Did any of you see the eclipse last night?

[The Walker]

This is VICKY.

Did any of you see the eclipse last night? It was marvelous. My darling husband is so romantic. He found a private pilot to take us up in the sky so we could see it very well. And he bought me roses and champagne. We are out west at a wedding that was on Monday morning. We were back at the hotel after the reception and he drove our rental car to a small airport. He had called around and found someone to do this. So we flew up and watched the eclipse. He also had some very dark glasses for us to watch it through. When we got back at the hotel the roses were in the room and the champagne and the caviar. I am so lucky. Also a box of Godiva which is my one special vice and he knows it.

The reason he posted so late last night is that I made sure he knew how impressed I was by his romantic actions. He got on the laptop a while while I was taking a shower. The hotel shower is too small for both of us unfortunately. I hate that but the room was excellent otherwise if a little small but there were only the two of us. My husband is sometimes mad north-northwest but his madness suits me very well indeed. Traveling with him is an adventure as you never know what may happen. When we could not get the car
in south Florida for our honeymoon trip down the Keys he found a seaplane pilot that took us and we flew only about a hundred feet off the water. It was thrilling. It is like traveling with Indiana Jones. We have yet to be chased by natives with spears but you notice I said "yet".

Time to go. Time to go to bed.

VICKY

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Did any of you see the eclipse last nigh..., posted by The Walker on Jun 11, 2002

Vicky

You  are  lucky  to  have  a  thoughtfull  romantic  guy  like  Don  that's  for  sure.  

Actually  we  had  a  wedding  at  the  hotel  yesterday  for  about  40  people  --- very  strange  for  a  monday  that  is  for  sure!  Then I  realized  that  they  were  trying  to  coincide it  with  the  eclipse  set  to  go  off  here  in  Santa  barbara  at  6 20  pm  at  it's  peak.  new  age  folks  maybe.  I  took  my  break  then  and  walked  out  to  the  ocean  breakwall  in  front  of  the  hotel  but  It  was  cloudy and  mostly  overcast  and  I  couldn't  see  anything  though  it  was  a  little  darker  than  normal.  the  banquet  captain  told  me  that  the  bride  was  somewhat  in  a  dissapointed  mood  and  the group  was  a  little  on  the  wierd  side.  but  when  it  comes  to  weddings  we  see  all  kinds of  people  here  so  it  was  nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  I  suppose.

Yestereday  I  received  some  new  Pictures  from a  interested  woman  in  Fukouka  japan  and  I  saw  that  there  was  going  to  be  the  Eclipse  on AOL  before  I  went  to  work.   So  I  wore  my  tie died  t shirt  with  a  big  sun  sticking  it tongue  out  to  commemerate  the  event.  Plus  I  had  stories  to  tell  of  my  date  in LA  with  another  Japanese  girl  on  Sunday    so  it  was  a  good  day  for  show  and  tell  at  work.  too  bad  the  Sun  pulled  a  no show yesterday  at  6 20.

Windmill Boy

[Dave H]

... in response to Did any of you see the eclipse last nigh..., posted by The Walker on Jun 11, 2002

Hi Vicky,

SHHHH...Don is making me look bad. ;o)) A romantic solar eclipse flight for two. My wife was riding in a a big ol' jet airliner without me. I will have to ask her about the eclipse. She was about a half hour out of Manila when it began and landed when it was at its maximum.

A seaplane to the Florida Keys...now that's cool! Did you fly Pan Am Air Bridge or private plane? Pan Am Air Bridge was formerly known as Chalks Airlines and was the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world. As a kid, I used to love watching their Grumman Mallard seaplanes take off and land in the bay. It was especially neat when they powered up onto dry land. I've never ridden in one, but it's way up on my list of things to do. I have flown by Bell 412 helicopter to the Keys several times and also ridden amphibious ultralights while there....very fun.=8oO

Dave H.

[The Walker]

... in response to Not so good in S. FL, posted by Dave H on Jun 12, 2002

We Are Home Again.

