Thursday, October 3, 2013

LIFE IS GOOD AT GOOSE POND MARINA

Since mid-August we have made multiple trips to Huntsville to take care of health-related needs.  Bill had cataract surgery on his left eye on Sept. 12th, and he'll have his right eye done on the 24th.  He is pleased with the improvement in the clarity of his vision thus far.  Charlotte will probably be doing the same before we leave here.  Bill also went for Physical Therapy on his shoulder here in Scottsboro.

The stainless struts to easily lower and raise our Radar Arch were installed.  Our local friend, Wout Dierperink, engineered the design for us, and he came to assist Bill in the installation on Sept. 3rd.

                                            
                                              WOUT AND BILL INSTALLING STAINLESS STRUT

The gas springs were made in Saskatoon, Canada and were manufactured with 165lbs load pressure.  The high pressure made it challenging to mount on brackets.  The 1/4 inch 316 stainless mounting plates were made by Rako Machine Products Inc  Cream Ridge NJ owned by good friend John Van Der Tuyn   Thanks to Wout's engineering calculations and John's mounting plates the arch lifts and lowers with ease. 
 
 
 
 
STARBOARD STRUT WHEN RADAR ARCH IS RAISED
 
 
 
 
READY TO TEST LOWERING THE ARCH
SURE HOPE IT COMES DOWN EASILY!!!
 
 
IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!  HURRAH!!
 
 
BILL AND WOUT
TWO HAPPY CAMPERS!!
 
We are so grateful to Wout and John for all they did to make raising and lowering our radar arch so easy. We can now get into a lower covered slip and under many bridges without having them  raised.
 
It's party time on Sea Goddess!   Capt. Doris Deason entertained a number of our friends on Dock 4.  She served Shrimp and Corn Chowder, which was delicious.
 
 
DORIS SERVING CHOWDER TO PATSY AND RAY WHITNEY
 
 
HOSTESS DORIS AND EDIE
 
 
OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS KELLY AND BILLY BEAVERS
 
 
TERESA AND KIM
 
 
KELLY, DORIS AND TERESA
 
 
PATSY AND RAY WHITNEY
 
 
BILL, CHARLOTTE, BILLY AND JIM
 
 
BILL AND CHARLOTTE
 
Our thanks to Doris for this nice get-together!!!
 
 
September 7th was the day for the annual Frantic Frog Triathlon at Goose Pond.  Bright and early the competitors from many parts of our country gathered and got ready for the swim, which was the first leg of the competition.  We love to watch!!
 
 
 
 
GETTING THEIR EQUIPMENT READY
 
 
 
GATHERING BEFORE THE SWIM
 
 
LINING UP ON THE DOCK
 
There were so many competitors that it was impossible to get them all in one photo.  It took 45 minutes for the last one to get into the water.
 
 
HERE THEY GO!!!
 
 
WHAT A SIGHT!!
 
 
ONE OF THE FIRST GIRLS TO COMPLETE SWIM
 
 
LOTS OF CHEERS FOR THIS SWIMMER
 
 
CYCLISTS GETTING UNDERWAY
 
 
BIG BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME AS THE TRIATHLON.
A FEW OF THE TRUCKS AND TRAILERS PARKED
 
On Sept. 7th, we were invited to another "Meet and Eat" event at the beautiful new waterfront home of Tony and Carol Kaschak, local friends we met at St. Jude Catholic Church.   We were delighted to join their other guests from church.
 
TONY AND CAROL KASCHAK'S HOME
 
 
Our friends from Cape Coral, Ed and Sara Dennerline, arrived on Sept.8th.  We welcomed them with dinner aboard OMEGA.  Glad they finally made it up here to their houseboat after selling their home in Cape Coral and moving into their new condo in Ft. Myers.
 
On Sept. 18th, we drove up to McDonald, TN, northeast of Chattanooga, to the National Pug Agility competition.  Granddaughter Tara, from Athens, GA, had two of her pubs entered in the competition (Paqui and Gavin).
There were about 30 pugs competing in this annual event, which is held in different parts of the country each year.  Paqui has been competing for several years and is quite a champ.  As a result of her achievements, she has been invited to the National Agility competition in Orlando in December.  Tara has only been training Gavin for a short time, but he won his first ribbon in the Novice Class.
 
 
 

                                                            GRANDDAUGHTER TARA AND PAQUI


                                                                BILL, TARA AND PAQUI


                                                                   THE THREE LITTLE PUGS
                                                                   BONNIE, PAQUI, AND GAVIN

                              Bonnie didn't compete.  She just came along for the ride.

                        
                                                            PAQUI AND GAVIN BETWEEN RUNS



                                                       ONE OF PAQUI'S BLUE RIBBON RUNS


 
TARA RECEIVING ONE OF PAQUI'S BLUE RIBBONS
 
 
 

TARA WITH PAQUI AND GAVIN
AND ALL THEIR RIBBONS
 
 
 
 

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