POSTSECRET

Michael and I went to an exhibit yesterday. It was both amusing and disturbing. The exhibit is called Postsecret. The exhibit is made of postcards on which people write their secrets. Some secrets were funny. Some you smiled at and find yourself nodding your head. Some were sad and tragic. Awful things have happened to people and they felt they couldn't share their secrets in any other way. I walked out feeling a little unsettled. You can visit the web site for POSTSECRET at http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ . The day here in NWA was gray, cloudy, and very cold, but Michael and I did a little shopping and spent time visiting with each other. It was fun!!! A date before Christmas with my boyfriend was the perfect way to pass the time.

Happy Holidays Everyone

This holiday season finds us at home. Dominic came home from Subiaco mid-semester and is at home attending Fayetteville High School. Northwest Health System eliminated Michael’s whole department and he is at home being commodore and full-time Dad. Me, you ask? I’m still working at Siloam Springs in the ED. I guess it’s partially home now after 13 years.
We find ourselves on the cusp of change though. Dominic is a little over a year from graduation from high school. He’s still trying to contemplate what life after high school will bring for him. Michael is dreaming of a bigger boat and blue water. We are plotting, planning, and visualizing that dream. The hospital is the process of acquisition and the future holds some uncertainty.
Earlier this year, we ventured forth from the cozy confines of home. We visited the BVI again in the spring; it was beautiful. Each time we go to the BVI we find new beauty and adventure. We actually got caught in some blue water swells that tested our nerve and sailing skills. You can find the video on YouTube by searching “Mangione and BVI” or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3aCBc9u-og. We traveled with Jimmie and Sue White, also from Northwest Arkansas. It was a great time for making friends and new memories.
Then before the summer ended, we traveled to Aruba. Aruba is much farther south than we have previously ventured. This desert Caribbean island certainly is the play ground of the wealthy. So we swam with the locals, went off road riding, and looked for sailboats. Being away sometimes makes you appreciate home more. In contrast, travel to the BVI feels like home.
This upcoming year is hard to anticipate for us. Who knows what it will bring? We however hope that it brings love and a home filled with happiness and security to you and your family. We hope friends are near and bad times are banished.
Wishing you the happiness of the holidays and a fantastic new year!
Robin, Michael, and Dominic

Baptist Ford Bridge

Baptist Ford bridge is a 308' foot long 10 panel pony truss bridge constucted in 1930. It crosses the West Fork of the White River just south of Fayetteville in a small community called Greenland. This bridge is still used to today. It was the highway route that US 71 followed from Fayetteville to Alma. Perhaps more importantly this route was a major artery in the nation, allowing motorists to drive from International Falls, MN at the Canadian border to Port Barre, LA, imagine all the traffic that once crossed this highway. The new highway 71 which replaced this old highway was recently retired with opening of Interstate 540. There is little traffic on this old stretch of road. It was a fun stop on a warm fall day.

Smokin'

A couple of months ago, Robin and I purchased a Brinkman electric smoker from the local home store. It was inexpensive and I had been craving some good back yard bar-b-que. It seems that most of the bar-b-que joints in our area add something to the meat during the cooking process that generally doesn't agree with my delicate constitution. I think its liquid smoke or something similar. If bar-b-que is smoked with genuine wood smoke, it doesn't seem to bother me. So, armed with the possibility of slow cooking some delicious meats, enter the Brinkman electric smoker and a internet full of possibilities: mops, sauces, dry rubs, cooking techniques, and seasonings.

When it was warm, we tried smoking some ribs. Using the the 3-2-1 method outlined by some of the meat smoking forums on the 'net. This process is fairly simple and works really well. First the ribs are dry rubbed with a seasoning. I prefer Hugh's Rub. The ribs overnight wrapped tightly in plastic. The next day, the process is fairly simple: Fire up the smoker (uhm ok, plug it in), wait until things smoke, add the ribs, cook for 3 hours. Next, remove the ribs from the smoker, wrap tightly in aluminum foil with a splash of apple juice. Place them back in the smoker for 2 more hours. Remove from the smoker, slather on your favorite sauce, and back on the smoker for 1 more hour. This has produced some of the best tasting ribs ever!

The process worked very similar on Mom and Doug's gas fired model. Although the process went a bit quicker because it was difficult to maintain the 225 degree temperatures with the gas model. Still, we had delicious ribs.

Later, back home, we tried roasting a Boston Butt. Again, as with the ribs, we dry rubbed the night before. The butt cooked for about 8 hours and produced a delicious pulled pork. It was actually perfect. The brisket was next on the smoker, it wasn't as good. However with a bit more practice, I think I can get it just right.

