The Game of Bridges

"How many bridges did we have to go under for this part of the trip, Gary?"

"Grrrrrr."

One of the reasons many people avoid the ICW is the number of bridges, be they fixed or swing or bascule or lift.  It can be crazy stressful, as was the leg from Hobe Mountain down to North Palm Beach.  Part of the craziness comes from the bridges, while being opening bridges, they are on a tight schedule.  And the boats, mostly power boats, are coming at you from bow to stern, starboard to port, and vice versa.  Lots of traffic, especially since this was Christmas week.

The hardest part was the waiting; sometimes only 25 minutes, but it meant having to hold your position, relatively, by adjusting for the current, the wake from other boats, and yet still keeping away from land and other boats or marks or crab traps. 

And yet, we made it fine, though Gary crashed hard that night.  Our anchorage was a fairly crowded one, but we had plenty of room if the winds picked up.  Planning to stay only a few days because the winds were supposed to get worse and we wanted to not be where we could potentially drag anchor.

One of our propane tanks had run out, so Gary found a place a little bit inland that could fill it, so we hopped in the dinghy for a ride to shore.  Elliott got us up on a plane real quick, but Gary was attempting to give him directions, we couldn't hear him as he was talking into the air rushing past, so I yelled, "Slow down!!!!!"  I have no desire to be tossed out of a dinghy (even though I wear a life vest) at any time.  Slower speed may not have been optimal, but we could communicate better and I was much less white-knuckled and nervous.  Stupid boys!

Chillin' Dog

We cruised slowly down a canal and tied up and locked the dinghy right behind a car wash.  We used their trash facilities to dump ours, and walked, with propane tank in hand, about 1/2 mile to the facility.  Afterwards, I checked out a chi-chi consignment store; no thanks, too pricey for me.

Then we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant next door to the chi-chi shop.

Creepy!

Since we were passing by it, we motored up to and pulled the dinghy up on shore of Munyon Island, within a stone's throw from our anchorage.  Munyon Island is essentially deserted except for adventurers.  There is boat docking usually, but signs posted otherwise this day.  We got on the boardwalk and noticed animal dung every few feet. We wondered what kind of animal would purposely step outside their normal habitat to poop on the places humans walk; hmmm, maybe they're getting us back for doing the same to them.

This covered a good portion of the boardwalk;
not exactly welcoming!

Anyway, it was kind of a creepy walk, as it seemed neglected there and really wild and existing park structures not well tended.  We did not see much wildlife, but maybe they were alerted to our footfalls on the wooden planks of the boardwalk.  The island used to be one of the largest wading bird rookeries in South Florida.

Then, a man named Rodgers came to stay, a supposed "Robinson Crusoe"-type, who lived in a tent and sold green turtles to survive.  After that, a family came and went, and then a doctor bought the place, and built a Hotel named Hygeia, named after a Greek Goddess of Health.  He also concocted a healing fermented papaya nectar that he sold out of the hotel to help heal the ails of the recuperating wealthy folks who came to stay at the "spa."  The five story, 21-room, 8-bath hotel burned to the ground in 1917 (maybe from an exploding nectar bottle) and the island has been uninhabited since then.

It is now a part of the John D. MacArthur park (which we love and visited last year when we were in the area to pick up our boat).

After another venture into town via another route, we dinghied up to shore and had quite a row about securing the thing.  Interesting how differing viewpoints can make or break your day.  Ugh.  Got groceries and some more supplies from West Marine and headed back to the boat, knowing we'd be moving the next day. 

s/v Paisley

We heard, via the radio, our friends from s/v Paisley coming down the ICW through the bridges, so we hailed them and suggested they stop in our anchorage for the night before continuing on.  They agreed to and while the husband and their daughter stayed back (she was feeling under the weather), Elliott picked up the mom and the two boys and we spent a while noshing in the cockpit while the kids wrestled down below.  They left early the next morning to see someone about a clock. 

