When CT made it back to the house this afternoon (from the reception), Jonathan and I had the car packed and ready for us to come back to TN and it was getting dark. We left the cats for the first time - Jonathan's to take care of while we're at the boat.
Uneventful drive back - we talked the entire time.... stopped at the grocery to pick up some things.... and made our way to the marina.
Talking about cold - and windy!! We pushed a buggy of groceries and a buggy of clean laundry down the catwalk and out to the boat with the wind cutting right through us. I'm walking along wondering if we're insane for doing this "boat thing"...(and knowing we aren't).... but the "fun" is lost on me when we're walking in conditions like that and it's only NOVEMBER..... I kept remembering the walks through the marina last winter.... it was cold then too and we were only working on the boat.
Anyway...Got to the boat and everything was ok except for the water - the pipe had frozen outside and had split. SO.... our pioneer days in Pol*k County, NC came into play.... the days when we had major well problems and used water from the swimming pool for one entire summer until it was "our turn" to have a second well dug..... THOSE days kicked in and we didn't panic. The outside hose was fine so we brought in a couple of gallons of water, heated it in the microwave, and I bathed with that. It worked.
Later we were sitting here literally counting our blessings - his NHHS friends and former employees were blown away that we're living several days per week on this boat. One gal (who had come over to the lake house to teach a seminar one fall about 5 years ago) said it is NOT strange that CT would go the houseboat route (after she saw our marina)... he assured her that this houseboat thing is "more Linda" than it is him, but we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. And we are. Even when the cold wind cuts us to the bone.
Back to the plumbing.....CT wanted to walk back out to the car and check the Trooper to see if he had moved our plumbing supplies up there and get it fixed tonight. I would not hear of such a thing in this weather. I'll have water here through the garden hose tomorrow.
It was so warm inside the boat that we took our coats off. Thankful for that and no frozen pipes inside.It's late and I'm headed for bed. Charles climbed in around 11:30 and sighed real big, saying it felt so good to be back in that featherbed again. Rocked to sleep.
Woo Hoo! God is good ....
P.S. - Carmen and crew have added to the farm - a new lamb born in the past day or so.... she says it's the size of a kitten.
