December 1, 2008

Happy Monday. Happy December, or to quote my favorite sweatshirt—Happy Everything! We are, once again, in an iffy internet area, so photos will phollow when we can get the signal. Last week it was Sunday morning. Who knows? I'll keep trying all week. Last Monday, we set out from Charleston, and went all the way to, well, Charleston. Waved to Fort Sumter as we crossed the harbor and tied up in the Ashley River. Boat work. Had to remove the non-working GPS and ship it off for repairs. Charleston has an awesome Post Office, complete with a mini museum! And you never know who you'll run into. We set out Wednesday to resume our trip south, which in this area takes us west, then east by south, then more southwesterly, then back east. The Waterway really winds and twists as it follows creeks and rivers, joined by cuts through the deep muddy marshlands. Our stop for the night was a shrimp dock in the Mosquito Creek off the Ashepoo River! Bought diesel fuel for $2.75/gal—lowest price since VA. Also got some fresh shrimp and were entertained by the little kids watching a critter in the muddy shore. We got there late—only saw the tracks We tied up in Beaufort, SC (that's b-yoo-fort SC, as opposed to BO fort,also spelled Beaufort, NC) where the Big Chill, Prince of Tides and Forrest Gump were all filmed. We were planning a shrimp scampi Thanksgiving Dinner, but changed our minds when we saw fliers and were encouraged by other boaters to join them at St. Helena's Episcopal Church for turkey with all the trimmings. What a great job the community did! Food was delicious and the atmosphere festive—made more so by the official greeter! On Friday, Fred's cousin Gene and wife Betty drove over from Hilton Head for lunch, and then Fred and I spent the rest of the day doing boat work! Scrubbed the outside, cleaned inside, and changed the oil in both engines and the generator! It felt sooo good to have it all done—we were as happy as this Beaufort resident. At least as happy. ( Saturday was an icky weather day, and we were happy to stop in Hilton Head and get out of the rain and fog. Sunday more of same, and again we did only a short run, this time to Thunderbolt, GA. What a great stop, and we got right into the spirt of the season as we followed this huge snowman up the ICW. We'd have liked to stay on in Thunderbolt—it is 6 miles from Savannah, and the city bus runs into that wonderful city every day—but alas, we must press on. Florida calls, and now that November and the Hurricane season have ended, we are legit to go. Our boat insurance stipulates that we must stay North of Savannah until the end of the season. Our timing was spot on! So today we did more twisting and turning, dolphin and bird watching and tonite are anchored in the Wahoo River. The 7 foot tides and the currents that accompany them are interesting and exciting. The island in this picture was not visible when we passed it—Fred read the water, though, and foretold it's arrival. A beautiful spot. All in all, a very good week. Hope yours was, also! Good nite and good wishes to you all! Fred and Linda