The Yacht Calagorm

Thankful to Elliott for "liking" their page on Facebook (Yacht Calagorm--check them out), we also had a short, but sweet, visit with the couple sailing a most interesting catamaran that was anchored nearby.  It is a Thailand-built cat and looks much more authentic than modern day cats.  A British couple, they were very nice and I wish we could have spent more time with them as they would be superb to lift a pint (or two) with, though I'm a little jealous that they're going to Cuba this time around; here's hoping we see them again soon.  

The light on this building looks like people on balconies.

Time Goes On . . . Quickly!

The time is flying; I know that for some, my reports about what we are doing may be too chatty, but for those of you who know me well, you know when I get talking, it takes a lot to stop me.  And, obviously, I don't get enough of it in real life, so I transfer that wordly abundance to paper (or, in this case, the interwebs).

We've just been having mostly fun, with a few bumps in the road, but nothing major to report (oh, except for the generator fuel pump).

Dred Pirate Tom

The day after our fun meeting with Sea Monkey and Aladdin, we did some chores on shore and then set sail at what would be a low tide to get under a cluster of bridges and travel just a few miles away to the Hobe Mountain.

We were anchored just off shore of the "mountain," having a quick lunch before going exploring when I heard a faint "Gary." What?  Then I heard a faint 'Ruth?"  We scrambled topsides to see another boat about to touch bow to bow.  It was Tom on Aladdin.  What a fun surprise!!

He said he noticed the "second prettiest boat" out on the water (because he's a Moody owner, too) and came over to say hello.  We laughed and visited for a while and then he had to continue on because he was meeting family further south for the holidays. 

Welcome to the Jungle!

We launched the dinghy and headed to shore; Gary had an idea of where the ICW side of the trail was to get to the mountain, but we had to poke around a while before finding it.  I was not happy.  I did not think it would turn into a jungle excursion; but, eventually, we found a brambly path up the side of the dune and over to the park.

A sign proclaimed that the entrance to the park was actually 15 miles further south; ack!  No, wait, I read that wrong.  It was 1.5 miles, but STILL!  Of course, my renegade husband found a split in the fence and we snuck in the back way. Down a sandy path we trudged, hot and sweaty, until the platform got closer and eventually we were able to climb to see the view.  Elliott had found a turtle to watch, so Gary and I hit the heights.  The view away from the water was misty and primeval looking; I fully expected to see a dinosaur or two.  Towards the water, there was, of course, a highway, cars racing by, and houses, some more mega- than others.

While we were up on the platform, two guys walked along with their dogs and, as they got closer, the turtle that we named Fred, who had originally been so slow and munch-munch-munching along, skedaddled out of there so quickly.  That turtle could sprint!  The guys came up to the platform so we struck up a conversation and took photos of each other for keepsakes.

Crossing back over the highway was probably the scariest part of the trip (Florida drivers, in general, sucketh), though I did feel like a real explorer having to back down the cliff again to prevent from falling head over heels and face planting in the mangroves.

Safely back to the boat, we charted the next part of our course to North Palm Beach.  And guess what?  We were meeting up with more 'burg friends!!!!

Just a Few Photos from Hobe Mountain

Bleached Roots

Changing the propane over to a full tank

Being boarded by the Dred Pirate Tom!

The 3-hour tour prerequisite photo

Into the Wild

Elliott meets Fred

Grass-Munching Gopher Tortoise (thanks, Larry!)

Lots of flowers

Laundry, Work, Groceries: Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Some days, you need to step off the bow of your yacht while dressed in your diaphanous clothes swirling around making a fairy tale picture of sailing.  You just need to untangle from the shrouds and hunker down and not have a blast; but it's okay, those days are more rare and everything evens out.

Before we leave port, we like to get in at least one or two loads of laundry; you know, it's funny that I've packed so many clothes, because I only wear about a dozen things over and over.  I especially overpacked when it came to winter clothes, so I'll be taking some of them home in January.  But I'm glad I had them and they still come in handy for some of these cold, early morning dashes under bridges.

