It’s been a difficult, busy couple of weeks around here. Great-grandma passed away at 99 years-old. She was a great lady who we all loved. She amazed me with her simple yet comfortable and happy life, and also with her amazing mind. Right to the end she could rattle off the names of every grand-kid, great-grandkid, cousin, or passing acquaintance. She would cut out funny cartoons or stories from the newspaper that she thought we would like, and save them for months and months to give to us.
We would send her postcards from every new country we visited. One day when we were visiting she brought out the box that held the postcards and she told us, “I told the mailman it’s okay if he reads them. They’re from my granddaughter sailing around the world.” Makes me smile to think that she believed the mailman’s morals wouldn’t allow him to read a postcard without permission, and that she was proud of what her granddaughter was doing, even if she could in no way comprehend it. This tiny slip of a woman, who had never driven a car, and rarely ventured beyond her town, was happy and content to live quietly with family and friends nearby.
We’ll miss her, but we also celebrate her life and her memory.
The school’s blackboard.
When Ali returned we headed out to anchor and play around the island for a few days before it was my time to fly off.
The kids discovered how to use the 10-second self-timer on the camera.
Pulling up the grassy anchor to go zip around to the outside of the island for the day.
They seem to think up a new game to play every time we anchor.
We were outside the drone’s Do-Not-Fly zone out here. The water is amazing out here, seven feet and clear as can be. Too bad there is a constant swell.
The solar panels make a convenient heli-pad.
I flew back to the States to help my mom move out of Portland. We’re going to miss Portland, personally, but mom was ready to be done with the long, cold, gray winters. Time to move south.
I loaded up the truck, hooked up the Porsche, and hit the road solo. 1600 miles south, in two and half days, at a top speed of about 60 m.p.h. is not nearly as fun as trundling along 100 miles a day in an old Travco.
My view was pretty much road and truck stop fast-food for the entire trip.
There were a few other kid boats around, so there seemed to be plenty to do.
They all went to Isla Animals a few times to play/care for the dogs. Then grill Ali all the way home with promises that they’d take care of him, and pay for his food, and pick up his poop, and everything. I know, I’m mean. A dog just doesn’t fit into our life. We’ve seen enough dogs on boats to know that for sure.
Someone spent way too much time in the highly chlorinated pools around the island. Ali gave her the ol’ ketchup shampoo treatment to get the green out. And what do you know, it seemed to work.
Toto, we’re not in Portland any more.
Back to normal.
33 Comments on “Life Cycles”
Love you Grandma!
Love the freckles!
Glad I could come home and be there with everyone.
Their freckles come out with the sun, and disappear just as quickly. LOVE.
Great pictures. That’s nice that you sent postcards to your great grandmother. My grandfather and last grandparent is in Ludington, MI and is 97. We have been RVing full-time all over the U.S. for 3+ years now (so ready to get on the boat and sail away) and we’ve probably sent my grandpa 100+ postcards. He’s wallpapered a wall of his nursing home room with them. Had a great visit with him last summer when we finally towed the 41′ fifth wheel to MI. Told him he can take me fishing and I will take him sailing when we meet again in Heaven. He was a long time great lakes fisherman. We can’t forget our elders. Continued safe travels and exciting adventures you all! We complete our 26th year of homeschooling shortly and the final 17 year old moves out shortly. Sailing time then!
So sorry for your loss. I know Pat’s mom will enjoy the winters but with moving south will she like the summers too? How far south did she go?
Thanks, Judith.
Grammy is in Green Valley, south of Tucson. Sun (even the hot summers) seems more important than clouds and rain for 6 months of the year.
My condolences to Ali’s family. Grandma sounds like a beautiful soul.
I see the map on the window, nice way to navigate.
Thanks, George.
And yes, window maps are easy to wipe off, and as the cruiser rule is “cruising plans might as well be written in the sand at low tide” – it works good to show the kids where we “plan” to head to.
Looks like Green Valley to me… Good choice!
Yes, Green Valley! A nice area for her to explore and enjoy.
Looks like Wickenburg, AZ. to me…..Good choice !
200 miles farther south in Green Valley.
Great pics, enjoy the blog very much.
Thanks, John.
Looks like Tucson to me.. Good choice! 😉
Sounds like Arizona is a good choice from everyone! Down a bit in Green Valley, but Tucson is more of “the” town where she lives. I think she is going to like it!
So sorry for your family’s loss Ali, your Grandma was obviously very special and loved. Congrats to Grammy’s new home in Arizona!!
Thanks, Megan. Very special indeed. And we are a bit sad about our PDX hang out spot – it is where we met you guys! Right at Grammy’s front door all those years ago now.
