Back At The Ranch

While we were away, Patty had her hands full back at the ranch.  We had put her in charge for the eleven days we were gone.  News hit a few days before we left, that a snow storm was coming.  I hated that we would be putting Patty through added hassles with whatever level of storm we got.
Winter Storm Fern hit the day after we left and caused problems with widespread power outages, dangerous ice/snow, and prolonged frigged temperatures in Tennessee.



Saturday morning Patty reported it was snowing.  She said the boys were out running in the back pasture, frolicking in the snow and having a good time.  Then they went to the hay bale and started in on their breakfast.  Amiga and Zorro came out in the front pasture for a while.

By that night, the ranch barely got an inch of snow, but then came sleet/freezing rain.  It was the ice on top of the snow (seen in this photo) that was so dangerous.  The fact that it stayed below freezing the whole week, was what made it very tough for Patty.  She ended up sleeping at the ranch Friday through Monday nights the first weekend.  And this wasn't the end of the bad weather.

Since Patty was pet sitting Maggie, she took her with her to the ranch the first four nights, and again over the second weekend when the next storm (Gianna) hit.  

Debra sent this photo of Maggie with Pugsley.  The two get along well.  Maggie did have a poop accident on this rug later in the week.  It happened due to Maggie eating a big dish of cat food that Karen (our designated cat sitter) had left on the kitchen floor, in case she wasn't able to get to our house.  Maggie had made a pig of herself when Patty (with Maggie) had to wait for the heat pump company at our Flossmoor house (more on that later). 

Patty did chores Saturday through Tuesday and helped Karen with them on Thursday.  Debra (seen in photo) helped Patty out several times.  She helped tote buckets, feed bins, and even learned a little bit about mucking and using a wheelbarrow.  They put hay out, broke ice, and hauled water in the mornings for both groups of horses.  They also monitored the chickens whose water had froze.  And they did the same thing in the afternoon including feeding the horses.  They cleaned up what manure they could, when it wasn't frozen to the ground.   
Joanne was able to do chores both Fridays, but due to the combination of the extreme cold and bad roads, Bonnie was 'snowed in' every day except Wednesday/Thursday when it had warmed some and she came for the farrier and helped with chores.  Bonnie lives up on the mountain where there is a lot more snow and ice, and basically no snow removal/road service.  


The chicken coop, tiny, automatic, battery operated door froze shut, so the large door had to be propped opened a crack to let the girls out, and then closed again at night.  Then a few days later, it froze open, so the hole had to be blocked overnight to keep out night predators.  
The laundry room door to the ranch also froze shut with the freezing rain.  The front electric gate was left open so it wouldn't freeze shut.   

Sometime Saturday night the ranch lost power.  Patty gave both groups of horses hay in their sheds while it was raining.  

Amiga and Zorro were happy together in the big shed, but manure was piling up.

Patty and Debra cooked breakfast on the gas stove and planned to later go to Patty's house to take showers and recharge phones and flashlights, etc.  However, thankfully the power was back on by 10:30am so they could stay put.  


The rain stopped, temperature dropped, and things started freezing again.  Patty stayed busy topping off heated water buckets, breaking ice off the water troughs, and giving more hay to the horses.  One of the days she discovered a heated water bucket in the lower shed, completely frozen.  Then she saw the problem, not only had it gotten unplugged, the plug prongs had been completely chewed up.  

None of us had to wonder long, as to who was the culprit.  For further proof, Patty took this (video) later in the week of Rico licking the ice she had just removed from their big black trough.  He is a young and very 'mouthy' horse.

Sleet had turned the round bale into one frozen hay-sickle.  The horses didn’t eat much off of it, so Patty had to bring down a bunch of bales from the shop, and feed them that.

Monday morning they put out a release about black ice on the roads in Fairfield Glade.  Thankfully the sun came out and melted the ice.  Wanda seemed to enjoy the warm rays. 

Also the heater in the tack room would not turn on, and those water pipes froze.  Patty had brought a heater from her house when she and Debra had made a 'supplies' run on Sunday.  Patty got the tack room water thawed out and thankfully there were no broken pipes.  She had been checking it every couple hours.

Over the course of the eleven days, Patty continued making hay deliveries with the gator so there was always plenty for the horses in both paddocks/sheds.  

The hydrant up at the house remained frozen, so the girls had to keep getting water from the kitchen sink.

