Miami bound

Joel and another technician arrived at Marquesa promptly at eight this morning to reconnect Bessie.  The first ssnafu...a fuel line got damaged somehow when we put her back on the boat yesterday.  Donnie ran to the auto parts store to buy another 3/16th's hose to replace it.

While the boys worked on Bessie, Willis was deep in slumber and not about to be disturbed.  The Dern Cat came down through the screen in the hatch over our Vberth at about 2am when he realized he was locked out of the boat.  Naturally, he was sleeping good at 8:00am.

Once it was all connected, and it didn't take them long, she fired right up...but she wasn't peeing out the exhaust like she should.  Uh-oh.  The seacock was still closed.  Easy fix.  Opened it up- still not peeing.  Houston, we have a problem.  The one thing that was not replaced on the engine, the water pump, was not working.  That stopped us dead in our tracks.

The minute Bessie fired up, Willis sprang to life and hid his head under Cap'n's pillow.  Such a brave puss.  Actually, it's the first time he's heard the engine since May of last year, so I can understand him being a little shook up.

 I left Donnie and the boys to their own devices, as Biddi and I had to be on the road by 10am if we were going to get our power Walmart and Dollar Tree run in on our way to the Miami airport.  We weren't 30 miles down the road and Cap'n called- we needed to pick up a new water pump while we were in Miami, and the industrial park where it was located was only about 10 miles from the airport.  They closed at 4pm, so we decided to go to Dollar Tree first, then find the place with the water pump, and hope that there was a Walmart close by so we could still get to the airport on time.  Better to be safe than sorry, and the priority was to get the water pump, for sure.  Biddi and I stopped at Applebee's in Homestead for a soup and salad lunch, then we killed it at Dollar Tree :)  I sure am missing Daffy Doug's that closed down here in Marathon.  Luckily, the Walmart was not a mile away from the marine place in the industrial park, which was in the middle of Miami-Medley-Havana.  It was like being at a Walmart back home at 2am on a Friday night- only different.  I saw more spandex, more cheetah print, more skin, back fat, and too big of bodies poured into too little of clothes than I ever care to see again.  Wowzer. 

This was tame compared to most of what I saw.  Look up people of Walmart in Florida, you'll get the picture.  I will say one thing, they have no body image issues in their culture, they flaunt it like they've got it!  Too much of it, really.

With our $400 water pump, and $500 of groceries and merchandise between the two of us, we got to airport with thirty minutes to spare.  My momma and Emily never looked so good!

After dinner at Cracker Barrel, we made it back to the boat at about 10 pm.  Momma needs some warm sunshine!

This was the cold, snowy mess they left behind in Indiana.  Emily said she drove in almost white-out conditions on I465 on her way to the airport earlier today.  This huge pile up happened about two hours after they got there.  The interstate is expected to remain closed until tomorrow before they can clean it all up.  There was no getting to the airport after this wreck.  My friend Stephanie flew in to Indy from Albuquerque about an hour after mom and Emily took off.  She drove Em's car back to Mom's house as she is dog/cat/house sitting while mom is down here. Stephanie was telling me about all of the police cars, ambulances and fire trucks she passed on her way home.  She, too, just missed this wreck- thank goodness.

Willis was happy to see Sissy; she's a cat whisperer!  He turns to jello when she holds him upside down.

Cap'n worked on Danny's boat all day, removing the water pump from his genset, cleaning it, and replacing the impeller.  Though his engine compartment is much bigger, he still had himself folded over his engine most of the afternoon and evening.  Then, when I got home, he decided to go ahead and install the water pump on Bessie that I just brought home to him from Miami.  The man is a working fool.  Willis, of course, was right there, supervising it all.  The old water pump is on the left, the new one is on the right.  Willis is looking at dad with his head in the engine!

Tomorrow morning, Joel will return (bright and early, I'm sure) to give her a final once over.  Then we will do a quick sea trial before they hand us the bill.  TOMORROW we should officially be back in commission!

