Hello from still sunny Turkey where it is still in the high 20s during the day but drops off quickly at night. We are thoroughly enjoying being able to wear normal clothing and put the swimwear away for a while.
We enjoyed a visit from Chip and Mark, two of our dearest friends in the world, in August and were able to show them how amazing Turkey and boat life can be. Much laughter, wining and dining, shopping and swimming was done as well as a few touristy things. This included a weekend getaway trip to Rhodes (Greece) for more of the same. Chip arranged some really cool sightseeing events so we got to see some areas of the island I'd missed before. We took the ferry from Fethiye to Rhodes instead of Belvedere, which would have been more fun, but all the check-ins and outs make it not only cost prohibitive but a pain in the arse to just go to an island you can see from Turkey! The Turkish/Greek politics seems to have no end with the only slightly agreeable aspect being tourism. We'll be back in Europe most likely some time this coming summer and enjoy our 90 days and see more of Greece then. Really want to get to Santorini and see all that Greece has to offer. Though I know my heart will remain far more fond of Turkey for a myriad of reasons.
September was dry as toast—which is normal—not a drop of rain since May left the environ ripe for fire. Unfortunately a geriatric bee keeper accidentally set fire to the mountains surrounding our anchorage. It was quite a spectacle to behold as the helicopters and planes came down all around us to get the water needed to fight the fires. The flames spread fast from the 30-40 knot winds making it difficult to put out. It displaced many of the naval base's families as the the flames approached the base but luckily it didn't get to their homes. When all was said and done the fire burned for about a week until finally being officially declared out. I'd bragged to my parents how beautiful our anchorage was many times but now most of what they saw upon their arrival the end of September was charred mountain sides. Still beautiful but sadder for themselves than two weeks prior.
The parental unit (Ron and Bev Stubner) arrived September 28th for 3 weeks of perfect weather and more of the same wining and dining and sightseeing one would expect. The They were troopers as it is a long trip to get here but I think in the end they thought it was worth it. Most Americans don't think of Turkey as a destination for anything except reliving the movie Midnight Express. Nothing could be further from the truth. You owe it to yourself to get to Turkey at least once in your life.
It was so amazing to get to show my parents some the wonders of Turkey, from the 'usual' ruins dating back to BC (a sight you actually get used to as they are everywhere) to a drive to the top of Babadag mountain to watch the spectacle that is paragliding in Olu Deniz and mom and I took the cable car down into town while Jeff and Dad drove back down the mountain. Dad is not a fan of heights but did find it worth the effort and loved the views. Mom and dad had the unexpected surprise of Mick and Jill Lemon turning up to at the bar one night! They overlapped a fall trip out in order to see the parents (and us) and we ended up going out to eat for mom's early birthday and celebrating us all being together again after many years.
The last couple days of their trip we rented a car so I could drive them back to Izmir so they could fly back home. I had no idea Izmir was so big! It was mom's birthday so we went shopping at a ginormous mall called Optimum. We checked the rental car at the valet as I didn't want to try to remember where we parked as this place was so big. Fast forward 3 hours or so later we drive back to the hotel. It is then that I decided to bring the rest of their luggage in as I didn't want to leave it in the car overnight. Pop the boot/trunk to grab the bags, but there are no bags! My heart fell into my feet as I tried to make sense of this and upon looking at the key fob I realise the valet gave us the wrong car. Without saying anything to my dad who was waiting for us at the hotel we threw the car in drive and freaked out for 4 miles during rush hour back to the mall. As luck would have it they had not given our car to anyone else. We were so relieved as that would have been a really crap way for them to end their trip.
It was so sad saying good-bye to Bev and Ron but I know we showed them a good time with very few hiccups and they had a blast. I also knew they'd be so happy to get home as anyone is after such a long trip. Now I just need to plan my trip home which I'm hoping to do sometime in spring or summer of 2023.