Patty took this photo of Amiga and Zorro soaking up the warm rays Tuesday afternoon before she headed home for a break from ranch chores.  However, she had to be back Wednesday morning to wrangle horses for the farrier.  At least it had warmed up some and they all did well for their hoof work.  

As it turned out, Patty did not get a day of rest.  Karen called her and said that our house was cold and the heat pump unit outside was making funny noises.  So Patty came to our house.  She had Maggie (who at this time ate the cat food) with her.  The thermostat was set at 64° but it was 55° in the house.  She called Affordable Heating and they sent a guy in 15 minutes to look at it.  The unit was frozen up.  He said the defrosting unit was not working and would need to be replaced.  They had to order the correct parts, but at least he got the unit defrosted and put the thermostat on emergency heat to keep it from completely freezing up.  He said the house should stay between 50 and 60° so there should be no frozen water pipes.  


I am not sure when this photo was taken. 

Thursday the high for the day was 16° and the low was down into the single digits.  Patty helped Karen do chores.  This is when Maggie had her accident on the ranch house rug.   

Joanne did chores Friday, but because Winter Storm Gianna was predicted to bring heavy snow to the East Coast and more frigid temperatures with some snow and dangerous winds to Tennessee, Patty (and Maggie) went out to the ranch (again for two nights, over the weekend).

The second storm, with snow, started up overnight Friday.  Once again Patty was dealing with snow.  
She said the snow and ice weren't so bad... but the low temperatures (never getting above freezing) just about the whole time we were gone, made it quite unpleasant and difficult.  Every thing was frozen; gates, latches, doors to the house, barn and chicken coop doors, bales of hay, water bowls, buckets, water tanks, heat pump, fingers, faces, etc.

Bonnie was stuck at home again, all weekend.  Sunday they had a high of 25°, which was better than the high of 16° Saturday.  With the very windy conditions all afternoon, it had actually felt like 2° while Patty was doing chores Saturday.  She said Amiga and Zorro‘s sheds were full of frozen manure that she had raked to two of the sides because her back couldn't take anymore stress.

When Joe and I were driving from the Knoxville airport home before midnight Sunday pm, it seemed bitter cold.  But it was pretty with the moon shinning on the snow.  Joe had to go slow in many spots and watch for areas of black ice and snow pack on the road.




All week, sister Carol was having similar, yet worse difficulties in Indiana.  She had more snow, colder temperatures, high winds, frozen water pipes, and she was trying to care for bottle baby lambs and the rest of the flock of ewes and lambs, plus the rams.  
Joe and I had been so lucky to miss these past eleven days of frigged winter weather.

Poker Cruise

This week we embarked on a seven night Western Caribbean cruise.  We sailed on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships.  Jim, Debbie, Joe and I boarded in Miami and stopped at Nassau and Cococay in the Bahamas, followed by Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.  


This was a Poker Cruise put on by Card Player Cruises, a specialized travel company catering to poker enthusiasts who want to combine playing cards with regular cruising.  They run their own separate poker room; featuring large, professionally staffed poker games and tournaments.

Card Player Cruises has been a leader in poker cruises for over 33 years.  Except, this was to be their last cruise due to the owners' retirement.  With this sailing being the 'farewell' cruise, planned as their final one; some extra games, fun, and parties were scheduled.  However, the owners did state that the company had been sold, so they were not concluding, just transitioning ownership.  The ship's private poker room was open for play from 9am - 4:30pm on sea days and every evening after 7pm.

Our ship, Symphony of the Seas, is an Oasis class ship, the second largest vessels in the Royal Caribbean fleet.  It features 18 decks and a capacity for over 6,600 guests.  This week's cruise was sold out, with a waiting list.  It was packed.  
The ship's attractions ranged from four pools and three water slides, to a surf simulator, zip-line, climbing wall, and ice rink.  There were lots of choices of live music, nightly performances in three theaters, and several bars to go dancing at.  The expansive ship offered ample space and activities for everybody, most of the time.

Here is a map of our route and our itinerary:

Sunday 1/25 - Day 1:  We left Jim and Debbie's at 6:15am, well ahead of schedule.  It was rather foggy to start out, but the sun did burn it off eventually.  We had a rest stop at 8:30, almost the halfway point of our five hour drive.  However, the closer we got to Miami, the longer the last of our predicted trip was going to take.  I was hoping for (kind of needing) another rest stop, but we didn't have a good chance to exit.  




