February 1, 2009
Sunday
54* and chilly
It did warm up considerably as the day went by. We did adjust the lines on the mooring ball as they were making so much noise we thought we would commit suicide! So freaking noisy with the lines rubbing against the mooring tie off and once that was done there was no noise at all…it is a wonderful thing and cannot believe we waited so long to change things. I thought we were heading out to see Blanca again but that was not the case. Today turned out to be a day of computer efforts. I am so not into this. We spent the entire day downloading pictures and trying several attempts at different ways to get pictures downloaded and sent for your view. OMG…I would like to hire someone for this task…it is not my cup of tea to say the least. We started at 11:00 and by 5:00 I was so spent! Thankfully, Barry has the patience of a saint and went on and on to perfect the process. Picasso is a wonderful tool and we will continue to use it along with being able to use MSN to send the pics so you can review without clicking on the Jpeg files one at a time. Hope the result was satisfactory…not much else to say other than I hope we are done with this crap! Sorry….just so frustrating to me. Good night to all…and looking forward to another wonderful day in paradise.
February 2, 2009
Monday
75* and cloudy
Happy Birthday Sammi!
My neck and shoulders were killing me this morning from sitting at the computer all day yesterday…painful memories of doing the same when I was working at MetLife.
It has warmed up considerably today and we have a busy schedule planned. First a trip to West Marine where Barry dropped $300 for a new fender to replace the one that escaped while we were back home for Christmas, fender covers, and other necessities for the boat. Back to the boat and we made a drop of our purchases, had lunch and then off again. I wanted to see Blanco again before we leave and sneak some pics of him. He is such a cool bird. So that is our first stop…and we say our good-byes. Next we dropped off our application for aWinn-Dixie card as every store now requires “a card” in order to get the discounts and sale prices. Next door is K-Mart and we head in for snorkel equipment for me…my birthday gift, paper towel (of course) Kleenex and that kind of stuff. Incredible what a rip off West Marine can be as the same exact equipment was at K-Mart for 1/3 of the price. The meme cart was quite full after this stop, but we still have 2 more stops to go. There were a few things we needed from the market that Winn-Dixie did not carry so we move on down the road to Publix. Hate this place with its extremely high prices, but in the south….this place is King. Barry hung outside with the meme cart while I ran in. I
managed to make my way thru all the elders in the crowded isles. Oh my…it must have been senior citizens day as the market was packed with them and their slow going movements down the isles. When I got outside I noticed there was someone speaking with Barry. Well….Arthur Dove, (61, war vet, with gorgeous blue eyes and a ponytail) had Barry’s attention. Barry got the whole scoop while I was shopping. Later he asked me to never leave him outside alone again. LOL. Poor Arthur was out there saving the world from Vortex (whatever that may be.) The VA Medical Center is missing one of their finest and he his Thorazine, for sure. Next stop is Boater’s World where there are additional items that could not be had at West Marine. We scoop up that stuff and add it to the ever growing pile in the cart. Last, but not least, the liquor store finds us at its door. Two cases of booze and wine (who knows what we will find in Key West so we loaded up) are finagled into meme’s cart and we make the 1 mile waddle back to the marine. It was amazing that all this stuff fit in the dinghy. After our finds are unloaded we relaxed for a bit prior to a storm coming in. Simply amazing…we sat on the bridge while thunder and lightning crashed all around us and the rain beat the boat considerably. Most of the windows got a nice bath and that saves me from getting out there to clean…thank you rain! Wind gusts were up to 34 mph and the sheets of rain seemed never ending. It was very interesting to watch the storm go thru the area on a program Barry has called WxWorks for Weather. It actually spots the boat and we could watch the storm coming thru….neat, very neat. Leftover steak and rice for dinner and email and blog duties. Night to all.
February 3, 2009
Tuesday
73* and partly sunny
Happy Birthday Danielle!
We spent a good part of the morning taking care of money matters. Lunch and then headed to the Marina to drop off trash, West Marine for another washer for the fender and then to Panchos for fuel. We went to Burdines, that is the next dock over, to the top deck for a beverage that turned out to be a beverage and sharing of a wonderful chicken, spinach and feta cheese burger with their signature fries. The fries could be signature, but greasy and just okay. The burger on the other hand was great. At Burdines we met Herman the egret! He visits Burdines every day to be fed fresh fish. He was great. He starts out on the ledge of the deck and then gingerly eases his way to a table then ultimately to the bar where fresh fish awaits him…and where is the camera when we need it….on the boat of course. We have decided to spend a few more days here as
Mother Nature will not cooperate with traveling to Key West as we anticipated. Karen will now drive from Key West to Marathon and we will move on Sunday or Monday. Traveling to Key West would be doable tomorrow, but the mooring field will not be so pleasant sleeping-wise in the forward cabin for Karen. The weather promises to get
better by the weekend and we will head out with Karen in tow at that time. At least she will be able to experience traveling on the open water which I love so much. We had plans to skype with Pam and Tom but that was unsuccessful. We did manage the same with Danielle and Michelle and got a good look at the pets we left behind. Time for Boston Legal! Great show…so funny. Night to all for now.
