A Last Shakedown

Last weekend was the crew's last shakedown cruise on Red Head. The next time we throw the lines off it will be for real. Things went well as we all are getting more comfortable with her. She's a pretty girl.

Of course, the kids favorite part was the dinghy ride. We took a nice long one up the Corrotoman River. Had to break in the new dinghy, after all.

 

They especially liked the fast parts.

It just doesn't get any better than that.

Hoover Dog

Labs have the reputation of loving their food. Having owned five, we can say it is a well deserved reputation. But among our babies, past and present, Dylan has always stood out in this regard. We nicknamed him Hoover Dog because, well, he eats like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. A meal never takes more than 30 seconds.

Earlier this summer I noticed that Dee Dee was finishing her meal ahead of Dylan. I put it off to maturing and not feeling the need to rush. He is quite the distinguished gentleman now at age nine.

Then he regurgitated some breakfast one morning. A few days later he did it again. I began to keep an eye on him and noticed he sometimes would cough food up and chew it (I can't say "re-chew it" because Hoover Dog always just swallows it).

Mom began to worry. We discovered thyroid cancer in Dyna, Dylan's grandmother, when she was nine and knew it can invade the esophagus. Off we went to Dr. Skinner. I explained about our Hoover Dog and what was happening, he took Dylan off for an x-ray. All came back fine. Dr. Skinner suggested feeding Dylan some food and taking another x-ray to see what was happening as he swallowed, "What food would he like?" I told him Dylan would eat rocks if you put them in a bowl. He smiled and said, "I think we can find something better than that."

Shortly, he came back into the room with eyes as big as saucers, "Wow, he really does like his food." I told you so! Why do we always feel so good whenever we have been vindicated? Dr. Skinner thought it was simply Dylan's aging throat muscles not keeping up with his robust eating.

He suggested one of those slow-feeding bowls. I chose a highly rated one on Amazon Prime which arrived on Thursday.

I filled the bowl, shaking the bits around the grooves and set it down for Dylan. He took one look, stepped back and gave me a "Are you kidding me?" look. Over the past few days he has been getting used to it but he makes sure to let me know he doesn't like it.

It now takes him a few minutes to finish eating with no issues. Well, other than the occasional look of disgust.

The packaging calls it a "Fun Feeder." Dylan says, "I don't think so..."

Now We're Talkin'

What's the point of having a new dinghy if you don't use it to go swimming?

 

This past weekend the crew helped throw off the lines on Red Head so we could spend a few days on the hook. Mom and Dad were looking forward to some much needed downtime. All Dylan and Dee Dee cared about was taking a dinghy ride to the beach for a swim.

In fact, we made several trips. Dylan and Dee Dee loved the ride and the swimming.

 Mom and Dad loved the peace and quiet afterwards...

Can't Get Enough...

Yesterday we secured Dylan and Dee Dee's dinghy onto the well deck. However, they decided they weren't done yet and hopped in to wait for another ride.

The plan is to throw the lines off this afternoon and anchor out for the weekend. Then we'll use the dinghy for it's intended purpose - to take the kids to a beach for a swim!

The Kids Have a New Ride!

A couple of weeks ago we acquired a new dinghy for Red Head. She's been on the hard for a variety of reasons but today we had her launched and took Dylan and Dee Dee out for a spin.

The dinghy is quite a bit smaller than what the crew was used to on aCappella but we wanted her to safely fit on the well deck. It means the kids will have to learn about sharing space - which basically means, they take all the space they want and Mom has to find a spot to squeeze in...

 
They had a great time. We've always said that their favorite boat is the dinghy! Dylan and Dee Dee are looking forward to many, many, many more dinghy rides.

That's a great lookin' crew no matter what boat they're on!

TS Hermine

Dee Dee has just about put her first real storm under her belt as Tropical Storm Hermine moves north. For Dylan it was no big whoop. He's been through numerous, including Hurricane Sandy.

The winds started in earnest about the time we went to bed Friday night. We were up several times during the night as the wind howled and the rain came and went. It was mainly winds with only intermittent down pours. The crew kept their watch in the master stateroom, lying down on the bed, asleep... But we're pretty sure they were ready to spring into action if we needed them.

Saturday was more of the same with the greatest injustice being that Dylan and Dee Dee had to miss their morning romp.

We watched as the fixed docks across the way went under water.

And the marina next door did the same. A few sails came loose at one point but were tended to by others.

We were snug on our floating dock as we watched the gangway rise above the level on land. It actually got much worse after dark but survived fine. Red Head proved her worth as we stayed safe and dry, listening to the wind and rain with only an occasional rock from an especially strong gust.

So how did the crew fare?

Pretty well, I'd say. They ain't afraid of no Hermine!