Maison Flottante

September 16,2009

2009-09-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have just finished putting up my slide show made from a very small number of my pictures. As you can tell the springs is a very calming place to be except on the big summer holidays. BUT hey, we all need a change of pace and a little excitement.
One of the weekends we had this big water gun fight with the kids on other boats. It was really a lot of fun. Luckily a big storm came and stopped it before it got out of hand. The picture of the storm taken out of the window of the boat is in the slide show. NOW this is not the big storm we got stuck in during the month of May. That one we had to be rescued by land and had to return for the boat during the week end because I had a sub job lined up. The Glen is our socializing place. I socialize with nature and Mike likes to talk and he can find plenty of people who like to talk with him.

I will be placing more pictures and slide shows up as I get the urge.

Enjoy the pics.

UP TO DATE

2009-02-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well we have been busy. We have the frames built and up on the boat as of now. I told Mike it reminds me of when "us 5 little ones" use to make forts on the farm! It is a lot of fun. It will be small but then look at the cabin, I love that too.

I added a slide show, so sit back and watch it. If you want to be notified when things are added just become a follower. Or add a comment and then check you want to be notified of future comments. I think that will do the same.

Everyone have a good night. I need to do a PSPU lesson today and I have been playing with the boat or trying to post this slide show so no more fooling around for me. Off to work I go!!

Walls

2009-02-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

We have 3 of the walls framed and windows where they will be. It is good for Mike to have another project building so no matter the results this is good. I don't want to put the walls on the pontoon till we make one trip to the spring without the walls. It will be nice not to have your fanny sticking in the air trying to get into the boat!!!

It is not going to warm up here till next Thursday, I think that is what Mike said. It was fairly warm yesterday and the day before but the wind was really bad and Lake George is really rough when it is windy. Actually it is pretty scary!

I will try to get a picture of Mike while building a wall to post so his Mom can see him.

I found some pictures in an old hard drive today. I am being told I should have a water mark to put on my pics/creations so I was digging around in it trying to find a lily pad picture. I found this too. So I am posting it after I played around with it in PSP.

One Wall

2009-02-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well, we have one wall done. We were planning it to go on the side with the steering wheel but when we finished and stood it up, Mike realized that it was the wrong side and I realized that we put the window to high!! The joys of construction when you are winging it and of working together!!!

Mike did some rethinking and we are going to use it for that side but move the window down and more to the center. Practice makes perfect. We are going to put the stationary window, the one that does not open, on the other side because that is the side we are putting the bed and we are planning, or at least I am, having that swing up, like a Murphy Bed, during the day.

You know people, at least around here, think we are a little crazy with our ideas. But it is so fun just trying your ideas out!!!

We were planning on taking the pontoon to the spring Monday, before we start putting the room on but it is suppose to be windy and Lake George gets very, very wild when it is windy. Mike is not a person to take unnecessary chances so we will wait for a less windy day. Besides I just read the forcast and it is only suppose to be in the lower 60's and I don't care to go when it is that chilly. But on the other hand there will be a lot of alligators sunning themselves. I guess you have to take everything into consideration.

I need someone from back in MN to send me some earmuffs for these boat rides on chilly days since I broke mine in November and they don't even know what they are down here in FL! You should have heard the kids at the after school program where I worked the first couple times I wore them! They wanted to know what they were and if I could hear! Probably planning on some mischief and wanted to know if they could get away with it. Till later.........

Windows = Truck Topper

2009-02-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

We stopped at a little aluminum truck topper manufacture yesterday to order some windows for the houseboat. We felt they would be the best because that are not that heavy, the glass is tempered and the size would be just about right. We were going to order the 36 X 14 but the company that bought the windows from went out of business and that there wasn't a company making windows here in Florida anymore. They were dealing with a company in IN and they have so many orders that we could not get a date for delivery or even how much it would cost us. She was taking things off of displays toppers to fulfill orders. The one set of 36 X 14 windows she had on display she would not sell to us. We came home and started calling around even for shed windows with no such luck, besides they would shatter easier.
Well I had a thought and got on craig's list and started looking around. We found a truck topper with all windows intact that we got for $50!! They are longer like around 50 inches and there are 4 of them. We will have to figure out the opening and closing of them since they are the ones on hinges that you push open. The ones we wanted to buy were crank outs and had screens. BUT you have to work with what you can find and I always like that kind of challenge. We are going to keep searching craig's list to see what else we can find that we can use.
We are going on the Halifax for a little boat ride in about an hours so I had better finish my breakfast.
Will keep you posted!

What We Have Done!

