Learning to us my GoPro camera

Sunday, 3/30

Well the new camera in my life if a Hero+3 Black Go-Pro camera. Tom got me the camera, and a SD card... I am off.
Well almost... I still can go diving but we have fish and all kinds of sea life around hear so I am improvising.
There is no way to see what you are taking a picture of unless you get an LCD pack to put on the back, and if you think about it if the camera is on your head .... I understand the process.  However this is an accessory that I want.  Second priority is the wrist band and a long pole that you can attach the camera to and extend it into the water to take photos.

There is also an app that you can see what that camera is taking pictures of on your smart phone, changing settings ect. The photos can be saved on your phone. I could attach the camera to the bow of the boat next time we go sailing and control it from the cockpit. ....

So I took some photos under the water on the small beach area in front of the marine office.
I looks uninteresting.... However you can see there is a lot of things going on. I plan a second visit tomorrow.

Stuffy ears, Osprey on mast, Tom goes for a dive

Hello from Boca Chica Navy Marina 3/27/14--- Windy, sunny 72 degrees.

Went back to the clinic today and left ear is not getting better. Doctor changed prescriptions, and I have another 10 day wait.  We have decided to stay here another month.... it is not warming up North of us and we have time. With that decision Tom is flying to San Antonio to pick up our car from Jennie and we can store it here for 25$ a month. We can come back down and get it when we arrive at Norfolk VA. 

I am still hoping that this ear thing will clear up and I can get my last dives in to be certified, however I will wait until I am sure my ears are good to go.

Tom decided to try out his equipment and change the zinc on the bottom of the boat.  For non boaters -

Any time you have two different metals that are physically or electrically connected and immersed in seawater, they become a battery. Some amount of current flows between the two metals. The electrons that make up that current are supplied by one of the metals giving up bits of itself--in the form of metal ions--to the seawater. This is called galvanic corrosion and, left unchecked, it quickly destroys underwater metals.

The most common casualty of galvanic corrosion is a bronze or aluminum propeller on a stainless steel shaft, but metal struts, rudders, rudder fittings, outboards, and stern drives are also at risk. The way we counteract galvanic corrosion is to add a third metal into the circuit, one that is quicker than the other two to give up its electrons. This piece of metal is called a sacrificial anode, and most often it is zinc. In fact, most boaters refer to sacrificial anodes simply as zincs.

Well that is all the news so far.... One of these days I will pictures of fishes in the water. 

Tom in the water.... I know he should not have his
mask on the top of his head

Tom entered the water from the boat ramp

I watched Tom's bubbles  while he was under water. 

newest addition to knitted animals Helen Hedgehog

our local Barracuda 

we have these little birds visit our dock, I was feeling sad that it was
struggling in the wind with one leg

sneaky bird, had another leg

we have an Osprey that uses the masts as a perch to get
a better view to find fish

Scuba Diving Yeah!!

Our new Hobby is Scuba Diving. We have talked about it for a while, and finally in the right place at the right time. After some inquiries we decide to sigh up with Dive Key West for instruction. I had to take the full course and I am glad that I did. I needed to refresh my skills for emergency in a safe environment and a pool was perfect. Sarah my instructor was patient and helped me through the mast clearing procedure until I was comfortable with it. 

Tom and I bought 90% of what you need to dive. We have our on BC (bouncy Commentators,) assuages, computers, regulators, wet suits, masks and fins. Most of this equipment we purchased at Divers Direct. They have been great, helping us to choose what will work for us and very reasonable prices... but this is an expensive hobby to start. We decided not to buy tanks. One thing is we already are stuffed to the gills on the boat with the new equipment and the tanks would be over kill. We can rent them from any where that we would dive. 

I did great in my Pool dives and Tom got accustomed to his equipment in his refresher class... now for an Open Water Dive.

Sarah - the pool we used

Tom getting his gear together

My Gear

our dive boat

Iain in the blue cap - Dive Master
Jeremy in red shirt Boat Captain
Blue shirt woman is Alli our instructor
Can't sing her praises enough

we went out to two sights on the reef
one called Hay Stacks
the other
Western Sand Bow

finally giving the ok sign, Tom is by the Red ball
We can't take pictures during classes but
the Fish, coral - well lets say it will be
easy to get distracted
We do our last class dive on Sunday.... more to follow

fun places to eat in Key West and other odds and ends

3/21/14- Hello again from Boca Chica Navy Marina. We have been keeping ourselves busy, I am still knitting and Tom working on odds and ends in the boat. We have been out and about exploring the Key's. Found the  the Commissary at Sigsbee Navel Air Station, the prices for groceries are considerably lower there. We also have been trying out the local cuisine.  

three coffee mug holders sent out to family,
they are great stash busters

Reef flip flops - some come with a can openers in
the bottom

finished another Panda and sent it off 

re-potted our Christmas Cactus - it has survived the
polar vortex, drought, over watering and
I thought it deserved a new home
Also got some chocolate mint and Mexican Heather

There are a lot of Land Yachts with bizarre exteriours

We made it to the Hogfish Bar and Grill a poplar
local Restaurant.

it is very rustic, BUT the food is fabulous and
Hogfish is delicious.

NOT MY PHOTO ----  this is a Hogfish The hogfish is characterized by a large, laterally compressed body shape. It possesses a very elongated snout which it uses to search for crustaceans buried in the sediment. Interestingly, this very long “pig-like” snout and its rooting behavior give the hogfish its name. The caudal or tail fin is somewhat lunate and the pectoral fins are along the lateral sides of the body with the paired pelvic fins directly below. A prominent black spot behind the pectoral fins differentiates males from females. The dorsal fin usually is composed of three or four long dorsal spines followed by a series of shorter dorsal spines.

our next favorite place is Pepe's - loved this tag
on the bar towels 

This is another local establishment. on the Menu it
list things that happened in 1909
M.S.G.isolated from seaweed in Tokyo
Keel for  46,239 ton Titanic is laid in Belfast. (Hull #390940
Matisse paints "The Dance"
Pop up toaster is invented
First instant coffee is made
Ole Evinrude and American invents the first outboard motor ( although
this claim is questioned by the authorities
in West Barnstable , Mass
Coca Cola exports for the first time
 Ok--- I know enough but it was interesting reading. 

Enjoying the Key's ... staying a month, going to go Scuba diving

Hello from the beautiful Key's. Tom and I are getting spoiled by the great weather and beautiful scenery. We have decided to spend the month here. As a transient that is as long as we can stay in the Navy Marina, then we need to move for at least 24 hours. By April 1st we hope to have accomplished a few things. 

First we are going to Scuba Dive. Tom has his PADI card and will need a refresher course, I did dive a LONG! time ago so I am retaking the whole course. We start that on Monday 3/17 with our first open water dives on Thursday and Friday. I can't wait to take pictures under water.

There are more planes here than ships 

the beach here at the Marina

Cool Hand snuggled in between power boats

Tom Looking relaxed

Kenny and Tom ( look what is hanging from
the ceiling)

I love the parking lots here... they charge an arm
and a leg however the fee is good until 4AM
when the bars close

Cruse ships come in and let off 1000's of new tourist

new item for a Key West Flip Flop
a bottle opener in the soul.
The shoe is really quite comfortable

one of a dozen branches of a large Banyan Tree

We pass this sign every day  and have to laugh 

a very neat looking spider and web 

Visiting Tarpon