SmartPlug - The Real Installation Story

At this year's Miami Boat Show, Karen stayed on the boat and I drove down for meetings. At the show I had a couple of hours to look for new things for our own boat. I came across SmartPlug, winner of the electrical innovation award at the show. I talked to the company engineers and was totally hooked.

So I got the full receptacle and cable replacement kit and intended on doing a blog entry about how everything on a boat takes longer to install than you think it should. I knew our canine crew would be a big part of the installation since it was taking place in the cockpit, their standard afternoon nap place.

Here's how it went.

Step 1 - Turn off the boat power and unplug the cable. Safety first.

Step 2 - Find the package that got delivered and get a few tools together.

 

Step 3 - Take the parts out and look over the instructions. And let me say, the instructions are fantastic and give absolutely everything you need with clarity.

Step 4 - Remove the 4 screws holding in the power receptacle.

Step 5 - Dylan needs to inspect. It's important to point out that now would have been the wrong time to realize that you should have unplugged the power cable from the pedestal on the dock.

Step 6 - Push Dylan out of the way since he decided he had to be right in front of all the action.

Step 7 - Unscrew the wire screws and the plug falls out. I also cleaned up the old gasket and removed some sealant original to the boat that should have never been installed with the gasket. And I sanded the copper ends a little to remove any corrosion - there was some.

Step 8 - Put the gasket over the plug, push the wires into the color coded receptacles, and tighten with the included Allen wrench. It's a really beefy connection that is much more rugged than the original.

Step 9 - Make sure to not bother Dyna's afternoon nap. She's deaf so she still didn't realize I had been there for 10 minutes already.

Step 10 - Push the wires back and use the original 4 screws in the exact same holes to finish the receptacle installation. It's so nice that everything lines up perfectly.

Step 11 - Feel how it works and make sure there's no wiggle. It all feels perfect and strong.

Step 12 - Saw off the end of the cable to replace the plug with one that matches the new SmartPlug. I made sure to leave a couple of inches on the end so I could splice it if I needed to use the plug again. Most likely, it's already been misplaced and is lost.

 

Step 13 - My trusty wife is called to help with the last stage of cutting so as not to drop the end and wake up Dyna.

Step 14 - No luck. Dyna sensed all the commotion and now decided that she needed to lay on top of the cable being worked on and the instructions.

Step 15 - The instructions tell you exactly how much inner insulation to remove. There's also this white cotton-like material that gets cut away between the wires.

Step 16 - Prepare the plug case and put the included cone over the wires to assist in pushing the wires into the cover.

 

 

Step 17 - The instructions say to use liquid soap because it's a tight waterproof fit. This took about 5 minutes to push on because it was stiff but easy enough.

Step 18 - With all the insulation cut to instruction specifications, it all just fits together perfectly. There's a very strong strain relief part of the assembly that actually holds the cable. The wires then slip in and are tightened with the Allen wrench.

Step 19 - Slide the cover back onto the plug and screw in 4 included screws to lock it all in place.

Step 20 - Convince Karen that she can insert the cable now on her own. The plug only goes on one way and gives a positive lock with the 2 side silver latches. The receptacle cover has two more locking points and folding it over grabs and locks the plug even more securely.

 

Step 21 - Admire the results.

Cost of the SmartPlug kit:  $215
Extra expenses for installation:  $0

A planned 2 hour boat project that took only 1 hour:  Priceless

Agony of a Good Boy

During one of Dyna's early visits to Lucerne Veterinary Hospital we were discussing some issue with Dr. Stephanie Monk, one of the two best vets in the world, trying to figure out what it was. Stephanie kept saying something like, "Well, it could be this or that but it's not textbook for the condition." When finally she quipped, "I guess Dyna didn't read the book." That has become a common mantra when discussing Dyna.

From the first day we brought Dyna home we realized that Dyna had written her own book. For starters it is common knowledge that Labs are highly "food motivated." In Dylan's case that is a gross understatement. But Dyna was always quite lackadaisical about her food, eating when she felt like it, despite coming from a home with 9 other dogs and often additional puppies. Dyna's the queen and the queen doesn't have to rush her meals

Dylan learned very early to not mess with Dyna's food dish. Dyna raised 15 puppies and knew very well how to control this one with just a lip curl.

As our girl has grown old eating has become more and more of an all day event. We know she is having some digestive issues and she's a bit senile. It's not unusual for her to nibble a bit and just walk away. We've trained Dylan not to eat what she leaves in the bowl while what falls on the floor is fair game. I usually place a piece of aluminum foil over her dish but often she will walk away before I notice.