Because Elliott likes to hang out at the lounge here at the marina, I asked him to take care of the laundry.  He also started a project:  the coconut that he opened for us the other day is now turning into a boat.  He got dowels to make masts and line to make shrouds (maybe he'll add a figurine wrapped in a diaphanous gown for good effect).  He painted the bottom white and that was drying in the sun.

I decided to walk down to the local Publix grocery store to do a fresh fruit run because, on the days we are underway, it's so much better to grab a piece of fruit than an Oreo (though I did buy some of those, too--hee hee!).  I forgot how much fruit weighs, though; I stuffed the oversized cantaloupe in my backpack--oof!  The other stuff fit into three plastic bags (another error on my part in that I did not bring my better bags for hauling stuff).  So there I go, huffing and puffing and sweating down Highway 1 while hundreds of cars go whizzing by.  I couldn't make eye contact with any one because of the sweat stinging my eyes. 

It was after lunch already and I'd been passing this fast-food looking place for days on bike rides and other walks.  As I came upon it this time, all of a sudden it looked like an oasis.  I knew there was food and drink and potentially nice people.  I went in, dumped my groceries, and ordered up some chicken, black beans, rice, and plantains.  Washed it 

down with okay-tasting sweet tea (what did I tell you about the sweet tea down this way?), it took about 15 minutes, but I stopped sweating and started feeling human again. 

The food was so good that I texted Gary and said he needed to get some of this good stuff.

Even though he'd been on the boat and Elliott in the marina lounge (watching the laundry, of course), they both arrived within about 20 minutes.  I'd long finished my meal, but they got plates of similar awesomeness.  It was the perfect pit stop.

We groaningly rolled back to the marina and sat at an outdoor table while Gary caught up a little on work, Elliott worked on his coconut boat and finished (and FOLDED--OH MY GOD!!!) the laundry.  (As I'm writing this on the balcony of the marina, I can see Elliott at the dinghy dock rescuing coconuts from the water--looking forward to more deliciousness tonight.)  I took photos until my phone's battery went dead and then I borrowed Gary's phone and took more pictures.

This is one of them, a hibiscus with the sun behind it:

When we got back to our boat, we saw that Sea Monkey had arrived and was rafted up to Aladdin (Tom's boat).  We put away those wonderfully folded clothes, made a salad, and went to meet up with the other boats.

Tom is a load of fun, very smart and witty, and honest.  As he says, he looks like a hippie now rather than the former Air Force man he is.  The Sea Monkey family was there, too; they have a younger son than Elliott and I remembered Elliott playing cards with them at the Thanksgiving get-together at St. Mary's.  The homemade spaghetti sauce was super delicious, even though I couldn't eat the meat--I just scooped out the sauce--and we had homemade bread from the other boat and I was given the recipe to try myself.  Just perfect.

Tom and Hite (Sea Monkey's Captain) already knew each other and had dinner together a week ago.  Tom spoke about some people that he had met and Hite spoke about some people HE had met and they soon discovered that they were talking about the same people--US!  Ha, so funny, and it shows how ridiculously small this sailing community is after all.

During the course of the evening, we came up with amazing ideas for nautical inventions, several in fact.  Believe me, they are brilliant, life-changing ideas for boaters.  They may come to fruition, but I can't tell you about them or I'd have to kill you.

After the Sea Monkey family retired for the night, those of us remaining sat in the cooling air of the Moody cockpit, laughing and cutting up.  Elliott regaled us with stories of cars, Tom with stories of his work in aeronautics and sailing, and Gary with tales of his sailing adventures.  When we started getting too cold, we retired for the night, hoping to reconnect the next day before we left to start the bridge puzzle, this time in reverse (not the engine, just the order of bridges).

"Taste Me! Drink Me!"