February 4, 2009
Wednesday
73*
Sunny
Today is a working day for us. Trash gets brought to the marina and Barry paid for another week’s mooring fee. Then we took a short dinghy cruise as it was so calm…perfect traveling weather, but we are not doing it. It promises to be windy with high seas for the next few days and mooring in Key West will be a bear. We head back to the boat to clean…Barry takes care of the dinghy and I inside cleaning the bridge and all of the isinglass. I also cleaned the mold that accumulated on the icemaker door. The dingy sparkles! He did such a good job with the new products he bought that promise to keep it clean for quite some time. I hope so because he busted his butt. We tried to find a leak that has been bothering us for quite some time, but to no avail. We could not find any leaks at the bottom of the dinghy. This is quite the mystery. First we thought it was the plug and that was replaced…still leaking. We hauled it up with the winch and checked the bottom…no splits anywhere…still a mystery and very annoying as the dinghy always has to be bailed of about ½ gallon of water every morning. I am sure Barry will prevail at some point because this really gets his goat! The temp is suppose to drop to the mid 40’s tonight…cannot believe this. I just hope the weather improves for Karen’s arrival.
February 5, 2009
Thursday
Sunny
45* chilly, chilly
54* inside
We got up and made coffee and hung on the aft watching a slide show of Barry’s Loop Trip. I am sure it was quite nice for him to reminisce and I was enthralled with the
pictures…so very nice. We accomplished a bit more cleaning finding mold in the forward cabin. He knew he smelled it but not sure where it was coming from until we looked up….and there is was. Bleach and water went to work…and I am sure will satisfy the problem. A bite for lunch and vacuuming was in order as the temp climbed to a somewhat comfortable 64*. At 2:30 I decided laundry was in order and we scurried to get everything ready for the move to the miserable Laundromat. I don’t want to be in a crunch doing laundry and shopping tomorrow. Amazingly enough all was clear and I had the entire area to myself. I was done by 4:30 and the captain returned to pick me up. I feel that much better with only shopping as a task for the morning before Karen’s arrival. They need an upgrade big time at the Laundromat which is coming soon, but still not sufficient enough for the 200 boats moored in this harbor. Back at the boat I finished my book…Skipping Christmas by John Grisham…very good, funny…done in one day…another I could not put down. I now want to watch Christmas with the Kranks that I think must have been based on this book. Dinner and bed is in order…awaiting our company! Night to all.
February 6, 2009
Friday
Sunny
54* and chilly
Water temp 60*
Happy Anniversary Trisha and Steve! Wishes for many more!
Again it is a chilly day and at best 54* when we awakened at 7:30. Coffee and a quick breakfast prior to heading out to market again…feels like we are always shopping! Bundled up we head to the dinghy dock at 9:30 with the meme cart in tow. First stop was K-Mart to search for water shoes…none. We hit CVS…none. Fine…whatever. Winn-Dixie is our next stop and most of our needs were met other that fresh mozzarella and dough. And, again, I need to ask what country we live in! Most of the employees were Spanish and did not speak English and had no idea what we were asking for which never ceases to amaze us. Winn-Dixie did have water shoes and scooped up a couple pairs. We headed over to Publix…the hate of my life…so freaking expensive. But, on the other hand I was able to find the fresh mozzarella, a great loaf of bread, and, after some doing, someone who spoke English at the bakery who he hooked me up with the dough….freshly made. Just these few items totaled $15.00, and thank you Publix for once again raking us over the coals. We also stopped at Home Depot where I purchased a Bromeliad to replace the flowers. It is beautiful with a big red flower already in bloom and a better option of a table display that will keep on giving without replacement. Done!
We made the trek back to the Marina by 12:30 in anticipation of Karen’s arrival. Back at
Sea Fox we unload and just as we are finished Karen called and she is in Marathon awaiting a taxi to the Marina. Barry headed over to scoop her up and in no time they
were back at the boat. After she settled in we had a bit to eat and just chatted catching up. It had warmed up considerably by now and Karen was enjoying the warmth, which was a far cry from home. She was loving it and we were very happy for her. Later we feasted on steak and mashed potatoes for dinner and more chatter. It cooled off quite a bit and by 10:00 she retired as did we. Hoping to hit the art festival tomorrow as it will be too chilly for the beach…maybe we can do that on Sunday as it is suppose to get warmer as the days go by and hopefully by Monday we can make a run for it to Key West. That is all for now…until another time….love to all!
