Apr 2 - on the water, again

It turned out to be a beautiful day on the water, much better than our start !

We wouldn't all fit in the X5, so I headed there on the Harley.  I figured that I'd be able to come home on my own as well, after doing the wash-up duties.

I got there, parked, moved a cart over by a parking space expecting the rest of the gang to come rolling in and my cell phone rang -- the X5 would start but stall.  Great.  I told Jeffrey that I'd be back shortly and got back on the bike.

I figured that I knew why.  Earlier I'd checked the oil and also checked the air filter, dusting it off.  The car won't run without the Mass Air Flow sensor connected, so perhaps I inadvertently disconnected the wire to the sensor ?  I hoped that it was that simple.

Well, it was simple but not that simple.  The hose had simply come apart where it connects and is held in place by a hose clamp.  I had a devil of a time getting that hose back over its mate, but eventually I got it and the car started up and ran well.

I figure that this was another casualty of the alternator work -- that hose would have to be disconnected to get at the alternator from above.  Luckily this happened in conjunction with something that I'd done -- had it happened when we were rolling down the highway, I would have had no idea what the problem was.  Perhaps it had just gradually worked itself loose and my removal of the air filter was the final straw ... maybe.

Anyway, it was a water-and-island-only trip.  We had packed a lunch, which some of us (read Emma and I) ate on the way to the island.  We spent a long time there, enjoying the sun and the sand and the water.  The water was warmer on the side of the island facing the inlet, around 70F, being ICW water.  Along the south side of the island, where we were parked, there was a current from the tide coming in and the water was around 66F.  Regardless, Emma had a great time playing.  There were lots of dogs; it was like Saturday at the island. 

After our fun, Jeffrey, Emma, Sara and Zoe headed home in the X5 and Sandy waited for me.  We rode home on the Harley sans helmets (don't tell anyone !), with our baseball caps turned backwards.  Luckily there was no one to take pictures !

For dinner it was Copper River Salmon and potatoes on the grill with sauteed zucchini.

Our time together is almost up.  The gang leaves today.  Mary and John Kennedy come on the 12th -- a week Friday.  In between, I have a 600k in South Florida, to which, quite frankly, I'm not looking forward.  It does a complete circuit of Lake Okeechobee and I know that riding on that dyke there's going to be very little respite from the wind.  The ride after that is two weeks later, the same day that Mary and John leave; the Central Florida 600k. 

Onward ?