My friend Joan is so sweet; we really enjoy spending time together.  She and I had a date for this past Tuesday to attend "A Taste of Jensen," an event that is in its 17th year as a holiday tradition from the Chamber of Commerce.  Select restaurants compete in several categories for awards, but the real winners in this street-walking gastronomic delight are those of us who get to sample the wares. 

But first, we met up with her realtor friend to check out their neighborhood Christmas parade.  It was small but fun, and I got to meet a couple of new folks.  We got to her friend's house and I loved her place.  Beautifully decorated and appointed and her kitchen (which she put in new) was perfect and very functional.  I noticed that her yard backed to water on two sides and I asked her if she ever had critter visitors.

"Oh yes, there are a few alligators out there," she replied, rather calmly. 

I "eeped" a little inside, but she said they don't bother her and she doesn't bother them.  

They did have a bobcat visitor once who came right up to the window of their villa; it was caught on film and was beautiful.

Christmas Parade, Florida Style!

We drove over to the parade, which included the woman who built the neighborhood riding in the front car, a few decorated and vintage vehicles, a motorcycle or two, some golf carts, and the best of all, Santa on a bicycle.  That's the way it's done in Florida!

Then we went to eat!!  We passed prepared tables full of food on our way to register and receive our list of participating restaurants and our day-glo orange entry bracelet.  I could imagine their plantive wails.  

"Taste me!"

"Drink me!"

Now I know how Alice in Wonderland must have felt with having to make all those choices!  I got a little fuzzy headed from the drinks, but did not shrink at all with the eats.  Darn it.

Our first stop for a nibble was at Jan's Restaurant's table.  They had "samples" of meatloaf and chicken pot pie, oh my.  And the reason I put quotes above is that the servings were a full 8-ounce cup.  I could have stopped there, but we had to make an effort so that the other restaurants wouldn't feel bad.

(photo borrowed from Jensen Beach Chamber of
Commerce FB page)

We had Buffalo Chicken Dip and hard apple cider at the Castaway's Gastropub; awesome.  Then Asparagus Bisque with Red Pepper Coulis at Grand Oaks Jensen Beach.  Cocktails at Harper's Pub was a creamy concoction topped with Cinnamon Schnapps--wow!  Fried fish nuggets and flatbreads at Mulligan's were a savory kick.  Peter's Steakhouse was serving up their famous apple strudel and appetizers.  11 Maple provided Peanut Butter Pie as a dessert; rich and creamy.  Jaime's Natural Nutrition gave us a Cleanse Detox juice. 

(photo borrowed from Jensen Beach Chamber of
Commerce FB page)

The pies de resistance was at Tony Roma's table which gave us a small platter with Shrimpand Corn Chowder, Seared Ahi Tuna, Mojo Mahi with Pineapple Salsa, Red Velvet Cake, and Tony Roma's Romarita.  Incredible!  We could not eat another bit, though, Peter, of Peter's Famous Apple Strudel, did personally hand deliver another piece of strudel to Joan.

We were in such a food coma that we forgot to vote for our favorites, and to tell you the truth, I don't know that I could have chosen a best because everyone's food was good and the atmosphere friendly and joyful. 

Joan drove me back to the marina and we said an "Until we see each other again" farewell.  She really went out of her way for us in so many ways while we were here, besides letting us enjoy her company, and we are so thankful.  THANK YOU, JOAN!!!

The night before, our fellow Moody owner, Tom (next to whose boat we were buoyed), had flown in from home and Gary picked him up by dinghy after another friend dropped Tom at the marina around 9pm.  So tonight, while I was out with Joan, they were visiting with Tom on his boat.  Tom's boat is almost identical to ours, same year, with a few differences; his mast box in the salon juts out less into the cabin, the seats in his armchairs are not removable to make into extra seating for around the table, and his galley has grey counters (beautiful) instead of white like ours.

