4 January 2023
No boat travel.
Today Clark had physical therapy, and since he was going out, I asked if he could buy me some items at the store on the way back. He said okay and I gave him a list. It had 4 items on the list each shown with the aisle number where the item could be found.
After PT Clark biked to the Marathon Airport. He needed some special fluid for the boat that someone suggested he should be able to acquire there. Well, they did not have any available in stock but could order it for him for Friday pickup. From there he went to Publix for me.
Later, as I sat reading on the boat, I got a text message that read "Which one?" I had requested a 2-pack Bounty that was "Select-a-size". I burst out laughing and pushed the phone icon to call him.
I walked him through the arduous shopping task of buying paper towels one step at a time. Apparently, "Select-a-size" was in too fine a print to be seen from across the aisle. After that I stayed on the phone to walk him through picking up the other three items.
After lunch, we both went to Publix shopping. I had items on my list that could not be explained to Clark, so I had to go myself -- complicated things like flour and sugar! We ended up going to both Publix and Winn Dixie. Of all the crazy things, sugar actually turned out to be a problem. Apparently it is hard to come by - at least down here. I found the boat-sized quantity I wanted at Winn Dixie. Publix only had extra large family-sized quantities.
5 January 2023
No boat travel.
We had calm weather today. So calm we had to wave the gnats away that wanted to eat us even out on the boat where we normally have enough breeze to blow them away. Clark went for a swim and came back complaining about the gnats chasing him.
A few days back we got an invite to join a AGLCA looper event at the Banana Bay Marina. Using the app NEBO, notice was sent out to loopers to let them know of a gathering for the evening docktails. Since Clark was running low on Applesauce Cake, I decided to bake that today to bring with us to the event. I put aside 1/4 to take with us, and the other 3/4 for Clark to enjoy for his midnight snacks.
Clark and I arrived later than anticipated. The event started at 4:30. By bicycle, it takes about 5 minutes to get there. As 4:30 approached, we got ourselves and our bikes ready to leave. I started wheeling my bike down the dock and immediately knew something was not right. It felt like I was dragging something behind me. I looked down and saw my rear tire was 100% out of air.
I did not know where I had a leak, but I knew I must have a doozy. Clark came over to look and immediately noticed the source of my problem. The valve was half broken off! This was no "add air and go" issue; this was a "put the bike away and walk" situation!
(As the saying go, you take the good with the bad. Being a British-made folding bike, it is fantastic to ride. Being a British-made bike, it is hard to get parts in a timely manner. After doing research online, Clark ordered a new tube from Amazon with the delivery date being a range of possibilities set for sometime mid-month. Oh well. I guess I'll be hoofing it for a while.)
We put the bikes away and set off on foot for Banana Bay. We arrived just before 5:00. Fortunately, it is not a long walk - just not one we had planned on.
Docktails consisted of a small number of folks that we either did not know or barely knew. As such, we had a great time making new friends. We met a couple from Montreal as well as those from various places in the U.S.
The boater hosting the event, Michelle from the boat "Agape", brought plastic shot glasses and made "Small Beers" for everyone (except Clark who does not drink alcohol). I have never had a small beer and decided to give it a "shot". It consisted of an Italian Liqueur with cream poured on top. I decided to ignore the fact that my brain said "yuck", and when told to drink it as a shot and not sip, that is what I did. It was only 30 proof, so I felt no effect whatsoever, but it sure tasted good!
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| Making the Small Beers |
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| Ready for the toast |
The Toast ...
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| Salut! |
We stayed much longer than anticipated. The company was so amicable that it was hard to drag ourselves away.
Looking towards Marlin Bay, we got to see the sun set and could see the MB tower in the distance.
As we left the premises, we walked through some eye-catching Christmas decorations still on display at the Marathon Key Beach Club.
We got to the boat shortly after 7:00, and I threw something together for dinner. After that we kicked back to watch "Young Sheldon" and "Ghosts".
NOTE: I am very sad to say that we received sad news today that our close and lovely friend Ann Cosgrove passed on around noon time. She has been ill and fighting hard, but the illness finally took its toll. Her husband, Mel, is known as the "Mayor" of Faro Blanco marina, and Ann was his "First Lady". They have entertained boaters at Faro Blanco since 2016. Sadly, Faro Blanco will never be the same without them both there to welcome everyone.
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| Ann Cosgrove - Rest in Peace |
6 January 2023
No boat travel.
Something happened to the weather overnight. The strong winds came back and pushed us away from the dock. We remained tied to the slip, but the ravine we needed to jump to get onto the dock was quite wide making it hard to disembark. I knew I would be in trouble when Clark said, "I wonder if I can get off the boat!" Yikes!
Today, being Friday, Clark had physical therapy at 10:00 and had to leave about 9:30 to get there. I wanted to attend a photography class at the library that started at 11:00. That being the case, I needed to figure out how to get off the boat by myself around 10:30 or so. Having found the dockhands helpful in the past, I called the Concierge and requested they send a couple of guys to help me get off. They came almost immediately. Stephen pulled the boat over with the line we have in place and Brian took my arm and gave a strong assist to get me on the dock! Yay!
When I biked to the art class on Tuesday, it took no more than 5 minutes to get there. Well, it turned out that walking was nearly as fast, so when I got to the library, I had 20 minutes to spare and time to check out the DVDs to rent. I found one to bring back to the boat for viewing.
The instructor for the photography session was the same as for the art class, so she already knew me and I her. Only one other person attended the session. She lives locally and comes weekly to the sessions. A few years ago my children bought me an Olympus Tough camera, so I brought that with me to class. The teacher, Maria, was very interested in all its features. It can do a lot more than I will ever need including underwater photography, but I am interested in expanding my skills with the camera.
She asked me what I wanted to learn, and I said "framing pictures", so that is where the session went. Half way through the 2-hour session, we were sent out into the library to take 5 or 6 pictures that we could bring back for discussion. We could either take 5 pictures of different objects or 5 pictures of the same object. I mixed it up and did both.
Four shots of the seating in the library ...
We had an interesting discussion as she analyzed our picture choices. The other participant took pictures of the books in the racks from different angles.
The library session lasted two full hours, and I got stopped to chat by a fellow boater on the way back, so I was not back at the boat until almost 2:00. Fortunately Clark was there and could help me climb back on board. He was busy playing his guitar and had never noticed the text I sent at noon saying I would be back some time after 1:00. He did not even miss me one little bit!
After PT, on his trip to the airport today to pick up the fluid he needs for the steering, Clark saw a USCG helicopter. He said he should have taken the picture through the fence instead of including the fence. I wonder what the Coast Guard would have thought of that.
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| US Coast Guard Helicopter at Marathon Airport |
I spent the better part of the afternoon reading my instruction manual and playing with my camera. We got homework from the class! Since I take the majority of my pictures with my phone, I need to brush up on this camera's functionality.
Late afternoon, a dockhand knocked on the boat with a very large and heavy package for Clark from "Boat Steering Solutions". The boat steering mechanism he's been looking for came! He immediately ran to change into work clothes and then disappeared to work on installation. That left me to work on the blog in peace (mostly - twice he made me come help).
When I saw the sun was setting, I ran out to get a picture and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the moon.
The moon was more impressive than the sunset.
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| Sunset - not as interesting as the moon tonight |
The birds decided to come in out of the wind. Unfortunately, my friendly dog Wattley was not off his boat to chase them away this evening. Fortunately, for us, they hang out at the end of the dock where we do not normally walk. Clark says the marina needs a dock dog to keep the birds away.
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| Birds! Messy birds! All over the docks! |
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