 Before long I will hear a soulful moan and find Dylan staring at Dyna's food dish. There's kibble and liver and egg and cheese and other tasty treats all sitting right there. What agony! But he sits and looks but doesn't touch. So I place the foil over top, give him a treat, and say, "What a good boy!"

Following Seas

After spending five unexpected but very enjoyable days at Downtown Hampton Public Piers we saw a small weather window on Wednesday and decided to make our run to the Chesapeake. The predictions were for the weather to worsen as the day progressed and not be good on Thursday. The best bet seemed to be to make one long run all the way to Olverson's Marina where we'd left our car and where there was a vet we had taken Dyna to before.

So we got up at 5:30 and the whole crew pulled together to get us off the docks by 6:15. Conditions where fine with some light fog but still good visibility. Just enough fog to make the lighthouse at Thimble Shoal look a bit mysterious.

True to predictions conditions gradually turned snotty as the day wore on. Fortunately, the seas were following so other than a few tosses we had a bumpy but very tolerable ride.

Dylan took up his usual spot in the corner of the pilothouse settee close to his mom and dad. While Dyna choose the galley floor. A good choice as it is in the center of the boat and therefore has the least motion. Smart girl.

We were fortunate to get a terrific current push pretty much the whole day getting us in more than an hour ahead of time. The crew has had time to reacquaint themselves here at Olverson's. Dylan has been eying the new kitty on the property. They "met" at Liars Corner Wednesday night. Dyna has had her trip to the vet who confirmed she's pretty darn old and that we are doing all we can to keep her happy and comfortable. The power of modern pharmaceuticals. Tomorrow we'll get them back on their morning walk routine. And in a few days they will be off to visit their grandma in Tennessee.

Documenting our Great/Greatest Loop...

Within the next month we'll officially start our Great/Greatest Loop year cruise up the Hudson River, across the Erie Canal, to the Great Lakes to Chicago, and down the great inland rivers to Mobile, Alabama, and around Florida to come back to the Chesapeake Bay. I've been thinking of techniques to document the trip in a different and out-of-the-normal way and have been experimenting with cameras and software to create time lapse videos of daily travels. It takes 3-4 software products and special camera hardware. The last hardware should be waiting for us at Olverson's and will allow much longer videos to be made - we're currently limited to about 2.5 hours of real time.

So here was most of today's travel from Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA to the channel leading to Hampton, VA. We're at Downtown Hampton Public Piers escaping a very bad storm that passed over tonight. This test includes some cheesy titles but really good music. I calculate the speed of travel as the equivalent of going about 1,000 knots through the water. I think it feels about right.

So what do you think? Is this worth the effort to document each day's travel like this?

Enjoy!

Note that the video isn't working on iPads (mine too). This is why I'm testing it all. The video needs to be encoded differently - the next test will do that. For now, you can only view this on a PC or Mac.

Never on a Weekend (Well, Hardly)

We have a rule that we never travel inside on a weekend, especially if the weather is good. Every owner of a small "go-fast" boat is out zooming around enjoying their free time. It's typically a zoo and few seem to know or care about things like the rules of the road, the effect of a wake, etc. So we try to stay put somewhere.

We timed our departure from the Lightkeepers Marina so that we would reach Shallotte Inlet at high tide. We had numerous hazards to deal with and the one near Shallotte Inlet was the worst. Oh, and it was Saturday and the weather was spectacular.

As we approached the inlet we saw several floating buoys marking the best water. The channel was very narrow but we had hit high tide so we felt pretty good. There were many boats zooming in and out and around the inlet. A beach on the ocean side was lined with small boats and dogs and children were playing. All and all it was a lovely scene.

I noticed a couple of kayakers meandering at the edge of the channel and put my hand on the throttle to pull back. We have kayaked for many years and know how unsettling a sudden wake can be.

Then they turned in front of us right into the channel. Well, alright, I would have waited to cross behind us but I just pulled back the throttle to give them time to cross. Nope. They turned and started paddling up the middle of the channel. I waited a moment to see if they would turn and continue across. Nope. Now I was concerned, we don't exactly stop on a dime.

So I blew a short blast on my horn. The second kayaker looked back and kept on paddling. We were still moving at about 3-4 knots although I was out of gear. I blew a long blast. Again he looked back but kept on paddling. I told Jeff he'd better go out on the bow and tell them they had to move.

"You need to move out of the channel."