When Gary picked me up that night, he rode in on the dinghy standing up straight as an arrow, looking quite like Charleston Heston in "Ben Hur"; just more comfortable and no cape.  He said that Tom was going to host a dinner the next evening and that we were invited and that the crew of Sea Monkey would also be there.  We'd met the crew of Sea Monkey is St. Mary's, GA, at that crazy anchorage.  After we'd been circling in the anchorage of St. Mary's for a while when we visited, we saw them lift anchor and leave, so we sidled into their spot.  We also saw them at Cumberland Island on that wonderful day we'd traversed it, so I was looking forward to reconnecting.

Biking, Bathtub Beach, and Burning Baked Buns

Gary made plans for the family to bike out to Bathtub Beach.  He estimated that it should take only about 45 minutes or so each way.  Sounded doable to me, but of course, I was not thinking about the route we would be taking to get there.

As we were preparing to head off, an older couple heard our plans about Bathtub Beach and told us that it was closed because of severe erosion.  The dunes were being built back up, but they had sustained a lot of damage.  Oh, that was too bad.  We'd have to go to the closer beach?  Aw.  Well, they don't know Gary.  Throw a wrench in his way and he will become even more hard-nosed about the task (or plans) at hand.

Me lagging behind again!

We cycled out of the marina and into downtown Stuart (through a crazy roundabout and over railroad tracks) and got onto a nice flat bike trail.  Well, that was until we got to the first BRIDGE.  I had forgotten that we'd be crossing BRIDGES!!!!!  Ugh!

First of all, I'm not a real strong bicyclist; I've had a spill or two in years past that have made me a little scaredy cat.  And this was one of those old-fashioned bikes with no gear and coaster brakes (which, of course, I ended up loving), so I was grumbling a bit.  But the angle of the bridge was too much for me; when the thighs start burning, I start walking.  So we lost a bit of time there because while the guys just sailed up the bridge, I trudged along, slowly, but surely.  It was a good view, though, and walking helped me appreciate that.  No sooner than we had done one bridge, then the other loomed in the distance.  It was an ordeal, I tell you.  Ha.

Then I realized that these were the same bridges we had to get under to get over to Stuart on our way in.  Well, now that I've traversed them over and under, I really can't say which is worse.  Hot and sweaty trudging up or cold and nervous sailing under.

We stayed on the bike path for quite a ways, until we got to an array of beaches leading out to North Point; they all looked great, but you know which beach Gary wanted to get to, don't you?  Yes, Bathtub Beach, the one that was closed.

We biked on.

Bathtub Beach

"Whatchu got there, lady?"

Bathtub Beach is called that because there is a reef surrounding it that provides a great place for people of all ages to swim and enjoy the aquaculture.  This reef is different, though, because it is built by worms rather than being a coral reef.  When we arrived, there was a closed gate.  We parked our bikes and walked in through an opening by the picnic area so that we'd stay off the rebuilt dunes.  It really had been ravaged; we also noticed that a house down the way had maybe a season or two more before falling into the sea.

Crack Coconut Cracker

But it was beautiful, the water a bright blue, easy waves coming to shore.  We didn't stay long, just enough to have some water and snacks, and then headed back in the direction we came to visit another beach.  We stopped at Santa Lucea beach and found a spot to sit, watch the seabirds (and occasionally sneak them a piece of cracker), and Elliott worked on opening a coconut he had found.  He used a shell to cut strips out of the husk and got it down to the nut quickly; I was surprised.  Good ingenuity.

For cracking the nut, the guys walked down to an old coral shelf that was very solid and provided just the right umph to bust open the nut.  They saved the coconut water to share when we got back and we feasted on the fresh meat.  Just the best.

Deliciousness straight from the tree.

Since the movie night when Elliott had discovered Papi's Pizza Restaurant, he had wanted to go back, so we stopped by for dinner on the way home.  We sat outside and enjoyed good food, a funny server who remembered Elliott from the other night, and finally, some sweet tea, though I have to say, sweet tea is not that easy to find and it's not as sweet as I like it, but a parched body will take whatever it can.  I had already had coconut milk and a whole bottle of water.  Felt good to sit, too, though my buttocks were already sore and my thighs were burning from those attempts at the bridges.

