Water was so calm and the sun so bright. Made it had to look for crab pots. We only had 15.4 miles to go today but there were 4 bridges to go under. the first Siesta Key at 25' and then Stickney Point Bridge at 18' with 3' more at centre. Along the way we saw our new winter home. Just a little something on the water!!!! What a magnificent house and it is for SALE....
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Venice Anyone....
Water was so calm and the sun so bright. Made it had to look for crab pots. We only had 15.4 miles to go today but there were 4 bridges to go under. the first Siesta Key at 25' and then Stickney Point Bridge at 18' with 3' more at centre. Along the way we saw our new winter home. Just a little something on the water!!!! What a magnificent house and it is for SALE....
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Off to Sarasota
On Mon.the 3rd we had decided to ride our bike across the causeway to St Armand's Circle and the Lido Beach and walk along the beach and look for some shells. The last time here I found some of the best shell ever but this time they were few and far between. It was a very long ride but the beach was worth it and the water was nice. We stopped and had a very refreshing cold beer in the circle before heading back across the causeway. We relaxed for a bit on the boat before we headed off to the Ringling Brothers Museum and the Ringling Mansion "Ca d Zan". Don and I were amazed at the estate and the Circus Museum. There was so much to see, we could have spent half a day there. There was a large section of the Circus Museum were they had built the whole life of the circus all in miniature made all mostly by Howard Tibbal. You have to be there and see it to believe it, unbelievably amazing. We walked the exquisite grounds and up to their palatial mansion. It is a display of decadent wealth.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Tee Time in Treasure Island
Well the weekend is upon us again. It is Fri. the 30th the last day of the month. Don and I just do not know where the days have gone. We kind of like that feeling. We checked our email and I was having a problem with mine. I could not get into my email account because it said it was already opened somewhere else. I remembered that Don had asked me to open one email that had come from Bonnie his sister the day before so I did open it the day before and low and behold it had a very nasty virus. It took me 3 1/2 hours to straighten everything out but I still can not send emails from my Ipad. What a way to start the day. After breakfast Don took Tom's place on the golf course with Jim. He had been waiting for repairs to be done on his boat and Fri. was the day. So the ladies were forced to go SHOPPING.... And we did but not without some excitement to start us off. When we got to the mall there was a PNC bank so I knew Don wanted some money from our account so I thought that I would get some. So to make a long story short I tried my US card but had the wrong pin # so I put my card back in the case and put the case to try my Canadian card which did not work but to some it up somehow I lost or dropped the case with the cards in them.... I was so upset but could not do anything till I got back to the boat. Bad thinks go in threes, what could happen next... It was otherwise a great day shopping with Linda and Sandi. We went back to the golf course and had some wine and a munchies and waited for the boys. Don and Jim had a good game of golf, as golf games go. Weather was not too hot and they had a lite breeze. Back at the boat Tom had had a long day with the technician's and we were worn out from shopping. Jim and Sandi went back to their home and we all retreated back to our boats. We went up to the restaurant and had a great dinner then back to the boat. Great way to end a day that had not started off so great....