I am pooped after so many hours of driving, and shopping always wears me out.  I am going to bed to join Willis.  He beat me to it tonight.  G'nite, y'all!

Saving (and spending)- what a day!

Matt and Karie stayed with us last night, and we all had a good time getting caught up with each other.  This morning I fixed omelets and a fresh fruit salad for breakfast.  Karie went and did laundry, while I cleaned up the galley and the boys tackled the dinghy engine...it also wants to quit on us :(  Last evening, Brett suggested that we likely have a hole in the diaphragm.  After isolating other potential problems, guess what?  We have a hole in the diaphragm!  Matt also was super helpful in showing me a website to get quality sailing hardware at less than half the cost of Schaeffer or Harken.  I ordered two specialty blocks for our jib sheets...they would have been $151.50 each at one of the other suppliers, but through Garhauermarine.com, I got two of them for only $120 and free shipping!  I'm so excited to finally save a buck!  Thank-you, Matt!  Believe it or not, I think this took us up to a phone call from Luis.  Bessie was getting fired up, and they asked us to come have a listen to her :)

It may not sound like much to y'all, but she's purring like a kitten, and that's music to our ears!!

L to R is Matt, Joel (the technician) Luis (the owner) and Cap'n Donnie.

Isn't she pretty?!  She was painted gold which is standard for a Universal block.  Hopefully, when we get the final bill she was only spray painted and not gold plated!  It doesn't matter, she's new, she sparkles, and I love her :)

My and my bestest boating buds...Karie and Biddi

We had a visitor while we all ate lunch at Paradise Pointe.  I layed out all the fixin's for chef salads with french bread, and everybody made their own.  We had a delicious cantaloupe, too.

Soon after, Bessie got delivered.  It was quite the group effort getting her back in the engine compartment.  We have great friends here at Banana Bay, and their willingness to pitch in and help saved us another $400 by doing it ourselves.

Before all of the excitement began, I went down below to grab my camera, and snapped this pic of Willis.  He was giving me the stink eye because I woke him up from his morning/afternoon nap.  He needs to get over himself sometimes.

Mike (from Footloose) rigged up his electric winch again on the piling.   We had to move Marquesa back about nine feet on the dock, and attach another line across the port side of the boat to control the boom.  Again, the new mainsail was peeled back, we added some extra padding around the teak and deck winch, unzipped the bimini and folded down the dodger, and used the main halyard to strengthen the boom to support the 425# Bessie.  Whoever said that two heads are better than one was right.  Four collective heads offering their ideas and suggestions was even better still.  We cracked the teak on the companionway and also scratched the fiberglass in the cockpit when we took her out the first time; we're hoping for a better performance today.

She's off the dock and going up! 

It was a MAJOR group effort....Many, many thanks to Mike (Footloose) on the winch, Ray (from Fish n' Fun Boat Rentals), Matt (Plan Sea), Steve (Yesterday's Dream) Danny (Biddi and the Beast), and Paps.

IT WAS QUITE THE ORDEAL!

There were all kinds of high-fives, hand shakes, and back slappings going on afterwards!

In all of that commotion, Sassafras decided to wake up and see what all the fuss was about.  It cracks me up how he walks up the ladder, he uses his elbows!  He did not like all these peeps in his space- he made a beeline for the mangroves.  Dern cat.

We celebrated the afternoon with a game of dominoes.  Biddi beat Mamaw by just six points.  She won the rubber chicken!

Despite our rowdy game of chickenfoot, there was a beached manatee and a pelican that slept right through it all!  We love you, Danny boy!

There must have been some kind of fly in at the airport today, because two old bomber jets passed over head.

Late in the day I went to wash the car, and passed the airport. I stopped for a closer look. See the gunnery seat in the back?

This was the one I photographed in the sky earlier. What kind is it?

Can you imagine the skies filled with these planes during WWII with bullets and bombs raining down?

Does anybody know what type of bombers these are?  I tried to read the inscription on the side of this one...

