February 15, 2010

Two weeks later.....

As you can see, while we’re docked in Marthon, the Monday Messages are a bit spotty.

After the Power Squadron meeting ended on Sunday morning, Suzanne Nentwich joined us and we went to watch the On the Water Training Certification Course taking place north of Orlando.  Was good to see USPS working with boaters in their boats!  District 2’s guy, George, was there, preparing for Certification courses in NY this summer.  

It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we arrived at Suzanne and Eddy’s condo in Hollywood Beach, FL, just in time for the game.  Too bad, Peyton--and good for Payton!  Was an exciting game, with a great dinner at half time!

Monday morning we walked the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk and had breakfast ‘out’, then we headed for Miami Int’l Airport where we met daughter Linda Lee’s flight from NY.

Back to the boat where we enjoyed a four day visit that included scuba diving, sunning at Sombrero Beach, sunset at  Mallory Square in Key West, a trip to the Dolphin Research Center, and  a good deal of relaxation--just hanging out!

On Thursday afternoon, while Linda and I were out Scuba-ing, Fred picked up daughter Jenny with Casey and Rebecca at Ft. Lauderdale airport.  Friday, he almost ‘met himself coming back’ as he returned Linda to the Miami Airport, checked out (but didn’t attend) the Miami Boat Show, and then picked up son-in-law Chris at FLL.

The long weekend was again packed with relaxation--the kids enjoyed our ‘private’ Banana Bay Beach, as well as Sombrero (on the Ocean side of the Key), Crane Point Nature Center, swimming in the ‘hot tub’ and the ‘cold tub’ at the Marina, and of course, sunset at Mallory Square.

Again. the time passed all too quickly, and now everyone has safely returned to NY--check out Facebook for their photo albums.

Fred and I took in the local Cinema tonite--sadly, we can’t recommend Lovely Bones....'twas a very strange film which I didn't enjoy watching, but it is sorta growing on me in retrospect.

Boat work continues, and if the sun shines every day as warmly as it did today, after last week’s  brutal cold snap, we’ll be happy campers!

We hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day!  Onward and upward!

Linda and Fred

February 1 (not)

Friday February 5???  Can’t be!  YIKES!   We did not drop off the edge of the world, I simply allowed Monday to roll on, blog-free!  Also Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday!

Oops.

Short version of the weeks--

YOUNG AMERICA set out from Sanibel Island on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 26, and arrived in Marathon. FL at 9:45 Wed. am.

The ride across this southern part of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Bay was a bit bumpier than our earlier Gulf crossing.  The wind and current pushed us up to 8.5-9 knots for a good share of the trip, and the moon was a day away from being full.  It shone brightly in a cloud free sky, and lighted the horizon line for all but about 20 minutes of the trip--then dawn began it’s ghostly brightening of the eastern sky, and soon we were ‘crossing our wake’ as we passed through the harbor buoys at Banana Bay.

Over breakfast on Thursday we decided to celebrate the completion of the Great Loop so Fred printed up an invitation for our dockmates, and we issued a verbal invitation to all Marathon Loopers via the daily VHS Radio Marathon Greet, Buy, Swap, and Sell program.   The Marina loaned us a table (with cloth) for wine, lemonade and goodies, and at 5:30 pm about 30-35 folks cheered as we took down the white AGLCA burgee, and hoisted the Gold burgee--symbolic of completion of the Loop. 

The American Great Loop Cruiser’s Association certainly provided us with a lot of support as we traveled the 6000+ miles around the eastern half of North America.  (At 7 miles/hour)  We spent 11 months underway with, as you may recall, side trips here and there, and we didn’t begin to see and do all that was available.  Time will tell what happens next for us.

The rest of the week we did boat work and packing, and on Monday a.m. we picked up a rental car and drove to Pensacola to get our car.  We learned that FL is a pretty long ol’ state!  From the keys to the AL side of the panhandle is about 813 miles--and who’s counting?

We visited a bit with the Pica’s, who had kept the boat for the holidays, and the car after that.  From Pensacola we moseyed down to Mickey-land in Orlando for a US Power Squadron meeting, and here we are.

And here we will remain until we pick up Linda Lee in Miami on Monday and return to Marathon..

Until then, be well, and do make an earnest effort to laugh slightly more than seems to be possible.......

Linda and Fred