Help...

I had it all figured out.

I had a book selection - that I thought you all would love.

I had tons of photos lined up to post - I thought I was back in business.

Nope.

I need help.

What the heck do you guys want to read?

What would you like to hear about?

Apparently, I need a bit of guidance to get back on track.

Lead the way Nautie Friends!

Nautie Notes :: Back In Action!

Dear Cargo Cranes, Thank you so, so much for treating us well this port stay. Your kindness won't be forgotten.

Dear Puget Sound,

I love you. Really I do. But the grey and wet....why so grey and wet?! This would be the best place ever for me to live...but grey and wet....

Dear Flower Deliverers,

It was an absolute joy to see you. Loved the flowers. They're hanging in there. This photo has nothing to do with your flower delivery but it's cool right? Slightly flower-esque.

Dear Open Sea,

I'm SO excited to see you again. SO EXCITED. I've missed you.

Dear Little Seal,

You were cute. Thanks for staying still long enough for me to snap away. You're totally a dog mermaid.

Dear Nautie Friends,

Thank you for bearing with my relative blog silence. September marks the traditional start of school - so lets put an end to the undisclosed summer reading break. Nautie Books will be recommencing in just a few days! Summer vacation is winding down....we're back in action! Here's a random picture of my boots with burnt wood. Just because.

Bits Of Sunny

Lets stick with the weather metaphors... Arriving in the puget sound provided a breath of fresh air...literally, the air is fresh...

The mornings are crisp and while it remains overcast there are little patches of sunshine here and there.

...and by sunshine I mean friends and family.

I was lucky enough to have some visitors here! I got to give a tour to some little ones (i.e. men in training) and I also got to show off for my Dad! Totally fun! Totally refreshing!

Here's to a break in the clouds!

Thanks for the flowers - they feel like sunshine.

*also, to all the family I would have loved to see but didn't tell I was coming through...apologies...I would have loved to see you if I wasn't a frazzled mess who made her dad sit in a corner while I ran around on deck. Next time, k?*

Wait For Sunshine

Upon departure from San Diego everyone seemed to curl into themselves.

People seemed tired, fatigued and, down in the dumps.

The transit along the West Coast was foggy, cold and, clammy.

I feel more down in the dumps now than I have any right to and all I can think is that I will just ride it out.

Morale onboard can be cyclical. Ups and downs. Foggy days and sunny days.

When the fog sets in there is little you can do other than sound your signal and stay vigilant.

Sometimes, you come out of the fog and its sunny and bright but, there lurking on the horizon is a distinct bank of fog. All you can do is step out on the bridge wing and get some sun on your face before its time to hunker down again.

Sooner it later the fog lifts. Often times suddenly. I'm looking forward and waiting for some sunshine.

Good News!

The crane is up and running and HPC (High Profile Cargo) #1 is onboard! The collective sigh of relief was audible.

Bees.

“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.”- Henry David Thoreau

My ship got bees. It was actually incredibly interesting.

Apparently, when a second queen is born the hive splits and some of the bees leave with her. They take lots of wax and honey with them and need to start building a new home immediately or they'll die.

We had a hive split relocate to our ship. On a liferaft nonetheless.

We had to request for a beekeeper attend the vessel to remove said hive.

Beekeeper shows up, vacuums up the large mass of bees, kindly puts them in a cage so I can see them and, departs the vessel.

Can you believe that no one was stung?!

I've always loved bees. Mostly because I love honey but also because bees are cool.

Did you know that most bees are she bees? When they're queen is certainly going to produce offspring the she bees chew off the he bees wings and kick 'em outta the hive.

Did you know that all bees have a job? There are actually mortician bees. They're only job is to pull dead things out of the hive. Like fallen brethren or even invasive critters like geckos.

When you look at it like that they're strangely communist.

Our bee adventure might have been the highlight of my weekend! What was the highlight of yours?