We got the bikes back on time and back on the boat in time to crash.  My legs burned all night, though, so sleep was hard to come by.  Just getting comfortable was almost impossible.

And while this is a nice marina by itself, the noise from the traffic on the bridges, the constant alarms that go off when a train is coming to the train itself honking during the whole trip through town and over the railroad bridge (this is 24/7), and being in the flight path of the local airport, sleep is late in coming, for sure.

It's Green and It Squawks Like a . . . CAT?

Our last day at the dock; got up early and showered.  Sometimes it is a necessity.  Guess I had gotten to that point!

Headed over to the Green Market afterwards to find breakfast and fill up on fresh fruit and produce.  Gorgeous day; warm with just a little chill in the air to make it bearable.  On the way over, I came across a parade of ibises high-stepping it across a main road; they each stopped to check some spot in the road, but I hurried them along because while the pace of life is supposed to be free and easy down here, the driving certainly is not. 

The outdoor market is located right by an ampitheater and the main road of the town of Stuart.  I could hear faint music and realized that the voice singing sounded so much like my friend Stuart Whitford that I had to walk over and see what the heck he was doing in town.  It ended up being someone else, but the voice similarity was uncanny.

Honey, hummus,  and honeydews line stalls.  Delicious smells came from the conch fritter lady, but I was pulled in by the crepe man; his recipe is from his wife's family in France from about 1907.  He's tweaked the recipe to incorporate rice flour and coconut milk.  I opted for a savory omelette and it was delicious, so filling, yet light at the same time.  Reminded me of the creperies on almost every corner in Paris.  C'est bon!

A tap on my shoulder announced my son's arrival, so he got a crepe, too.  He chose strawberry, banana, and Nutella.  Another delicious treat.

When he heard the music, he looked at me quizzically and asked, 'Is that Stuart?"  We both laughed when I told him I had reacted in exactly the same way.

Elliott, being the motorhead that he is, noticed a guy driving by in an older, fantastic 1973 Ferrari.  He waved, the guy waved, and we noticed that he had a parrot on his shoulder.  A little while later, he came over to the market.  Elliott said hello and told him how much he adored his car.  The parrot was chatting amiably, too.  After a few minutes of Elliott's drooling over the car and finding out that he knew Alain De Cadenet (well known LeMans driver and the commentator of some DVDs Michael Carter loaned Elliott), the owner said, "You can go sit in it if you want," pointing to the direction in which it was parked.  Amazed, we walked over to the car, which was unlocked with the window rolled down.  Elliott got in it and grinned from ear to ear.  I know his heartrate was up, too.

While we were still there, the owner of the car returned with his jar of local honey and the bird still perched on his shoulder.  Elliott thanked him for the hands-on car experience and gave the guy his card.  Then the parrot started making noises again, this time a very distinct "Meow."  We laughed and then the parrot mocked my laugh almost perfectly dead on.  Freaky.

We went back to our shopping.  Got some hummus with jalapeno, German stollen, sourdough bread, finger bananas, and some nice vegetables from an organic farmer.  Since we were expecting a guest, we hightailed it back to the boat to take care of some chores before his arrival.

We filled the water tank, got rid of trash, and tidied up.  It got hot quickly, so all vestiges of my great shower in the morning got sweated right out of my pores.   Elliott and I took  a break to watch the phosphorescence float by the boat.  Interesting creatures; blobs of clear blobness, but veins of disco-light liquid pulsing through their veins made them a rainbow of color.  Very cool.

Our friend, Dave, arrived and we retired to the boat for a quick tour and some great conversation.  This guy is an adventurer and loves to travel.  He told me about a recent trip he'd taken to hike part of the spiritual Camino de Santiago.  He said that I would love it; I don't know.  Hiking for hours a day?  But the way he talked about it definitely piqued my interest.  I'm almost always up for something new.

