We finally took off after a very successful gardening season.

On October 24th we left home and visited Washington DC, Richmond Virginia, Norfolk Va, The Outer Banks of North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, NC, and now we're at Charleston South Carolina.

Well...

We've been very busy, as you must expect. We haven't left for traveling yet. I've been finishing up projects and just enjoying being around the house without obligations. I've now got a new tractor and Terry and I have been working on our yard and garden.
I'm thinking of taking an RV repair course in Florida this winter.
We've been on several shorter trips, Linwood, Detroit, Shipshewana, and Portland, where we spent the Memorial Day weekend with my inlaws at the river.
Kayaking 6 times already this year. I saw these fellows on my last trip through Portland. They were in a World's Record holding Kruger Canoe

Day at the beach...

The wind blew the ice up onto this Linwood, Michigan beach a couple nights ago. Today we visited with Michael Fields. Youtube videos here and here.
It was right up against some of the houses.

LOOSE: free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation CRUISE: to travel without destination or purpose

I've always wanted to live on a sailboat and travel round the world.
When I turned 40, I had quit smoking and decided to reward myself by buying a sailboat and learning how.

One day while at work (in prison), I was discussing a boat name with coworkers. JJ suggested the name Screw, an old slang term for corrections officers. Well, Screw became loosescrew, (as in escaped), the crew being Loosescrews.
After repeating the name a few times, the spelling became obvious, as we are cruisers, (as opposed to racers).

Early on, we lost a few vital items overboard on account of nuts and screws being loose. And being loosely crewed, and often crewed by loose co-workers (puns intended), the boatname stuck.

Years later when I came online I decided to use the boat's name as my nic-n-addy.

As you can see below, recently I've gotten a little dinghy.

Now what do you think I should call that?

Past summers...

Since 2002 we have spent our summers living on our sailboat. We stayed on the boat, driving the 75 miles back and forth from Muskegon Conservation Club to our job at Ionia.

Our sailboat, an S2 Yachts-26ft center cockpit sloop, pictured above in the center, in slip 99, our summer cottage. Below: Our screenhouse in the background, during one of many events at the "all you can eat marina".

I published the Muskegon Sportsman and was the Recording Secretary for the club until October 2008.

Preparation

Most of our energy now is spent on preparing for our journey.
I have a few high priority repairs at home and then will begin packing for the trip.
Our first destination is Arizona to visit my brother.
Here's a shot from last summer, coming back from Narrow Lake.

Retirement ceremony at work.

Terry gets her cake and clock.
Deputy Stoddard gives Terry her service award on our last official visit to IBC. Her final day was on Saturday February 28th.
The previous night my co-workers at HVM made fried catfish, cornbread and coleslaw to go with my retirement cake and clock...Archie

Retirement party

Our retirement party will be on March 5th at 2 PM at Olivera's Restaurant on the corner of M-66 and Main St. Ionia, Michigan. The Pizza is on us.

The party went off without a hitch, withmany of our friends attending to send us off. More cake!