Sheila365

Dock wrangling.

We loaded up Porter Belle on the trailer yesterday to help John with the dock at his lake house. When the rain came over the July 4th weekend his cove went from high and dry to full in about 24 hours.

His formerly dry dock floated just fine. But its ramp/walkway sank. It’s still attached but hanging straight down. Its flotation block must have broken away in the storms. All the professional dock wranglers are still booked up so we spent the day giving it a shot ourselves.

At the end of the day, we were not successful. But it was fun to row up and down the cove a dozen or so times. And to problem solve different ways to try to raise the walkway. None of them worked. But the best part was that when we packed everything up, the giant flotation block miraculously floated by! We snagged it for when the professionals eventually make it out. There’s a reason they call them professionals 🙂

There are many ways to spend a good day at the lake. This was just one of them.

February rewind.

On short notice, I had the opportunity to join Lori at a beach resort in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Bonus was getting in a nice long visit with Rudy and Lauren. It was beautiful there. And snorkeling in January is good for the soul!

Headed to the Texas Panhandle.

We have driven by the Palo Duro Canyon State Park many times on trips to and from Colorado over the last 25+ years.

This week we took a little road trip to go see it. Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. It’s located in the high plains of North Texas; the Llano Estacado. The elevation at the rim is about 3500’ and the floor of the canyon lies about 800’ below. It is called “the Grand Canyon of Texas” and the steep, layered rock walls sure echo those of its namesake.

We took the 8-hour drive up and stayed in a cabin on the floor of the canyon that was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Cow Camp cabin #4 – our little bit of paradise

The park is stunningly beautiful. Being in the heart of nature for a couple of days was unforgettable.

The visitor center provided a nice introduction to the geology and history of the canyon.

And oh the stars! We sat outside for hours watching the sky.

On the way home we made an overnight stop in Lubbock. We enjoy visiting the McPherson Cellars tasting room whenever we are in the neighborhood. We can always find another couple there to talk with over a glass of wine.

We stopped in lots of tiny Texas towns to check out their antique stores, historic county courthouses, and Main Street cafes.

I spied an old postcard in an antique shop that foreshadows a road trip that I just booked!

Home sweet home now – ‘til the next road trip.

January rewind.

Noreen and David made a quick trip to Austin in January and stayed with us. They’ve been to Austin many times, and it’s getting harder to find new things to show them. This time we all took a day trip to Gruene. Gotta love the Hill Country’s little towns.

Til next time.

My main intent for this trip to Seattle was to see my 7 great nieces & nephews. ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅

I also spent some good time with all but one of my nieces and nephews, and my sisters. I got a chance to visit my friend Irene again. We surprised her mom who I last saw at our high school graduation too long ago. What a special treat.

The Pacific Northwest is beautiful. It never disappoints.

Lots o’ boats.

I’m visiting my family in Seattle. I took a break from hugging babies to attend the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. The rain cooperated and Noreen, Colleen, and I had a fun day.

Spanish masters.

I enjoy visiting the Blanton Museum once or twice a year to take in their new and traveling exhibits. A new exhibit just arrived that includes some of the works of Velázquez and El Greco, and similar artists from Spain and South America who were court painters in the 1500s and 1600s. I remember learning of them and seeing some of their paintings for the first time at the Prado Museum when I was in high school. So this was an exhibit I wanted to see. The exhibit is called “Spirit and Splendor: El Greco, Velázquez, and the Hispanic Baroque” and will be at the Blanton through February 1, 2026.

Keep in mind that every Tuesday is Free Tuesday at the Blanton. But go any day that works! UT is back in session, so parking was a bit of a zoo. The Brazos Garage was full. Try the Trinity Garage; they were allowing public parking last week.

Old School Maine.

Earlier this month, Monte and I checked something off his wish list. We booked a 5-day/4-night cruise on the Lewis R. French. The French is a 2-masted gaff-rigged wooden schooner. Built in 1871 in Christmas Cove, it is the only remaining 19th-century schooner built in Maine. It is a National Historic Landmark, and is the oldest active commercial sailing vessel in the United States. It is part of the extensive Maine Windjammer Association, taking guests on 3-6 day cruise adventures in Penobscot Bay.

The Lewis R French anchored off Burnt Island, near North Haven.

The French hosts twenty guests, with a crew of five. The weather was excellent. We had a little bit of everything: sun, sporting wind, fog, light wind, and some shooting stars, thanks to the Perseid meteor shower. Guests are welcome to hoist and lower sails, sound the fog horn, steer, raise anchor, and help row one of the two wooden rowboats to shore and back. The French operates on sail only, but tows a diesel tender behind which is used to push it in and out of harbors and as an auxiliary motor in case there is no wind at all.

Kurt, Kevin, and Edie also came on the trip, which made for even more fun. We arrived one day ahead of time to explore Camden and other towns a bit before boarding our cruise. We stayed at the Lord Camden Inn, and had a great view of the entire harbor from our balcony.

