surf and turf

We have returned from our adventure on Granddad's farm.
We are very very full (Granddad likes to feed us) and tired.
It's a bit of a long way to the farm...

We drove there in a typhoon. Many inches of rain and high winds. And, surprisingly, the Volvo made it with no alarming messages displayed on the dashboard.
We had a hearty welcome and our first meal of GD's organic hamburgers.
And then I'm pretty sure we sat around watching the rain and the cows in the rain and sampled some of the gin and tonic, with lime that GD grew himself - of course.
Finally Granddad's wife, K2 came home, which was nice as I was craving female companionship.
Sometime around then we had some of this -



and some of this -



K2 says she buys the wine for the house and often bases her choices on labels. Which worked out just fine.

We sat and talked but went to bed pretty early as we had hoped that we could get an early start for a sail on the boat.



That's the boat, in the middle - GD sailed it, mostly alone, a very long way to bring it to his home after he bought it.
It's pretty and large and very comfortable.
But the thing was, while we were busy eating cheese and drinking moose(es)the day before, the typhoon was destroying harbors and marinas all around us.


See?
This boat is not supposed to be on this person's lawn.
And there were many sunken and misplaced boats all around Granddad's.
And while most of the boats in the marina where we were ended up being safe, the marina itself was under water completely for nearly 18 hours - so, needless to say, it wasn't really possible to go OUT on the boat.
But it definitely was possible to have a delicious picnic on the boat and partake of some pulled pork and cold beer!

I also got an opportunity to window shop for a boat for us -
and I chose this one:



pretty, isn't it?
I forgot to ask K how much it would be.
But I'm pretty sure we'd have to sell our house.
And I don't even really like boats...

While everyone was poking around the marina and choosing boats,
K offered to do some maritime chores.



Chores which involved wearing a harness and climbing like a pirate, or a monkey, or a monkeypirate up the mast and needing to come back down



for a knife - which could be held tightly in his teeth while he changed a light bulb.



Yes. Life at sea is very exciting.
But we were never nervous as we had all been instructed regarding the location of life vests and fire extinguishers and ropes and hooks and the pumping of the 'head.'



But you want to know what I wear at sea - don't you?



Galoshes! of course!

With our bellies full, our quest for the open ocean unattainable and our spirits only slightly damp, GD pointed out that he had passed a sign for something the boys might enjoy.
An indoor go-kart track...
and, you know, if you cannot sail - you might as well race!

It was an amazing place - and they were kind enough to let Youngest drive even though he did not meet the height requirement.
The fellas donned their protective head gear -





What?
You didn't know that F1 drivers wear hair nets?
Ask Joke - he'll tell you.

And then they went to their safety instruction class -



an arduous three minutes.

And finally!
The green flag!



It was pretty thrilling, as Youngest had to learn to drive and Middle and K were deeply involved in the kind of father/son racetrack conflict that a grandparent can truly appreciate.
Fortunately K was the victor, although Middle was only seconds behind (which they knew because they each got a print-out of their lap times).

But it was late -
and there were animals to be fed back on the farm.
And I am not referring to the goat.