Sun Nov 5: A Day in Birdsong/Camden

It might not be the best marina we've stayed in, but we had a good day. I tried hard to sleep in, since we 'sprang back' and I was going to get that elusive dream of mine-more sleep.  Which made it all more annoying when my eyes flew open at 7am. Grump, Grump ...

One of the positive things about this marina is that it has a courtesy car.  So we decided to make a day of it and Rick took me to breakfast.  I tried fried baloney, since I guess that's a thing.  It was exactly like you would expect it to be.

Then we hit the highlights - Walmart and the Dollar Store.  After this there is a moratorium on buying groceries since we need to start eating rather then buying.  Only a week more aboard the boat in 2023!

If it were any other time in the last 4 years we would have gone to see the Patsy Cline Memorial, which marks where she was killed in a plane crash in 1963.  But we are pretty future-focused, and couldn't be bothered.  I'm sorry, Patsy. I hope that doesn't make you 'Fall to Pieces'... 

In the afternoon Rick got to do  his favorite thing, which involved building character in young men and getting the boat clean.  He showed them how to clean a boat, told them about Looopers and how to start a boat-washing business, and gave them $10 each.  Later, when the next set of boats came in, these 2 kids had made little notes about their new boat-washing business.  It was so cute. (It was a bit of a problem that two of the boats were French Canadian and there was a bit of a language barrier - but Rick helped overcome that!)

Rick and his minions...

I have no idea what this is - but he kept busy buzzing in and out of the marina. Good to have a hobby.

This afternoon was had the museum/tour of the old mussel cultured-pearl industry. It was once a thriving business, and the only one in North America, but is now only an interesting exhibit.  Bob was in fine form and held forth for about an hour.  And some of it was interesting!  The desired shape (ie - a heart) is created from a small piece of shell and then wrapped in mussel flesh and inserted in the little mussels before they are put in the frame and into the water.  10 years later that object has been covered by layer upon layer of 'nacre', the mother-of-pearl residue inside the shell, and is a pearl in the desired shape.

Can you spot the pearl!? This is actually a salt-water oyster shell, which is how pearls are traditionally cultivated.

These are the fresh-water mussels, who start off the size of a quarter, and end up big like this.

I find white pearls a little boring, but I loved all the different color possibilities!  I didn't know there were so many...

Lovely sunset with a tree kindly offering a silhouette.

A boat we hadn’t met before came in, with this crew member.  I think it's so funny that he is sitting like Budda!

We all got together for a little appetizer party.  4 of these are our old & new French Canadian friends.  They are lots of fun, even with the language barrier.

Claudette made Pina Coladas in this new appliance she is obsessed with - a Thermomix...  Whatever that is.  According to her it makes everything from drinks to soups to bread....🤷‍♀️

For $2, 500 it had better wash the car, walk the dog and bring in the mail…