We were in bumper to bumper traffic and there was no way we were going to get off at that point.  The last 20 miles of our trip took us 90 minutes to accomplish.  The Miami Marathon was wrapping up and that made traffic a lot worse near the port, and I counted six cruse ships which meant more than a ship (&#$%) load of people trying to get to the same place as us.

This internet photo gives you an idea of what the port looked like.  The parking ramp Debbie had so wisely gotten a reserved spot at was almost next to the ship so it was very easy getting to the ship, even though I was walking with my legs crossed and my butt cheeks held tight by my glutes.  I was so relieved to see a restroom right there in the parking ramp.

The check-in and boarding lines weren't too bad and I was so glad to be on my feet.  I think I took this photo from the parking garage.  

Holy Cow! was this ship ginormous and mapped out so differently than the Equinox, which I think I've sailed on three times.  So it took a lot of walking around and brain training to get used to the new layout.  Actually it wasn't until the  third day that I felt relatively comfortable with where I was in relation to where I wanted to go. 
 

The Royal Promenade is on deck five and is where you enter when boarding the ship. It hosts multiple shops, cafes, and bars.  This internet photo shows the grab and go pizza place on the left and the balled up red Volkswagen car just in front of the Rising Tide bar which is in the process of moving from one floor to another.  There is a tiny overhead view of Central Park (on deck 8) at the top, a band playing to the upper right, and another restaurant below.

Here is another view of the Rising Tide bar that takes three minutes to go from deck 5 on the Royal Promenade, up to deck 8 in Central Park.  The Royal Promenade Restaurant is just across from the bar and where I would grab a cup of tea and muffin some mornings and a glass of water most evenings.  Right above it is the Schooner Piano Bar, a nautically themed lounge, which offered a cozy atmosphere and had nightly live piano entertainment and sing-alongs.

We scooted through the Promenade to the elevators and went up to our rooms to drop off our carry on items.  Joe and I were on deck 10.  We met at Jim and Debbie's room (deck 8) and then went together on a tour.  First a walk through Central Park.  

A man seeing us take a selfie offered to take our photo.
We all loved Central Park, with lush vegetation, birds flying about and chirping, and the feeling of being in a park.

In the evening, the band on the upper deck (15) quits playing and there is always a pianist, guitarist or some other calm entertainment offered in the park. 

This photo I took from deck 15, on a sunnier day, shows a look down at part of Central Park.  The band was playing right behind me.  You can see two of the four pools and the three different water slides. (called the “Perfect Storm”).  Also on this and the 16th deck were the zip line, miniature golf, and 'Flowrider' with boogie board and surfing.

We worked our way down to deck 6 where the Fitness Center was at one end of the ship and the Board Walk at the other.  







We didn't have time to look at everything, but I did make it to the 'gym' four different days.

The Boardwalk area had a Coney Island feel with a complimentary hot dog venue beside the free carousel.










Later in the week I took this photo of a fun little Dixie Land band that was playing on the Boardwalk. 

The Ultimate Abyss ten-story dry slide exit was located at the other end of the Boardwalk with the Playmakers Sports Bar along the way.  The top row seating of the Aqua Theater was also at the very back and the stairs to the rock climbing walls could be accessed here as well.  Jim and Joe were glad to see all the TVs at the Sports bar, so they could watch the last two NFL playoff games this evening.  


This is a good photo, taken off the internet, that shows the seating of the Aqua Theater, almost the whole Abyss Slide, and both climbing walls.

At 4pm in Studio B, Card Player Cruises had a welcome aboard party with complementary drinks, appetizers, and the Caribbean sounding band named Rock Steady.  





This is an internet photo of Studio B / ice rink.  I met Teresa, my first dance 'buddy' of the cruise, dancing down on the ice rink floor along with Kathy, one of the poker dealers.  






We had a 5:00 dinner reservation for the week, with all of the poker players (500 total including spouses, dealers, etc.) so made our way from the party to the dinning room.  

Checking out the big chairs just outside the dinning area.  Our dinners were great all week.  

  






After dinner, Jim and Debbie hit the casino, Joe went to play poker and I went for more touring of the ship.

There wasn't much in the way of music and dancing just yet, so I took the jogging track which goes around the whole perimeter of deck 5.

 

As I came to the back of the ship, the track was closed, so I took the stairs that were right there, up to deck 6.  I stumbled upon the Aqua theater where the HiRO show was soon to begin.  

