Joy in the Mundane

Yesterday I did laundry.  Yup, laundry.  Now when was the last time you had to take dirty laundry to a laudromat?  Now add to that, that you've got sea salt sodden clothes of two weeks to load in a dinghy, travel 20 minutes up a river, haul up a three rung ladder and walk 1/4 mile to get to the machines?   Bet it's been a while!  Funny, though, I got just a little thrill from it all. 

Getting ahead of myself - it's finished!

Tuesday night when all of the supplies were in hand, we began work on the final big installation project that was planned.  We laid out the pieces of the wind generator on the deck until it got dark and we started losing parts.  Wednesday morning we got right to it thinking we would be done by early afternoon and then prepare to get under way toward the keys on Thursday.  We were excited when we got the "tower kit" installed requiring a 9 foot high pole be attached to/through the deck with two 8 foot poles coming out as "legs" and also being attached.  This was no easy feat so we felt pretty good about things.  Rob continued with the next stage of the project which was wiring this contraption from one side and part of the boat to all others.  Batteries to batteries to control panel to generator on the deck . . . you at this point have to be impressed that we're even doing a project like this while at anchor in Fort Lauderdale with no outside power sources, etc. 


I went and did laundry at this point.  I took my book and put on walking shoes and Rob helped me haul the laundry up to the dock . . . and then I was blissfully on my own for the next two hours.  I can't explain how this happened but I just APPRECIATED doing laundry.  Go figure - unexpected and unexplainable for sure, but it just WAS.   I walked the beach for an hour, read my book and took my time enjoying the smell of clean clothes in the dryer.  Huh, guess that's what laundromats do for you!

Can you see the halo over the place?

When Rob came back to get me, I was all ready to hear that the wiring was ready and we'd be hauling this 40 pound contraption up on a 9 foot pole, all ready start making power for us to consume. . . ah, NO.  So things didn't go so well while I was gone.  Much more wiring was required than planned and Rob even managed to try to take off part of his finger with a drill.  Leaving on Thursday was put on hold and another blissful walk to West Marine was pursued.

Joseph, Bartender Extraordinaire

We left as the sun was slowly dropping near the horizon and made it back to our little dinghy dock at Southport Raw Bar just in time to catch the end of happy hour.  With a pitcher of beer and fresh steamed shrimp, it didn't seem so bad spending one more day.

This morning brought the warmest weather yet and the trepidation of the final stages of our project.  We didn't waste any time and wrangled this monster together - all the while communicating perfectly and calmly to each other.  If you believe that, you don't know Rob and I!!!  But we did it and we survived and it works and we were really pleased with each other and ourselves.  SUCCESS at anchor!  We finally were able to put the boat back together to restore it to something less than a work site and jumped in the dinghy to spend some time walking the beach, a much deserved and needed distraction.

I mean, really - is this not gorgeous?!

Dinner tonight was margaritas, chips and salsa in our cozy cockpit by candlelight with our wind generator happily whirring away on the aft deck.  The sunsets continue to surprise us and once again we find ourselves happily at home on Moonshadow and ready for another adventurous day ahead.