February 7, 2009
Saturday
54* and very chilly
We are up and at the coffee by 7:30. Sitting on the aft waiting for the weather to warm up made the morning fly by and really did not warm up to anything substantial. It was a very cloudy day and reached about 65*. Karen was still satisfied as coming from 0* even 50* was a welcomed relief. I wished the clouds would have gone away as it would have made the day a bit better…but again, she was not complaining. We had a bite to eat and around noon we headed over to the Marina to scoot on over to the art festival. This art festival is to benefit Pigeon Key, an island just a bit west of Marathon, that was devastated by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and the bridge that connects it to Marathon has been closed since as proper repairs still have not been accomplished. The continue the fund raising with the hopes of getting it back up to snuff. The festival was somewhat small with many local artists and some from other parts of the country set up booth-style trying to sell the wares. Pricey! Very similar to the Scituate Art Festival but on a much smaller scale. There was live music and a couple of food booths. We wandered around browsing at everyone’s offerings. There were a few things that tickled my fancy, but definitely nowhere to put them on the boat. We moved on to the food booths and we all had Gyros. They were okay, but nothing like Chicago’s fare. The Gyros in downtown Chicago are simply the best. Back to the boat we headed and set ourselves up for Upwords. And, gee, surprise, surprise guess who won both games. It never ceases to amaze me where Barry comes up with these words….he sees words that I would never imagine. Karen is determined in a rematch she will kick his butt. She did extremely well as this was her first time playing….the girl caught on very quickly!!! Good job, Karen!
Late dinner of Sheppard’s Pie with ground turkey and faux mashed potatoes made from cauliflower instead…it tastes great and is very good for you also. We devoured the
pie…pigs that we are. It was nearing 10:00 and I had had it for the day. I retired and Barry and Karen remained on the aft chatting until 1:30 not realizing the time. I was so glad I went to bed. All I could hear was Oh Shit when he climbed into bed. My thoughts exactly. I was not going to be the hurting puppy in the morning. All is good!
February 8, 2009
Sunday
60* at 8:00
Getting better!
It is still cloudy, but 10 degrees warmer than yesterday at this time. Nice! Coffee on the aft with contemplation of the day. The Turtle Hospital was decided upon for the 1:00 tour. We had enough time to take Karen for a cruise to Sombrero Beach on the Atlantic side and it was actually quite pleasant on the dinghy. All in all she has managed to take 350 pictures since she has been here, mainly due to the “rapid fire” adjustment she has on her camera. She can shoot once and the camera with take 20 shots in just a few seconds. Very cool as it is almost like watching a movie while you scan thru them. We arrived at the Hospital in time for the tour. It is a 90 minute program with almost the first hour being educational…and it was. The last part of the tour was a walk thru the actual Hospital and viewings of the nurtured turtles. There are 22 there at this time with 17 of them permanent residents as there is no way they can be returned to the sea due to particular injuries. Some have birth defects that make them swim in circles, virtually going nowhere while others have missing appendages. It was very sad to see some of them but it is wonderful how they are being cared for. Those that are permanent residents are housed in a pool that is an area of coastline that has been corralled for them. The turtles share this space with several huge Tarpon measuring up to 4 feet in length. All of the injuries are due to us….humans. Fishing line disposed into the ocean gets tangled around their appendages, they get hit by a passing boat, and what really got me was the fact that they will eat anything from the sea and that clogs their digestive systems making them gravely ill. They, evidently, are like goats….they eat anything and everything they find in the ocean such as plastic bags and any other debris. Their systems get so clogged that they can no longer dive and are stuck floating above the water. Passersby find them and contact the Hospital who sends out a rescue boat to retrieve them and treat them until they are able to be returned from where they came. So, clean up your litter! Especially at the beach! Hear me? Okay…enough rambling. Barry made us pizza for dinner that as always was simply delish. I made a couple of calzones for the ride to Key West tomorrow. Yes! We are finally leaving Marathon. It was very nice here but it is time to move on. Karen needs to truly enjoy her vacation and walking up and down Rt. 1 cannot be enjoyable. Ciao for now!
February 9, 2009
Monday
60 ish when we got up
Sunny
Engine hours at day’s end 1374
Water temp 63
We headed out at 7:29 exactly….the sun was shinning and we are headed for Key West. We traveled the Hawk Channel all the way and it is a wonderful thing Karen and Barry have retired to bed and I have some alone time to blog. It was a wonderful 3 hour trip over from Marathon, but we are a bit discouraged with the mooring field at Garrison Bight. It is a long haul to shore from where we snagged the ball and the seas are choppy. AUGH…not at all what I expected from Key West and the Garrison Marina. It is a 15 minute, very wet ride to the dingy dock and another ½ .mile walk to town. There is another spot where we could anchor, but the ride in will be wet also. We need to choose the lesser of the evils. The area where we can anchor will be choppy but closer to town with the availability of a water taxi. I am thinking we should move tomorrow and we shall see. The water taxi will be a nice ride to town if we want to be there at night…and I do…so that will be a thought. After checking in with the dock master we headed back to the boat around 3:00. We set ourselves up with Upwords and played 3 games. Barry won 2 and Karen 1. Kudos to Karen!!! I am in the never ending 3rd spot. In between all of this we did manage dinner that was great chicken and pasta. I need to go to bed…much pondering tomorrow for what is best for Sea Fox and us. Night to all. Signing off!