I didn't have my phone on me, so got these photos from the internet.  The show was described as:  "HiRO is an exclusive, high-energy aqua show on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas featuring Olympic-level athletes performing, diving from 60 feet, slacklining, and 3D flying stunts in the open-air AquaTheater. The show combines, fire, lasers, and music"  Here is a (video) of the whole 50 minute show.  The 60 foot platform dive occured at 25½ minutes.  He can be seen at the top right of this next photo.  

The HiRO extreme water athletes put on a fantastic show.  There were a ton of amazing, jaw dropping moments.  They did high flying feats and mind blowing stunts.  

The Olympic level high platform diving - into the small pool, also included spring board diving and 30 meter platform dives.  I was impressed. 

On a different night when Joe made it to the show, he took this (video) of the tightrope walker and this (video) of the aerial acrobatics.

After the wonderful show, I walked around checking out the different bars and music venues, and found a few I especially liked.  But I think folks were tired from traveling and there was more drinking than dancing. 
I had planned to go to the ship's Welcome Aboard Party at 11:45, on the Royal Promenade, and take part in the balloon drop, but was too tired.  I was back to our cabin around 11:30 and Joe was already back, having busted out of a poker tournament.

Monday 1/26 - Day 2:  We docked at Nassau in the Bahamas at 7am.  Joe and I walked a lap on the jogging track after breakfast and I took this photo.  









Joe took one of me, ready for our Adult Only Beach Day excursion.  We met Jim and Debbie and soon got off the ship together.

We got on a boat for a 35 minute ride, across Nassau harbor, to the private tropical isle of Blue Lagoon, which I have been to before.
We all settle into lounge chairs, sipped complimentary Bahama Mamas (as well as had bottled water) and enjoyed the beach and sunshine.



 

 

 

Everyone took turns floating on the rafts, except I, but I did wade in over my waist to cool off.

 

Lunch was included.  I had steak and salad while the other three enjoyed the sampler, with a little bit of everything.

Remembering the dolphin area from February 21st, 2020; (Wow, can't believe it was that long ago, and two weeks before the global COVID-19 outbreak was declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization.) I headed over, on foot, to look around.  







This dolphin was swimming around by itself, looking for action or something.  

Then I noticed a show starting in the pool next to this one.  The dolphin swam over next to the back side of where people were watching (looking in the opposite direction) and started jumping out of the water.  It appeared as if he/she wanted to be in the show also.  






By early afternoon we were back on our little boat, headed for our big boat, (the one on the right in this photo).  Some fairly inebriated and rather obnoxious girls were sitting too close to us.  A few thought they were entertaining, but I just thought they were gross.  




Once back on board, I grabbed an ice cream cone and went up to the pools and hot tub, while Joe went to the room to shower and nap.  My favorite Caribbean sounding band, Rock Steady, was playing, so I hung around longer than planned.  


 



During a band break, I had fun trying out two fast moving water slides (since the lines were so short).  They were long and took you in big turns in both directions.  The yellow slide had a little bit of light at times but the blue was pitch black the whole way.  Fun and exciting.

Tonight's dress theme was dress your best.  Joe had not gotten or didn't share the list of themes for the seven nights we were aboard.  But Debbie and I had decided we were not going to do the formal nights.  
After dinner Joe played a cash game in the poker room, Jim and Debbie hit the casino, and I did my usual walking around, bar hopping, looking for a good dance venue.  The Royal Promenade was busy while the Blue Waves - a quartet with a female vocalist sang/played.
    



The majority of my time was spent at the Dazzles bar, listening to 'Centerpiece,' (in this photo) a fun band with my type of oldies rock music.  I had also joined Theresa, whom I'd danced with the night before at the welcome aboard party.  I knew she would be a fun dancing 'buddy,' and boy was she!  Her husband, also a poker player named Joe, joined us later and bought me another beer.
  

My Joe joined us fairly late, and even danced a slow song with me.  After the last set, Joe and I went to Studio B to check out the Silent Disco.  The headphones only had two music station selections, and not great dancing music.  It was not at all Joe's 'cup of tea' so he left.  I stuck it out for awhile, hoping the music and dancing would get better, but it only got raunchier with the club beat and younger crowd.  I was back to the cabin and in bed a little before midnight.

Tuesday 1/27 - Day 3:  We docked at Cococay in the Bahamas at 7am.  Joe and I decided to stay on board, avoiding the mass exodus crowd and enjoyed a quieter ship since so many had gone on shore.  It was windy and our ship was swaying quite a bit.  I took this (video) showing the waves.  