I made another grocery run, then hurried home to make a chicken stir fry.  We had a date with Dan and Biddi at 7:00pm to go see the Doerfel's playing at Salty's by the Seven Mile Bridge.  It is a band of 10 homeschooled kids-all the same family.  There's nine boys and one girl, though only five of them were playing tonight.  They are ridiculously talented.  They not only cover classic rock, jazz, current bands, but bluegrass and gospel, too.  Their talent is unbelievable.

The kid on lead guitar is only 17, and he's been playing for just seven years. Ridiculous.

How about this homemade guitar with a hockey stick?!

...and if you like some bluegrass music...at one point they all played with their instruments over their heads and facing backwards, even the bass fiddle- it was crazy!  You really should check these kids out.  The banjo player is the oldest, at 24, and the youngest is 7 who sang Pink Floyd!  Go to their website, www.thedoerfels.com, check them out on You Tube, or 'like' them on Facebook- there are links to free downloads, too.  You won't be sorry you did :)

Welp, the boys are passed out beside me.  It's been a long full day today, and I have another long, full day tomorrow, too.  Biddi is riding with me for a power shopping trip in Homestead, before we pick up Mom and Emily from the Miami airport.  I can't wait to see them- I hope I can sleep tonight.  I think I'll join the boys now.  G'nite y'all!

company's coming

So, you know I told you I did laundry yesterday, right?  I made the mistake of leaving my laundry money out on the salon table.  Guess who pulled an all-nighter last night?  I think he hit up more than the Kit Kat Go Go Lounge because he came slinking in the boat at about 6:30am.  He must have been pretty hungover because he didn't want breakfast, he didn't make any apologies, he didn't give me any lip, he just drug his sorry self to the darkest place he could find to lay down.

This is where he slept off a major bender...until three in the afternoon.  Dern cat.

This morning I tackled the taxes...and gave up.  It was just too pretty outside to be stuck down in the salon.  So I finished up the cockpit table giving it three coats of polyurethane.  It turned out really nice, no water marks at all. 

Donnie's first success of the day was installing the float sender into the fuel tank and then he finished up the wiring.  We turned the ignition key (ha, still no Bessie) and the needle climbed to full!  We have about another 12 gallons of diesel in our jerry jugs on deck, so we're ready to go cruising!  Finally a plan that came together.

Bessie on the other hand, was still not delivered.  Naturally the part did not come yesterday, but it was supposed to arrive today.  Then the place had an emergency with another boat's engine that required all the technicians getting pulled off their jobs to assist with it.  Long story longer, we still have no Bessie.  We hope she comes tomorrow, as now we have plenty of help.  Matt and Karie came down this afternoon, and we have company!  The weather and/or the wind just has not cooperated with them to get to the Bahamas, so they drove down to hang out here for Super Bowl weekend.  I think there plan now is to got back and get Plan Sea and bring her back here for the month of February.  That's fine with us; we love hanging out with them!

After lunch, Cap'n tackled his other project for the day which was getting the new cockpit speaker wired.  They sound great!  98.7 is coming in loud and clear..."If your winter coat is more than 10 years old, you're in Conch Country!"

After I came back from the grocery store, we took the rest of the afternoon off to play chickenfoot with Mamaw, Paps, Biddi and the two of us.  The game broke up when Matt and Karie got here...that was fine with me, Donnie was killing us all.  After a quick visit, Biddi and I joined Fran, Diane and Dave for a new exercise class that started in the park.  It's a circuit training, and it kicked my tail!  Some of the core exercises were the same as P90x, so I was glad to get a good workout in.  The class only meets on T/R, so I'm hoping Cap'n will go check it out on Thursday while I'm up in Miami.

Biddi had us over for dinner tonight which was excellent.  Anytime I get a break from the galley, it's excellent!  We no sooner got done with dinner and there were about 12 people out on Paradise Pointe with Mayor Dan presiding.  The drinks were flowing and the tall tales were getting taller....we called it a night at about 11:00pm.  Mr. Ridiculous is passed out next to me.  He's so very, very tired.  And he's resigned to the fact that he is on house arrest tonight.  Kids these days...  G'nite, y'all!

winding down and gearing up!

