A very cold winter

We've made it through most of February with very cold temperatures for the PNW.  There were quite a few days in the teens and twenties.  Our highest heating bill to date has been 130. dollars, not bad considering we've been blasting the heaters and using heated blankets.  That amount wouldn't have scratched the surface for utilities if we were on land - the bill would have been triple that amount, so we're happy.  This cold makes the boat feel damp and cooking doesn't make it any better. Just running the coffee pot steams up the windows in no time.

 Ice in the aisles of the marina.

Solid ice nearer the shore

About two months ago, way too late in the cold game, we covered the inside windows with thick visqueen.  Although it looks way too ghetto for my taste, it made a huge difference with drafts.  Because the windows come in different geometric shapes, hanging the visqueen wasn't easy.  Mike will take the stuff we have hanging now and shape it better so it fits the windows well.  Next year we will start earlier, seal the plastic more thoroughly and also cover the outside of the boat.   I'd love to be able to afford a product made for this application, but I'm sure it's very expensive to do so and saving money is what we are all about!

On January 7th we lost Sen.  I still have to hesitate when I say that to choke back tears.  She only made it 8 months on the boat and I have to say, they were not happy months.  She got used to the boat; getting on and off and the constant motion, but she never loved it.  About 2 days before she died we noticed a strange change in her behavior.  She got very clumsy and started tripping.  She didn't want to leave our side, even when we took her up to see her boyfriend in Bham, instead of running around with him, she spent the day laying on the bed.  We got her home, I went to work and when I got home Mike and I took her for a short walk.  Halfway through the parking lot she fell, cut her tongue and had blood dripping out of her mouth.  I can't describe the way she looked at me...her eyes were dull, like Sen was already gone.  Mike and I started crying and got her back to the boat knowing that this was the end.  We made the call to the vet and were told to bring her in in a few hours.  We got her over to the vet, after stopping by McDonald's to buy her a cheeseburger, and as soon as Dr. A saw her he said, "oh guys, she looks like she's had a stroke".  When she was lifted onto the exam table, she didn't fuss as she normally would have done.  Instead she just rested her head on her leg and was very calm.  Mike and I were a mess, tears everywhere.  Sen was our dear lady and the thought of losing her was so very painful, but we knew we were making the right decision.  The whole procedure went very smoothly and Sen just rested her head on the table and was gone.

Now I'm not a religious person.  I was raised fundamentalist and broke away from that craziness in my early 20's, but going through the trauma of putting your dog to sleep conjures up all your old teachings.  As the vet was helping Sen (and us) I could only picture Dog Heaven...a huge green flowery meadow (Sen used to love running in tall grass) with our old dog, Becky, waiting eagerly to welcome her old friend into paradise.  As the medicine was going into her vein, I told Sen, "Becky's waiting!  Tell her I said hello and that I love her".  It was odd, but strangely comforting.

Days go by and I still feel raw with missing her...