After breakfast, we hit the jogging track, to just walk.  This track had a great layout, going around the outer most part of deck 5, except at the very front of the ship.  So as you can see, one lap is 5/12ths, almost half a mile.  

The track's location was so much better than on other ships where it's on the top deck around the pools where everybody gets in your way.  This ran down both sides of the ship, where the life boats were located.  There were fun motivational signs along the way.  One even mentioned something about guilt free desert after dinner.  


The track went right around the back of the ship and there was room to sit or stand and watch the ships wake, on sea days.  I walk faster than Joe, so I caught up with him later when he sat at a chair here, waiting for me to come around.

Near the front of the ship, the track cuts through a tunnel.  There is a door halfway down, which enters into stairs that take you up to the fitness center.  




I decided to go to the climbing wall before the gym, to save my arm and leg strength.  There are two sets of walls to choose from.  I went to the starboard side, and I picked the blue, easiest section.  

I headed up, one hand and foot hold at a time.  But I couldn't get over the hump (you can see about halfway up in this photo).  And at that point I looked down and got scared (heights do that to me).  But wow, what an adrenaline rush.  I finally got myself to let go and push off the wall, belaying gently down.  

Since I was trying things out, and lines were not long at all, I went up to deck 16 and did the zip line.  It was not near as scary as the climbing wall.

I then took the 10 story Abyss slide down to deck 6.  This is what the entrance on deck 16 looks like. 





This is what the view from the loading area of the two slides looks like.  There is a glass wall so you can't fall off the back of the ship.  

 

You sit on a mat to slide down the slide that is dark in some spots and has cool lights in other areas.  It goes fast and is over in no time.  So much fun.  




Since I was in workout clothes, and was near the gym, I went in and did arm weights and a little rowing.  





Joe and I hit the pools and both of us did the faster, exciting, green water slide, although I did get stuck in the bowl and had to scooch to get to the hole and continue down.  We also enjoyed one of the hot tubs, even though it is kind of like a people soup.

The ship started getting crowded after lunch.  We met up with Jim and Debbie at the Solarium hot tub once they had returned from Cococay.  They said it was very windy and the waves on the beach were borderline dangerous.  

  

Once dried off, we played some bridge at the tables in front of the solarium bistro.  This area and the bistro restaurant had been reserved for the whole week by a group of 300 Kosher Jews.  We had seen many around the ship because the men and older boys wore a cloth skullcap (kippah).  I actually befriended a couple who I sat with one evening while listening to a band.

Our ship was actually quite international.  We heard so many different languages.  The Muslim or Sikh men were easy to spot with their full facial hair and turbans.  We also discovered that they were the least friendly group of people.  

This is the solarium pool that Jim, Debbie, and Joe used.  I tended to stay up on deck near the band and in the full sun.  We did enjoy the Solarium because it was restricted to 18 and over, and was quiet and peaceful.  

We had another enjoyable dinner.  Tonight was dress in white night (White Party on a cruise ship is a popular, high-energy themed event), and there were many guests that did so.  Also, the wait staff threw a party and danced.  We all had our cell phone lights on.  I took this photo from our table.

While the three went to gamble, I went for my usual 'after dinner' walk and 'bar hopping.'  I was looking for good music and dancing.  It was a bit early in the evening for dancing, so I had fun listening to the band on the Royal Promenade and people watching, especially at the stairway, leading down from the 'band stand' where a photographer was working getting some really cute poses out of kids and lovely shots of the ladies.  This internet photo just shows the location.

Jim, Debbie and I met down at the poker room (deck 3 Conference room) to drop in on the 'Flamingo Attire' party and check on Joe who was still in a tournament.  They were late getting started so we waited around a bit, and had cake.  

My evening included more dancing.  The Royal Promenade dance party was Latino.  I tried.  I went to bed just after midnight.  The seas continued to be a bit high but the Dramamine did the trick for me.

Wednesday 1/28 - Day 4: Our ship was at sea all day.  It was very cold and windy so we did not hang out on the outside decks.  This online photo gives you an idea.

I had a decent work out and walked the track.  Jim and Debbie had an early lunch because they get up earlier for breakfast.  We all did some hot tub sitting and then played a lot of bridge.  We tried the solarium but it was too windy.  



