Dress Up

Playing dress up on the second formal night.

I didn’t especially enjoy these nights when we started cruising with Cunard

 Proud of this picture I took!

but now I kinda look forward to them. 

We should have the official pics by a ‘real’ photographer tomorrow but these amateur shots aren’t half bad!

Cabo

The highlight of our day in Cabo was the scores of manta rays frolicking all around the ship.

Hubby saw them first on his morning walk around the decks; 

we thought it was a one time thing and I was sad I’d missed them. 

But this afternoon we spotted them from our balcony, where they put on quite a show. 

 White dot = manta ray splash

They’d jump, spin, then belly-flop *loudly* back into the water. 

So amazing!

Our friends said they saw hundreds of them, swimming alongside QE, just below the surface.

Definitely wish we’d seen that. 

One of the waiters at dinner said he was told it’s mating season, 

which would explain a lot of the exuberance and loud splashing.

Jump high, splash loud, get lucky??

This jet skier got too close to QE and the pilot boat was after them in a flash, chasing them away with lights and siren. 

Tonight we’re headed for Costa Rica, due to arrive August 2. 

 Heading back out to sea

Cruising

We made it through the long line at the port  - 

and despite on-going problems with Cunard’s new check-in software/equipment 

(our agent went thru 3 hand-held scanners trying to get us checked in)

we were on-board and having lunch within 2 hours. 

One of hubby’s suitcases got caught in Purser jail -

apparently hand-held clothing steamers are forbidden now, 

even though we’ve taken this one on two other Cunard cruises -

 Our traveling companions

but that was our only source of swearing snafu. 

By the time QE got underway at 7 pm, 

 USS Iowa

we were all on deck, 


libations in hand, 

ready for a bon voyage. 

Days 1 and 2 have been lazy, relaxing “at-sea” days.

We’ve reacquainted ourselves with QE, 

Commodore Club, our fav afternoon hangout 

read, napped, eaten and generally enjoyed ourselves.

One “gala” night is done, 

 UFO sighting off our balcony!

with two more happening before we reach Ft. Lauderdale.

(Don’t we clean up nice??)

We’re in Cabo tomorrow, then back at sea, headed for Costa Rica. See y’all soon!

Slow Boat

We’re leaving in the morning, boarding Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth in Los Angeles, for a trip to Cabo, Costa Rica, the Panama Canal, Aruba and Fort Lauderdale, where we'll disembark and fly home. Hopefully. We have one last c0vid test before boarding (no symptoms and we are all fully vaxxed). And with the ongoing airline problems, I've got my fingers firmly crossed already for our return flight.

On the bright side, youngest son has agreed to house-sit for us, so Lily will have company, and someone checking on her food and water. She’s my biggest worry when we’re away, so yay!

Cunard says they’ve upgraded QE’s internet/wifi, so we may have connectivity. If not, see y’all in two-ish weeks!

Grumpy

Showed Grumpy Jackie how to make dots 

with the back end of a paint brush

 Sad rock 

and suddenly had Happy Jackie

and a pan full of emotional rocks. 

New house motto - “paint your grumps away.”

Entertaining Jac

This summer is all about entertaining Jac, and some days are easier than others. 

Like today, when Jac and I took her “credit card” for a twirl at the local library. 

We came home with 5 books, including one about pigeons that Jac asked the librarian to help her find. Jac was pretty excited that the “book girl” found exactly what she wanted.

Other days, we try something a bit more elaborate,

like trying to melt ice with salt. 

Jac liked the food coloring part

 

but the “melting” was too slow to hold her interest. 

So, we borrowed some hammers from Pop

 Icebergs!

and took the party experiment outside. 

Much better.