February 10, 2009
Tuesday
Sunny and 70*
We slept in a bit this morning. We contemplated our trip into town and as that was going on Barry noticed there was a lobster pot so close to the boat that it was traveling under the boat…not a good thing. If the line made its way far enough under the boat it could get wrapped around the props and that would be a mess, to say the least. We were given the option of moving to another ball yesterday by the harbor master, but it was so close to the one that we were on that it really made no difference so we stayed where we were. Now that other ball was sounding very good. We prepare to make the move and head to the other ball that was not so far away. Yesterday our intention was to get closer into the shoreline but the balls that are close are occupied by year round tenants and they are very protective of their “spots.” The mooring ball that we are attempting to snag was new and
there was no line attached to the loop of the ball…very strange….and very difficult to grab. I managed to grab the loop with the boat hook but the current was so strong that the ball literally took the hook out of my hand. The boat hook fell into the water but fortunately it was still attached to the loop and floating around! I ran to the swim platform with the line in the attempt to rescue the hook and get a line thru the loop. I managed to retrieve the boat hook and even get the line thru the loop. I have no idea what happened and the line was freed from the loop. Karen was trying as hard as I to get this sucker under control…to no avail. Barry ended up dropping the anchor to get in the dinghy and tie the lines on to the ball. Then Karen and I were able to scoop up the lines and tie them off to the cleats of the bow…what drama! Never has it been so difficult to snag a mooring ball. I have no idea why there was not a line that could be brought up to the bow and tied on the cleat. By the time we completed this expedition it was noon and thoughts of going to town for the day are being rethought. We decided to have lunch and spend a lazy day on the boat reading. Karen and I retreated to the upper aft to sit in the sun…absolutely gorgeous out there. Barry played around with the security system to get it running right. The day flew by so quickly. Before we knew it 6:00 rolled around. We continued to read and had a late dinner. Very peaceful day. It will be early to bed and early to rise as we want to be on our way to town to explore the city tomorrow. Sleep tight!
February 11, 2009
Wednesday
70*
Sunny
What a wonderful day! We headed out to shore at 10:00 and found the bus terminal. We bought passes for Barry and me for the month for $25 and Karen for the week for $8.00. Then we proceed to town. Duval Street was our first stop and it is a wonderful thing. It is amazing downtown. We debated on the Conch Trail/Trolley tour as opposed to renting a car. There were electric cars available also and we opted for that adventure. It was an open car somewhat like a golf cart and that is what we decided on. About $100 dollars later we were on our way. We headed to the post office so Barry could mail off and at that point the parking brake was not working. We brought that car back for another and we were on our way. We sought out Louie’s Back Yard on Jack’s recommendation and what a wonderful spot it was. It is right on the beach and the food was to die for. What a wonderful lunch! We move on to Hemingway’s Home and did the tour. He led a very interesting life to say the least. The many cats on the tour were great for me as I miss my kitties so much. We also visited the cat cemetery on the property. There also was a cat condo and many other cat houses planted all around the property for their protection. Our tour guide was good, but his begging for tips at the end of the tour was disheartening.
We jumped back into the car and headed on an adventure to the Harbor Walk. It has warmed up substantially…probably in the mid 80’s. What a great place with many restaurants and shops along the way. We moved on to seek and find as Barry and I will be here for 6 weeks. We found Publix, Home Depot, Winn Dixie and all the other spots that will be necessary for our stay. From there we visited Smather’s Beach…very nice and hope to get there again for a day trip via the bus. It was nearing 4:30 at that time so we headed back to drop off the car as we are now on one bar perhaps due to the directionals not shutting off. The car was on its last leg. We got rid of the car and walked back to Duval to head to Mallory Square for the sunset. Much going on in Mallory Square with street performers also begging for tips but so much fun. We watched one on a unicycle who was quite entertaining and there were clowns, jugglers and the like all over the square. The public bathroom was another adventure as there was almost no toilet paper and we were handing the only roll down the line as we each ripped off a segment for our turn in a stall. We headed to the bus line as it is time to head back to the boat. We had 40 minutes to kill so we stopped at the Half Shell Raw Bar for a drink….simply amazing as the walls are covered with license plates from all over the country…many from Mass and RI. Afterwards it is to the bus stop we head. A very short ride back to the marina and we head back to Sea Fox. Libation and we are good to go. We also found out in our travels today that there is no water taxi. Barry is now contemplating a late night dinghy ride as the seas are calm and it will be so much fun. Will let you know what happens tomorrow….dinghy ride or not…and the drama continues. It was such a wonderful day. Sleep tight!!!! Love to all.