The kayaker said, "No, you have to stay out of our way," and kept on paddling. Now I'm getting ready to go in reverse.

"You're in the middle of a restricted channel and we're a deep draft boat. We can't move out of the channel. You need to get out of the channel to let us pass."

"You're on the wrong side of that red."

"No, we need to be between the red and the green or we'll run aground."

"No, you're wrong. You need to move out of our way."

So finally Jeff said, "We can't changed course and our boat is a lot bigger than yours. Plus there are other boats coming behind us. You either need to move or you're going to get run over."

They finally moved off the channel trailing a string of curse words. We looked at each other and said, "Never travel inside on a weekend."

If you're interested in what a trip down the ICW looks like, Jeff has been playing with his latest toy - a weatherproof camera that can do time lapse. Here's 30 nautical miles along our path including the kayakers (if you're quick enough to see them)...

Farewell Dolphins

We love Charleston, the restaurants, our friends, just walking the streets. There's so much to do. We're always a bit sad when we leave. Our log shows we've stopped here 17 times.

Dylan loves Charleston, too. But what he liked this time was having a front row seat to watch the dolphins. We spent our time at Charleston Harbor Marina on the A dock which was along the breakwater and looked out, more or less, towards the Charleston Inlet. For whatever reason the dolphins would gather just off the breakwater to feed and play. In fact, the water taxi made it a regular stop for their dolphin tour.

That meant that from the bow of the boat Dylan could pretty much anytime of the day or night watch dolphins to his heart's content. And watch them he did. Dyna would occasionally join him but she was way more interested in a nap.

So we've finally left Charleston and started moving north again. There were a couple of dolphins on our offshore passage but each day will see fewer and fewer. Soon they will all be to the south of us. But I think it will be quite a while before Dylan stops watching.

Brown Sugar

We discovered there's a 2 year old male Chocolate Lab and few boats down on the same dock. Kelley Poe, the Marina Manager here at the Charleston Harbor Marina, was telling us how he was a service dog. It seems this smart little boy can detect dangerously low sugar levels in his mom and warn her in time to take action.

Looking at my two, I ask, "So what do you guys do to earn your keep?" Dylan thought being so darn cute was enough. While Dyna informed me she doesn't have to earn her keep. How did these dogs get so darn spoiled?

Well, Dylan finally got to meet this amazing dog and his person, Beverly. The two have been enjoying afternoon romps. As we walked out the first day I asked Beverly her dog's name. "Sugar," she said. What else?

So Dylan and Sugar have become fast friends mainly because Sugar likes to chase and Dylan likes to be chased. It's a match made in heaven.

They play until the tongues are hanging out which means a nice quiet evening of napping. That makes all the moms and dads happy.

To return the favor Dylan and Dyna, um, seasoned Sugar's pee mat so he can learn to go onboard. If you have canine crew onboard who don't know this technique you can check out our article on the website. He actually performed his duty on our bow a few days ago. Now to just transfer that to his own boat. He's a smart boy, he can do it!

Even though Dyna doesn't get to romp she still enjoys a good afternoon nap. She takes her morning walk and is fine staying onboard with her daddy while the youngn's play in the afternoon. Her appetite is staying good - of course, Dylan says who wouldn't love eggs and liver and tripe. A few of her other issues have returned but we are adjusting her medications and hoping that will help. You know, I think she's right. Being so sweet more than earns her keep.

And It Wasn't Even a Carnival Cruise...

I snapped this picture last fall when a Carnival Cruise ship passed us at dusk. Little did any of us know what was to come and how much we would have in common.

We had canceled our planned offshore overnight from Jacksonville to Charleston a week ago as the weather predictions fell apart. We decided to stay at the Marina at Ortega Landing and continued to enjoy ourselves until the next weather window came along. We started watching the end of the week as things started to line up very nicely and decided to head to Jacksonville Landing Thursday afternoon and take off early Friday. As most of these things go, it all started off perfectly.

We left the Landing after taking the kids for a nice walk and getting the whole crew breakfast. Our trip down the St Johns River was uneventful. We knew we'd have some bouncing coming out of the St Johns Inlet as there would be wind against the current as we passed through. It was bumpier than expected but we pushed on. We twice considered to bail out, once at Fernandina and then again at Brunswick, but conditions were improving so we decided to put our faith in NOAA and keep going. Little did we know that the weather was about to be the least of our problems.

