POSSESSIONLESS & HOMELESS

The "ESTATE SALE" was a great success. People kept coming and coming for more than four days. Someone even broke off a flower stem on our beautiful Frangipani tree by the front door, just like the one in the photo. People bought everything from clothes, lamps, CDs to garden furniture and potted plants. We wondered if some were there for extending condolences. If only they knew.................. The final load of unsold items left on Monday for "Goodwill" an organisation similar to the the Salvos. Nothing is left now except that which is destined to go to "ARITA" and a grandfather clock that has gone to the Queen's daughter. We are so to speak "POSSESSION-LESS", and to add to the good news, our Classic yacht "SVEA" has been sold to Joel & Corina (Rob's niece). They plan on sailing this beautiful vintage yacht to Australia, while first sailing it around the Caribbean before heading through Panama Canal and into the Pacific. Now there is another grand adventure for you. This will be "SVEA"s third large voyage. I think I deserve a really large cup of mocca coffee to celebrate.

ESCAPE TO ORLANDO

We just had to get away for the weekend............... The Queen's sister, Duchess "Dana" and her Count de Monte "Chris", invited us to spend a couple of days with them in their Orlando timeshare for some fun, sun, swim ... and rock & roll. The TV channels continue to carry the graphic images of a Texas impaled. Clearly Laurie's make-up needs some serious make-over. Nearly ended up calling security. Probably the result of living out of plastic boxes and being in-transit for so long. Help is on the way..

TYING DOWN TEXAS

The power of a hurricane is beyond description. "IKE's" eye-wall was 56 miles (90km)wide when it hit the Texas coast at over 100mph (160kph). The whole cyclonic system is moving WNW at 15 mph and while it hovers, it destroys. 'IKE" is 900 miles across (1450km) and that makes it one of the world's largest vacuum cleaners that spreads stuff the size of three story buildings, out of the bag and onto the ground. What is still amazing is that its path and its arrival time was predicted a week ago. The path was spot on and the arrival time was 10 minutes out.
Can't wait for the season to end........... Welcome to all of you in various Continents, who are reading our travel blog and sharing the journey with us, even if at the moment we are completely stationary. We welcome you. Please send us your feedback and comments by clicking on the comments box. We would love to send you replies, great pics and heartstring stuff..... The picture on the right shows the sculptured remnants of the coastline on Conception Island in the Bahamas from past hurricanes. Spectacular scenery which cut my feet to ribbons when I landed there in the dinghy in 2000 after having gone through two hurricanes in Antigua. Hopefully we will soon be off the topic of hurricanes.

ESTATE SALES ARE GREAT

The price makers said that family and friends could have a little pre-sale before the big "Estate Sale" on the 19th. Well that kind of filled the street with cars and many of the ladies brought big purses. You don't have to be dead to have an Estate Sale it seems. Lauren's daughter, Anne, shown in the photo (as if you couldn't tell) bought the lounge suite, the leather lounge chairs and the bedside tables and a bunch of other stuff, which we loaded onto the trailer and unloaded at their house. Now all I need to do is to get Tony, Anne's other half, to paint the lounge walls the same color as our house and the "Queen" will be perfectly at home once more. Tom and Barbara on "MORSAN" are safe in Wrightsville Beach N.C. and Hurricane "IKE", now a humungous monster is heading for Galveston Bay, Texas. You could fit the whole of Florida inside the storm. We can feel the effects of it here already. Gas (Petrol) is due to rise tomorrow by as much as $1.50 per gallon. There has been incredible destruction in its wake in Turks & Caicos, Bahamas and Cuba and there surely will be more when it makes landfall at 2am on Saturday morning. Evacuations are already in progress.

THE QUEEN OF FLORIDA IS NOW HOMELESS

Yes...........Last Friday afternoon we took all the crates, boxes and giant tupperware, loaded it onto a box trailer and towed it to Anne & Tony's garage for the final sort. We have moved into their spare room. The best "Hotel" ever, without room service. Two days later Laurie is still searching for her bras. Frankly I think the twins are doing just fine.... here's to new found freedom... Today she is wearing a sports bra, the kind people run a marathon in. The twins must surely be in pain. Tonight I will definitely help her find those lost bras, because the "uniboob" has as much appeal as an ironing board. The house has been taken over by a trio of price makers, everything is labelled and on display. Freedom comes with a price. Sometimes I catch Laurie with that look that says " It's all good", but the look has a deep sadness about it. Letting go of security and a peace garden and swapping it for a blue horizon and a romp in an occasional botanical garden is a poor substitute, and to top it off, the Frangipani at the house is now in full bloom. Life from here on had better be as beautiful and as exotic as the passion flowers we are leaving behind. Double click on the passion flower and you will see what I mean. Tropical storm "Hanna" gave us a glancing blow, Hurricane "IKE" has demolished Cuba and is now heading across the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas, "Josephine" is staying in the Atlantic and there by the grace of God go we.