Road Trip 2006

After much demand....

2006-12-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

The completed barn. I had very little to do with the finished project. Garth, with Lilly's help, did everything you see by himself.

Sunrise in the Catskills the day after a windstorm.

2006-12-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

No, it's not still fall in the Catskills. There no leaves left except for the evergreens. All that yellow and orange is reflected sunlight shining under a bank of clouds as the sun rose above the opposite hillside.

A Freezing Rain

2006-11-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

Winter-scape

2006-10-25T12:51:00.000-04:00

Upstate NY's first snow. Won't be around for long. Yesterday it was fall leaves and muddy trails. Today was unrecognizable. Rita loved it. Her first snowy adventure.

2006-10-15T21:44:00.000-04:00

And the star of the show...

2006-10-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

Rita, of course.

Back from another road trip

2006-10-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. Leonard Nash flew into Providence, Road Island where we started our tour in Upstate NY and drove through Vermont, New Hamshire and Maine. Unfortunately Lyn's Used Guns was closed...

Wild Turkeys

2006-10-02T13:20:00.001-04:00

As I drove up to the house I'm staying at in Cape Cod, a rafter of turkeys (had to look up the word for a group) slowly crossed the yard. I left Rita in the car and ran for my camera. The one with her head held high, on the look-out, I assumed was the hen.

Travel update: I start a road trip from the Cape to Upstate NY, through Vermount and up to Maine tomorrow. My friend Leonard is flying up from Hollywood, FL into Providence, RI where I'll be picking him up. Plan to take lots of photos and will post many here.

Take care! Andrew

More Whale Watching Photos

2006-07-19T08:43:00.000-04:00

Like the human fingerprint, no two humpback tails are alike and the unique patterns are used to identify individual whales. Here is the boat that took us out, part of the Dolphin Fleet.

Whale Watching in Provincetown

2006-07-18T11:14:00.000-04:00

This view of Provincetown was taken from the Dolphin VIII as we motored out toward the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. At the edge of Cape Cod we saw a mother and her calf feeding. Two others were "logging," which is as close to sleep as whales get since their breathing is voluntary. They were just floating along the surface and we were able to get very close. In all we saw six Humpbacks and a few Finback and Minke whales as well. Their size, power and grace is unbelievable. After getting back, I stopped at a bar over-looking the bay and met a Scotsman who's the owner of a local restaurant, The Pig, and a female bartender who's lived in Provincetown for over twenty years and got the inside scoop on local politics.

On the Cape

2006-06-27T20:40:00.000-04:00

Here is Rita on Chapin Beach in the town of Dennis, a short car ride from Yarmouth Port, where I'm now living.

We caught a 3-foot shark

2006-06-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

the day after this snorkel. It was a sand shark but still...

Fish On!

2006-06-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

The blue fish was caught using a hand line (Garth made, of course.)

First Morning Sunrise

2006-06-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

This was taken at 4:30 am over the Atlantic Ocean.

Waquoit Bay

2006-06-20T16:01:00.000-04:00

Garth, the Venetian Gondolier, pushes his hand made shallow draft yawl, Sea Fever, along the shore of Waquoit Bay to prepare for our last night in Cape Cod.

Netting the Mighty Blue

2006-06-20T15:56:00.000-04:00

Blue fish is good eating. We cooked this one up with butter, key lime juice, salt and pepper. Best fish we ever had. I caught this beauty just before the storm overtook us and Ari helped bring it on board. Unfortunately, it was the only Blue we caught on the trip. We'll just have to go back so we can land more.

Sailing Nantucket Sound

2006-06-20T15:49:00.000-04:00

The calm before the storm. We're on our way to Cape Poge Bay in Martha's Vineyard and trying to out race a squall. This is our first day sailing and it was awesome.

Jenna the pony

2006-06-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Here is Jenna just before she bolted across the field and ran down the driveway. Now that she's figured out how to escape, she's going to have to be fenced in.

Tomorrow morning Garth and I set off for our sailing trip, along with Ari. We'll be sailing across Nantucket Sound toward Martha's Vineyard.

Sea Fever

2006-06-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

This is Sea Fever, the boat Garth built. If the engine can be repaired in time, we'll set sail around Martha's Vineyard this coming Thursday. The weather looks like it might be bad, but right now that's the least of our worries.

Phase 2 of Pole Barn Complete!

2006-06-09T17:25:00.000-04:00

Phase 1 of Pole Barn complete!

