The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday February 24th, 2023

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a cloudy and windy central Texas.  It was 48F when I woke up, and it is now 47F.  We have seen our high for today, and this afternoon it will be 44F.  Our temperatures will begin rising tomorrow and be in the 70s and 80s for several days, but with our normal wind.

 

We were a couple of days early on celebrating tortilla chips.  We had cheese dip and tortilla chips Wednesday, and I bought another bag of chips yesterday.  Until Tuesday, I had never heard of paczkis, but would like to try one.  Bartenders do a great job, especially the ones on BHBs.

 

I like the Abraham Lincoln quote.

 

We'll pass on the meal, although DH would like it.  We'll also pass on the drink and the wine.

 

We have been to Reykjavik three times on BHBs.  I'll repost my pictures in a few minutes.

 

3 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  I'll pass on today's meal suggestion. I think we will have leftover spaghetti with salad.  Yesterday was another busy work day. At the end of the day I received an email from Zandam@xxx. I checked and they are an employee so it's legit,  I just may need a vacation sooner than I thought.  I hope everyone has a nice day today. 

This morning the yard looks pretty after yesterday's ice and snow.

 

 

 

Jake, this is the way I now like seeing snow, beautiful pictures on a computer screen on the Daily.

 

2 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

Made it to Friday!  
So blessed to have this caring place to share all the parts of life!

 

Blessings to Annie and Chuck and Neko. 💔 And their vet. 
 

Blessings for all the doctor appointments and tests going on!   Bring in the healing!  
 

cheers for all those celebrating! They help us remember that Life is Good!  
 

Comfort and hope for Ukraine. And all those suffering disasters. And all in the storm!  Hunker down if you can. And walk with extra care!  
 

Smooth travels for all away. We all need a break to refuel ourselves. 
 

Today is all our gathering family’s flights’ day.  The early ones were canceled out of NY/White Plains. No plane. They just got rebooked through Boston to arrive FLL this evening. Hoping it all works. This is why we’re driving, too much uncertainty in flying. Two more sets of family flights to still happen. Thanks for all your caring prayers, feeling them for sure! 
 

I applied to Iceland for grad school back in the 70s.  Wanted to study the geology there. But too expensive for foreigners who couldn’t get scholarships the first year.  Finally got to visit using Icelandair’s no-extra-cost layover plan on our way to a Hurtigruten cruise. Fabulous place to visit. 
 

Bon Voyage to our cruisers!  
 

Hugs to each of you. Many thanks for all the caring support here!  onward….

Maureen 
 

 

 

Maureen, continued safe travels for you and your DH today.  Wishing all your family safe flights today and tonight, and hope that they all arrive in time for the cruise.

 

2 hours ago, cat shepard said:

Thank you for getting us started, Sandi. Rich, thank you for making this all happen!

A super dense fog here this morning. Bindi was very puzzled. But it is already 67, and looks to be a beautiful day. 
 

Vanessa, thank you for tracking our highs & lows so diligently.  Off to the gym. Then I am hoping the company comes to out the furniture back while I am gone. All the preps for my family coming in are done. Even the pool temp is cooperating at a balmy 84.  Hoping this bittersweet gathering will help all of us cope with my nephew’s passing. Especially his son. 
 

 

Sometimes my nose has an off day, and I feel like this person…

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. @marshhawk Annie, extra prayers for Neko, you & DH. ❤️
Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

*********

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay 2018 Canoe RidgeEstate, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington

I used the 2018 vintage info, since that seems to be the easiest to find. Excellent reviews from consumers and critics, and available from numerous sources. Online distributor prices start at $19.99.  BTW Mr. Parker’s review takes on a poetic note near the end. 

 

Winemaker Notes

The Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay is refined and elegant and offers apple and citrus aromas with a clean, refreshing finish. We age the wine in lighter French oak barrels to maintain the fresh, elegant style of this Chardonnay.

Ideal pairings include salmon, crab cakes, and pork.

JS92 James Suckling

Peach, apricot, pineapple, cream and praline on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy layers and bright acidity. Concentrated, yet fresh and pretty. Drink or hol

WE90 Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of peach, straw and sweet spice lead to stone fruit flavors that are rich in the center. Like many wines from this vintage, its appeal is much about the balance it brings.

W&S90 Wine & Spirits

This chardonnay from a warm site has a rich scent of chopped pineapple, cut slightly by citrus. It’s satisfying, delivering a lot of weight and body for the price. 

