A Day in the Life

Jim's been feeling like everything on the boat is broken.

He found putting this video together cathartic.

Click on the link below to view.  Misery loves company!

https://vimeo.com/54879416

Jim's 2013 Calendar

Due to popular demand, (yes, we have been getting requests) Jim has put together a new calendar.  This will be his 3rd calendar and we appreciate hearing from all of you who have enjoyed seeing his beautiful photographs hanging on your wall.  Remember, calendars make a great gift!

The 2013 Boats and Beaches calendar is available at http://www.cafepress.com/Merengue.
Please note: there is a change to how Cafe press processes orders.  The form will ask you what month you want the calendar to begin.  If you don't select January, they will print it beginning with the current month and your calendar won't go through 2013.  Sorry, but they gave the option to the customer, not the photographer.

Christmas cards were also popular so this year there are 2 to choose from.

Hope you enjoy this year's images!

Welcome Home!

Welcome Home!

That's what the friendly man in Immigration said after clearing us into Grenada.

How did he know we weren't tourists here for vacation? 

Was it the numerous Grenada stamps in our passports?

Is it possible that he recognized us?

Perhaps it was the big smiles on our faces.





Merengue was waiting in Prickly Bay.

Home Sweet Home!

 



Hurricane Sandy. In Milwaukee?

 This week, Hurricane Sandy devastated cities along the east-coast of the United States.

Millions of people are without power, many have lost their homes and the death-toll continues to rise.

Our thoughts are with them all.

Living aboard a sailboat has taught us to never underestimate the power of Mother Nature.  We live by the weather reports and where we go and what we do is determined by the predictions.

Milwaukee sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan and as we "cut our teeth" sailing on the Great Lakes we know how dangerous they can be.  It's 747 miles from New York City to Milwaukee and yet we were feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  Beachfront properties along the lakefront were filling sandbags and people turned out in droves to watch what Sandy created on Lake Michigan.  The weather buoy off of Milwaukee reported a 21.7 ft. wave at the peak of the storm.  

These are waves cascading over the break-wall at South Shore marina where we used to moor Merengue when we lived here.  I'll bet these boat owners are sorry they decided to leave their boats in a little later this year!

Hopefully this will be the last for this hurricane season.

Meanwhile, Merengue sits in 80 degree water in Grenada waiting for our return.

Autumn in Wisconsin

 

Hard to believe but we have been back in Wisconsin for 5 months.

If there is one season that I miss while living in the Caribbean it's Autumn.

Red, gold and orange leaves against a bright blue sky.



 We spent some time at our family cottage in northern Wisconsin.  It's one of our favorite places.

Here's the view looking down the hill to the lake.

 

 Did you notice Bailey sitting up on the railing?  It's one of her favorite places too!

 

 Hiking the numerous trails is another favorite fall activity.

This is the Bearskin Trail outside of Minocqua.

 

Falling leaves tell us that it is time to head south, back to Grenada, back to Merengue who has been patiently waiting for us there.  We can't wait!

 



Where II? Milwaukee, that's where.

 

Look who showed up in Milwaukee last week!

It's our friends Matt and Karen from the Australian vessel "Where II".

They have been doing some land cruising around the U.S. and Canada for the past few months and we lured them to Milwaukee with the promise of lots of great beer.





 We enjoyed  showing them Milwaukee, by land and sea.

This was the Margarita cruise aboard one of the river tour boats.

 

 The Milwaukee skyline as seen from Lake Michigan.

 

 We introduced Matt to the Fonz.

 

There was quite a bit of beer tasting. 

This day it was following a tour at the Lakefront Brewery.

The visit went much too quickly as they headed out a few days later to continue

Matt and Karen's Great American Adventure!

Thanks for spending a few days in Brew City with us!

 

 



Back in the USA

WOW, I just noticed that we have had more than 32,000 page views on this blog since we first began so some of you may be wondering where we've been for the past few months.  We are back in the states for the summer.  We plan to return to Grenada and life on-board Merengue in the fall. 

Don't forget about us!  We'll see you then.

Jim, Wendy, Bill and Natalie tasting at the Big Bay Brewing Company,

Milwaukee, WI, USA.