Cap'n and I just got home from a late night walk on the Seven Mile Bridge.  The moon was so bright, it was casting shadows.  There is a steady breeze with occasional gusts; it would have been a perfect night for a crossing.  Our friends, Matt and Karie have been waiting for the wind to change out of the north and it finally has.  I expect they will be leaving very soon for the Bahamas if they haven't already.  We wish them fair winds and following seas :) 

Today it got up to 81, since the northerlies are gone for now.  Unfortunately, it seems a front is due to move through again on Thursday, the day I go pickup Mom and Emily from Miami. I would be ever so glad for a southern wind to come in and stay for days....to move the stinking sea grass out of the marina.  YUCK!  It only comes in with the north wind, and it blows back out again with a south wind.  But in the meantime, it piles up and begins to ferment and rot.  It's nasty!  I just my boat to look and smell clean and fresh.

I want to dive in and give Marquesa another thorough scrubbing and cleaning, but I cannot until Bessie gets reinstalled.  It would be pointless.  So, we are now prioritizing projects- those that can be accomplished before Thursday, those that are essential to get us back out on the water and sailing, and those that must be done before we set out cruising the end of March.  The one thing I must do is get Willis' cruising permits in order for the Bahamas.  That can be a 4-6 week process so I have to get on it right away.  Biddi is borrowing our Jeep in the morning for a dr's appt., so I am thinking about pedal, pedal, pedaling my clownbike to the library to get some computer work and printing done- for taxes, for work, and for Willis T Cat. Anyhow, it's best I stay out of Cap'n's way when he is head long into a project as tools are practically strung from bow to stern! (That may be an exaggeration, btw.)

We got our first pleasant surprise...when I ordered a replacement blade for Windy, the wind generator, it was $120 which I thought was for one blade.  Though it seemed salty, any time I can get by with a boat part for a $100 bill I feel like I've done okay.  When Donnie opened the package, we had three new blades and the hardware to go with them!  When he got up a ladder to take the nose cone and present blades off,  he discovered another one was damaged and missing part of its wing.

Within an hour, Cap'n had the three new blades installed, and she was humming away making power :)  I love when we are living off the grid and cruising, the sun and the wind keep us powered up and the boat moving! We now have a spare blade safe stowed away with other misc. spare parts, too.  Don't we have a gorgeous view?

I tackled three loads of laundry and hung our sheets and comforter on the lifelines.  The sun was hot and the easterly wind was cranking, so they were dried quickly.  There's nothing like the smell of clean sheets dried out on a line, they just can't replicate that smell in a bottle of fabric softener!  With the easterly wind blowing, it is now blowing Marquesa off the dock.  She reminds me of a racehorse in a starting gate.  I can just feel her straining the dock lines to break free and sail.  In fact, when she's in the slot on a beam reach, cutting through the water, she literally hums along.  In those moments, Marquesa is smiling, Cap'n is smiling, the First Mate is smiling, and Willis is....well, Willis is usually hiding behind a pillow.  He's not smiling so very much.  Until he gets his sea legs back.  When he comes out into the cockpit or up on deck while we are underway, then he's smiling, too :)

Cap'n, aka Mr. Fix It, tackled a new project today.  He loves it when he learns something new.  He installed a new fuel gauge (we've never had one before, but then we don't normally use a whole lot of fuel) and roughed in the wiring.  This required putting a hole in the fiberglass, which always is a little worrisome.  At least it was above the waterline.  Notice the tools and mess strewn about...it's how he works!  Tomorrow he has to put the sender in the fuel tank and finish up the wiring.

Tah-Dah!!! (No, that is not MY hairy leg in the foregroud, lol)

I put the first coat of polyurethane on the cockpit table this afternoon.  Tomorrow I will sand it with 220 and brush on another one.  I will probably do at least three coats.  I managed to get most of the water stains sanded and bleached out.  I also did some other clean up projects and organizing down below. 

