The Thanksgiving Panama Connection

Well a new week and a new day, Mon. the 19th begins and we are on the move again.  We were not sure whether we wanted to leave Sandestin because it was so nice but on we go.  We only had to go about 50 miles today as we were hading to Panama City, Florida.  We left Horseshoe Bayou and headed back out into Choctawhatchee Bay.  The water was like glass again and the temperature was nice and warm.  The bay is a large at about 28 miles.  We were already half way through the bay at Sandestin.  After about 18 miles we picked up the intercoastal and had about another 18 miles of it.  It was a very narrow channel that lead to West Bay.  The whole trip through there was beautiful.  We had many dolphins and all kinds of birds follow behind our boat and at the sides on and off all day. Sunshine did not know what to make of the birds following our wake.  Once in West Bay it was a smooth ride to the channel that lead St Andrew Bay and then to Grand Lagoon turn and to Bay Point Marina.  The sun was on the horizon and made it hard for Don to see all the makers.  Once we made the turn at Red marker #2 the sun was not in our eyes and made it easy to get into the well maker marina.  Once in and tied up and settled in we went for a walk to see all of our other Looper friends that were there.  Jade II, Loopie Kiwi, Carried Away (not there), Sojourn and Nanseann.  These Looper's just keep on pop-in up.... 
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

An absolutely beautiful day. After a pancake breakfast Don and Scott left to play golf at a Nicholas course. KC stayed and helped me get some thing ready for that evening and then went to see Phil and Carolyn. The day seem to go by so quick, and before you know it Don was back. Not such a great golf game but had a good day out with Scott. I had everything ready to go and it was now time to cook the 10.1 lb turkey in my little Sharpe convection oven..... I put the turkey in one of those turkey bags and put it in and closed the top and pressed start and 2 1/2 hours later it was done. I am so amazed. Learn something new each day. Nancy was so nice and made us a homemade pumpkin pie, yum yum with whipped cream. 

 Well Happy Thanksgiving to you'al from Panama city....  An absolutely beautiful day.  After a pancake breakfast Don and Scott left to play golf at a Nicholas course.  KC stayed and helped me get some thing ready for that evening and then went to see Phil and Carolyn.  The day seem to go by so quick, and before you know it Don was back.  Not such a great golf game but had a good day out with Scott.  I had everything ready to go and it was now time to cook the 10.1 lb turkey in my little Sharpe convection oven.....  I put the turkey in one of those turkey bags and put it in and closed the top and pressed start and 2 1/2 hours later it was done.  I am so amazed.  Learn something new each day.  Nancy was so nice and made us a homemade pumpkin pie, yum yum with whipped cream. 

Just as the sun was setting and before we were going to head to the Kiwi a small sailboat pulled in in front of us. There was a single man on board so I told Don to ask him to join us, and really it was Thanksgiving, so he did and he (Bob) said yes. We had an unbelievable time. Phil and Carolyn and great cooks and it was so much fun on their boat. Between drinks and hors d' oeuvres and football the guys got through the evening. I said a non religious grace which just really just blessed all of us for our good fortune, health and the paths of our journey's which have brought us all together. It was a great nite to be had by all and to all a good nite....