2006-06-06T06:41:00.000-04:00

This was no doubt the hardest part thus far: getting these giant timbers (18 foot 6 x 6s) upright and into the holes, then plumbed to the string lines.
Today we mix more cement to pour down the holes and begin attaching the outer planks. (Lilly and Garth's farm in Halcottsville, NY. The barn will eventually be home to two horses and have storage room

for Garth's sail boat, Sea Fever, and possibly have an office upstairs.)

Wild Dunes, SC

2006-05-28T16:07:00.000-04:00

This is Wild Dunes, a resort Polly and Scott visit at the start of every summer. I'm staying with them on a pull out couch. Our first night there we were invited to a Low Country Boil, where sausage, corn, potatoes, and shrimp are all cooked in one big pot. Their friend, a newly elected Federal Judge was the chef and host, along with his wife. Today we hung out by the pool and later watched the French Open back at the house. In thirty minutes, we meet a bunch of their friends on the tennis courts. Rita, in case you're wondering, is being boarded at a nearby town and I'll be picking her up on Wednesday when I leave for New York.

Rita and Ginny...

2006-05-17T08:34:00.000-04:00

...hanging out in Polly and Scott's backyard.

Arrived in Atlanta

2006-05-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

It took twelve hours to get to Atlanta (passed a tractor-trailer fatality on I-75 which brought traffic to a stand still) but on Thursday I arrived at my sister's and brother-in-laws in Alpharetta three hours later than expected. Woke up early Friday to help set up dessert platters for EMILY'S BAT MITZVOH!! Tonight was dinner and services. Tomorrow is the big day when she reads from the Torah and then parties afterwards. The out-of-towners from Baltimore and Miami are staying at the Embassy Suites Hotels. Nice pool and gym but haven't had a chance to check them out yet. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Rita is staying at my sister's, hanging out with Ginny, their dog.

My Last Night In Key Largo.

2006-05-10T03:09:00.000-04:00

It's 3 am. Where else should my last night in Key Largo end except where it started, in the Caribbean Club, where Lourdes bartends. Steve and I went for two beers. Never happens. Played three games of pool. This is where Key Largo was filmed. Also Blood and Wine. Steve and I canoed last night in Largo Sound and ate all you can eat Stone Crabs for dinner. The season ends in a week. We finished the first draft of the new screenplay and it kicks ass. Best rough draft ever, so we were celebrating.

Next stop Atlanta. Stay tuned...

My Itinerary:

2006-04-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

All subject to change of course but this is what I have in mind right now:

Atlanta: May 11th - 26th
Wild Dunes, South Carolina: May 27th - 31st
Halcottsville, New York: June 2nd - 15th
Sailing Martha's Vineyard: June 15th - 18th
Bar Harbour, Maine: June 19th - ???

Another possibility:

Melbourne, Australia on a clinical trail for Meniere's. Drug involved: Viagra. No kidding. If I can get an all paid-trip to Australia I might do it. Stay tuned for details...

Rita in front of Largo Sound

2006-04-12T15:39:00.000-04:00

This is Rita my traveling buddy. She's standing at the end of our street in front of Largo Sound, which leads out to the ocean. From this spot I can easily put in a canoe or kayak and enter the mangroves through narrow channels or visit a nearby bird rookery. We'll miss this spot but hope to return next year.

Brainstorming our way South to Islamorada

2006-04-08T22:51:00.000-04:00

Looking to clear our heads during work on our new script, Steve and I drive his converted Suburban (it runs on used vegetable oil!!) South to Islamorada where we catch a beautiful sunset. I partake in a cold Corona and Steve a pina colada. After the sun goes down, a 3 foot shark swims by the dock I stand on. The drive helps remind me I'm living in a rare paradise few get the chance to enjoy.

This photo is from World Wide Sportsman's web page. The shop is also located in Islamorada. The boat in the center is a 46-foot Wheeler, the sister ship to Hemingway's "Pilar." This cabin cruiser was built the same year, 1934, and in the same boat yard in Brooklyn, NY as "Pilar." Inside is a writing desk and even an old typewriter. We took turns sitting in the chair. It's amazing that these old boats can be had for five grand these days. Steve tells me no one wants a boat made from wood anymore. Too much upkeep. But it was a total surprise for me to see the boat. I had no idea it was going to be sitting in the middle of this shop. We were heading upstairs to a bar, called the Zane Grey Long Key Lounge to see if Steve's friend was working. He was, but unfortunately I had a minor vertigo attack (from Meniere's, which I'll explain at some later point if I have to) so I had a harder time enjoying the sites of the bar, which were impressive as well with tons of Zane Grey artifacts and photos of many of his fishing records, like a 1000 lb tuna! The bar itself was an antique from New Orleans.