So we went to the card room.  This on line photo does not show how crowded it was.  It was tough finding an empty table with enough chairs, but we made it work.  
I was in a damp suit, sitting on a damp towel, and got quite chilled.  Also I was not getting very good cards, so I was glad when that activity came to an end.  
I scurried back to our cabin for a hot shower, but there was basically no hot water.  I didn't even try to wash my hair and just did a quick over all rinse.  I only felt colder and was so mad.
  

A cup of hot tea while sitting at Schooners helped to improve my mood while I worked at my little travel laptop to download photos and write notes.  I was already three days behind and was forgetting what happened when.  And, I had forgotten my glasses, which didn't help my frame of mind.  This internet photo shows the 'bar' area I sat at, just outside the bar, and where I could look down at the Royal Promenade.

Our evening towel folding.  
Joe ended up taking a cold shower also. We figured since it was so cold outside, everyone was taking hot showers and they simply ran out of hot water.

It was 70's dress night and the theme for music (and dancing) at different locations around the ship.  Dinner was followed by walking up and down the Royal Promenade and ducking into various places.  I went to the Boleros for Latino music, Dazzle's for 70's & 80's music, On Air for Karaoke, and Studio B for a dance party.    





I had met these two (Brian and Oscar) and enjoyed dancing with them and others.  







We proceeded up to the Royal Promenade for the Disco Dance Party and had a fun time.  I was nearing the end of my energy level by the time the last song (YMCA) played.  Once finished, a quick pose with some of the cast members and fellow dancers and then I headed to bed.  I was out until nearly 1am.

Thursday 1/29 - Day 5:  We arrived at San Juan, Puerto Rico at 10am.  I had slept in, had a late breakfast, and was walking the deck 5 jogging track when we docked.  









I watched this ship come in after we were tied and already unloading.  These three ships were next to us, before that forth one came in.  

 
Jim, Debbie and Joe got off the ship, in search of internet.  I remained on board to try my luck at the climbing wall again and then sun and swim.  
This time when I got to the difficult hump on the wall, I continued looking up and finding hand and foot holds.  I muscled my way over it, got to the top and rang the bell!  






My three travel companions had gone to a Starbucks for internet access, but had to buy something to get the internet, so waited in line 20 minutes.  Then Joe couldn't get connected on his i-pad, just his phone.  Before finishing his coffee, a guy came up and took his receipt that was sitting on the table, and walked off with it.  
Once back, Joe shared this photo of Jim and Debbie in front of the statue of Christopher Columbus in Plaza Colon.  




The three got back early, and joined me up by the pool.  Joe, Jim and I tried the yellow water slide.  Debbie stayed at the bottom to get photos.  Guess who's feet these were? 






Debbie missed Jim because the man who helps you out at the end, was in the way.  But she got Joe's grand ending, feet and all... and also me.😐





We swam, sunned, and once we were dried off, went to Central Park to play bridge.  It was quite lovely.  This internet photo kind of shows how tables and chairs were set up.  









Actually this second photo shows the sitting area better (only we had the sun shining on us).  
But look how pretty it is at night. 

My cards were better so I was more into the game.  I felt bad for Jim though, because he never got opening count.  His were worse than mine yesterday.

Once it was time to shower and dress for dinner, I was dreading it.  Joe had showered in the morning, and again there was no hot water.  He filed a complaint.  But I was leery about taking my shower.  Thankfully it had been fixed and was nice and warm.  

It was Caribbean night, so the waitstaff at dinner time was fun when they sang and danced.  Our cabin steward also did an appropriate towel folding for us. 

I enjoyed listening to a Bob Marley tribute with Rock Steady at the Boleros right after dinner, but was disappointed nobody was dancing, other than in their chairs.  The four piece band "VIP" who played at the Boleros every night, took the stage next.  

 




The Latin beat of  "VIP" was fun, but these couples danced every song so I felt out of place joining them by myself on the dance floor.  Look at some of the moves (video) of the young couple.  I even asked them if they were on Dances With The Stars.  They chuckled.
 

I wandered out to the Promenade, and soon this juggling act began.  It was the precursor to the dance party.  One thing I did miss on this ship was the Martini Bar, that does this kind of show every night.  








Because it was Caribbean night, the music venue was fun.  I enjoyed dancing with everyone at the Royal Promenade deck party.  Brian and Oscar were having a blast dancing and kept the party (and dancing) going.  I wasn't 'home' until after midnight.