Bessie update:  She got painted a shiny gold and was all put back together, except for one shim gasket for the fuel injector pump.  It's only a $6.00 part, but it had to be ordered from Kubota.  It was supposed to have been delivered this afternoon.  If so, they should be calling us tomorrow morning to come have a listen when they do a test run in firing her up.  If all is well, she will be delivered either tomorrow or Wednesday for us to set her back down in the compartment.  Steve and Mike have offered their muscle and electric winch to get her lowered back into the boat.  Once that happens, we call them, and they will send Joel back out to reconnect and align everything- a few more hours labor. Then, we hold our breath as we are presented the bill, and I work any frustrations out by furiously cleaning and making beds before I have to make a run up to Miami to get Mom and Emily.  They will both be staying aboard Thursday night, as we can't get them checked into the motel until Friday. This week is going to pass in a blur, I have no doubt.  So, you see, we are both winding down with some projects, gearing up for the Bessie reinstall and getting ready for company :)  And we're doing it all in gorgeous blue skies and Florida sunshine.  It's not a bad gig. 

As for Willis, he is patiently waiting for Grandma ShooHoo to come sit in her chair under the palm tree :)  G'nite, y'all!

Sunday visiting :)

I'm so pleased with how the teaks look all warm and cozy :)  On our way this morning to church in Islamorada....so excited to be worshiping with our former pastor, Bob Pavey and his beloved, Marcia.

So there are times in your life when you are reminded that there IS a God.  Sometimes He works quietly behind the scenes, and sometimes its an in-your-face God moment. There is a back story to our former pastor from Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church in New Castle, Indiana, being lead to the Florida Keys.  We felt so privileged to be intercessors for Him one day in late spring of last year.  Donnie and I had just been up in Miami, taking my mom to the airport for her return to Indiana.  We were driving down through the Keys and Donnie's cell phone rang.  It was Pastor Bob.  Now, he had not been our senior pastor for some time as our home church went through some changes the year before that.  We missed him terribly.  Missed his preaching.  Missed he and his wife singing.  Missed his teaching.  Missed his leadership.  When Donnie's phone rang, he was excited to see that Pastor was calling.  He was looking for a church and wanted to know if we knew where Matecumbe Key was.  Well, we just happened to be two miles away, getting ready to enter in to the town of Islamorada, which is on Matecumbe Key.  Weird, right?  While we were on the phone, he asked if we might drive by and take a look at it. At this point we weren't but TWO BLOCKS AWAY!  He asked if we could stop in and take pictures of the place...we were intrigued, so we gladly obliged.  It appeared that no one was at the church, except a gardening crew was there tending to the property.  In talking to the landscapers, the church treasurer just happened to be drop in at the church to leave a check for the lawn crew.  So we walked in a side door called out a "hello?" and introduced ourselves to Donna, the church treasurer.  We tried to explain what was a providential situation, A GOD THING, no doubt.  It was a goose-pimpley, hair-standing-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck, celestine prophecy kind of moment.  As Donna walked us through the sanctuary and showed us all around the property, I literally felt like I was in a movie set and it was that point at which a golden heavenly light bathes the entire scene.  It all felt surreal. and exciting. and heavenly.  The church's story was that their senior pastor's father had taken ill, and though she was planning to work another year until her retirement, she felt the need to leave earlier to tend to him.  The church had been through several changes there, and there was room for growth, and revival,. If anybody could do it, it was Pastor Bob and Marcia.  Marcia has an infectious personality, she will liven up any room she ever enters :)  This was no coincidence. I learned years ago that there is no such thing as a coincidence.  If every you catch yourself saying, "Wow, what a coincidence!" Nope, look closer. It's the hand of God orchestrating things in your life in that moment.