2009-02-10T16:03:00.001-08:00

We have removed the rug from the pontoon and moved the front railing forward to have more room inside but still have a ledge to use the ladder to get back in the boat, which is in front. We are going to start building walls but they won't go on till they are done because we want to use the boat in the mean time. We are thinking of ordering windows from a place that builds the boxes that goes on the back of trucks. That way they will crank out. That is about all for now.

Here It IS!!!!

2009-02-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Well here is our boat that we will turn into a one room cabin on the water. It will be our trial and error boat. I am very happy with it! We had the furniture removed before we bought it and we will remove the rug, then start construction. We are planning on using it while we are building the walls since we can build the walls off the pontoon and put them on once they are all made. It will be great just to be able to take the kayaks with us to the springs since I like to look for the baby alligators at this time of the year, IN THE safety of at least a kayak!

We had it on the water already and it runs great, course our motor is on it and it was rebuilt a year and a half ago. It has been checked out 2 times during the last month as a value for trade in. We decided to keep it for the price they wanted to give us even though both said it was a great running motor. We are planning on getting a trolling motor just for backup/safety reasons. Besides then we can take the pontoon closer to the shore if we spot something interesting.

I got to say that getting it back on the trailer was a challenge since neither of us have done it before. Also decided to get one of those side float things to keep it from getting to close to the dock so when you step onto the pontoon it won't get hung up on the dock. I am sure we will have some interesting experiences to tell after we take it out a couple more times!

That is all for now. Later

Manatee

2009-02-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture I took of a manatee taken at Blue Springs Park in FL. This park is known for the large number of manatees who come each winter. They are monitored and lots of them are named. You can find out more about this on the Blue Spring State Park website.

2009-02-01T04:30:00.000-08:00

This is for my brother Cliff who loves to sail and has taken a great interest in our endeavor with this houseboat saga.

Oh by the way Cliff, I made this animation! I thought I had the manatee splashing in the back animated too but probably figured I was taking on more than I could handle as a beginner animator.

Stay tune for I may have some exciting news soon!!!

Promised Picture for Cameron

2009-01-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a BIG alligator I promised my little friend Cameron. This picture was taken in Dec of 2008. Cameron I will look for a manatee picture tomorrow or the next day.

Another Day of Searching and Planning

2009-01-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

As I posted before are look for a pontoon to build a houseboat. I want to design it ourselves. We have looked at several but haven't been 100% happy with any of them yet. We would like to get a 24 footer but a 20 footer would do for now. I am trying to learn about solar panels, how many we need, what we can run off them, how to wire them, Mark, my son, says to a junction box, etc. So I have a lot of learning to do yet.

At this point everyone can at least enjoy the pictures I post. The background is a picture I took with an underwater bag Mark bought me for Christmas to put my digital camera in. We went to Salt Springs to actually take pictures of the manatees but I guess it was warm enough that day that they didn't come into the springs.

We are going to Silver Glen Springs tomorrow so maybe there will be some manatees in there, though in Silver Glen they stay out in a little bay closer to the river and that is an area where we have seen some pretty big gators so I do NOT think I will be going in to take underwater pictures in that spot. Now if the manatees come closer to the head of the spring I will take pictures of them.

Solar Panels

2009-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

I spent the day connecting solar panels and then trying to figure out what we can use with them. Looks like we will either have to get a least 2 more 45 watt panels or figure some other way of running computer/TV and a couple other modern conveniences. Back to the internet for more research.

Any one have any ideas please share them with me!!

THE START OF A NEW DREAM ACCOMPLISHED!

2009-01-23T12:36:00.001-08:00

I have always had a dream of living on a houseboat. Self efficiency at it's best. I am planning on buying a solor panel in the next couple days so that I can start learning and expermenting with solar power/heating. I am doing this so that I can move forward with my dream of living on a houseboat and not be tied to land. I think the most difficult part will be getting the internet at a reasonable price. I have a need to learn about all different types of topics and the internet is the instrument I use to do this.

It will be interesting living in a smaller area with an African Gray parrot who, if she doesn't get her way, sounds like the multitude of birds that are screeching in the background of a Tarzan movie only 10's louder because you are in the same room with her and she is yelling at you! Also I will be living with my husband who is in perpetual motion or sleeping, depending on his mood that particular day.

It will be fun living among the alligators, taking pictures of their babies. I did get that experience once but the "computer" crashed thus they are gone except a few cards I made. I may scan them back in the computer and share them. At first I thought they were some type of salamander because of the bright color in them but I did some research and found out they were baby alligators. Watch out for mama though, they know she will protect them and I have heard them "calling" for her, while I am sitting in my kayak taking pictures of them!

I will keep you updated on our progress, at this time we are hunting for a pontoon to make into a "house".