When we were past the three mile line offshore we decided to dump our holding tank as is legal to do. Our indicator showed we still had plenty of capacity but we decided to take advantage of being offshore. If you are unfamiliar with what a holding tank is on a boat, well, we have no connection to a sewer line so must "hold things" until the tank can be pumped out or dumped overboard.

The first attempt failed to produce an outflow. Not a big deal - sometimes the odor filter on the air vent clogs stopping air from getting in and letting the tank drain. We made a note to replace it when we got in and opened the pump out access on the deck to allow air in. This is something we've done many times before. Jeff went below to start the process. A strong odor made me open the pilothouse door which reveled "stuff" flowing out the access like a beautiful fountain with the wrong colored water landing and flowing down the side of the boat. We used the onboard water to clean it up and because it was getting dark, decided to figure it all out in the morning.

Conditions did continue to improve and the night was uneventful. With daylight at morning and still well offshore, we decided to go to plan B and disconnect the filter from the vent hose completely to remove the clogged filter from the equation. Jeff emptied everything from the stateroom closet which has the access door then decided it would be easiest to remove the false wall to offer even better access. Just in case, he took up the carpet in the stateroom. That turned out to be a very good decision.

I flipped the switch for the pump from the pilothouse and within moments Jeff was yelling, "Shut it off! Shut it off!" You guessed it. Into the closet, the bilge, and the stateroom came our happy fountain again. Towels stopped the spread into the stateroom (thankfully without the carpet now). With the boat in idle we spent the next hour cleaning as best we could.

Upon our arrival in Charleston inlet, the wind whipped up, the current flowed, and it was an all around nasty time. Did I mention the rain? And who dropped the temperatures by 10 degrees into the 50's?

Jeff discovered that we had two equipment failures. First, the holding tank indicator had failed so we didn't realize our holding tank was actually overfull. Second, the macerator pump wasn't working properly. He replaced some parts on the macerator and verified it was working again. We then spent the better part of the afternoon into the evening scrubbing and disinfecting everything. A hot shower, a couple of loads of laundry, a warm dinner, and we could almost forget the past 24 hours.

Sunday we awoke to high wind, driving rain, and thunder and lightening. We didn't mind. We were inside, warm and dry. Then late morning there was a boom and flash of light. I thought, wow, that was close. Then Jeff yells, "Call the office! The power pedestal and dock is on fire!"

Jeff put the fire out and we are safe. We now have a bit more sympathy for the foibles of Carnival. The power will be back on again soon and the rain will eventually stop. We've been through hell and high (brown?) water on this passage. There's surely only blue skies to come.

What About Me????

Don't get me wrong. I love my grandmother. She's watched over me for almost 6 years now, protecting me from other dogs when I was just a pup, showing me how to do my business on the bow which makes Mom and Dad real happy, and even letting me cuddle with her when Mom and Dad leave the boat. (I still can't figure out why they would go without us - sometimes they come back smelling just like food, hmmmm.)

I kept all these things in mind when the inequities started in the fall of 2011.  Dyna had some kind of special "surgery" and everybody made such a fuss. She got lots of special attention and special puppy chow and even had Daddy sleep with her in a special place at night. What did Dylan get? Bupkis!! I didn't complain, well hardly. But then things got back to normal.

A few months ago they started fussing over her again. Seems she was turning her nose up at her food and having some other kinds of problems. So once again they pull out that special puppy chow. You know the kind. It comes in a round cylinder and not a bag. But it doesn't stop there. Next thing I know they're giving her something called Green Tripe which is about the best smelling thing I ever saw and little cans that say "sardines" which also smell really good and Mommy is cooking her eggs twice a day. It's all about, "Here Dyna, do you want this? No? How about this?" I'm sitting there happy to eat all of it but do I even get offered?

Then today, today it just went too far. Mommy has been talking on the phone almost everyday to this Dr. Cox about, you guessed it, Dyna. This morning he tells her to start adding liver to her food. Liver! Do you know how good that smells? So now she's cooking liver, cooking eggs, scooping Green Tripe and sardines and putting it all in Dyna's dish. I run to my dish - bupkis!

So maybe I'm not "old" and maybe I have a bit of a "weight issue" and maybe I'd eat myself into oblivion if given the chance. But would it kill anyone to cook just one egg for me? Oh, and a little liver and tripe and those sardine things. Just say'n.

Mellow Yellow

So we're both sitting in our "offices" here at Ortega Landing - Jeff in the pilothouse and me in the salon, when our mobile phones ring. I hear Jeff answer it in his usual rather distracted way, when suddenly his voice brightens, "Really! Oh my gosh, I'll be right down." My interest is peaked. "Mellow's here! I'm going to open the gate." And he's gone.