Donna then took us by the parsonage, and the beautiful beach at the end of the street, and I KNEW the Pavey's would be calling this place home...a beautiful place for them to spend their years before their own eventual retirement.  I snapped at least a dozen pictures on my phone that day, and sent them to his phone, and we prayed.  Prayed for His will to be done.  Though it was eventually summertime before all of the pieces fell into place, it felt like a done deal before we ever got back to Banana Bay that spring afternoon.  Cool story, huh?!  God is good; ALL the time.  He knows what is best, when the timing is right, and I am so happy that Pastor Bob and Marcia are being rewarded for living and faithfully serving Him, through thick and thin.  It's just beyond cool.
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It was so good to hear him singing from the pulpit again....it had been too long.

There was a carry in dinner following the service, and who was the first person I ran into as I carried my dish into the kitchen...the treasurer, Donna, who immediately remembered us from last year.  As we all laughed and hugged once again, I felt God smiling, as we all were :))))

Something I forgot to add from our first meeting....Donna asked if Pastor enjoyed fishing.  We knew his family loved to vacation at the beach, and he always attended the men's fishing retreat at our home church, so we said yes, but we weren't sure about saltwater fishing.  She said it would be written into his contract that he would be taken fishing once a week- guaranteed!  How about THAT for one of the perks to the job? lol  After the service, we went back to the parsonage and visited the afternoon away.  It was so good catching up.  Late in the day we decided to walk to the beach at the end of the street.  Ms. Marcia often takes her morning tea down there to enjoy the morning sunshine.  Perfect.  I am so happy for her.

I would say the Keys suits them well, don't you?

Me and Cap'n Donnie, the only man for me.  I lead such a blessed life.

The wind was still crankin' today so it was fun to watch the kiteboarders.  It looks like so much fun!

This is where Ms. Marcia enjoys her morning tea.  The parsonage is next to a resort area, so the neighborhood has beautiful homes with landscaped gardens.  It is really lovely.  There's some name droppin' that could be said for celebrities who have homes here on this island.   Often times they see trucks of film equipment and models and such doing shoots on this beach.  I think on those days Pastor probably joins Ms. Marcia for her morning tea ;)

The bougainvillea colors are coming on, just in time for Mom's arrival this week :)

a gorgeous double bloom hibiscus

I don't know what this is, but I love, love, love anything that is purple and blooms :)

...and squirrels....I love them, too.  Ellie was my 'bug' growing up, and Emily was my 'squirrel'.  I actually wrote a children's book years ago called Baby Sal- The Not So Sleepy Squirrel.  I only got about sixty rejection letters, lol. Random fact.

After we bid our goodbyes to Pastor Bob and Marcia,with plans to see them next Sunday, we stopped across the street at the WorldWide Sportsman which is the sister store to Bass Pro Shop, but this store is all things for saltwater fishing and water sports.  This is Pilar, the half sister ship to Ernest Hemingway's Pilar that he hunted big game fish on in the Gulfstream all the way to Bimini.  It was commissioned in 1933 and after a season of fishing, Hemingway ordered one to be built for himself in 1934.  Both 'Pilars' came to the aid of the Key West Navy in WWII, armed to the hilt and chasing German submarines off the coast of Cuba, another favorite haunt of Hemingway's.  (In fact, there is a marina named after him just outside of Havana.) Hemingway even changed her home port to Havana, but eventually left in 1959 to return to the Keys.  This boat appeared in a couple of movies in its hey day, "Key Largo" and "The Blue Heron" though under a different name.  It's a beautiful boat that now sits in the center of the showroom floor at WorldWide Sportsman.  Hemingway's 'Pilar' is at Finca Viga, his old homestead on the island of Cuba.  I want to visit her someday.  soon. 

On our way back to Marathon, we drove by my 'dream home'.  I was determined to stop the Jeep and go exploring for a closer look. It sits on it's own island with a private lagoon, near MM72 and the Channel 5 bridge.  It is the only other 'tall bridge' in the Keys (65' up from the water line) for sailboats to pass from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Shhhh, be very, very quiet....my honey led me through a path in the mangroves (in heels, no less), past the locked gate for a closer look-see.  I just HAD to.  We were trespassing, I know.