A view of Camden inner harbor. The *French* is the schooner on the left

We didn’t have to board the schooner until 5pm, so we had plenty of time to explore. We drove to the top of Mount Battie and took in sweeping views of Penobscot Bay, and Camden Harbor.

A view of Camden Harbor from Mount Battie, and Penobscot Bay beyond.

We also visited nearby coastal towns of Rockport, Damariscotta, Rockland, and Bath.

Our first night we slept aboard at the dock in Camden. In the morning we set off to the east, ending up anchoring at Burnt Island outside North Haven. We enjoyed a lobster bake ashore on the beach.

The next day we headed north, it was a long day of sailing, sometimes in light wind, sometimes in moderate wind, anchoring in Holbrook Harbor. We rowed ashore for a short walk on one of the islands there before dinner.

In the morning, I was happy to hear that we would sail to the nearby historic town of Castine after breakfast to grab a mooring and then go ashore for a couple of hours. I walked to the lighthouse and back, exploring the museum and the historic fort locations along the way.

After everyone was back on board, we hoisted sails again for a really lovely sail in good winds south to Gilkey’s Harbor at Islesboro.

The next morning we headed out in thick fog southwest back to Camden.

The food aboard was plentiful and delicious. The chef “OB” kept bringing up baked goods, meals, and snacks from the galley below.

A large and well-appointed galley is where all the food magic happens. The wrap around table can seat about 20 if need be.

Captain (and owner) Becky kept things running smoothly. First mate Alex and her deck hands Jesse and Jenny kept things ship shape and made it all look easy.

After coming ashore again in Camden, we piled into the car headed back to Portland. We bid adieu to Kurt, dropped Edie and Kevin at the airport, and then Monte and I hopped a Casco Bay ferry over to Great Diamond Island to stay with Lori and Mike for a few days in their wonderful vacationland home.

The old ice pond at Diamond Cove on Great Diamond Island. Now a pretty place just to sit. And maybe get married.

While they no longer have a sailboat, they have a new addition, a 27′ Boston Whaler that is moored at the island. We used it to head over to Peaks Island one night for dinner, and to spend an afternoon taking in a floating concert at Cow Island.

The Flotilla to Fight Cancer was a concert on the water. The band played from the stern of these two lobsterboats moored together.

This is my 3rd summer visit to Maine, and each has been very memorable and fun.

December rewind.

We had a houseful in the middle of December. Susanne, Laura, PJ, and Frankie found themselves in Austin for a swim meet at the University of Texas that PJ competed in. We had fun going to the meet, cooking up meals, going to the lake, and just enjoying eachother’s company. Susanne and Laura stayed through Christmas to help us ring in the season.

Laura’s puppies Rick and Tito are brothers, and possibly siamese twins.

Goodnight, moon.

A shot of tonight’s full sturgeon moon shining bright. 🧡

November rewind.

I had a big birthday last year, and my sweet sister Fran came down to help me celebrate. <3.

She gave me a book to plan and log travel. I’m working on it! Thanks Fran!

A good day on the lake.

The flooding that hit the Hill Country this month brought terrible destruction and loss of life, especially along the Guadalupe River.

The highland lakes’ series of dams were built to contain floodwaters for the lower Colorado River. They’ve been doing exactly that and now Lake Buchanan is 100% full. Lake Travis has risen to 90% full, up 38 feet in the last two weeks, only 6 feet short of full.

As someone who has spent a good part of the last 20 years on the lake that has experienced too many droughts, this brings me joy in the midst of the sadness from all the loss.

Today we went out to the lake to take it in. And it’s a beautiful thing. The docks are close to parking lot level now, which is certainly a treat. Next week the marina will move all the individual docks back to their respective locations.

We went for a long sail on Nirvana with Kurt, Kevin, Gordon, and Scott. The wind was up and we had a really great day.

It’s nice to have our lake back, for however long it lasts.

Rewind.

Over the last year or so, I’ve had big gaps between posts. I’m not sure why. Maybe things have slowed down. Maybe I’ve gotten busier. Maybe I’m more introspective. Whatever the reason, I have wanted to get back into the habit of posting more frequently.

I hope my recent post about our Portugal trip broke the logjam.

While I’ve been going through photos, I’ve found a few that I’d like to share. Just for grins, I may mix in a few among future posts, even though they may be a few months old. Bear with me 🙂

Like this one that I took back in November! 🙂 Some friends of mine live in a beautiful part of Austin along the south side of the Colorado River. Sometimes we get together at their community’s park along the river for game day. This is a mosaic that adorns their community center. Isn’t it great?!

Portugal!

At the beginning of the year, Monte and I were invited to spend a week with my friends Irene and Joseph at their place in the Algarve region of Portugal. We took them up on their invitation and planned a two-week trip for June – one week in the Algarve in a quaint fishing village called Ferragudo, followed by a week for Monte and I to explore Porto and Lisbon together.