RP89 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Chardonnay Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard displays a pale gold core and offers aromas of candy corn, yellow apples, wax melon, marshmallow and sweet citrus. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is layered with flavors of citrus pastry cream and offers a rich mouthfeel with a soft nutty undercurrent from sur lie aging. The wine comes to a close with a delightful and round finish. 6,500 bottles were made.

 

Ann, I hope your patio is put back in place while you are out.  Enjoy your visit with the family, and hope it helps with the healing after your nephew's death.  Great memes, and we had a cat that would walk on the keyboard.

 

2 hours ago, kazu said:

Thanks for our TGIF Daily, Sandi.

 

Good collection of days.  I’ll happily celebrate world bartender day - especially our bartenders on BHB’s 😘 

Sadly, today is also the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine - sad day indeed 😔 

 

Love the Lincoln quote and another white wine?  Yippee!

 

Big surprise - it’s snowing and blowing.  Not quite blizzardy but blowing quite a bit and not conducive to pics.  Going to be another mess but hopefully, there’s at least no ice underneath it this time 🤞 

 

 

@Crazy For CatsJake, very pretty pics especially if you are inside 😉 Wish ours was as pretty.  Just a bunch more to add to the pile 😌 

 

 

Thinking of @marshhawktoday bidding farewell to Neko. 💔 

 

 

Timing is everything and thankfully instead of coming today, my seeds arrived yesterday so I called my neighbour who kindly went to get them out of the community mail box for me.  I didn’t want them sitting there in the cold for 2 days.  My excitement today will be starting the ones who need an early start.  Trying some new ones - no guarantees but what’s the worst that can happen?

 

 

Prayers for all those on the Care list (thanks as always @JazzyV), people of Ukraine, New Zealand & earthquake victims and for those that need them.  And a huge cheers 🥂 to all those celebrating.

 

 

Have a great Friday everyone !!!!!

 

 

Jacqui, good news that your plants arrived early and a kind neighbor braved the weather to retrieve them from the mailbox for you.

 

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Sandi.

Your words are much appreciated and always so nice.

Your dear sister sounds like she was an angel like you.

I hope your son has a safe drive home.

It was lovely being with Sarah last night and she said seeing us was what she needed.

Our meal was delicious last night.

Sarah's rib eye steak looked lovely and the restaurant wrapped what she had left so she could eat it for lunch at work today.

She is seeing her best friend tonight the one whose American husband just died with a brain tumour.

His funeral is next week.

Graham.

 

 

 

Graham, I'm glad the injections and visits to the chiropractor are helping Sarah.  She will be in our thoughts as she visits her best friend.

 

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning! Currently 69 degrees and will reach 78! Yesterday’s  high of 80 F set a record. Right now we are in a very dense fog that should clear by noon. Glad I’m not flying today.

This morning I have my annual medical visit to check if I’m still cancer free. No reason to believe I’m not.

Me and my bride have no major plans for the weekend. Well every day is a weekend these days but it doesn’t take much to entertain us.
One thing that I attribute to sleeping well is to shut off the phone, I Pad, games near bed time and that helps my transition and prep for resting.

So now it’s time for the hardest moment of my day. Choosing MeMe’s!🤔

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping in an posting on the Daily.

Bruce

 

 

 

Bruce, to quote a line from a movie, "You chose well."  

 

1 hour ago, ottahand7 said:

Good Friday morning.   We are at sea today and I am going to get caught up with my photos.  Thanks Sandi and Vanessa for getting us started with the reports. @JazzyVso sorry for your BFF'S loss.   Thanks for the wine, cocktail and recipes each day.  Back to reality in less than a month so I will need those to bump up our hum drum eating at home after having such good food for months.  

Sandi @StLouisCruisers weren't you the one who relayed the water issues on the Volendam in the Amazon?  Like reduced water usage and no laundry?  We want to be prepared but if it was due to a broken part we won't worry that it will happen again.    Thank you for the photos of today's port.  They were beautiful!

Power remained on at home but from the outage map my siblings are still out. Can't text with them today.  

Our Cultural Olinda HA tour took us to beautiful spots but was way too long.  4 hours turned into 5 so no lunch for us.  Too much talking by our guide and some extra walking due to Carnival tear down.  I am glad we have nothing to do in Fortaleza.   

Another great dinner in the MDR last night ( panko crusted Hake and beef tri tip) and some photos of Olinda and old Recife. 

