allowing only motorcycles to park as far as the eye can see...

Crowd1e.jpg

We parked our bike on Main Street and started wandering. Food prices are almost as outrageous as the grease and fat content. This place is not for the faint of heart... wallet... or or artery build-up. Food vendors come from all over the country for this - and it is very apparent that gas prices are affecting their prices (I'm sure it couldn't be another case of gouging :wink: ).

With our bellies full and our eyes wide, we walked for blocks, admiring beautiful bikes and doing our own share of gawking at the goings-on. When I say some people come here just to be weird...

OddE.jpg

The temps were warm today - in the 90s. That brings out many unusual forms of dress... or undress. No, you're still not going to see that in this post. But, here's a cheeky look at some of the tamer sights...

CheekyE.jpg

The crowd and the attitude changes as the sun goes down. I call it "the Weirdo Parade"... people driving up and down Main Street, trying to attract attention to themselves. Yes, that guy was wearing a Body-Web (look it up, I'm not posting a photo). Oh, and that woman isn't wearing a Body-Web. :shock: The crowd has changed over the years... matured somewhat. Some things have settled. You see some things that make you say, "I'll bet she doesn't dress like that in her home town." :twisted:

Having been away from this for a couple years, I have to say it has been interesting. My eardrums are ringing, I feel close to sun-stroke, and I could really use some quiet time at anchor in a secluded cove. But, this has been fun.

Crowd2e.jpg

In a couple days, we will start our journey south. We think our house is OK; we have talked to the insurance company and they are sending an adjuster out to inspect our place. The climate controlled storage place where we keep our important papers and photos didn't get any water or wind damage. We intend to go back home, check it out, clean up whatever needs it, regroup, and make some decisions on what next.

Hey, you wanna see my new tattoo? :mrgreen: Yeah, I'm kidding.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
rogerbum":3i9duypg said:
Interesting..... Especially the part about Dan Fogelberg playing there. :wink: Unfortunately, he died in Oct. of 2007.
Click to expand...

OOPS! I should have researched it further :oops: ... someone of the Blonde persuasion told me that when I was writing... make that John Fogerty. Thanks for keeping me on my toes. :wink:
 
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