This of course brings me to today. After Thanksgiving, the turkeys were cheap at the local mega-mart. We purchased a 14 pounder. This morning at 0600 (that's military speak for too early) I fired up the smoker (okay, I plugged it in) and got ready to smoke a bird. It's been on for 7 hours and looks just delicious. Tonight, it should be a great meal.

For the readers who might think that a 14 pound turkey is just too much food for 3 people. You've not met our son: Conan the destroyer. Who thinks nothing devouring a 24oz steak, or a pound of pasta, or an entire bowl of salad, or all three!

Snow

It wasn't much, but yesterday and much of last night it actually snowed. We played a heated game of scrabble yesterday afternoon in our comfortable clothes. I imagine that we were all trying to act like we were "snowed in". We certainly weren't and could have gone anywhere we pleased but were content to drink hot chocolate and lay around the house.

When I think back on the snow falls of my youth. They all seem much larger than snowfalls of present. Of course living in Eureka Springs adds a few hundred feet of elevation which I'm certain provided additional atmospheric ingredients to provide a proper snow. There were some great snow storms in our recent past. When the conditions were just right and it would snow for hours. Most people still remember these great Arkansas snowfalls because when the forecasters predict snowfall, militiant shoppers hastily purchase milk and bread at the local store.

But back to snow fall. I've got proof that it really can snow in Arkansas if the conditions are perfect. Here is a photo of a "proper snowfall" taken sometime in 1986.

So as the winter season approaches, we are prepared for the big snow storm.

Geocaching

One of the things that appeals to everyone in our family is geocaching. Geocaching is using a GPS (Global Positioning System) to find treasures. People in the geocaching community bury or hide an ammo box or some small canister with non-valuable items. Geocachers are encouraged to take an object and leave one along with their information in a log book. Geocachers log this information in a web accessible database. Using a computer at home, we download the coordinates into the GPS unit and then go hunting. Usually, these sites have something interesting: a spring, waterfall or great vista. When we return, we log whether we have found the treasure.

Dominic enjoys map reading and and using the GPS. Robin likes to ride around and see the sights and I enjoy turning up the tunes on the stereo and spending time with the family. We all enjoy it very much. Today was no different, a perfect late fall day with abundant sunshine, little wind, and fairly warm temperatures, at least for late November!

When Robin and I visited Dad and Lillette in Louisiana I took some time to download a few sites. I had no idea that it would be as popular with Dad and Lilltette as it is with Robin and I. We drove around for hours seeing some of the the country and hearing stories about Dad's youth. Driving past an old wooden structure, prompted Dad to tell us the entire of history of the place, from brothel to restaurant and then old country store. It was a fun time.

Today was no different. We headed out early this morning, stopping for coffee at Arsagas, and then headed a bit south on US highway 71. Before long, only about 10 miles or so we stopped at this spring. Old rock work had made a water catchments and a large pipe for filling stock tanks and the like had been set up. Presumably for the farmers and those lacking wells who have hauled water for their daily needs.

We returned to Fayetteville around noon today and stopped at the local papuseria. Papusas are small tortilla like pockets filled with beans, meat or cheese. Today I had one of each, they were homemade and delicious. The best part, was I had to order them in Spanish. I'm always trying to improve my Spanish speaking abilities.

We didn't find our treasure today at the spring or the cemetery that we stopped at next. But it was a great day in the sunshine, and a great day with family!

Pics

Florida Photo Album

Island Packet

Robin and I spent the past week visiting Mom and Doug in the Sunshine state. The weather was a perfect respite as the 'gales of November came early" to Northwest Arkansas.

Flying is always such a drag. But we managed to make to Florida without a hitch. Had a great visit with Mom and Doug. I'm certain that Mom enjoyed the visit as the weather was perfect for a short stroll in Tarpon Springs. We enjoyed a meal and some coffee surrounded by all things Greek.

Robin and I took a walk down the pier to the municipal docks. We met a cruising couple aboard a Pearson 355. They had crossed the Gulf from Apalachicola. The intercoastal waterway provides a navigable ditch on the Eastern Seaboard from the Masaquan River in New Jersey around the Florida peninsula and ending in Brownsville Texas. Unfortunately there are a few places where the ICW doesn't exist. The cruisers had spent about 40 hours traveling in the rough waters of the Gulf and were tired. It was nice to meet people who share a similar dream.

Robin and I also managed to spend some time looking at boats. Ostensibly an Island Packet sailboat. . IP's are serious crusing boats for serious sailors. We mangaged to look at few boats berthed in Sarasota and Palmetto.