 

Nancy, thanks for the pictures of Recife and Olinda.  We were there in 1999, and thought Olinda was better than Recife.  When we did the Amazon River cruise, the ship closed the self-service laundries and also did not do passengers' laundry while we were in the river.  All the silt in the river could pay havoc with the water filtration, etc.

 

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  Tortilla chips, yum (will be substituting them for the corn nuts), woo hoo for all the bartenders on BHB’s, and as a child, I knew Paczki’s as jam busters at the bakery.

 

A bit of an issue this morning - at 5:05, our smoke detector began telling us it was time to change the battery.  Why is it they always go off like that in the middle of the night?  I’ve never had one chirp at me during the day.  I endured it for about 15 minutes, then got up to deal with it.  The moment I got out of bed I knew something was wrong - our bedroom was C O L D.  I checked the thermostat and despite it being set to start heating up to 21C, the house temp was only 15C(59F).  Of course we know nothing about furnaces, but I did get DH up to share the cold, and he went down and banged around, but of course, nothing happened.

 

We currently have electric heaters (thank goodness we have a bunch of them) going in several rooms, as well as having the gas fireplaces (both on the main floor and lower level) going at full blast.  I spoke with the company we’ve dealt with for several years for our heating/cooling issues, and they said we should likely see one of their fellows at the door within the hour.  

 

I’m still working on my iPad mini — we checked in at Staples yesterday and found that the tech who works on computers in the store had called in sick.  It looks like we might not have our new computer until Monday, as I don’t think they have anyone working in the tech department on the weekend.  Grrr.

 

I’m sending @marshhawkcomforting hugs as she and DH take Neko to the vet to transition over the Rainbow Bridge.

@RMLincolnI hope all your family arrives safely so you can enjoy your cruise together!

 

I’m sure I’d love today’s drink of the day, as I love grapefruit.  I’ll pass on the wine, and we frequently have salmon, but it’s Friday, so that means pizza will be on the table in the kitchen tonight.  And wine.

 

Time for me to get some hot tea into me, but we’ll send prayers for all who are in need, particularly the people of Ukraine who have been so stoic this past year.  Cheers to al with celebrations happening.

 

Smooth Sailing!🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

Gerry, our smoke detectors go off about 2 am.  I hope the service company is prompt to repair the furnance, and that it is a quick and easy fix.

 

1 hour ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone.

 

It is a cold one here today in mid-Michigan.  The expected high is 23F.  It is currently 9F.  We'll warm up to the 30s or 40s starting on Saturday.  

 

I'm planning to finish the bathroom today.  Bathrooms are a royal pain to paint, but this messy painter will persevere.  It is already an improvement, so I'll be happy with it.  

 

Today's meal is a good one.  I love halibut.  It is good enough that all you need to do is put it on the grill and serve some veggies to go with it.  The first recipe comes from Bon Appetit, but they keep wanting money from me to see the full recipe.  Pinterest had the ingredient list and I don't think it is too hard to figure out what to do with it.  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/125749014579100600/

 

 

That looks really good to me!

 

Next up we have one that omits the pumpkin seeds, but sounds really good.  https://lukeslobster.com/blogs/recipes/baked-halibut-with-summer-squash

 

 

Mmmm.   I may try this one.  

 

Last up is halibut encrusted with pumpkin seeds.  There was no picture included, but I found a picture of tilapia encrusted with pumpkin seeds.  You can really use any fish you like and can use walnuts or pecans in place of pumpkin seeds.  https://lukeslobster.com/blogs/recipes/baked-halibut-with-summer-squash

 

 

That looks pretty darn good!

 

@rafinmd Roy, if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday!  

 

And for @RMLincoln Maureen and family:

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

Debbie, good luck with today's painting, and I know you'll love the bathroom after you finish.  I agree about bathrooms being a pain you know where to paint.

 

35 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Today is not my birthday.  DB was born on Flag Day (14 June) and died Valentines Day 2021, exactly 4 months shirt if his 80th birthday (and Valentines Day is mostly spoiled in my family).  I was born 23 June so yesterday I was exactly 4 months short of my 80th birthday, and today I am older than that now.

 

Roy

 

Roy, just think of all the birthday wishes as a prelude to your actual birthday.  

