We set out Friday morning to fly to the Bahamas to look at a bigger boat....we made it to Ft. Pierce, our normal "hop over" stop....
But our attitude indicator (one of the instruments that tells us the wings are level) decided to quit working.
This is what it looks like now in level flight at 7000 ft....not at all what it's supposed to look like!
So, after some quick phone calls to avionics shops, it was clear that we were not going to be able to fix this on a Friday afternoon. And it's not something that my extremely mechanical husband can fix with just a screwdriver!
We made the best of it - got a rental car and a hotel room....had a nice dinner at a beach bar and headed home. We'll get the instrument overhauled and try again to head to the Bahamas after next week!
Oh, a side note - since this instrument tells the autopilot that the wings are level....the autopilot was inoperative too.....which means we flew back home 4 hours with no autopilot. We are so spoiled!!!!
The city is refurbishing the terminal building at Asheboro Airport. They're ripping out all the old 30 year old flooring/ceilings.....changing some walls.
And putting a "kitchen-ette" in the area where my desk used to be. It's going to be terrific!! But for now, it's pretty messy!
I had forgotten to post this interesting video - a fellow drove up in his VW "Thing" - look it up if you don't remember those iconic vehicles!
He had his paraglider rig in the back of the "Thing" and asked if he could launch from the airport. Since it was a slow day, he wouldn't interfere with any airplanes at the airport....so I said "sure".
After several attempts to crank the "lawn mower" engine....he was airborne. Not for the faint of heart!
I spent many walks collecting it....and often was helped by Duane, Pat and Diane!
This is what I made it home with - it weighed a couple of pounds! (Actually, Pat & Diane slogged it home in the "dive equipment bag" since they had a free checked bag!)
Spread out on the counter to dry - even a few lovely blue pieces! Good fun.
We got back to the apartment late one afternoon - and we were all hungry!! The caretaker of the apartment told us that the best place to get food at that hour would be the "lady with the van".
She was correct!!
A very friendly local lady that sells hot food plates from the back of her van on a side-street.
We each got a plate - typical Caribbean fare - including "provisions" on the top right side. We've had that before - it's a mix of sweet potatoes, plantains, pumpkin and any other local starchy veg.
Very good and fresh!! Sure beats cookin' on your vacation!!!
More playing on the beach....
You can't see it here, but there was a "swell" that would come from behind and lift you up.
Good fun!!
And a different day....wouldn't want you to think all we did was eat....
We wandered down the beach to find Wanda's. Apparently just a lady that serves food and beverage on her back porch on the beach.
The lovely view from Wanda's!
Relaxing, enjoying the day.
And another lovely meal out of Wanda's kitchen. We saw no "USDA" inspection anywhere on the island, but the food was good and fresh. No worries, mon.
And that's about it! Time to load up and head north.....a lovely island and a lovely (too short) visit!
This trip was not long enough!! But we saw/did alot during our brief stay!
On the Atlantic Ocean side, we spotted some of those huge aloe plants - that have stalks that look so much like 10 foot tall asparagus stalks!
A typical street scene - narrow and hilly on the interior of the island.
We stopped at the "Round House" - a 200 year old hotel - for a nice lunch.
Lovely, strange and un-even architecture on the interior. Certainly wouldn't pass building codes today - but the test of time proves it structurally sound!!
Our little car - it did well....Duane did most of the driving - on the "wrong" side of the road!
View of the ocean from the Round House.
More Atlantic Ocean views.
We drove thru the countryside to a lighthouse.....was a little disappointing, but you don't always find treasures when you're hunting for them!
Pretty view, though!
We spent the better part of one day on a dive boat - Reefers and Wreckers was the name of the small company.
Pat used my camera and snapped this unusually sweet photo of Duane and myself!
Pat getting ready for the first dive.
Pat on the descent to our first reef dive.
Duane -
Sorry for all the "blue" on my photos. I don't have a good program to "clean up" the color balance.
I need a better camera with better filters!
Here is a dreaded LionFish.....they are an invasive species in the Caribbean - they were brought from Asia and don't have any predators due to their stinging spines. They create an imbalance on the reef by eating too many of the small fish and animals.
They are beautiful, though! Divers all over the Caribbean spear them to try to control the overpopulation.
I alerted our dive-master Phillip to the Lion Fish - he came with his spear and took care of business! The yellow tube is his container to carry the Lion Fish back to the surface.
Just a pretty reef dive - around 65 feet was the deepest we were.
Back on the boat for our "surface interval" (the time we have to wait between dives to allow our bodies to get rid of the nitrogen that has accumulated in our blood while we were diving.
Our second dive was a shallow one - only about 30 feet - along a large dock. I was surprised that they would dive at a place like that - but it was actually a great dive! Lots of fish and we stayed underwater for 70 minutes! My longest dive ever. (You can stay underwater longer at shallow depths because you do not use as much of your air tank).
Pretty juvenile French Angel fish.
I believe this is a Triggerfish
Another Lion Fish
And this was the coolest "new to me" find - a Flying Gurnard. He swims along with the "wings" at his side - then occasionally spreads the "wings" and they're vibrant blue!
Short video of the Flying Gurnard:
A yellow Trumpet fish and what I believe is a Spotted Drum.
Some more juvenile French Angels
Lobsters!!! They were all just hanging around under the ledge.
More than I had ever seen in one place before!
Phillip spears another Lion Fish!
A Trunk Fish - this one's body is shaped roughly like a triangle.
And a Balloon Fish - these are funny looking with their spiny skin!
A beautiful adult French Angel Fish
And more juveniles.
And on our way back to the dive boat office, we passed a crew of local fishermen hauling in their catch of the day!
Let's see - I'm supposed to describe myself....married for WOW 40 years!, mom of two boys (now men), pilot, sailor (in training), happy (most of the time), traveler (when I can!), always have a book on the nitestand, always planning the next adventure (big and small!)
"Bucket List" (Things I'd Like to Do Before I Kick the Bucket!!"
See the Alps, the Sahara Desert, the Pyramids, London, Loch Ness, the Andes, the Amazon, the Taj Mahal, Moscow, Fiji, Galapagos, Mayan Ruins, Venice, interior China, and on and on and on!
See a glacier, Sydney, New Zealand, San Francisco
See Bangor, Maine in summer, been there in winter!
