We're Baaaack.......

Bobbie and I got back home earlier this afternoon from our Western Caribbean cruise. I posted photos of 'the cap' over here.

This was the most relaxing vacation we've ever taken, I think. I've always made sure I had wi-fi available, etc., before and while it was available I opted not to use it this time. I wanted to take a break from as much as possible. We basically told everyone that we would be unavailable for a week and, if anyone died, either keep 'em on ice or stick 'em in the ground and we'd be in touch when we returned.

Well, about Wednesday, I was really having thoughts about not being in touch. But, I persevered and put those thoughts aside in favor of just chillin' as much as possible. I did take three woodworking publications with me: a catalog, the latest ShopNotes, and Taunton's Woodturning Basics book (sorry, Larry!). I've had the woodturning book for several years and this is the first time I did anything but scan it - read every word and then some! I had also downloaded a bunch of literature from IAP to study, so I stayed busy without being online.

Another thing I accomplished was having only four cocktails and two barley pops all week. I wasn't going to have any brewskies , but after hearing about a local Honduran brew, Salva Vida (Life Saver), I had a couple when our tour stopped at a local beach and outdoor restaurant. As a few of you know, I enjoy a good drink (or several) but I took this time to step away for a few days to prove to myself I don't have a problem. I do that occasionally as a test. As far back as I can remember, I never have had a drinking problem; my issue was smoking cigarettes!

I could always drink or not drink. If I stopped smoking for a while, then had a single cigarette, I was hooked again. When I finally got my head on straight about stopping smoking (one thing I can thank my ex-wife for), I got off of them for good. I was climbing the walls for weeks (months, according to my secretary at the time!) but I whipped the habit. As much as I have wanted to try a nice cigar at times in recent years, I avoid all such stuff. I know...too much information!!!

Anyway, thanks for letting me confess, expound or just rattle on a a bit. It's good to be back home with the Family!!!

Sounds like a great time Bill. Getting away and staying out of touch is a hard thing to do, but soooo worth it some times. I've cut back on the barley pop lately as well. It's an eye opener how much better I sleep and I think I've lost about 15 lbs in the last month just not drinking. Great pics, would love to see more if you have any.

Darren Wright said:

Sounds like a great time Bill. Getting away and staying out of touch is a hard thing to do, but soooo worth it some times. I've cut back on the barley pop lately as well. It's an eye opener how much better I sleep and I think I've lost about 15 lbs in the last month just not drinking. Great pics, would love to see more if you have any.

Click to expand...

LOML has been 'suggesting' that I reduce my intake of brewskies so my belly will get back in shape. I know she's right, but they sure taste good at the end of the day! You're right about sleep. I had no problem sleeping on the ship partly due to the reduced alcohol consumption!

Now for the photos. This was an unusual trip in that I didn't take a photo of everything! On past trips, I'd come home with no less than a hundred frames. On one trip to north Georgia a few years ago, I had over 500 frames - Fall color, ya know! Anyway, here's a sample of what I got this time:


The water is so clear, it's difficult to judge the depth at times. This is a shot showing the water under the bow of the ship at Cozumel.




Sunset after we left Cozumel on March 22.



Some fruits of Honduras and the island of Roatan. The bottle on the upper left is Noni juice, which has been proven to be 'good for what ails ya'. It's also known locally as Caribbean Viagra!



Here are some seed pods from a walnut tree in Carambola Gardens. I tried to convince our guide to let me take a couple home with me, but he didn't think it was a good idea. I thought they might be good to stabilize and turn (sorry Larry).



A beach area on Roatan Island where we stopped for lunch. Yep, scenes like this make me want to just kick back and stay the rest of my life!

As good as our trip was, it was great to be back home in our little part of the world!

Wow, That would be hard to come back from. Actually I'm not sure I could get Angela to come back. Thanks for sharing!

Great photos, Bill.

I'm a bit surprised with your comment about snapping 100 photos on a trip. Heck, I take that many in a busy afternoon of local sightseeing. I figure digital film is cheap, so I burn it up freely.