2022: Chili Cookoff and Taco Tuesday

 1 February 2022

After a few days of wind, we were glad to see things settle down for an overnight visit from our Looper friends Jim and JoAnn McFall. Last Saturday we had winds as high as 35 mph and the boat was a-rockin! The McFalls made it a quick trip out to see us. They surprised us as it had been looking unlikely they would be getting to Florida from Michigan, but they managed to break away to come south for a weather break and a boat / people visit. We were delighted to see Sammy, their dog, in the car when we met them at the marina's front gate.

When they arrived, we were all in long pants and jackets. We went to dinner at Sunset Grille. The sky was so cloudy, we did not get to see the sun even once. 

Bundled up from the cold at
Sunset Grille
(7-Mile Bridge in background)

It did manage to warm up a bit before they left. There was even talk of a swim in the pool, but once they figured out how long the drive to Ft. Lauderdale would take, they decided they could not afford the time for a swim. 

Jim and JoAnn McFall

We found it difficult to decide how to dress during this weather phase. As the day warmed, Clark still wore long sleeves / long pants. I changed to short sleeves and shorts. 

Ev and Clark at Marlin Bay

3 February 2022

On Thursdays the boaters at Faro Blanco share "Heavy Hors d'oeuvres" intending that no one should have to go home and make dinner after happy hour. This week they added the theme "Chili Cookoff" to make it extra special. Clark wanted to go visit, so we hopped on our bicycles to get there for 4 o'clock when the party started.

Eight contenders offered up their chili concoctions for the judging contest. Two baskets of goodies weighed in the balance as the chefs' awards.

Sampling underway

After the announcement of the two winners, the cooking contenders lined up behind their offerings for a group photo.

8 Chili Cooks

Unbeknownst to me, someone flew a drone overhead to get a group shot of the activities.

We left just after the event ended at 6:00 to bike back to Marlin Bay before full darkness set in. Although we have lights, front and rear, for our bikes, it is hard to see the bumps and dips in the pavement in the dark making it an unpleasant ride back to the boat after sunset.

5 February 2022

Somedays are uneventful and then other days make up for that by being action-packed. Today turned into a busy day. 

We started with a bike trip to the farmer's market. Normally I leave at 9:00 when my friend with a car, Sandy, picks me up. She was away on a trip today, so Clark got enlisted to go with me.

Sadly, when we got their at 9:30, they tables were basically bare. The only offering I might have been tempted by were a few yellow squash, but I already had that on hand. The only other item was papaya, and I had no interest in buying that today. 

When I asked where all the veggies were, I was told that many people were ready and waiting when the truck pulled up and wiped them out quickly. The lesson learned there was come early or miss out!

After our disappointment at the farmer's market, we biked to Winn Dixie and Walgreens to buy some items and then headed back to the boat. Once home, Clark decided he wanted to swim laps in the pool and left. After I had the food stowed, I decided that I would take a swim as well. It felt heavenly to sink down into the pool water. 

As Clark swam by me, he stopped and said, "Do you want to go out on the boat later?" I said, "Sure". After a late and quick lunch, we threw off the lines and pulled out of our slip at 2:15. Not until we were underway did Clark tell me his plans for the boat trip. He tricked me!

I thought we would do our typical maintenance run and maybe drop anchor to hang out for a while before returning. He had other plans. He wanted to get fuel for both the big boat (diesel) and the dinghy (gas). To get the best diesel price, he planned to go under the 7-Mile Bridge to the Marathon Safe Harbor Marina gas dock. To get the best quality gas for the dinghy, he decided he would need to go to Faro Blanco's gas dock.

To get under the 7-Mile bridge, we have to lower the mast and the antennas on the boat. Once they are lowered we can squeeze under.  When we got to Marathon Marina, the gas docks were full of other boaters, so Clark decided we should take a tour through Boot Key Harbor. 

Many boats moored in the Boot Key Harbor

As we meandered through Boot Key Harbor, we passed a few dinghies. Surprisingly, we knew most of the folks as they had traveled over from Marlin Bay Marina. It seemed to be the day to visit Boot Key! As one dinghy passed, someone yelled up to us, "What? Are you too lazy to put down your dinghy?!" We laughed!

We continued into the harbor and went down a side creek that took us along the side of Sombrero Blvd and  past the Docksides Bar. As we passed by the Skipjack Marina, we looked for the Krogen Express we knew had been there and found it still at dock. Unfortunately, we have yet to see the folks on board when we come around. Continuing on, we passed yet another couple from Marlin Bay out touring. 

As we got further and further along the ever-narrowing waterway, we wondered where we could turn the boat around. Traveling all the way to the end of the waterway, we found a basin where Clark easily spun the boat.

 As we retraced our route to return to Marlin Bay via the fuel docks, we saw yet another familiar face. Mel was out exploring Boot Key with a friend from the marina. 

Mel with Sabrina from Faro Blanco

When we got to the fuel dock at Marathon Safe Harbor Marina, we found the docks empty so we pulled up to get our diesel fuel. Fortunately, they have a fast fill capability, so it did not take too long. Clark wanted really good fuel for our dinghy since it sits for long periods of time unused. He decided not to get gas at this dock. 

Once more we ducked under the 7-Mile Bridge and then stopped at Faro Blanco. We arrived at 4:45, and the staff go home at 5:00 from here. After tying up to the dock, someone came out to assist us and explained that the gas at Faro Blanco is self serve - 24 x 7, so we can come at any time. Barb, who helped us, was kind enough to walk us through the process as a learning experience. 

After we pulled away from the gas dock, we turned around in the basin where for the past 6 years we had docked our boat. As we spun around, the folks at docktails waved a big hello. Someone signaled that we should pull in. It was a joke as the space was only big enough for a dinghy.

Our maintenance run turned into a 3-hour tour of the area. We finished tying up our lines around 5:30 - just in time for Clark to get a good sunset picture to complete our busy day.

8 February 2022

After a couple of days of hanging around the boat, we decided that we would bike to Faro Blanco for Taco Tuesday docktails. I did not think I would be partaking of much of the food until I got there and tried this cheesy-chili type dip with chips. That turned out to be my dinner. Clark enjoyed the chicken tacos offered there. 

When it looked like folks were slowing down on consuming tacos and such, Lynn from Fins disappeared briefly and came back with a tray full of shot-sized glasses filled with homemade chocolate mousse and topped with whipped cream. It was a heavenly treat. 

Compared to the Chili Cookoff, few folks attended Taco Tuesday this week. Once again we hightailed it out of there on our bikes as the sun began to set to enable us to see the cracks in the sidewalk before it became too dark to see our way. 

I knew that a couple of chicken tacos would not satisfy Clark for dinner. Fortunately, I had left over vegetables in the fridge. I heated them up and added a large salad to fill him up. I was too stuffed with the chili dip to eat another thing.