Friday 1/30 - Day 6: We arrived at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic at 8am.  We had a poker player catamaran trip scheduled, so had to be ready to disembark with the group just after 8am.  It was overcast, had rained, and threatened to sprinkle some more.  






I was moving slow from being up so late.  Joe and I grabbed a quick, early breakfast and I took a few photos of us docking.  That round building is the port terminal where everybody walks as they come ashore.  It was full of shops.  To the left of it was a neat, free, lazy river/water park.

This is Mark and Tina, the owners of Card Player Cruises.  Mark led our group of 80 from the ship, while Tina brought up the rear.  We went down the dock, through the terminal and water park, and out onto a street to get to the parking lot where we loaded onto a bus.  It was probably a total of a mile. 

Below, the lady on the left is Linda, pouring the rum.  She is also a part owner, along with her business partner Jan.  All four are retiring so were ready to party.  However, from the start, this excursion had it's problems.   



First, it was a long walk for some who weren't that mobile.  Then, we needed two buses, but there was only one.  Us four got on the first bus, but there had been an accident on the way to the 'dock' so we had to turn around and go a different route.  This gave the second bus time to catch up with us.

The bus had very cramped seating with little leg room, so we were thankful to get off after the 50 minute drive.  We did NOT arrive at a dock as advertised, but took another walk, this time not as long, but down wet and awkward steps and then we continued a few hundred yards down the beach.  

The next obstacle was getting on the catamaran.  It was NOT at a dock as advertised.  It was anchored off shore but the waves kept pushing it up on the beach and then the tide would take it back out several feet.  



You had to time the wave just right to get up on the step, and there was no avoiding getting your feet/shoes wet and sandy.  I don't know how the less agile were able to do this.  

Two men were helping each of the 80 of us get on board.  And a photographer was taking all these photos (that were then bought at a group rate).  We were thankful for the photos and the sunny weather, at least it didn't rain.  


The catamaran was not what I would call 'beautiful' as advertised.  It was just a bunch of hard bench seats.    

As soon as I got on board , I went to the ladies bathroom.  There was no toilet seat, so I had to squat while we were rocking.  The floor was already wet and I didn't even want to think about what I was standing in.  There was no soap or running water, and not even any hand sanitizer.  YUCK





We went up to the top (second level) deck and got seats at a little table.  We sat for awhile, and I think once everyone was on board, they then passed around a waver of some sort, written in Spanish, that we all were to sign.  Why was this not done on the buses?  This is the only photo I took on board.  





I tried to merge these two photos, taken by the photographer, but my new Windows 11 does Paint so different than what I am used to, I struggled.  


A large john boat type fishing boat towed us out a ways, after the catamaran was no longer anchored.  Finally we were ready to get underway.  And then NEITHER of the TWO engines would start.  WTHeck?  They tried and tried.  Finally the john boat came back and started towing us away.  At this point we were getting rather nervous because we could not see any life vests and no safety drill had been done.  

 
They finally got the free rum punch flowing, with Linda from the earlier photo helping.  The chicken kabobs were also on the grill.  
They towed us to an area not too far off shore, where we anchored again.  It wasn't too far from the first beach, but it took awhile to get us there.  It was time to snorkel or swim.  Flotation belts were provided.  We were going to stop at a second place to swim, so I decided to wait.  

The bench seats were way too hard, so I moved down to the lower level and out on the bow of the boat where I could stretch out and sun.  Yep, that's me, laying face down, right in the middle of this photo.  
 

Food was served, help yourself, and I think people ate after they were done swimming.  About half of us hadn't gone in the water.  







The food was good, and there was plenty, but there were some things missing from the menu that was advertised.  Yet I did really enjoy the punch, rocking of the boat, and warm sunshine.

The second swim stop ended up getting cancelled (which I was not happy about) because we would not have time.  Towing the catamaran was very slow going.  



Getting off the catamaran was equally dangerous/sketchy.  I saw one man fall down and nearly get his legs smashed by the boat when a big wave pushed it back towards shore.  Luckily, the men helping us off were able to pull him out of the way quick enough.  Also, communication was so bad, one man (Dae) from our group ended up getting left behind at the beach.  He thought it was our second swimming stop.

The bus trip back didn't seem as long because Tina was trying to locate Dae.  All his stuff had been left on the catamaran.  Once she realized he had been left behind, barefoot and just in his swim trunks, she had to get the catamaran company to go find him.  They did, and he was put on a taxi to return to the ship's dock. 
 