 

16 minutes ago, TAW1963 said:

I'm relatively new to this board, so I haven't posted on the daily fleet report before.  Searching through the live cams, I came upon a great live video of the Nieuw Statendam at Port Nassau.  We will be cruising on her in late November for a transatlantic from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. This will be the first cruise after her first dry dock.   Here is the link and snapshot:

 

https://www.portnassauwebcam.com

 

 

Welcome to the Fleet/Daily.  You already know we are the friendliest place on CC.  We hope to see you here again.

 

13 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good morning all,

We’re entering the predicted strongest day of the storm here. We’re expecting 2” of rain. We’ve had short bouts of small hail and the sunny, cloud filled spectacular skies. Wishing I could have another Paczki- I’ve rather fallen for them. Today is house cleaning day, and am ready to start a crock pot of chili con carne. Have first acupuncture appointment for an ongoing foot issue, and will start making crepe paper flowers for a going away party for a friend in a month.

 

@marshhawk Thinking of you.

 

@dfish I’m loving the presentation of this one and it’s added to my planner to try.

 

Whoa- that’s some hill!

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

I hope the storm is not too bad in Tucson.  I've heard Quartzsite has been getting very high winds with extremely strong gusts.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to Reykjavik three times.  The first time was in 2003 on Rotterdam III roundtrip from NYC.  That cruise was the precursor to the VOV, and we went up the west side of Greenland and all the way to St. Petersburg.  We were there again on Prinsendam in 2016 and 2017.  We have always found interesting things to do and see, but never have had enough time to look around Reykjavik itself.

 

 

I have so many pictures, that I think I'll break them up into several posts that are more manageable.

 

This is one of the very few pictures of Reykjavik.  It is the building where Reagan and Gorbachev had their 1986 summit.

 

Three pictures of the Rif in 2003 and a couple from 2016.  There were a lot of changes in the intervening 13 years.  Some were manmade and some were caused when the volcano erupted in 2010.

2016

 

These pictures of Geysir (their pronunciation is geezer) are from 2003.  The 2010 volcanic eruption affected Geysir, and it does not erupt as high or as often now.  I'm not sure if this is Geysir or another one.

 

We stopped at this church one our tour in 2003

 

These pictures from our last stop are for the Garden Club members and cheerleaders.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2016, the first day, we drove north out of town along the west coast of Iceland as far as Grundarfjordur before heading inland and back to Reykjavik.  There is some really spectacular scenery in that part of the Iceland.

 

These are just a few of the pictures of our drive that day.

 

I believe these were in Rif, which is what I have in my list of places we visited that day, but I could not find it on the map.

 

This tells the story of the area better than I can.

 

Grundarfjordur is a very pretty little town in a beautiful setting, but I would not want to be there in the winter.  We stopped there in 2009 on the Tahitian Princess and walked around town.

 

A very pretty cascade

 

Back in Reykjavik, we decided to drive out to the Blue Lagoon.  The next day, we did our own Golden Circle tour.  I'll post the pictures from the Blue Lagoon in the next batch of pictures.  The pictures from our DIY Golden Circle tour were posted in the first batch of pictures.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2017, the first day in Reykjavik, we headed east, stopping when we saw something interesting.  Our final destination was Black Beach, but our first stop was the museum at one of the geothermal plants.  I have pictures, but they are really just pictures of big pipes and not all that interesting.

 

If you haven't guessed by now, I like waterfalls.  We stopped at the first one on our way to see Seljalandsfoss, the second waterfall.  BTW, we have been to Gulfoss twice, but I did not want to repeat pictures.

 

Black Beach is black with very interesting formations just off shore.  The cave and area around the cave reminded us of the Giants Causeway outside of Belfast.  It had the same type of formations only on a smaller scale.  Could this be the "trolls causeway"?😁

 

Puffins were nesting on ledges outside the cave.  This is the closest we've gotten to those little birds.

 

The village of Vik near Black Beach

 

I'm not sure if this was in Vik or another village.

 

On the way back to town, we drove down to the ferry to Heimaey, an island off shore.  We almost took the ferry over there, but decided not too as that was our next port.  I think some of you may have figured out what happened.  We missed Heimaey as it was too rough to tender as the anchorage was unprotected.  Maybe some day.  Anyway, I could not resist getting a picture of this sign in the ladies restroom.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Our last day in Reykjavik in 2017, we drove southwest of town around the Reykjanasbaer Peninsula, with side trips to Keflavik and Gardur before stopping at the Blue Lagoon.