Ferragudo and the Algarve Region

Ferragudo was a wonderful place to visit. We walked along the beaches on the Arade River, and hiked the trails up into and along the cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. We took a boat trip out into the ocean that explored some of the caves and beaches along the coast. There are a number of companies that offer cave tours. I enjoyed our trip with BenagilExpress, and booked it ahead of time via TripAdvisor.

We hired a local named Luis who took us on a 4-hour boat trip up the Arade river to the historic town of Silves, which was the capital of the Kingdom of the Algarve back to the 13th century. We had time to explore Silves, tour the castle, explore the markets and cafes. Along the way, Luis told us all about the history of the region, and of the fishing and farming industries in the area. I recommend Luis and his tours, you can find a link to his website here.

We also explored Portimão, Praia da Rocha, and Alvor. We sampled the local fare: grilled sardines, bacalao, tapas, pastries, and many different flavors of gelatos. I saw some new birds, and found a geocache (of course!)

Irene and Joseph were wonderful hosts, and I hope to make my way back to Ferragudo again.

Porto

After goodbye hugs with Irene and Joseph we ubered to the Faro Airport for our flight to Porto.

I absolutely loved the place we stayed. It was an entire 1-bedroom apartment just a block away from the Avenida dos Aliados, and within walking distance from just about everything in Porto. If you are looking to book a place to stay in Porto, you should check out Almada 234.

It turns out that one of the days/nights we were there was Porto’s biggest festival of the year – the Festa de São João, celebrating their patron saint John the Baptist. And boy do they throw a party!

It’s a thing for everyone to bop virtually anyone that walks within arm’s reach on the head with plastic squeaky hammers for good luck. It’s also a thing to light candles inside paper lanterns and set them aloft. The sky was filled with lit lanterns throughout the city as far as you could see, all night long. It was truly a sight. They set fireworks off over the Douro River at midnight. Monte and I walked down with thousands of our friends to the cathedral that overlooks the river which turned out to be a great place to experience the spectacle.

We explored São Bento train station with its beautifully tiled lobby, the ancient Clerigos Tower, the Jardins do Palacio de Cristal, sampled the food and wine along the Ribiera (the Douro riverfront), we walked across the Luis I bridge, rode the Teleferico (cable car) down to the Gaia district full of Port wine houses and visited their tasting rooms. I truly enjoyed our time in Porto.

On the morning of our third day in Porto, we had a café com leite and a pastiche de nata, and then hopped on a train south to Lisbon.

Lisbon

We easily made our way to our hotel in Lisbon’s Baixa district via the metro from the Santa Apolonia Train station when we arrived in Lisbon. It was in a great, central location, just a couple of blocks from the Tagus river.

There are so many different places to explore in Lisbon. We picked a few among many. We spent a half-day in the historical maritime center of Belem. The Belem Tower dates from the 16th century. It was the last thing sailors saw when they set out to discover new trade routes, and, if they were lucky, was the first thing they saw when they arrived back home. Of course, we visited during one of the few times in the last 500 years that it was under renovation and covered with scaffolding, but it was still inspiring to see. There is a carved stone monument to the Portuguese-led Age of Exploration, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (monument of Discoveries). We also toured the Maritime Museum which was worthwhile. We visited the grounds of Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a monastery which was built in 1501 to celebrate Portuguese success on the sea. The monastery is the final resting place of Vasco de Gama, as well as several kings of Portugal.

We also visited the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum), located in a beautiful former convent on the east side of Lisbon, and walked through the history of the decorative tiles that define Portuguese architecture and art.

In the evening, we walked through the central historic district of Lisbon, exploring stores and restaurants, and taking the Santa Justa elevator up from the Baixa district to the Bairro Alto neighborhood. At the top, we had great views over the city, as well as the ruins of the Igreja do Carmo, a church built in the 14th century that was damaged in the earthquake of 1755. The quake andthe fires and tsunami that followed killed about 20% of the residents and pretty much leveled Lisbon. The city we see today has essentially been rebuilt over much of the last 350 years.

We took the train from Rossio train station to Sintra for a day trip to explore the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle (well, it’s more the walls of the former fortress). Being a top tourist destination, it was crowded, but I had pre-booked tickets and transportation for our visit to be the first of the day, so we arrived early and beat most of the crowds. The things I like the best were the sweeping views from the top of the Pena Palace out to the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the south, the walk through the wooded trails down to the Moorish Castle, and the train trip through the hills and back.

Back in Lisbon, we explored the Praça do Comercio, the Chiado district, Cais Sodre, and rode the Gloria Elevator (well, funicular, really) up to the terrace at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, and enjoyed churros while taking in another sweeping view of Lisbon. And, of course, we enjoyed the local seafood for dinner.