It's been awhile and much has happened since my last entry November 18, 2012! Bonnie flew home to work at the Country Trunk for the holiday season. She was quite busy from Black Friday through Christmas Eve. I stayed with Fiu and tried to work on projects we identified as important! Important is a relative term! In any event, The head hoses were replaced. Even the best of plastic plumbing absorbs odor. There were immediate results! I cleaned Fiu and tried to make it a pleasant place to revisit in January. Lines were rinsed, sorted and stowed. Fenders were cleaned along with the engine bilge! An oil and filter change helped to insure the diesel was still happy!
We spent Christmas Day at home with our nephew,Brett. Later in the day our neighbors Mike and Becky and her co-worker and her family from Africa came down to a turkey dinner we prepared to celebrate Christmas and Becky's birthday. She is the only person I know born on Christmas day. The conversation was at times difficult since everyone else except Bon and I spoke French. Oui, my two years of high school French was only slightly helpful. Si says Bonnie our resident Spanish teacher.
Our Neighborhood Christmas Party was postponed one week due to a windstorm that took down huge trees and power lines. Some roads near us were closed to traffic. We had another well attended party and as always it's good to see our neighbors and catch up on the kids and grand kids.
Bonnie and I each got new phones with real keyboards in order for us to learn to text. Our plan includes unlimited texting and calling so we have one more tool to use to keep in touch with family and friends. I have been told that texting does not necessarily require a response like a phone message.
New Year's Day was great fun for us. We boarded the "St. Sacrament," a steamship on Lake George, for a brunch cruise to the narrows and back. This is our second trip in as many years and the food continues to be the best! It's as real temptation to over indulge. Omelettes, fruit, meats, juices and coffee are all cooked to perfection! The annual Polar Bear Club swim (or should I say "dip and run" for a warm dry towel) took place on Million Dollar Beach just before our return to the docks nearby! What's wrong with those people!
Tom and Barb, Roberto, Dave and Cindy and Bonnie and I had a great time together! We look forward to next year.
Our 11:30a flight from Albany to West Palm Beach was uneventful with just the right amount of lay over in Baltimore to get a crab cake lunch. The connecting flight to West Palm was interesting. I sat next to a man who was eighty but looked like late sixties. He was interesting to talk to and he led quite a life. His girlfriend was picking him up at the baggage claim.
Once on the ground we loaded the rental car and headed south to Marathon. The one-way car rental sure is handy. The return was located at the Marathon airport just a few miles from Fiu and a short bike ride back to the dinghy dock. It seemed like only yesterday I left Fiu for the holidays. The Damp Rid did its job and there were no problems with mildew or the like!
Friday was a day to clean and freshen Fiu with nice weather we took the bikes ashore and went to our favorite grocery store- Publix! We filled the new fridge/freezer with fresh food and set the temp to 35 degrees. The air was calm so the wind generators were slow on output, however, the batteries were fully charged and they supplied enough power to keep things going until Saturday morning. The temps were in the 80's with high humidity. These are types of days where it quickly becomes a (3) tee shirt day!
Saturday afternoon we rode bikes to the Sunset Tiki pub and enjoyed beer and wings. Our new friends we met through Pat and Walt accompanied us and we enjoyed getting to know one another. Roy and Yazmin have a new 40' catamaran and are hardy sailors.
Bonnie and I went to the Methodist Church in Marathon today. It's a friendly church and much of the service is singing! People are friendly.
Time to go.
Captain Sid
It's been almost three weeks since my last entry, but I have to say the time "evaporates" here where every day is a good day! I also want to have something interesting to write about. I guess I'm beginning to understand "Island Time!"