Whew. My in-laws house burned to the ground Feb. 1. My brother-in-law, died in the fire. Just got his 2014 Nissan Z car hacked by the local key shop to run again. Steve Earle “Definitive Collection” was in the CD – I tossed it in my old G5 Macintosh in the basement and it burned it pronto. Pulled up your page while “Goodbye” was playing. Whew. Time to tip a Voodoo Ranger Imperial to those coming and going…
Steady on ya’ll..
Wow, Dean, so sorry for your sadness right now. Stay steady on yourself as well. Suppose they happen in 3’s so be careful. One of Pat’s aunts died a few days ago… I’m trying to lose a towel overboard to see if that will count on ours.
We live SW of Tucson, off Ajo, for 4 months each winter then Bend other times. Grammy will certainly enjoy her new home town, based on our experiences. Easy to make new friends and the activities and entertainment in Tucson will delight her. Saguaro are amazing trees, and this year’s abundant rain will produce a bounty of blossoms on all the plant life.
Good place for you to visit too.
Nice. We have friends in Ajo and want to visit them when we get out there. And agree – we think she is going to be happy. PDX is good but getting a bit too busy as of late.
Grammy’s not that far from us now (Phoenix). You guys can meet up in Rocky Point once in awhile on the Sea of Cortez. We rent a condo for a week or so yearly just to enjoy being cool. Beautiful.
Awesome! And yes so close to our beloved Mexico. Nice.
Condolences on the loss of your Great-Grandma. I guess you didn’t get your wanderlust from her? Nice to learn about a woman so content with her sweet spot in life! She may be proof of studies showing that longevity is indeed enhanced by our social connections! One of the trade-offs of nomadic life for us has been missing family & friends while traveling! But I’ll settle for a shorter more adventurous life-LOL! Happy trails!
Agree, Gail. It can be hard missing that 4th of July BBQ with family and friends – but the joys of traveling and seeing something new, is where we are at right now (for the past 15 years, yikes!). I joke that in another 10 years – I just stop, sit still, have a dog (or a cat, like my Grandma). I wonder if I will…
I’m sorry for the loss of your grandma, Ali. I love all the pictures. It’s so fun to see you, your mom, and sisters. Beautiful! I remember Katy as a little girl. I might have to try the ketchup trip sometime on my kids.
Thanks for sharing your adventures. I love living vicariously through your stories, Pat.
Thanks, Kate. FB is really something to bring us school-friends all back together, sharing our families and lives. (btw, it looks like life is treating you well – beautiful boys you have.) And yes the ketchup really works! Gets the green and slimy feeling out. Like a clarifying shampoo, but cheaper. You can use tomato juice but I found the ketchup thicker for putting on kids heads. Put on dry, cover up for 30 minutes, rinse.
Where are you off too after Isla? I was there in the 80s and it was very quiet then….Always great to see your pictures!!
It looks like their map says Boca Del Toro Panama. Maybe passing between San Andres and Providencia islands en route.
Hi Brad, I’m sure in the 80s it was much quieter. But now that Playa Norte has been ranked like 9th in the world of best beaches (I’m sure according to Instagram). It is hopping.
We are in the Bay of Islands, Honduras for a bit now.
And good eyes, John. We don’t share where we are heading as we have changed routes many times…
Thanks for the years of sharing! I’ve been noodling over some travel plans of my own and wanted to pick your brains. I’m leaning toward pretty small and light and was thinking about something like a Ford Transit Connect (something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Transit-Connect-XLT/283440205313?hash=item41fe5a4e01:g:FjkAAOSwXq5cpTTf). It’s just me and my small dog. I’ve camped for years and never liked cooking inside so it’s really just stuff and a bed that I need space for. Would something like this do okay bombing around most places in Mexico or further south? Not having huge ground clearance or 4WD didn’t deter you too much in the Travco or VW did it? Thanks for any thoughts.
Looks good to us! There were only a few roads we went down that needed higher clearance or 4WD – it could be a bit more fun if you had those though and didn’t have to worry about getting stuck. Smaller vehicles are always good – easier to park in small towns/villages or to turn around when getting lost down a one-way road. Which in turn makes your whole traveling experience more stress free. Loved traveling in our 27′ Travco but wished we had found the smaller 21′ when we were looking.
In our ’58 bus we carried no cooking supplies at all. 2+ years Alaska to Argentina never made a meal. It was glorious.
Write back when you take off!
Another green hair remedy is comb lemon juice through wet hair. Green is gone and lemon juice is good for your hair. Used this on myself and kids. Tried and true and way less messy. No need for wrapping either.