It was not a company airplane at all. Smeone owned it. I asked Don again and he said it was a Catalina flying boat. We sat in the machined guns windows on each side and watched everything. They are like giant glass eyes that bug out and you could look straight down into the water and see fish in groups and the bottom of the water. It is a noisy airplane but the ride was wonderful. We had originally rented a convertible and were going to drive down the keys in that. But when we got to south Florida no one had a record of our reservations, then when they found it it was too late anyhow as all the convertibles were taken and they tried to send us to "Rent A Wreck" but Don got angry and we took a cab to a small airport by the water, and that is where he found the pilot of the flying boat (Don says there is a differene between a flying boat and a seaplane and a float plane, but I do not know what the difference is).

We did not need a car once we were at his cousin's place. We just simply put ourselves in a small cottage and lived like a poor fishing boat crew and I loved it. We went out on his cousin's boat every day and we actually did crew work for him. Of course we also fished some too and dived and swam, but Don's cousin had to make a living and he was a charter captain. So we mostly did crew work. Sometimes we stayed out overnight and I was the cook. When we were on day trips I served beer and sandwiches. We lived in a little cement block house of three rooms and little electricity. I cooked on a Coleman's stove in the cottage. We had a fan to keep cool inside at night but when it was day we sat out on the covered patio where there was always a sea breeze. If I had my way we would retire there and live in the small hut and work as charter crew. We would own an old jeep and use it to go to the mainland once a month for fun.

VICKY

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Not so good in S. FL, posted by The Walker on Jun 12, 2002

Hi Vicky,

Ahhh yes…A PBY (Catalina Flying Boat)...don't see many of those anymore. What an outstanding aircraft...er boat ("PB" stands for "Patrol Boat"), with a great history. It could have flown past the Keys all the way down to Lima, Peru without refueling. Talk about range!

"Rent A Wreck" ROFLMAO!  I’ve been to the Keys over the years in/on everything from a Pinto to a Porsche, a Honda to a Harley. I even rode my bicycle from Miami to Key Largo once. I have to say that the Catalina sounds like the most fun! To me, The Keys are about as layed back and similar to the Philippines as you can get in the US. I had a house there from the 80's until the mid-90's (divorce). The prices have really gone up. I guess I'd have to live in a small hut on a remote island now...with a PBY Catalina. Sounds GREAT! ;o)

Dave H.

[stefang]

... in response to Re: Not so good in S. FL, posted by The Walker on Jun 12, 2002

Nice story it sounds like you had fun it is surprising how many Americans can't seem to enjoy themselves anymore. Your husband is lucky to have you, most women would have shot him if they weren't staying in the most expensive hotel being pampered at every minute of the day. It is funny when you remember the simplest things in life even if it's been years.
I remember living out west when I was young already spoke about some experiences here in Arizona but a year later we lived in Wyoming where on weekends we used to get up 2 AM in the morning and drive to Utah to go fishing. Echo lake in Northeast Utah was filled with Rainbow Trout. We would bring some food just in case but we always caught trout and would cook them over fire, We took Aluminum foil and placed the trout in there with two strips of bacon on the outside and some butter salt and pepper. They tasted great and I remember seeing Elk on a few occasions. I was only six years old but still remember the fun times. If I ever take another trip out west I will have to go see if the lake still has those Rainbows.

[The Walker]

... in response to Re: Re: Not so good in S. FL, posted by stefang on Jun 12, 2002

But it was not as if we could not afford better. We were not galley slaves or anything. Don sometimes drove the boat and he even let me drive when he was right by me but he always took over if there were big fish on the lines because you have to watch the captain and do exactly as he says sort of like on the movie 'Jaws' where Cooper drove the boat and the sheriff chummed while the captain told them what to do.

We were on honeymoon but I love the water and the Keys have the perfect climate for me. No snow. We fished too and had a very great time and we both enjoyed it just lots. We sort of helped on the boat is a better word than crew maybe.