Now the whole boat is up, even Dyna. You see Mellow is Dyna's great-great-great-great granddaughter - plus or minus a great. Ken and Trudy saw our post last year when Sophie had her litter of 4 girls and 3 boys, How Great is Dyna? They contacted us interested in having their own tiny piece of Dyna. Actually there are two tiny pieces as both of Mellow's parents, Sophie and Sarge, are from the lineage of Dyna.

So we've kept up with them via email and blogs and watched pictures of Mellow as she grew, always hoping to meet up and now it finally happened.

They say dogs don't really know their kin, just who's in their pack. Well, I don't know about that. Dylan and Mellow had an instant bond and could not stay away from each other the entire time. I was sure one or both were going right over the edge of the dock. The two look like identical twins except Mellow is a touch smaller.

We finally got Mellow onboard to meet Dyna who gave her a long and serious going over. She then gave us a look that said, "You don't think you're bringing another one of these onboard, do you?"

It was a wonderful afternoon. Everyone enjoyed themselves very much but eventually our visitors had to head out to get to their boat in Stuart before nightfall. They will set off shortly and we look forward to crossing paths again.

A quick update on Dyna as so many of you have been checking on her. The medications seem to have handled the pain she was experiencing and settled down her irritated colon. She is once again eating very well. She is now served meals in courses to ensure she is getting her meds and a good balance of nutrients. By far her favorite course is the scrambled eggs one. She obviously takes after her mom as breakfast has always been my favorite meal. She continues to be our very sweet girl.

We Have Documentation

We have known for years that our Dyna was a very sweet girl. Now we have irrefutable proof and in writing no less. Monday Dyna went off in the latest rental car to visit Dr. Tom Cox of Timuquana Animal Hospital here in Jacksonville. We loved everything about this place, starting with Dr. Cox. He offered to print out his notes for us so we could have them if needed.

They do a SOAP assessment something we were taught as EMT's. Well right there under the Objective portion of the assessment under Attitude, do you see it? Sweet. Our girl has been objectively certified by a licensed professional as sweet. Told ya!

So many of you have wanted to know how she's doing and we appreciate your very kind thoughts. Dyna's primary problem is "age" and there's not too much that can be done about that. Our goal is to treat the symptoms we can and make her as happy as possible for as long as possible. So we're working with Dr. Cox to find the right combination of drugs, supplements, and food that will help her painful back end, not irritate her digestive system, and not create any new problems.

Dyna has always been a picky eater (unheard of for a Lab but Dyna has never followed the official script) and has gotten even more so recently. So meal times are stretching out as we try to coax her with one yummy thing after another. True to her nature what works today may not work tomorrow. Last night it was raw hamburger, this morning some smelly canned fish. Have you heard of Green Cow Tripe? Yes, it smells as gross at it sounds. Well, that works, sometimes. Dr. Cox prescribed 2 scrambled eggs twice a day and she loves that. I've pretty much become her personal chef.

Of course, she's always up for treats and has taken to begging shamelessly at our meals. At this point, she gets whatever she wants and her daddy has been even more generous than usual. Dylan thinks it is all most unfair.

We discuss her treatment in light of her being at the end of life. Dr. Cox has been very kind, understanding, helpful, and respectful when he makes his recommendations.

For now she still wants her daily walk and still engages when Dylan sounds the alarm. There is no doubt that she is still our very sweet girl and we will cherish her for as long as we can.

They're Back...

We've well established Dylan's love of watching the wildlife. His favorite are the d-o-l-p-h-i-n-s, (can't be too careful he's sitting right here). But he became fascinated with the manatees when we were in Titusville last December. They surrounded the boat daily until a cold snap chased them away. We didn't seen them again until our last day in Cocoa Village.

I was running water through rock salt to recharge our Spot-Free device. When I went out on the bow to turn it off I found Dylan peering over the side and a small crowd of people at the dock taking pictures. Now I know he's one handsome little boy but didn't think he warranted that sort of attention.

Then I discovered that a manatee had arrived and was drinking the fresh water that was coming out of the scupper. Not only was he enjoying the drink but he was as fascinated by Dylan as Dylan was of him.

Dylan never barked but simply kept peering over the side and watching this strange creature that had come for a visit. I hated to shut off the water but knew I couldn't let it run forever. Our friend rolled over to give Dylan a final salute and then was gone.

A few days later in Titusville while Jeff was rinsing off the side of the boat guess who shows up? Could it be the same one? Could there possibly be two faces like that?