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February 12, 2009
Thursday
Very warm and sunny
90* when we got up around 10:00
Water temp 70*
We did take that dinghy ride last night. It was a great night for a cruise and headed over to Key West Marina in the old part of town…downtown. Absolutely beautiful night. We have now decided we will remain in the mooring field for a month. When we were at Mallory Square last night you could actually see the boats rocking with the wakes that blew by. The anchorage across from old downtown is a wonderful location to be across from but rocking and rolling all the time would not make for fun on Sea Fox. One would think that area would be a no wake zone but it is not. The seas and wind have diminished significantly and the dinghy ride to the Garrison dinghy dock is no longer wet. We also like Garrison better than Key West Marina because there is always room for the dinghy and is protected by a locked gate for the patrons only. Key West Marina has a dinghy
dock but because it is right on the Harbor Walk it is always packed. So, we were all up until 2:00 this morning and slept in a bit. We need to replenish the fridge so Barry and I took off around 12:30 and left Karen behind to read. The bus line here is great as it is always on time and the stops so many that you can go pretty much anywhere by bus. We contemplated the lesser of the evils between Publix and Winn figuring we should try Winn because we really did not need too much and could probably find everything there. Well, let me tell you….we have found a new love in grocery stores called Albertsons! The prices are significantly lower than the evils and selection is great. We even found those honking strip steaks there for $2.00 less a pound, although we passed on them this trip. Enough beef for a while. They had buy one get on pork choppers and chicken (any part, even the breasts) for $.88 a pound…we are in heaven. We bought enough stuff for 3-4 days of meals and some staples for $66.00!!! A far cry from our last shopping bill of $166. Albertsons….we applaud you and will be back. Oh, and I forgot to mention….the bus dropped us off right at the door! One could not have asked for more. The bus promptly picked us up at the door and deposited us just a very short walk away from the dinghy dock and we are off to Sea Fox. But, neither of us remembered to bring the key with us and we are locked to the dinghy dock! Thankfully Barry has know-how to rip off the tie to the dock and we are on our way. We met up with the pump out guy and let him know the line was loose. Did not let him know it was our fault! It will all be good. With Chicken and polenta with Caesar salad under our belts as an early dinner then we headed out to Mallory Square by dinghy for another sunset. It is still a very balmy 72* as we headed out, but we know once that sun goes down it will cool off quite a bit. It was a pretty sunset with no clouds in the sky. There were lots of sailboats and sunset cruise catamarans all around us and they added to the view as the sun was settling in for the evening. As we headed back there was a young boy and his dog on a surf board paddling around the harbor. Now that is something you do not see to often. The dog seemed quite content on the front of the board…just cruising. It is now down time and bed early tonight. We are hoping to take Sea Fox to a reef tomorrow to possibly do some snorkeling or scuba diving. I will guard the boat as Karen and Barry swim. There is no way they are going to get me in 70* water unless it is 90* again tomorrow. Even at that I am not sure how willing I will be. Perhaps I will just dangle my feet off the swim platform. Night night…hugs and kisses! Miss you all!
February 13, 2009
Friday
Foggy and 68*
Today is another hang around day on the boat day. We finished our books…all of us and then move on to Upwords…and of course my ass gets whipped by Karen and Barry…I just cannot win! I still do not care as it is a learning experience. The fog was incredible today and we were not going anywhere but that is fine. The fog rolled in during the morning and then again late in the afternoon but it is all good. Another relaxing day on the boat! Dinner of pork chops, chicken, asparagus and tomato salad was wonderful…till tomorrow… we love you all!
February 14, 2009
Saturday
Hot!
75*
Sunny
Water temp 75*
We got up pretty early this morning and that was good considering we were up late last night. We had breakfast and headed to the dinghy dock and were there by 11:20 to catch the bus as we decided it would be a good day to hit the butterfly conservatory. With some great assistance from the bus driver we made it there in no time. Very hot walking and Duval St. is packed as it is a Saturday and lots of tourists milling about. The butterflies in there were simply magnificent! Lots of little birds flying around also. It was so cool to walk around this forest and have the butterflies and birds all flying around us. Barry and Karen got some great pics…will send them along when I can convince Barry to download and do the deed! It is a pain but you really need to see some of what we saw. We were all so very glad we made this one of our stops. Afterwards we walked the entire length of Duval to the Harbor Walk as we wanted to go to Dante’s for lunch. It is an outdoor restaurant with a pool and bars in one big enclosure right on the harbor. Lunch was soooo good. Barry and I had oyster po’ boys and Karen a burger that was more than we could possibly eat and even the fries were excellent. We will definitely come back to enjoy the pool and lunch again on another day. In an attempt to walk off all the fried food….AUGH…we headed a block or so to catch the bus and we are brought back to the dinghy dock in a jiffy. Again, the bus service here is very accommodating. Back at the boat we set up Upwords as Karen is looking to kick some but and she does so. Tomorrow’s adventure is snorkeling so we headed to bed a pretty decent hour. Night, night.
February 15, 2009
Sunday
Cool and very foggy
65*
We got up at 8:00 with the intention of going to Sand Key for snorkeling. Barry got some very good information from one of the tour operators and he advised there is a living coral reef 6 miles south. We were so fogged in when we got up it did not look like we would be going anywhere. By 9:30 the sun was peeking thru and it had warmed up considerably so we decided to head out. The fog came and went during our cruise to the Key. When we finally arrived there were many mooring balls for the taking, probably due to the crappy weather. We jumped on one and brought the dinghy down for a cruise around the area. There were a few Yellow Snappers hanging at the back of the boat but between them and pretty much seeing nothing on our dinghy cruise I was a bit disappointed. We headed back to Sea Fox and I broke out the bread. I love to feed the fish, birds, whatever; mainly not to waste any food. Once the bread was brought out them came in droves! Along with the Yellow Snappers 3 Barracudas also appeared. It was great fun to feed them and see them scurry to be first at the bread. The Barracudas hung back being a bit more timid than the others. We had some steak left over from a dinner and we broke that out. Now we were talking as that brought the Barracudas closer to the boat and vying for a morsel. They even managed to snag a piece or two from the Yellow Snappers. The sun was shinning by this time and Karen and Barry ventured into the water for some snorkeling. The water was a bit chilling upon jumping in but that did not deter them and they cruised around for a good hour exploring all of the coral reefs and the thousand or more different species of fish that were not apparent from the dinghy or Sea Fox. I was so happy Karen got to snorkel and it was such a wonderful ending to a great vacation for her. When they got back from snorkeling the remains of chicken salad came out of the fridge and, evidently, that was the Barracuda’s favorite as one of them actually jumped right out of the water to grab a bit. We had quite the time feeding those big buggers. We headed home around 5:00, had dinner and chatted a while. I was beat and retired at 10:00. Karen and Barry remained up and reminisced about their younger days! What an absolutely wonderful day! Tata!