In the block hut it was nice too. We had a small black and white TV but we seldom watched it. We brought a lot of cds and Don bought a small portable stereo at a local store and we mostly listened to music and sat out and looked at the stars or took midnight dips in the small cove, or read books and magazines. We also played games often or went for walks along the ocean. There was just the two of us and we lived like beached combers and we loved it. A very simple but satisfying life. I liked it better than Disney World. No pressure, not a lot of people but enough people when you wanted to socialize. Just the two of us to cook and clean for. We mostly wore bathing suits and shirts and shorts over them and pull-on tennis shoes or flip-flops and big sun hats. You could do our laundry in the sink in ten minutes and it would be dry by next morning. I loved it.

On days not on the boat we snorkeled and borrowed tanks and spears and dived. Sometimes on the boat we dived a little too. The captain was glad to have Don aboard as there was a real chance of pirates or drug smugglers attacking and trying to steal boats I guess on the overnight trips and believe it or not we were pretty heavily armed. Two people had to be on watch all the time and Don and I shared a watch at night. We looked out on the bridge and Don did a walk around the boat every few minutes. The captain at first did not want us on the same watch as he thought we would do something besides watch, but whenever I was on watch Don came up too so the captain just gave up and trusted us. He should have known Don would take sentry duty seriously. We did other things before and after night watch.

I am trying to talk Don into selling out here when he is ready to retire or after Jose finally retires and moving to the Keys and joining his cousin. Maybe buying another boat of our own or investing in a bigger boat with his cousin and really going after charter business. I like the Florida Keys climate much better. We could have a small house or else just a hut and live on the boat and I would be very happy. Don calls it Margueritaville living. Maybe I'll soften him up over the years. I know one thing for certain I do NOT want him retired and nothing to do in bad weather. He will drive me crazy. Better to put him on a boat and keep him busy year around.

VICKY

[Kreeger]

... in response to Not so good in S. FL, posted by Dave H on Jun 12, 2002

Having lived in S. Fl for 29 years of my 32, I was never able to experience the Keys from the air... Every year at lobster season (and mini season) I would drive down that 2-lane congested US-1, dodging angry Cuban drivers on the way. Long Key bridge was our favorite spot, and we would get our limit within 1 hour. The pilings under the bridge had crevices that were (and still are) infested with lobster.

[joemc]

... in response to Not so lucky..., posted by Kreeger on Jun 12, 2002

Hi Keeger,
       That long Key bridge is something to drive over
       Back in 89,I spent several months in Davie,ft.Lauderdale.And Marathon key.

                                            joemc

[Kreeger]

... in response to Re: Not so lucky..., posted by joemc on Jun 12, 2002

I lived off of Hiatus road in Davie for a while, too. In 89 I was in Panama while in the Army, though.

[joemc]

... in response to Re: Re: Not so lucky..., posted by Kreeger on Jun 12, 2002

Hi Keeger,
    How did you like being station in Panama.
    When I was a merchant seaman,I traveled the Panama
    canel many a times aboard ship what a experience.

                                          joemc

[Kreeger]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Not so lucky..., posted by joemc on Jun 12, 2002

I was there during the invasion only. I was a Ranger with the 2/75 Batt. We were there from Dec 1989 until March 1990. It was fun and I have alot of good memories.

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Re: Not so lucky..., posted by Kreeger on Jun 12, 2002

N/T

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Not so lucky..., posted by joemc on Jun 12, 2002

Hey Joe,

You must have eaten those "Dirty Bomb Tacos" too! LOL You were in my stompin' grounds. In 89 I also had a house in Key Largo and spent many a weekend there.

I can just picture Kreeger floating along on an innertube, towing a cooler, across the stretch of Long Key bridge. ))) Bobbing down every now and then to pull up a bug (spiny lobster). I'm sure he must have been in a boat, as that bridge is over 2 miles long and he ain't Cuban. ;o)))

Dave H.

[Kreeger]

... in response to You Too!, posted by Dave H on Jun 12, 2002

We would just get in the water on the east side (Gulf side) and north end of the bridge and snorkel down toward the south end. By the time we hit the 5th or 6th pilon, we had our limit... for 8 people (6 per person, per day... right?).