 

I think these are of Gardur, and that I didn't get any of Keflavik as we drove through.

 

After we left Gardur, we came across an area where the Rif between the European and North American continental plates was visible.  We liked it better since it was easier to see and and not nearly as crowded.  This time we just walked across the bridge between the two continents.

 

Our final stop (and my final pictures today) was the Blue Lagoon.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, we have visited the Blue Lagoon a couple of times, but have never gotten in the water.  

 

Lenda

[4966and556]

@marshhawk my thoughts are with you today. 

 

It's a very sunny and cold day here on the Niagara Peninsula. 

 

When Roy mentioned outliving his brother, I was fairly certain that it wasn't his birthday, but he had lived to the age that his brother had been.  On the day that I knew I had outlived my mother, I was sad and I thought about her for most of the day.  She was in her 30's and died unexpectedly.  I was 6 years and 24 days old at the time.  I think any child that loses a parent at that age feels it whether they talk about it to adults or not, it will always be a part of our life. 

[ottahand7]

Welcome aboard @TAW1963!  

 

Thanks for the feedback on the Amazon/laundry information. 

 

The photos from Reykjavik are gorgeous.   We really want to do the VOV but the timing doesn't work for us yet.  

[ottahand7]

@TiogaCruiser yes that street was really steep.   It was leaving Olinda heading back to Recife.  It was called Mercy Street.  Fortunately I was sitting in the front row of our mini bus and s could get a picture over the driver's shoulder. 

 

[kochleffel]

I would be delighted to have the halibut and the Chardonnay for dinner this evening, not that I have either one on hand. Dinner might be salmon and rosé, the latter because it's what happens to be open, plus something from the too-many vegetables on hand.

 

I'm still experiencing a little nausea. According to anecdata, half the population of the county had norovirus this week, if that's what it is. Yesterday I worked at home in the morning, went to my office for half an hour after lunch, then made brief stops at the bank and grocery. When I returned home, I got into bed and slept until 7:00 p.m.

 

I think I posted my Reykjavik photos the last time it was the port. I had an unplanned stay there a few years ago when I missed a flight connection to the Faroe Islands on a Friday, and the flight didn't operate on the weekend because Atlantic Airways, the national airline of the Faroes, used the plane then for holiday flights to the Mediterranean. The first day in Reykjavik, I got slightly sunburned, not because of the intensity of the sun, but because of the length of the day.

 

 

 

[luvteaching]

Good morning!

 

It's a very cold (14F) but beautiful sunny morning here in my corner of the PNW. We had a skiff of snow a couple of days ago and some more is in the forecast. Hopefully it will be on the roof, grass and not on the road. 

DH gets to come home a week today! We did his Care Conference on Wednesday and he's made good progress. We're keeping him in for the extra time to build up stamina and work on consistency standing as well as work on his swallow. This particular bacteria that caused his UTI really knocked him for a loop. I've not seen him this impacted before from a UTI. At least we are within our Medicare days so that's a plus. 

Now off to get a few things done and then go spend the afternoon with him. 

Thank you everyone!!

 

Karen

[cruising sister]

Good morning all,

What wonderful pictures being shared. I will have to put Iceland on my list. 
Fingers and toes crossed everyone makes it to the cruise on time. It will be a wonderful trip

I am glad Sarah is feeling better and is able to comfort her friend. 
Dad did drop off today and DGS did better but isn’t that always the way when dad does things. Moms and gmas get it the worst. 
Losing a pet is very hard. They love us no matter what. 
Roy, I can tell just by your writing you are doing better. Keep up the good work. 

Keep warm and hopefully the furnace is an easy fix. 
Thanks to all that make this possible for the rest of us. 
 

[puppycanducruise]

@TAW1963Welcome to the Daily!  Thanks for sharing the picture.

 

@marshhawkHugs to you.

 

@ger_77 Hope the furnace is fixed soon.🤞

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for all who contribute to the Fleet Report/Daily.

I really like tortilla chips, plain or as nachos, or just with salsa. Paczki are big around here, as there's a large population of Polish descent. Definitely a salute to bartenders. Interesting quote. No to the meal for me (fish) and pass on the drink and wine.

I haven't been to Reykjavik, but would like to go there. Thanks for the pictures.