I have had my eye on this home for 10 years, ever since we first started coming down to the Keys.  It was abandoned mid-construction, but, oh the things Mr. and Mrs. Fix It could do with this home.  Every window has a view of the Atlantic, the Gulf, the Channel Five bridge, or the lagoon with a 100' cement dock.  The island is big enough for three or four more homes to be built.  I fell IN LOVE with it.  For this, I would sell the log cabin and live here permanently.  What a beautiful place for the kids and grandkids to come and play.  Marquesa would be docked in our own backyard.

Welcome to MY home in paradise, would you like to come in?!

My kitchen sink faces the Gulf of Mexico!  The main floor has two large bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom, a formal dining room, a breakfast area, kitchen, laundry, a half bath, and a HUGE living room that runs the entire length of the back of the house facing the Gulf.  All the electric and plumbing is roughed in, it simply needs finished.  Over the next half an hour I designed the stain glass windows, selected tile, cabinetry, light fixtures, furniture, paint, and wall art.  I was in heaven, I tell you, where do I sign?

This one of two balconies on the second floor which is all the master suite.  It faces our own private lagoon.  One the other side of those mangroves is a 100' dock, complete with utilities and the plumbing for a fish cleaning station.  The dock is on two levels- the lower level is for the fishing boat and jet skis, and the other is for our much bigger sailboat :)

This is the view from our bed :)  The morning sun is on the Gulf side, too.   We also have a sitting room/office area, a walk in closet and master bath all on the second floor.  Perfect for Cap'n's quarters.  He deserves it.

The view from our balcony.  There's a set of double french doors at the end of the bed that opens out to another private balcony.  On the left side I can sit in our hot tub and view the Channel Five Bridge, where we can easily take Marquesa out.  If you turn left after going under the bridge, you'll head for Bimini.  If you turn right, you'll head to Key West or on down to Mexico.  And if you continue straight on your course from the bridge, you will end up in Cuba.  An easy overnight sail.  Only 90 miles away.  Perfect for this adventuresome couple.

And when I tire of the hot tub, I will get out and sunbathe on the lounge chairs on the right side of our balcony with a good book.  I have a perfect view of our private lagoon where I can watch the kids and grandkids snorkel and play on the jet skis.  Late in the day I will come out here with my binoculars to scan the waters for my beloved coming home from a day of fishing with a mess of yellowtail, mangrove snappers, and hogfish for our dinner. *sigh*  I can see it in my mind's eye...

The best news of all?  IT'S FOR SALE!!!  I hate to even look it up or give Kelly Shaw a call.  I probably can't even afford the hurricane insurance on it.  This is why KEN NEEDS TO CALL ME...so I can get on Survivor, win the million bucks, and at least have the down payment for my dream home!  I have watched this home for nearly as many years as I have been applying to the game of Survivor. I started applying when I was 38 years old, and I turn 50 this year. Ken, you need to call me, DANG NABBIT!!!!

When we got home, Willis was being a faithful guard cat...

But, he had to give me lip though about us being gone all day.  Such a sassafras.  I explained that we had been looking at our dream home, on our own private island, where he and Simon could have the run of the place.  He piped down when he found out he could have his very own iguanas to chase. Whenever he wanted.  That shut him up.

Cap'n got busy with a few boat projects since he lost yesterday to being a shirttail auto mechanic.  He rebuilt our main halyard winch which saved us a hundred dollar bill (for a used one).  He also painted a flange in the engine compartment in anticipation of our new Bessie coming home to roost in the next day or two.  Just about that time Bryan called him to go play guitars, and he jumped at the chance. 

At about 9pm, I got a hankering to go for a run.  I ran for thirty minutes and I wasn't even being chased by a bad man!  I stumbled into the cockpit when I got back, but by golly, I did it!

And this is how I find Sassafras most evenings...so very, very curious about the dinghy tied to the stern of Marquesa.  I think this is how he fell in the water a few nights ago.  Dern cat.

And while I worked on the blog and checked the flight times for Emily and Mom's arrival this week, Willis had to be right there, tail swishing on my keyboard.  Such a good helper, he is. And a sassafras. I can't help but love him. That dern cat.   G'nite, y'all!