What'd ya Mean No Dogs in a Rental Car?

Jeff had to drive down for the Miami Boat Show last week so we decided to rent a car for a week. That way we could easily re-provision, see some of the sites, etc. We needed to have some of Dyna's blood work redone to find out if there were any improvements in her liver levels. So early Thursday morning we loaded the kids in the rental car and headed to the vet.

We've done this rental car thing many times from the boat and have used a variety of methods to try and keep the bulk of the dog hair at bay. My latest creation involves a flannel sheet with Velcro attached and holes put in to accommodate the harnesses we use to strap them in. It works pretty well. Of course, this car had an all black interior - not good for this crew.

We brought Dylan along because he loves rides and we wanted to get him weighed. Lately he's been, well, a little larger in the rear end. It hasn't helped that Dyna has become more finicky about her eating. It's a constant battle to keep Dylan from scarfing up the dropped and left-over food.

Unfortunately, Dyna's blood work has not improved so we need to explore what might be happening with her liver. We decided the best place to settle in and do that is Jacksonville. So tomorrow we leave to begin heading that way. On the good side her digestive issues are better so she hasn't lost any more weight.

As for Dylan, well, can you say portion control?

We'll keep you posted on Dyna's progress.

No Takers

This past weekend there was a Mardi Gras celebration here in Cocoa Village. Sunday afternoon they held the Mardi Gras Paws in the Park event. Dyna and Dylan insisted on attending. There were hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes - and I mean ALL shapes and sizes. The event benefited the Central Brevard Humane Society with lots of food and vendors and even a dog parade.

We ran across the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida booth and thought maybe they would take Dylan. But they turned us down. Dyna asked if they were absolutely positive...

We had great seats to watch the dog parade. Dyna was too dignified to wear a silly costume and Dylan, well, he does whatever Dyna does. There were lots of silly outfits. Dylan wasn't sure what to make of it all.

The whole crew had a great afternoon. But before we left Dyna thought we should make one more stop at the Lab Rescue booth to make sure there were no takers for Dylan. Sorry, Dyna.

Tending to Dyna

There's something about an old dog. They have a sense of appreciation that isn't there when they're young, agile, and healthy. It's like they really know they need you. The time comes when they no longer fight your efforts to help them and simply relax and accept your care.

A few months ago Dyna started needing to be carried down the steep winding stairs to the master stateroom. You might wonder why she doesn't simply sleep above but these are Siegel dogs, spoiled to the bone, and Dyna didn't want to be left behind. So Jeff carries her down every night. At first she struggled and squirmed but now she just settles into her daddy's arms and enjoys the ride.

We came back north because Dyna was having difficulties tolerating the heat and humidity. If you've been following her for a while you may remember that she had throat surgery a year and a half ago to fix a breathing problem. She's much better but still only has half an opening to breath through. So panting is less efficient plus all of these things are more difficult as she ages. Dyna will be 15 in May, a true grand dame.

In addition, she's had digestive problems due to chronic UTI's which have been cured with antibiotics but then stripped the good bacteria out of her stomach and intestines. Add to that the need for a periodic blood test to check liver functions due to her daily pain medicine, and we needed to find a good vet. So as soon as we pulled into Cocoa Village Marina we started searching. We checked online reviews, talked to the staff at the marina and some boaters with pets on the dock. We found a nice vet very close by but still too far for Dyna to walk. We started making plans to bring her in a dock cart, something that worked at Cumberland Island last spring.

So I went to the office to let them know we needed to take the cart off site. The manager Ken said, "I'll drive her." I told him it wasn't too far and I didn't want to bother him. "It's no bother. I'll do anything for a dog." I knew there was a good reason I liked him so much. Off Dyna went to Brevard Veterinary Hospital.

After tests and exams and consultations both here in Florida and with Stephanie back at Lucerne Veterinary Hospital in Maine, we devised a plan. Now on top of her hard to find dog food, she is getting a raft full of supplements - cranberry extract to keep the UTI at bay, probiotics to restore her good digestive bugs, Sam-e and milk thistle to help her liver levels, and Nupro vitamin supplement to ensure she's getting what she needs. Oh, and she also needs the addition of canned, wet food to get her to eat all this stuff. My galley pantry is becoming filled with dog items.

Do I care? Not a wit. She's our very special girl and every day with her is precious. Plus she's perked up and has even started a few tussles with Dylan. We know we can't have her forever but we can make her days the best they can be.