 

It's cloudy and much cooler than the beautiful day yesterday. I'm back from getting my hip bursa injection; hopefully it will help. It was a wild night last night. I was getting ready to go to bed about 10:45PM and the power flickered on and off about 5 times, then went out. It was a little windy, but not bad. I got on my county emergency app and saw that there were transformer explosions all around in about 5 communities! Odd. On NextDoor people were posting pictures of the flashing explosions. So I stayed up, and about midnight decided to use my solar generators. I put the fridge on one, the basement chest freezer and house alarm system on another, and used the smaller one for my CPAP. I tried to go to sleep and after finally drifting off, was awakened by the power coming back on around 1:15AM. I slept solidly after that until the alarm at 7:15.

 

@StLouisCruisers Thank you for our start up today. Great photos form Reykjavik.

@rafinmd I hope you did sleep better last night.

@grapau27 That's good news that Sarah's injections seem to be working. I'm sure she appreciated the time with you and Pauline yesterday.

@Crazy For Cats It looks pretty there, especially if you don't have to go out in it.

@RMLincoln I'm glad you made if there safely and prayers that all the family flying in get there on time and safely.

@cat shepard I hope the family time is healing for all.

@kazu I hope the snow ends soon. Planting seeds will be fun.

@aliaschief I hope your checkup goes well.

@ottahand7 Thank you for sharing your day yesterday.

@ger_77 Not good to not have heat in the frozen tundra! Thank goodness you have electric heaters and gas fireplaces. I was worried if my power stayed out last night; electric heaters are useless but I do have a gas fireplace. Sorry about the computer delay.

@smitty34877 Continued prayers for Tana and her son, as they navigate her illness.

@TAW1963 Welcome to the Fleet Report/Daily!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great collection of photos.

@kochleffel Hopefully you're feeling totally better soon.

@luvteaching Good news!

@marshhawk Thinking of you, DH and Neko today.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for the Celebration List.

Stay well everyone and safe.

Edited February 24, 2023 by JazzyV

[bennybear]

Well the Koningsdam arrived very early along with five toots just after 6:30 am!  Hope all is well!  Aloha @Seasick Sailor   And @57redbird

 

@rafinmd happy birthday!  
 

@ger_77glad they are coming out soon! That cold is no joke! 

 

some flowers for the garden club
 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by bennybear

[durangoscots]

It was snowing when I got up this morning, but  it stopped shortly after and now the sun is out. I hope it has gotten it out of its system for awhile and that the ice on the driveway will melt. High will only be in the 30's but the sun works it magic. My shoveling neighbor will be home Sunday although I notice that one of the other neighbors (or maybe several) are pitching in. I did manage to clear my car and the area around it with no damage to my body.... just very slow. Very, very slow.

 

Love all the pictures of Iceland. My VOV was one of the best cruises I have had and I would love to repeat it. There is so much to see and the scenery is just spectacular. Those pictures only touch the surface.

 

Little new from here. My nephew and his wife both have Covid after doing a driving trip from Ohio to Florida and back. Fortunately both cases seem to be light and they are recovering nicely. My Sister is so glad they did not stop to visit with her on their way back. They had thought about it. And her youngest son (age 53) is having some health issues .... she does not need the stress at her age but seems to be coping. Hopefully all will settle down again. Fortunately her daughter lives close and can help out and keeps in touch several times a day.

 

Best wishes to all. May your best plans work out.... and may problems get resolved.

Susan

 

 

 

 

[dfish]

3 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

 

 We all like halibut here and use a recipe with a mixture of mayo,mustard and Worcestershire sauce  that is baked in the oven.  

 

 

That sounds good!  Would you be willing to share the recipe?

 

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

I knew as a former actuary that dates and exact numbers are important to you, so had a feeling that was what you conveyed in your earlier message today.  But just think, everyone has an early start on celebrating your birthday, Roy!!

 

For Roy the celebration can go on indefinitely!

 

2 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

I'm relatively new to this board, so I haven't posted on the daily fleet report before.  Searching through the live cams, I came upon a great live video of the Nieuw Statendam at Port Nassau.  We will be cruising on her in late November for a transatlantic from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. This will be the first cruise after her first dry dock.   Here is the link and snapshot:

 

https://www.portnassauwebcam.com

 

 

Welcome to the Daily!   We hope to get to know you better in future editions.

 

2 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

 

 

@dfish I’m loving the presentation of this one and it’s added to my planner to try.

 

It does look good, doesn't it?   

