Renne' and I left immediately while they were pulling the engine out of the boat. I realized it was going to get awfully crowded and the smell of diesel is not Renne's favorite aroma. We had a week to blow off while we were waiting to get Renne's '55 Chevy Belair over to the Concours De Elegance' Keels and Wheels Car and Boat Show at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas. Our lovely friend, Karen Tisdel took pity on our plight and allowed us to stay with her while we were in Houston. What a wonderful time! Thanks Karen, you are a jewel.
While Renne' and Karen were able to really get to know each other again, I spent the best part of that week getting the two storage units, the '55 Chevy, and the Chevy's trailer moved from one side of Kemah to the other. While we have been gone, our friend Mike Womack closed in half of the carport area under the house for a garage and storage area so we could move out of the units and save that $350 per month!
With that finally done, we spent the weekend showing the car. As Renne' is still sleeping as I write this, I will either try to get the pictures loaded in the next blog entry or get them up on facebook later. We didn't win this year. We were very disappointed, but such is life. The frame-off (complete nut and screw reconstruction of the car) on the Chevy was done in 1994. The car that won was completed in 2011. So Renne' made the decision to not sell the car, but to keep it and drive it while we are in the Clear Lake area from here on in. I will try my darndest NOT to been there when it is HOT or COLD! There is no air conditioning and the heater has not been used in 2 decades!! LOL!
After leaving Houston, we headed for Columbia, SC to see Shannon and Renne's Mom and Brother and his family. We were able to mooch (stay with) my friend Keith Davis (award winning violin maker, famous author, Professional bag piper, and all around nice guy) and his lovely wife, Diane at their home in Hammond, Louisianna.
Got back to Key West a week ago, when our friend Yvonne Guy, arrived. Now we are in the Gateway Inn at NAS Boca Chica, Florida Keys while the boat is completed. Today is Thursday. The engine was virtually completed on Tuesday, but we discovered that the throttle cable on the old engine and the throttle cable on the new engine require opposite approaches. Again, for the uninitiated, now, when you push the throttle forward from the normal idle position, the engine goes from full speed to idle - not idle to full speed. So yesterday and this morning we are waiting on a mounting plate, either to arrive or be fabricated today. I will be leaving shortly to go back to Marathon (which I have done each day) to finish cleaning up the boat. We hope we will have a test run today. After that we hope to leave for Boca Chica and bring the boat back. We have more guests coming in this weekend!!
We are also beginning to research our plans for June through November, and it looks like we will be leaving early in June for the Chesapeake. So perhaps you can catch up with us there!! We will be giving up our slip here at Boca Chica and will reapply for a slip for two years from now.
www.keels-wheels.com/
We will meet you out on the docks for sundowners
Jon and Renne'
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