... presumably not the same boat?!!!

to all on the jigsaws!

More likely to chase the previous.

Everybody. I'm sitting here watching our second big snow storm of the season just pile up amd blow around in the yard. My feral cats were out running around in it but now they are in their little heated house snuggling close together and keeping warm as am I with my wood stove burning strong and the smell of black eyed peas and ham cooking in a big stew pot. Mmmm, life is good!

Shar - when do we eat? Sounds wonderful!

Happy New Year everybody!

Kay - forgot to say lovely photo!

Great Photo Kay. I saw this ship under construction in Fremantle, Western Australia many years ago and been on board when it was in the Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Beautiful picture, Kay!

From one big ship to another, although this one seems safer. I have been on it as well in Sydney, many years ago and have a picture of the family pretending to steer it and I am extremely pregnant with my youngest son, they have all left home now, makes me feel old.
Thanks for the memory kickstart Kay.

Would that have been 1988 Joann?

I am in love. Now THAT'S a real ship!

Very lovely, Kay -- I know you are fond of the ships!
Shar, your "feral" cats are some lucky ones with a heated house -- purrrrrrrrr! How kind of you to provide for them. Good Karma too.

Thanks, everyone. While I was aboard her my imagination was in overdrive. When she was coming up the river heading in to port, I was standing on a gazebo built over the marshes near my house. It was a very foggy morning and all of a sudden she appeared out of the fog almost right in front of me. I hadn't heard a sound! Awesome...

Correction: The ship is not docked at the Port of Wilmington -- she's docked at the riverfront walk in the historic district of downtown Wilmington. The port is in the distance, seen under the bridge.

And one more comment ... Shar, I thought ham hocks and black-eyed peas was a southern thing! The only thing missing from your New Year's Day meal is fresh collard greens!

We had a friend and business partner(now deceased)who was one of the principal boatbuilders of the Endeavour. He died whilst building it.

I'm lucky enough to love not far from Whitby - Captain Cook's home port. To see the Endeavour (replica) leave her home port with the Abbey ruins and the old town houses in the background is a beautiful sight. It's very easy to go imagine oneself back a couple of hundred years. Fantastic photo More...

Hi Kay, I did get into the tradition of Black-eyed peas and ham hocks when I lived in the South (Fla) but as I got older the ham hocks were too greasy so now I buy a lean honey ham with a bone in it and cook it that way. Less grease and less salt. My friend never cooked them with collard greens More...