February 16, 2009
Monday
70’s
Beautiful morning
It is D day for Karen. Sadly we have to say goodbye and Barry takes her to the bus at 9:15. When he returns I have all the laundry packed. Prior to I discovered a puddle on the vanity in the aft cabin…what now? It seems, for whatever reason, the shower on the swim platform has been leaking from yesterday’s use and has seeped inside soaking the
curtains and leaving a nice little lake for clean up. AUGH! We cleaned up that mess and took the curtain down, which is a project in itself, to dry. We hopped on the bus with the
meme cart stuff to the brim with laundry. How nice that the Laundromat is right around the corner from Albertson’s Market and K Mart. The shower head also died last night so K Mart in the plaza was a good thing. Barry left me to tend to the laundry and he heads out to pick up our other needs. He returned with alcohol for the stove and the new shower head. He grabbed lunch for us, and I finished the laundry he headed to the market for a few items. With the laundry done I headed to the market to meet him and we were back on the bus and home by 3:00. I started a new James Patterson book today, Sail, and am thoroughly engrossed. We sat on the aft and read for a couple of hours, but once the sun started to set it was down below we head. Nippy! Dinner and back to TV night. Early to bed…need to clean poor Sea Fox tomorrow. Between the mist and salt air and then yesterday’s travel she is in need of a very well deserved bath! Good night!
February 17, 2009
Tuesday
Cool, about 70*…Yes 70!
There are winds up to 20 mph this morning which makes the mooring field seem like we are in rough weather. A Norther is coming thru! Evidently, they come thru about once every 10 days. Although we planned on washing Sea Fox today there is much to be done inside out of the gusty wind. The outside will have to wait. The forward cabin gets prepared for Renee’s visit tomorrow. It is spic and span! The eisen glass gets spiffed and the vacuum gets running. In the midst of all of this, Barry fixed the remote for the CD player, the light in the aft head and the shower on the swim platform that has been leaking profusely and causing us many headaches. We also cleaned the teak on the aft deck…very much needed, along with mold that we found that had been growing on the chairs and table. The salty air does so much damage! Barry also cleaned the transom that had accumulated a bit of soot from our venture to the reef for snorkeling. We busted our butts from 9:00 – 3:00. Time for a cocktail and a book! Before we knew it 6:30 was upon us and dinner was in order. Salad and chicken…yum! The new shower head in the aft was quite refreshing and it is time for Boston Legal to see what Denny Crane is up to! He is such a bad boy and so funny…Night to all till tomorrow!
February 18, 2009
Wednesday
Warm and windy
70’s
We got up fairly early this morning wanting to give the teak a coat of oil, change the water filters and check the new leak in the aft head…it is always something. Everything but the water leak was addressed. Barry needs to further assess that bad boy, but I know he will prevail, as always. We accomplished what needed attention and relaxed with our books as Renee is now 3 hours in the future. The time passed quickly and before I knew it Renee was a passenger. The current and the wind calmed down to the point of dead calm and it was a beautiful night. We sat on the aft and got caught up. A wonderful steak dinner hit the spot. More reminiscing and we head up to the outer aft to scope out stars. It is a beautiful night and the stars are magnificent. It is now nearing midnight and I am about ready for bed. I will let you in on the charades tomorrow!
February 19, 2009
Thursday
Sunny and warm
70’s
We dragged ourselves out of bed late! Duh…we were up so late but the night would not let us go to bed so we suffer the next morning. The sky and the stars were mesmerizing. Coffee and books on the aft woke us up, but not until early afternoon. We decided to head out around 2:00 to catch the 3:00 bus and headed for the most southern point of Florida and waiting in line with all the others to take the stupid picture of us by the “cone.” With that done we head to Duval St. and the shop that has the nasty shirt that I wanted to buy a few days ago…SNAP…Renee and I both purchased the shirt, Karen! You know the one! She and I will wear them along Duval with the Captain…along with his leash! Too funny! I may let you in on that sometime later! We are hungry and headed for Jimmy Buffet’s place, but it is so crowded that we passed. We ended up at the Sunset Pier that is just adjacent to Mallory Square. Food was terrific and the sunset the same. The bathroom game was as the last time….long lines for the ladies room, so Renee opted for the men’s room, as did many other women waiting in line. I was the puss and waited for a stall in the ladies room. There were men cheering outside for the women who jumped on the chance to use the men’s room. This place is crazy but so much fun. We are now ready for home and head to the bus stop. Just a short ride from
the bus to the dinghy to Sea Fox and we are home for the night. I read and Barry and Renee opted for the aft deck. Not to be antisocial, I put my book down and joined them. Barry and Renee retired about 11:00 and I finished James Patterson’s, Honeymoon and now blogging….time for bed for me too! A foot note: Barry fixed the leak in the aft cabin head! Of course he did…he is Mr. Fix It. I had no doubt he could not do it and we are again dry as a bone…..as it should be! Night all..love to you all as always!