 

I'm letting the paint dry for now and then will decide if I need another coat or not.  The ceiling might need one.  I could at least put the door handle back on so the room is ready for use.  It would be better with the towel racks back up, but that shouldn't take too long to do.  I also have to scrape the paint off the floor that got under the drop cloth.  Sigh.....  

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

I like tortilla chips, especially in Nachos but can't have them very often due to carbs.  Never have had Paczki, but oh my they do look so good!  Big cheers to bartenders, especially our bartenders on BHBs.

 

The wine is a good one, thanks for sharing one of our local wineries.   I like halibut but will stick to the way I prepare it (similar to Terry's @smitty34877).  Will pass on the drink.  Love the quote!

 

We were in Reykjavik on the VOV in 2018.  We rented a car with Rich @richwmnand another friend for the 2 days we were there.  Whenever possible, that's what we prefer to do, I guess we like our freedom to do what we want and when we want. 😉  The first day we drove the Golden Circle, went to Pingvellir where the slow separation of North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are being slowly torn apart.  Then onto the Oxararfoss Waterfall, lunch at a family-run dairy farm that was recommended by Rick Steves, to Geysir, then to the Gullfoss waterfall.  The second day we drove to Seltun Geothermal Field on Reykjanes Peninsula, and had the most amazing fish and chips we've ever had along with Icelandic beers that were also very good!  I won't post all my photos since they would be too much like those already posted, but will see if I have anything different to share.

 

The only thing on our agenda today is that the installers will come this afternoon to install our motorized skylight blind!  I can't wait to use it on hot summer days!

 

Melanie @puppycanducruiseI'm with you on the "I hate cilantro day".  

Annie @marshhawksending gentle hugs and thinking of you today as you say goodbye to Neko.

Gerry @ger_77I hope you get your furnace up and running asap.  And yes, why do smoke alarms always go off in the middle of the night?  I've also noticed that they go off when it's colder than usual -- I wonder why.

Maureen @RMLincolnsafe travels and safe flights for your family.

@TAW1963Welcome to the Daily, I hope we hear more from you. 🙂  

 

We enjoyed our 2 days of driving when we visited Reykjavik.  

I'm glad I knew ahead of time that the geothermal fields in Iceland aren't like the geysers in Yellowstone, or I would have been disappointed.  But they're definitely worth visiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Menu at the dairy farm-restaurant recommended by Rick Steves.

 

And a little of what we saw outside the restaurant.

 

Gullfoss Waterfall

 

 

 

And Oxararfoss Waterfall

 

 

 

 

[Vict0riann]

Good morning, Dailyites,  thanks to everyone for the morning news.  We didn't get a paper yesterday because of the snow and cold, so got three today!   The puzzles will keep us busy over the weekend.  I was sure I had posted pictures from our visit to Rejykjavik on the Daily before, but I didn't see them when I checked.  But we did everything that you've seen, and then a bit more, as my cousin with the State Department took us around for two days.  She had diplomatic plates so people looked at us!  Her previous cat had died during her posting in Bangkok, so she had adopted an Icelandic kitten.  He is going to be a very large cat, I'm not sure how she is going to get him back home (Seattle), but very handsome.  She took us to the tomato farm for lunch one day, and it is really amazing!  The plants must be ten years old, or more, and they are pollinated by imported bumble bees, who live in cardboard  boxes.  Pat got a little too up close and personal with one and it stung him over his eye.  He is allergic to stings, so of course blew up like a balloon, and even with multiple doses of Benadryl, he eventually had to go to the medical room and get antibiotics and a stronger antihistamine, which knocked him out for a day or two.  We also ate Icelandic hot dogs with my cousin, who lives near the hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik.  

 

 

 

 

At the tomato farm

 

 

 

For lunch there was tomato soup, wonderful breads, pasta with tomato sauce, and tomato salads....

 

 

Box of bumble bees

 

 

Sindri, "he who sparkles"

 

 

Icelandic hot dog

 

 

 

[smitty34877]

Debbie @dfish I mix 1/4 cup Heilman's with 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and one teaspoon grated parmesan. Add a  dash of worcestershire sauce coat the hallibut.Bake at 375  for 25 to 30 min,depending  on the thickness of the fish

This does not make the whole house smell fishy for days for some reason.I have used it on most thicker fish.

