For the past several weeks we have been traveling daily between Port Isabel and McAllen Texas in order to provide care for my father who suffered a stroke on May 11.

The first week he was in the hospital, more recently in rehab, relearning how to walk, talk, swallow and use his left side. Tomorrow, he is getting released and we are moving him to Laguna Vista to a really fine assisted living. The stroke left his mind pretty much untouched, but because of the lingering physical effects, he will require assistance. As he says...."I've left my old life behind, and now I'm ready to start my new one!"

He has spent his time in rehab working hard, and evaluating them and the facility, telling everyone within earshot "I'm a mechanical genius!"

I want to be just like my dad when I grow up.

At 88 years old, this is the man who imparted the love of the sea in me....as a young child in Southern California where I dreamed of being a later day Captain Nemo.....

Sometimes though, I'm not sure if he really intended it to go this far, but after many many years, I believe he is finally at peace with my direction and accomplishments...and I with his. It is indeed a fine spot in life.

As a young man, I served in the Coast Guard, and went to sea for a very short time aboard an old 180 foot buoy tender in Mobile Alabama, servicing the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MR. GO).....

Later, I fished in Kodiak and Dutch Harbor Alaska, chasing King and Tanner Crab, Halibut and Shrimp

....and then I became a biologist, and at one time even found myself aboard a specially outfitted shrimp boat trawling for turtles in order to keep them out of the dredge that was working Aransas Pass at the time....

I have never been very far from the sea.

My dad will be living a hopeful idyllic existance near the Laguna Madre, and just as hopefully, we are confident that he will be able to make a dance or two around the bay aboard Olivia, as we continue to upgrade and ready her for our planned trip south in 2008....

But, because of the immediate needs to attend to, I have had almost no time to spend with the boat, but I have managed to check her moorings, and today ran the engine and gave the topsides a much needed bath and scrubbing.

We are currently packing up my fathers apartment and getting it ready to move, a process that will probably take several weeks. Once this is complete, we are excited about getting some long distance shake downs, up the Texas coast, and down into Mexico to test out all of the upgrades we have made.... 

Next weekend (June 1st) I am taking a much needed diversiado and crewing with the commander and his dad aboard their newly purchased 32 Dahler in the "Race for the Border" from Galveston down to here (about 200NM)

Should be fun.