February 20, 2009
Friday
A cool 65*, but sunny
The harbor is very choppy this morning and it is very breezy. There are actually small waves breaking as they pass the boat by. Today was a do nothing day. Firstly, we did not want to get drenched on the dinghy ride over to the dock and secondly, we were perfectly content to lounge and read all day and that is exactly what we did. We had a nice early dinner from the grill and then some Skyping with the kids….more reading a bed. A very uneventful, but pleasing day.
2:00 he prepared Margaritas….okay, we are going nowhere. We did have a good time in spite of not leaving Sea Fox, but we did go to Mallory Sq. via the dinghy. All was good, but there was cruise ship leaving the dock being headed off by the Coast Guard. As much as I tried to stay away from the ship and the Coast Guard, the CG approached us inquiring to our destination and asking us to head out away from the cruise ship and, of course, we obliged. It was a fun, wet, wet ride back to Sea Fox and Barry was soaked. Good thing it was warm!!! Back at the boat we, dried out our soaking wet clothes (thank you Barry for hosing us down prior to entering the boat) made dinner and watched American Idol to see who gets kicked off. Night all! Love you.
February 21, 2009
Saturday
Mid 70’s, sunny
The harbor continues its chop so again we will stay home and read. It is so relaxing and nice to just sit and read. It is so quiet here. Even with it being Saturday there is not any traffic to speak of in the harbor and we continue to wonder where all the people are that belong to these boats moored here. Very rarely do we see anyone on them and wonder if they are just stored here for the winter. So many of them have seagull crap all over them and I cannot imagine having to clean that. I have been craving pasta and meatballs so I put down my book for a while around 1:00 and started cooking. Barry grilled the sausage and meatballs for me because they taste so much better started that way. I got the gravy going and by 3:00 we feasted on pasta, meatballs and sausage and garlic bread. Now I am content! Finished another book…they seem to go like wild fire. We gave the books a break and moved to Upwords and I needn’t mention who won. Renee was frustrated with how long the game took to play so we switched to 21. Renee won, I was second and guess who came in last with a “1”. OMG so funny and so much fun to beat his ass!!! Another reasonably late evening so we are off to bed. We are getting off the boat tomorrow…I need to move. Sitting and relaxing is great, but enough is enough. We plan to head to Dante’s and hang by the pool. I am signing off! Love to all.
February 22, 2009
Sunday
Nice and warm..80*
After our morning coffee and more reading we headed to Dante’s around noon. There are only a couple of busses that run on a Sunday so we ended up hoofing it to Dante’s. It is only about ½ mile from the dinghy dock and the walk did us good after slumming around on the boat for 2 days. Lunch was fabulous, as always, and we also had entertainment, besides the band that was Sh*t-kicking music today…and quite good. In walks Miss Pastie! OMG…who would have thunk! She started out with her stroll in with her little plastic box of goodies and set them on a table not too far from us. How could one help but look. She had a cover up on and the straps kept falling down giving everyone a glimpse of what was to come. At last, the reveal! The design was a flower of some sort. Might I add she was accompanied by some young boy about 10 years her junior. She pranced around, people (including Barry) taking snap shots of her, soliciting her goods. There were a few older gentleman who purchased them for their significant others….I wonder if they were pleased with this sort of “gift.” Now a very well endowed friend of hers comes along and she is convinced to bear her goods also. Oh my, quite the sight to see. No shame! It was very hot by the pool but we managed to stay somewhat shaded before moving to lounge chairs. Renee and I took a quick dip in the chilly water. My dip was voluntary…but poor Renee fell in with her phone in her pocket. Hopefully it will dry out and all will be good. Otherwise, hope she has insurance. Around 4:00 Barry had had enough of the sun…it really was beating down on us and just too hot to bake there so we headed back to Sea Fox and pretty much hung for the rest of the evening reading and taking in a bit of some TV and cleaning out our recorded stuff. Quite the day! Night to all. Love you!
February 23, 2009
Monday
Warm 75*
Choppy in the harbor
Okay…I have had about enough of the choppy water crap. The wind continues to be out of the NW at 20 mph. We spent another day on the boat reading and eating. I did make a great lasagna and Barry one of his signature shrimp and pesto pizzas, but I need to be on land soon. The sun was in and out all day. More of the same and, forgive me for sounding like a twit, but I want off the boat. Renee and I watched some TV tonight and then we headed to bed around 11:00. Tomorrow Barry and I will head to town as he has a dental appointment so I opted to get some laundry done. From there we will head to the market for more stocking up. I love my life, but I miss my kids!