Edited February 24, 2023 by smitty34877

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, TAW1963 said:

I'm relatively new to this board, so I haven't posted on the daily fleet report before.  Searching through the live cams, I came upon a great live video of the Nieuw Statendam at Port Nassau.  We will be cruising on her in late November for a transatlantic from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. This will be the first cruise after her first dry dock.   Here is the link and snapshot:

 

https://www.portnassauwebcam.com

 

Sending you a big welcome from England UK.

Graham.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Our last day in Reykjavik in 2017, we drove southwest of town around the Reykjanasbaer Peninsula, with side trips to Keflavik and Gardur before stopping at the Blue Lagoon.

 

I think these are of Gardur, and that I didn't get any of Keflavik as we drove through.

 

After we left Gardur, we came across an area where the Rif between the European and North American continental plates was visible.  We liked it better since it was easier to see and and not nearly as crowded.  This time we just walked across the bridge between the two continents.

 

Our final stop (and my final pictures today) was the Blue Lagoon.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, we have visited the Blue Lagoon a couple of times, but have never gotten in the water.  

 

Lenda

I love all of your photos Lenda.

I really appreciate the time and effort you put in for all of our enjoyment at seeing your memories.

Graham 

Edited February 24, 2023 by grapau27

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

I like tortilla chips, especially in Nachos but can't have them very often due to carbs.  Never have had Paczki, but oh my they do look so good!  Big cheers to bartenders, especially our bartenders on BHBs.

 

The wine is a good one, thanks for sharing one of our local wineries.   I like halibut but will stick to the way I prepare it (similar to Terry's @smitty34877).  Will pass on the drink.  Love the quote!

 

We were in Reykjavik on the VOV in 2018.  We rented a car with Rich @richwmnand another friend for the 2 days we were there.  Whenever possible, that's what we prefer to do, I guess we like our freedom to do what we want and when we want. 😉  The first day we drove the Golden Circle, went to Pingvellir where the slow separation of North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are being slowly torn apart.  Then onto the Oxararfoss Waterfall, lunch at a family-run dairy farm that was recommended by Rick Steves, to Geysir, then to the Gullfoss waterfall.  The second day we drove to Seltun Geothermal Field on Reykjanes Peninsula, and had the most amazing fish and chips we've ever had along with Icelandic beers that were also very good!  I won't post all my photos since they would be too much like those already posted, but will see if I have anything different to share.

 

The only thing on our agenda today is that the installers will come this afternoon to install our motorized skylight blind!  I can't wait to use it on hot summer days!

 

Melanie @puppycanducruiseI'm with you on the "I hate cilantro day".  

Annie @marshhawksending gentle hugs and thinking of you today as you say goodbye to Neko.

Gerry @ger_77I hope you get your furnace up and running asap.  And yes, why do smoke alarms always go off in the middle of the night?  I've also noticed that they go off when it's colder than usual -- I wonder why.

Maureen @RMLincolnsafe travels and safe flights for your family.

@TAW1963Welcome to the Daily, I hope we hear more from you. 🙂  

 

We enjoyed our 2 days of driving when we visited Reykjavik.  

I'm glad I knew ahead of time that the geothermal fields in Iceland aren't like the geysers in Yellowstone, or I would have been disappointed.  But they're definitely worth visiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Menu at the dairy farm-restaurant recommended by Rick Steves.

 

And a little of what we saw outside the restaurant.

 

Gullfoss Waterfall

 

 

 

And Oxararfoss Waterfall

 

 

 

 

Nice photos.

[TAW1963]

14 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Sending you a big welcome from England UK.

Graham.

Thanks Graham as well as all the others who have welcomed me!  I have been a lurker for several months. BTW, I realized I didn't give my name.  My name is Todd.

[grapau27]

Annie @marshhawk

 

[XBGuy]

Weather update from Diamond Bar, CA.  They are backing off, a bit, on the storm predictions.  A couple days ago I reported here that there was a 100% chance of rain on Friday (today).  It is, in fact raining at the moment. but the precipitation forecast has been downgraded to 86%

 

I also mentioned that there was the possibility of snow for elevations down to 1000 ft., and that the Diamond Bar Adobe sits at 1170 ft.  Well, we did get about two minutes of hail yesterday afternoon.

 

 

I'm a terrible photographer.  Looking through the screen of our backyard slider the white hail pellets are much more obvious than this pic shows.

 

 

Sunday's forecast for the NASCSAR cup race is promising, but Saturday still looks pretty grim.  We'll be our there, regardless.  We have brownies and Oreo Cheesecake cups to deliver to friends in the garage.