Well, our Catamaran 'sail' was not as expected, although quite the adventure.  But it really was a big disappointment and had been rather dangerous.

My back pack and towel had gotten wet and sandy in the process of getting off the boat, so once we were back on our ship, I went to our cabin, took a shower and rinsed sand and salt from my backpack.

It was dress your best night, so I wore my matching shirt and skirt = looks like a dress.  

After dinner there was a ship crew member  leading line dances, and later there was a tribute to Veterans, but no street party tonight.

I went up to Dazzle's.  It was a fun evening of dancing because the band was playing 80's dance music.  I met a few new ladies and we had a good time dancing.  I was out late again.

Saturday 1/31 - Day 7: Our ship was at sea all day.  I was very late to rise and shine... and slow moving until my tea kicked in.  I walked after breakfast, going five laps which is a little over a mile. 

Then I hit the weight machines; working arms, abs., and inner and out thighs.  After a good stretch I was in my suit and up on the pool deck.  It was very difficult to find an empty seats and I never did find Joe.

The weather disintegrated over the course of the day.  The skies clouded over, it got windy, and the temperature started really dropping.

I went to the cabin, took a quick shower and packed my bags.  I went up to the Schooner Bar to work on cruise notes and organize photos.

Joe and I had a beer at the Rising Tide Bar, where I took these two photos.  It took us up three floors (video) and then we went into Schooners to listen to the 'Piano Man.'

Nick Reeve - the piano man, was playing Disney songs.  It was fun to hear and made me think of our kids when they were growing up.

 







Notice all the limes in my beer.  When the bartender grabbed a second one, three more were fastened to it, so he gave me the whole blob.  Yum.

By our 5pm dinner time it was cold and raining.  Crossing the ship to get from the front to the back, we usually use Central Park, but not this evening.

The three gamblers went to do so after dinner and I walked around the promenade until the start of the night's production show called, Flight: Dare to Dream.

The show was a very well done look at the history of flight from space travel - back to the Wright Brothers.  It was a tribute to so many 'pioneers' of their time.  

I enjoyed more Latino music at the Boleros but no one was dancing except six little kids, who were just so darn cute.  
It seemed the 'vacation' vibe was dwindling and there wasn't that many good choices of music, so I was back up at the cabin by 9pm.  The Card Player poker room closed at 10pm so Joe got back shortly after I had turned off the lights.
I had had a fun cruise, doing so much, although I never did make it to the ice show or try ice skating.

Sunday 2/1 - Day 8: Our ship arrived in Miami, Florida, and it was only 28°.  Joe and I were up at 5:30 and down on the Royal Promenade by 6am to meet Jim and Debbie.  The ship was to be docked and the gangway open by 6:30.  Long story short... because of bad weather and eight ships coming into Port Miami, we were very late getting docked and did not get off the ship until 8:30.  

We did have cell service while waiting to get off the ship, so started getting news from back home.  Jim and Debbie's daughter (in Jonesborough TN) had gotten nine inches of snow yesterday/last night, but Crossville hadn't gotten anymore.  An e-mail from the airlines warned that flights might be delayed.  We wondered how things were in Knoxville.  It was cold back home, Maggie and Ellie squished but snuggled into the cat bed.  




We had planned to do the fast (early) departure so had our suitcases with us while disembarking.  This saved us having to take time to go find our bags.  It was quick getting through 'customs' and then to the truck.  Even getting out of Miami wasn't too bad.
After two hours of driving, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for a big delicious breakfast. 

In route, we witnessed a one car crash right beside us.  The little sports car revved it's engine, shot across three lanes in front of us, and then crashed into the cement wall.  OMG.  The front bumper along with other car parts went flying.  We are so lucky nothing bounced back and hit us or that it involved us in any way.  We think the driver was trying to get into the Express lane where there was an opening.  This internet photo gives you an idea of what we saw, only it was a concrete wall, daylight, and no one at the scene yet.

Once to Jim and Debbie's we played bridge for a few hours.  It was fun bridge because we had fairly even cards, each getting some good hands to play and defend.  After Pizza for dinner, Jim and Debbie dropped us at the airport.  It was 30° when we flew out of Jacksonville.  
It was 11° in Knoxville when we caught our lift to our car.  We got home at midnight and our house was only 62° even though the thermostat was set at 64.  I turned it up and was quick to crawl into bed.