Galveston

The ship was underway for two days after leaving Ft Lauderdale, and we made good time except for one little bit of excitement.  Our first evening in Fla. we were at dinner and they made an announcement for blood donors to go to the medical center. We went back to our normal days at sea and in the middle of the first night things got very bumpy.  I mean, we were rocking and crashing down at the bow. Around 9 am the capt made an announcement we had turned course to head to New Orleans and we would rendezvous with a helicopter about 11am. They closed all balconies on the port side on several floors and moved those people out of their cabins.  Also they did not let anyone in the pool areas. Jim  and I ended up in the upper deck area by the putting green and had a great view of the entire rescue.  Our rocky travels were because we were basing right into the Wind and later when we turned the capt put out the stabilizers and we settled right down. Then we had our last sad night wandering the nightspots and looking at familiar faces.
Notes on Travel Continued
Before I left home I bought two silk jackets to wear for formal evenings. They are the greatest. I got them at Lind's Pharmacy in Freeland. First, they fold up flat and travel like a breeze. Second, they can go over a shell or anything else or they can be buttoned up and worn as a closed jacket. I bought a gold color and turquoise, but I am going back to get more if they have any left. They can go over a skirt or over a pair of black pants, and they are lightweight enough that even in the tropics they would work?  I noticed that lots of women had great sparkly tops to go with trousers or skirts for dress up, and I know people rotated back through things just like I did. On this trip I did not have enough short sleeved things. My idea that it would be cold all the time was wrong. The temps were normally around 65, and even higher. We had one cold day out of 32!  Gotta go, more later. The Whidbey Wagners.