Of course, these are some of the more expensive boats available. But they have many safety features many have sailed around the world. They are very durable with a full keel and skeg hung rudder. For a point of reference most lake and inland boats like our beloved Bella Luna have a small keel. This is adventageous for sailing on lakes and fair weather cruising. Finding ourselves in some big ocean seas, the full keel on an IP would dampen the motion and keep us more comfortable and safe. Furthermore, the rudder is protected, should the boat make an inadvertant landfall.

More importantly, IP's are cutter rigged boats. Unlike Bella Luna, which is a sloop. A sloop has a main'sl and a genoa. A cutter rig has a main'sl and two sails forward. A jib and a staysail. This sail plan allows for more adjustment to maximize safety and speed.

IP's are beautifuly appointed below. The joinery is exceptional and they are comforable and roomy inside.

Here is photo of the galley of one of the boats we look at. Corian countertops and loads of features. This boat had a separte freezer and all the amenities that we have become acustomed to at home.

Blogging, the First Post

It would appear that I'm behind the times. I'm not much of a writer. But hopefully, Robin will join in help me write some entries.

So, where to begin. Well the title of this blog is Bella Luna. As many of you know, Bella Luna is Italian for beautiful moon. It is also the name of our Hunter 34 sail boat. Berthed on Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas, she is our weekend home for much of the warmer portion of the year. As the leaves have fallen from the trees, sailing season is all but over. With a few exceptions, most the days of the next few months will be much too cold to sail.

We have almost wrapped the racing season at the sailing club. Team Dreamer, composed of Tom Unger, Bruce Smith and myself have captured the fall series title. First place! Thanks to hard work and dedication to sailing in all kinds of weather. We actually wrapped up the title before the end of season. We had enough first place finishes to put us in the lead. I suspect we'll cruise around on Tom's pontoon boat for the next race and have a few coldies and enjoy the match race between Jaded and Anahi for second place.

The past week has been a busy. Last Sunday was race day. As my family knows, there isn't too much to get in the way of attending a race event at the club. It's my passion, and I'm there every time without fail. It's also part of what makes a great crew member---dependability. Many of the weekend racers have too many other commitments, and fail to make races.

During the week, I began the process of winterizing the boat. Taking down the sails for repairs and to keep them out of the weather during the winter. The Genoa (sail on the front of the boat) was beginning to fray. As the sun has degraded the threads on the sacrificial cover, I decided it was time for a re-stitch

Off to Tulsa, to see our friend Roger Kerr. Owner of Kerr Sails and an avid racer himself. The sail bears his name, so what better place to have it fixed.

The sail loft is an amazing place. Roger has a small office in the front of the store, decorated with many trophies. He is a national Catalina 22 champion and his office is adorned with many plaques and trophies from his victories on Oklahoma's lakes.

The back of the store is an elevated platform made from 4 x 8 sheets of plywood. It's about 4 feet or so off the ground. The plywood is varnished and smooth to facilitate sliding sail cloth around. There are two "pits" where he can sit and stitch the sails together. Along one side of the loft there is a computerized cutter to slice the sail cloth for fabrication. All in all it's a fascinating place.

Back to the week... Monday found me driving to Subiaco to pick up the last of Dominic's things from his old room. He is now enrolled in Fayetteville High. Except for girl troubles, he seems to be making it along just fine.

Thursday was a trip out the the sailing club. Ostensibly, to check on dock work and begin the process of trying to straighten some of the bent dock fingers from the damage sustained during Ike, the tropical depression that blasted us in September. What I managed to do, was begin the process of winterization.

There are many systems on our boat the require attention and protection from freezing temperatures. The veins of the fresh water system need an infusion of non-toxic pink anti-freeze to prevent the plumbing from freezing. As you might imagine these pipes run in some of the most inaccessable places. So, as the saying goes an ounce of prevention...

I've developed a system over the years, and this process goes quickly. Bypass the hotwater tank, drain the fresh water tanks, disconnect the tank, begin the IV of pink antifreez, as the pink stuff courses through the veins of the boat, I ensure that each tap both hot and cold produces a nice pink stream. When I have finished with all 6 taps, I repeat the procedure for good measure. It takes just a bit more than a gallon.

The engine is another story. It utilizes a heat exchanger. Much like a radiator on a car, the boat engine uses lake water to transfer the heat from engine via a radiator like device called a heat exchanger. The water is then used to muffle the sounds of the engine before it leaves the boat. Any freezing in this area would be very costly. So the engine is warmed and allowed to pull cool lake water. Then, the intake is fed a 50% mixture of antifreeze and water. A careful obsever notes color change at the exhaust and stops the engine. Safe from the harsh winter!