Gary had biked into town to get some hardware and a few more groceries.  While Dave and I were sitting in the cockpit chatting, we noticed a large powerboat coming in slowly and looking at us, a lot.  Dave offhandedly mentioned that maybe they were looking for C-14, our slip.  We laughed and continued chatting until one of the marine folks rolled down the dock and stopped at our pier, didn't even look at us, but radioed out to the boat that yes, this was the slip, and that they (us) would be leaving in 15 minutes.  We were?  Oops.  News to us.

Right then, a red and sweaty Gary rolls up and said that we're leaving now and to come and get the hose (which was attached to the dock.) (Just so you know, there was nothing criminal in this activity; we had said we would be out that day, but just a little later than they thought.)   Dave and I hopped up and helped and we were underway and out within 7 minutes; take that, marina dude!

Elliott had been in the lounge, so we didn't have time to let him know we were leaving.  Imagine his surprise as he came down the dock, raised arms like "What?", as we were motoring out.  We told him we'd pick him up later.  Bwahahahaha!

We had decided to use a mooring ball, but instead of going straight to it, we took a little sail around the river, giving Dave a little more experience and some time at the helm.

Hooked up the ball fairly easily; this was our first time.  Settling in again, we talked about boats and travel until the sun started floating towards the horizon.   We headed to shore to get Elliott and have a drink (or two) before Dave had to drive back to his friend's house for a lobster feast.  It was a great visit and I hope he knows he's welcome back anytime.

Stuart, Florida (Long-Time Chrysanthemum Capital of the World)

So, in answer to the anchoring or marina question, we do a little of everything; mostly anchoring, then marinas, and then buoys (tomorrow will be our first if we can get one).

So, we anchored out for two nights when we first got to Stuart, but then brought the boat in to the marina for three nights because we were hoping friends would stop by to visit and we were happily treated to several of those visits, so it was absolutely worth it.

Plus, nothing is better than being able to ESCAPE when one needs to, just getting away for the afternoon can save one's sanity.  Retail therapy is awesome at those times, seriously.

Our first escape was with our dear friend Joan, who was great about letting us have packages delivered to her home in Jensen Beach.  She arrived at the marina office looking for Gary and as soon as she said his name, he walked in the door.  Perfect because there were lots of boxes and it took both of them to carry them all.

Joan and me sitting together at the
memorial park dedicated to Reed
near their home

She could only visit a little while that first day but it was so good to see her.  One of the things I love about Joan is her sense of humor; you just never know what's going to come out of her mouth--we laughed a lot!  We've  known each other for at least 20 years.  I met her when I started working for GEICO at the Maryland office.  And of course, through her, I met her husband Reed, whom we so sadly lost to cancer earlier this year.  

Pretending to be Joan for a few minutes

We made plans to get together the next morning.  She would be doing some volunteering at a local mall for the Salvation Army and we'd go with her and do some shopping for the guys, who both needed shorts and pants.  Joan (and Reed) have done volunteer work for so many years and their names are synonymous with the giving spirit.  I'm proud to know them, not only because I love them, but because of how much they give to the community.

Saw this guy at Joan's new house;
we loved the play with OCD. 

It felt weird to walk into the mall.  It hadn't been that terribly long, but everything seemed too loud and too bright, BUT there were Annie's Pretzels and Chick-Fil-A fries, so it wasn't too bad.  I also got a chance to sit with Joan at the Angel Tree table to help a little with her work for the morning.  After the mall experience, we went to visit her new and old homes (lots of real estate transactions going on) and then she suggested a place in Jensen Beach for lunch called "Crawdaddy's." 

Delicious and we had music to boot.  We got a big bowl of crawfish as an appetizer; I only had a few bites because I used to have a pet crawfish when I was a kid.  Well, I did until it crawled under the shed, never to be seen again. 

