It has been awhile

 An almost 4 month break from blogging. Sorry folks, but I had my reasons. So, keep reading to find out.

It has become a very hot summer here in southern Ontario and work on the boat is really only possible early in the morning or late afternoon when temps are a bit cooler. However, work on the boat has progressed. More electrical work for kitchen outlets and a 12V plus solar powered vent on the ceiling above the cooktop. More grab handles for safety found their places as well kitchen Led ceiling lights got fitted incl. some miscellaneous wires for future installs. 

Benno installed four 100 amp Renogy lithium batteries in the boat that will become our so called house bank. As I mentioned before there are as well two 100 amp AGM (group 31) batteries that start the diesel engine and supply sufficient power to work the bow thruster and anchor windlass.

Not easy to install the batteries!

The platform for the batteries under construction

I worked on the design for the boat galley (kitchen). Space is at a premium, so it’s compacted but has all that is needed. The galley is now totally finished with hanging cabinet (I energized Benno to build it) and drawers in the counter, sink and cooktop are integrated including the fridge. There was a lot of woodwork for Benno involved and plenty of varnishing for me as well. The Corian countertop was purchased from a Mennonite counter top company that had done our house and some camper countertops over the years.

The old kitchen ripped out

The next project will be finishing the main cabin and settee, so stay tuned for that.

Now I am going to write about some unpleasant issue. I am not well and even had to call off a planned visit from Sue and Rick, dear cruising friends. I am sick. On April 15th, after my morning yoga exercises, I experienced some abdominal pain, felt sick and additionally thought I had a urinary tract infection. A trip to the walk-in clinic and a prescription didn’t seem to help much. In addition my eyes turned yellow and the following days my skin too. Another trip to the same walk-in clinic and another prescription that didn’t change much, I then went to the Princess Center Walk-in clinic here in Leamington and the doctor there was almost in shock seeing me. He ordered an immediately blood test, ultrasound, and followed by a CT scan. After the results were back I was told that I had pancreatic cancer. The doctor advised me to check into the Leamington hospital to get an MRI test done, which I did. That resulted also in a trip by ambulance to Windsor to get a stent inserted to relieve the jaundice and my skin became normal looking again.

Now, I’m in the capable hands of the London University Hospital and associated London Cancer Hospital, called the (Verspeeten Family Cancer Center) and many, many trips and talks with doctors later I have weekly chemotherapy treatments in the Chatham Hospital, which is a shorter trip than London and they are affiliated to the London University Hospital as well (everything is computerized nowadays). I am a fighter and Benno is a great support. So we keep on going, but some days are a bit tougher than others and blogging is far from my thoughts.

Oh, and we sold our travel trailer to a very nice couple and it lives now somewhere in Sudbury. The goal is still to finish the boat by next year to be able to make a trip to the Bahamas in the near future and to grab me some lobsters. 

Thank you for your patience with this blog.