October also had Jeff crewing for Noel Hardy aboard Osprey of South Port (Australian flag) for Marmaris Race Week. The crew was made up of the Australian captain and his beautiful Turkish gal Sevgi as well as Omar the Brit, Alexi the Russian, Peter the Bulgarian, Renato the Brazilian and Andy the Canadian. Being the biggest boat in the regatta and the winds nonexistent most of the day, Osprey was doomed to last place or close to it. But the nightly celebrations and camaraderie made up for any trophies not earned and it was declared a success all the same.
Enter November: where I was missing family and friends and finding myself out of sorts. I love our life aboard Belvedere but something was missing. I've found myself feeling so disconnected from normality and that sense of home despite essentially 'living the dream'. Boat life is amazing but it isn't easy and sometimes living life without a physical address has me yearn for land and its relative stability. Ever since leaving America for England (and having to give up my beautiful pittie Jake) I have missed having a dog in my life. While in England I always had someone's dog while they were on holiday or to play with when I was at others houses or in the pub but it wasn't the same thing. To make matters worse I see street dogs daily and had taken to feeding them whenever I encountered them and buying them treats as well as doing the same for stray cats. The next step in my obvious need for companionship and unconditional love had me receiving daily postings on Facebook for various charities that feed, spay/neuter and help the many stray cats and dogs of Turkey. This, of course, led me to inquire about a dog in desperate need of a home that ACU (Animal Care Uzumlu) had been posting about for at least two weeks or longer. After much back and fourth in my head, I made the decision to rent a car and drive 2 hours to foster this adorable street dog that had been through so much in her short life. She simply could not go back to the streets.
The first week had me seriously thinking I'd made a horrible, horrible mistake at the dogs expense. She was used to wondering around looking for food and not at all used to just hanging around and being loved on. She did seem to like us as she wagged her tail a lot but she could not understand why the hell she was out in the middle of the water on a boat at anchor. She began jumping into the dingy from the swim platform and making me a nervous wreck as I never knew when she might fall in. She wanted to be on the deck all the time or in the dingy because she knew it would go to shore at some point. But ACU assured me that all of this behavior is normal. Even on land the streets dogs try to escape and don't like being inside. They are programmed to roam.
We then put the dingy on a long rope to keep it far enough from the boat to deter her but she'd just sit there and watch it all day. While it kept her from constantly jumping in it (a dumber dog would have let it go) eventually the dingy floated to the side of the boat where Pebbles (the name given to her by her rescuers) decided to jump off the side of the boat and into the dingy! And this dear reader is where the aforementioned life lesson I learned had me planning how to break the news to the rescue that this was not going to work for her or for me.
Twice daily I must take lil miss to the shore so she can do her duty on land and get a walky. This means loading her into the dingy (something she now does all herself) and tie the dingy on shore while I walk her. Feeling superior that I got her there and back to the boat, I accidentally hit the gas while preparing to get off the dingy back onto Belvedere and because I had not yet turned the outboard off, into the water I went—and away went Pebbles in the dingy without me. I had not put the kill cord for the outboard on my wrist which would have stopped the engine allowing me to do the swim of shame to procure the dog and dingy. Instead I found myself in tears and screaming for our boat neighbors to help me. I believe I woke them up as poor Kathy still had night cream on her face. But being the good friend she is she got dressed and came and got me so we could catch the dog before she made it into the marina on her own. I was so scared she'd jump out. Wet, cold and crying we approached the dingy which was already in the capable hands of the laughing marinaras (marina workers) who had gotten to her before us.
I felt cruel and stupid for thinking this could ever be a good life for her. I promised I'd keep her for a month though and despite my nerves being frazzled, little by little we all made progress. She's settled into her routine. I've gotten better at handling her and the dingy and I ALWAYS wear the kill cord. ALWAYS. I am equally happy to report that we are now officially a foster fail! Pebbles will be sailing her way into your hearts at some point just as she has sailed into ours. While it was a rough start we are all very happy now. The void I had felt before is very much filled with her. I couldn't give her back now for all the kill cords in China.
A message from Pebbles the Dingy Dog: To help the organisation that saved me and give other stray cats and dogs a chance to experience better outcomes whether on the street in a home or yacht, please consider a donation to www.facebook.com/ANIMALCAREUZUMLU/
Comments