February 24, 2009
Tuesday
Warm and 75*
Still freaking choppy
Barry and I headed out to town at 8:20, caught the bus to the dentist and the Laundromat. We stuffed the clothes in the washers and went to the Flagler Grill for coffee and a light breakfast. We returned just in time for the wash to be done and Barry to get to the dentist down the road…this place is great! Just as the laundry was dry Barry met me and we headed to K Mart and Albertson’s for both boat and our needs. Barry has several options for his tooth repair and decides on having it pulled and prepared for a bridge. We returned to Sea Fox, unloaded, had lunch and sunned for a while. Around 5:00 we headed out via dinghy to Mallory Sq. for sunset…beautiful! Back at the boat is was tilapia and Asian noodles for dinner. They continue to read….good books. I have depleted the library…I need a book!!!! It was a great day and the winds have calmed a bit. I am hoping we wake to the same so we can head to Sand Key for snorkeling and fish feeding tomorrow. We shall see when the sun rises with another day!
Feb 25, 2009
Wednesday
Warm and sunny
75*
We hung around on the boat until we headed out for Barry’s dental appointment. Sand Key was not a happening today as Barry has another dental appointment and it would have been much too choppy to go there anyway. We dropped Barry off and Renee and I headed for K Mart to pick up another tomato plant and basil, along with some other incidentals. Renee and I scurried as we wanted to head for the sushi bar for drinks and a bit of food…we knew Barry would not be interested. We arrived at the sushi bar at 5:00 and we called Barry as he was awaiting a bus. According to the schedule he would have arrived at 6:30…AUGH!!! As we think we may be having dinner there waiting for him he arrived! Yeah! He chose to walk to us instead of waiting for the bus. It was probably a mile walk. We headed back to the boat so Barry could retreat. I am sure he was not feeling wonderful as the Novocain started wearing off. Black chicken and polenta for dinner…yummy, and even he could eat it. Barry read and Renee and I watched American Idol. At 11:30 I had a big time second wind and colored by hair. Barry went to bed but was so concerned about us shutting everything down properly…duh, I can do it….and joined us again. It turned out to be a late night at 1:30, but we had fun. Night to all.
February 26, 2009
Thursday
75*
Warm and sunny
Choppy, choppy, choppy
I was up early making coffee for the Captain and Renee. Barry got up a bit later…and Renee….well, how is noon?? I desperately wanted to go to town, but Barry did not. We ended up having much fun on the boat with Margarita man entertaining us. We played cards, read, ate…all the good stuff! Relaxing day on the boat once again.
February 27, 2009
Friday
Warm and Sunny
75*
We were up and off to town by 11:45 to catch the 12:15 bus. Louie’s was our first stop.
Love it, love it, as it is such a great spot on the ocean. Not to mention the fabulous food…but not today because we had a late breakfast this morning. After a couple of tasty drinks we head out to shop so Renee can pick up a few items to bring home…Barry’s favorite thing to do…NOT! Poor thing is so bored. There was a boat show going on so Barry and I headed there leaving Renee to the Duval Krawl and more shopping. The boat show was really not a boat show but more like a boat flea market. It was cool, but not what we were expecting as Barry is in need of charts and guide books for the Bahamas. Another time, I suppose. We met up with Renee at Buffet’s Margaritaville. Great burgers and margaritas vs. the ditz, Mandy, for a waitress : ( . It was fine, really, and would gladly go back there again and ask for her not to be our waitress. It was a nice ride back to Sea Fox. The seas have finally laid down a bit and the wind less than when we went over to the dock this morning. Hopefully we will have little wind and rapid current for tomorrow as it is Sand Key day. Even if we cannot snorkel we will still take a ride there so Renee can experience what we did a short time ago. Such a great spot! Love to all!
February 28, 2009
Saturday
Sunny and warm, again
80*
It was much less choppy than the past few days and we got up early to head out to Sand Key. The computer that has the Cap’n software on it (our ultimate guide) did not want to boot up so Barry tried the new computer and was unable to get the GPS to “speak” to the computer!…AUGH! After much ado we headed out the old fashioned way and made it to the reef in no time only to find the chop out there horrific! The water was churning so much we could not see bottom as last time we were there. I even tried to entice the fish with some bread, but no one surfaced. After just a matter of minutes we retreated and headed back. In spite of the chop and churning seas it was a nice ride and Renee got to experience the boat in action. Barry received some bad news about one of his very best friends, Jim, who is hospitalized and not doing well at all and that really put a damper on the day. He was able to speak with him and that made him feel a bit better. We all wish Jim a hopeful and speedy recovery. Renee and I rode the bow as we headed back to the mooring field as it was a wonderful and sunny day. The wind was warm and the sun was beating on us…so very nice! Scallop chowder for dinner with garlic bread was very good. Renee’s back has been bothering her all day so as I peck she sleeps on the couch. Tomorrow she leaves us. I am glad she was able to shop yesterday and get out to the reef today, even if it was only for a look-see. Not much else happening on this front…tata for now.