Because we ended up sitting right next to the band area, Dennis the musician said he would not play too loud.  He did covers, but did a good job at them and played a good selection.  When he played Joan and Reed's song (just a strange coincidence), we all got a little weepy.

Joan and I have a date for Tuesday night to do "The Taste of Jensen Beach," at which restaurateurs have tables outside their places with selections of their best dishes.  That will be fun and delicious; I can't wait!

We've been around the town a couple of times.  Today, after a great visit this morning with our friend (and Elliott's orthodontist) Mary and some of her friends, I got the fridge started on defrosting and since I had time until I could repack it, I sauntered into town. Spent money (but no regrets) on myself at The Gauze Shop (you know, a couple of flowy things that are bound to get tangled in the shrouds), and had a lovely pizza lunch with tiramisu boxed up for very conspicuous consumption later.  (Is it later yet?)

When I finally made it back to the boat, Gary suggested we join the local community at an outdoor viewing of "Frozen."  My first reaction was a little chilly (ha), but we finally settled on going since neither of us had seen the film, so I packed a blanket for sitting, an extra sweatshirt, and some warm socks because it really can get cold when the sun takes a hike at sundown.

Waiting for "Frozen" to start.

We walked and walked and finally made it to Memorial Park, where the event was being held.  Girls were everywhere (there had been a princess parade earlier), and the movie started.  Elliott said he did not want to stay and could he go buy a pizza or something; okay, slide him a twenty just so he wouldn't whine.

He came back and said it would be an hour but that he was willing to wait way over there (away from the movie) and bring it back; we said okay.

The movie wasn't terrible, typical Disney fodder, but the singing voices, wow, wow, wow!  And it was terribly cute when a lot of the young audience joined in singing the songs.

Afterwards, we found Elliott at the Italian restaurant, Papi's, with a whole family around him listening to his stories of cruising; this kid.  Came back to the boat to find that the defrosting of the fridge and subsequent cleaning out left it a little bare.

Thankfully, the Farmer's Market is in the morning by the river walk and I hear very good things about it.  Fresh fruits would be heavenly!  And we can stay in our slip until the afternoon, when we hope another guest arrives!

Anchoring Out vs. Staying in Marinas

When traveling by boat, there are usually three choices for where to put your boat when you come into body of water at a new town.  Anchoring out, using a mooring buoy, or getting a slip at a marina.  There are pros and cons to each:

Anchoring Out:

Pro(s):  Inexpensive because it costs nothing except the gas in the dinghy motor to get you to and from shore.

More wildlife such as dolphins, rays, seabirds to entertain you.

Con:  You have to dinghy to and from shore.

Using a Mooring Buoy: 

Pro:  Inexpensive because usually it costs about $25 a night (or sometimes on a first-come, first-served basis), this is a permanent anchoring spot that has a buoy attached to it floating on top of the water.   Usually close to the marina.

Con:  You have to dinghy to and from shore.

Marina Slip: 

When you finally remember the code to get into
the laundry room,you find one of the nicest you've been
in so far; many machines, a CHANGE MACHINE!,
and an ironing board.  NICE!

Pro(s):  You are right there, at the restaurants, at the laundry and bathrooms and showers, marine store, and the lounge (if your marina has one).

It is so much easier to entertain guests on board when all they have to do is climb a four-step ladder.

If you like dogs, you will meet a lot of them at marinas.   Fewer cats.

Con(s):  Expensive!  At $2 a foot for your boat, you are paying as much as a fairly nice hotel room for parking your boat between some wood pilings on a layer of water that really belongs to no one.  (Native American wisdom there.)

You have to remember the card with the ding-dang number codes for the gate, for the bathroom, for the laundry room, and for the lounge which has a nice lending library, because even though your smarty pants son has realized that they're all a pattern, you forget which pattern goes with which door. 

Which would you choose?  

P.S.:  

Why is there ALWAYS one sock left
just hanging around?