It is now Sat. the 1st of Dec. This morning we lounged on the boat for a bit and got a few things done that needed to get done. After we went down to the pool and lounged a bit more. Back at the boat we brought out of few Christmas decoration and put them up. It made the boat look festive.
Tom and Linda were going to their friend for a BBQ so since we had eaten out the last few nites we decided cooked on board, a great rack of New Zealand lamb for dinner. A definite yum yum. After dinner there was music coming from the pool area so we went down for a glass of wine. Great music. Just as we got back to the boat we saw fireworks off in the distance. They seem to do this every time we come into port....Ha Ha.... After a nite cap it was now after 11:00PM so we called it a nite....
It is now Sat. the 1st of Dec. This morning we lounged on the boat for a bit and got a few things done that needed to get done. After we went down to the pool and lounged a bit more. Back at the boat we brought out of few Christmas decoration and put them up. It made the boat look festive.
Tom and Linda were going to their friend for a BBQ so since we had eaten out the last few nites we decided cooked on board, a great rack of New Zealand lamb for dinner. A definite yum yum. After dinner there was music coming from the pool area so we went down for a glass of wine. Great music. Just as we got back to the boat we saw fireworks off in the distance. They seem to do this every time we come into port....Ha Ha.... After a nite cap it was now after 11:00PM so we called it a nite....
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Dolphin Highway to Treasure Island
Clearwater
We went for a walk down to the boardwalk and beach at Pier 60. It was windy out, but there were people everywhere. The city certainly takes great care of the beaches. There were many vendors on the Pier, and they set up 2 hours before and 2 hours after sunset. I thought that they were going to be blown away. We went for a drink at Hooters and a munchies. Then came back to the boat and cleaned it down and I worked on this blog for a bit. Cooked a great dinner and watched TV. Sunshine like to watch me cook dinner. Her favorite perch in to lay across the wooden duck, how funny she is to watch. A nice simple nite.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tarpon Springs ~ Opa Opa
As we went to bed I said to Don I still tingle went I think of the crossing....
Don and I went out to Hellas for dinner. It was amazing. Great food and great service. I had lamb shanks and Don had fish. Nice way to end our stay in a remarkable town. We came back to the boat to watch the season finale of the DWTS. What a finale.... Watched one more show then off to bed...
On Wed. morning the 28th. we got up and walked back to Hellas for breakfast. We stopped and picked up a few souvenirs and then back to the boat. Do we go or do we stay!!!! We go, so we paid the bill and packed up and off we were again, this time off to Clearwater. We hope to be able to catch up to Tom and Linda on Q's End ~ Licence To Travel....
See You On The Other Side
Good Bye Apalachicola |
Dolphins at Play |
The Cut was fine going through with 4 feet under our hull and waves were 1 to 2 feet. Sunshine our kitten did not think it was so smooth, she was not well and had been sick and was frothing at the mouth and did not look good and it concerned me. We tried to give her a 1/4 Gravol but there was so much stuff coming out of her mouth I am not sure if it went down. After we got through the Gulf entrence the water was like glass and she relaxed and laided with Callie under Don's chair. It was unbelievabaly beautiful with dolphins following us out and playfully jumping in front of our boat. It looked like it could have been taken from a movie. My fears of doing the crossing were some what eased but we werer only at hour 1 and had 16+ more to go... As we moved along the sun was starting to set. The best one that Don and I have seen. Behind us we had the sun setting and in front of us we had the full moon.
It was now approaching 7:00AM and the sun was just starting to come up. Now as we were approaching Tarpon Springs we had to contend with the crab pots and the glistening sun on the water. Don said it was easier to cross the gulf than to go through this G-- D-- stuff. It took us about 2 or more hours of dodging and weaving through and around these pots. You think that they could make them fluorescent or something. Well we made it to Tarpon Spring and pulled into Turtle Cove Marina, great choice.
To sum up our crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, some 170+ miles, on the most beautiful nite with a full moon, was a once in a life time experience, BUT only once. I was blessed to have I think the BEST Captain at the helm.
Apalachicola ~
Well it is Friday the 23rd and time to move on again. We were up early and ready to leave by 8:30ish. Scott and KC had stayed on the Loopy Kiwi the nite before, so it was time to say good bye to all. Rik and Nancy on the Nanseann were already off their dock at 8:30AM sharp and waiting for us and Loopy Kiwi. After a group photo we were off.
We continued on through the Cypress Swamp and crossed Lake Wimico to pick up the intracoastal again through the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve to the Apalachicola River. From there we continued on to the Apalachicola Marina, formerly Miller Marina just before the bridge. It was a basic marina, nothing special, but it was in the right location. It was mid afternoon before we and Loopy Kiwi were settled in. The guys got the bikes off and they went to the hardware store and Carolyn and I went for a bike ride and browsed some of the shops. After we got back we all went for a nice and well deserved drink or two at Carolyn's Restaurant right next to our dock. We came back to the boat and cooked a great dinner and called it a nite.


Friday, November 23, 2012
The Thanksgiving Panama Connection
We were there in time to catch the sun set which was great. We decided to stay on board and have dinner and watch a little TV.

The next day Nancy and Rik had a rental car and when Nancy got back we went to pick up supplies. Phil and Carolyn came along. Nancy had invited us to join them to go out to dinner at the Boatyard as well as Phil and Carolyn. We had cocktail and hors d' oeuvres on their boat before heading to the restaurant. Gerald and Fran his wife came and joined us. It was another great meal with great friends. The fish just seems to be getting better. We came back to the boat and watched Dancing With the Stars which I had recorded. One more week and it is done till the spring..
On Wed. Nancy came by and picked me up to pick up a few items she had missed. Don wanted to leave on Thurs. but changed his mind and said we would stay and have Thanksgiving dinner here and leave Fri. morning. Scott and KC from Jet Stream were driving to join us all tomorrow. I spent some of the afternoon making key lime cheesecake and cranberries for Thanksgiving. As Phil was getting BBQ out for that nite to do some serious grilling Scott and KC arrived a day early, so we did a pot luck on the food and had dinner on the Kiwi. It was so much fun and we were glad to see Jet Stream. After dinner Scott and KC spent the nite on our boat. After a nite cap we all retired.
Well Happy Thanksgiving to you'al from Panama City
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