Serenity Island (Malamar)

The southeast winds started to puff yesterday afternoon, but soon gave up and disappeared.  Before sunset, we were visited by several manatees, a couple dolphins and hundreds of small ducks.   I thought I saw smoke in the distance but the binoculars revealed a moving mass of fowl looking to roost for the night.  They gave us a wide berth.  Not necessarily because of us, rather likely the gator that stayed close to our hull throughout the night.  Myron could see the gator’s bubbles near the boat.

We had to wait for the 8 am opening of the NASA Causeway Bridge.  Still, we were the first ones out on the ICW.  This gave us the opportunity to see the wildlife.   Just past the bridge we saw half a dozen manatees, some dolphins and a very large gator floating near a group of ducks.  I was on the helm, saw a large log floating right in the channel and asked Myron to take a look.  He went up front to guide me around any hazard.  Just as we approached the ‘log’ he watched the gator sink away.  I did not think gators would be out when it was so chilly.  Apparently they have their duck season as well.

We had southeast winds today which slowed us down a little.  Regardless, we are snuggled in behind a little island known in the cruising community as ‘Serenity.’  It used to be that cruisers would meet on the beach, have a fire and let the kids play.  As evening approaches, it is only us and a small Canadian sailboat.  It is much calmer than last year’s stay here.  

We have internet again, so below are more pictures to share.

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via wifi
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Fort Matanzas and Matanzas inlet in background:

Close fly-by from blimp at Rockhouse Creek:

Sunset at Rockhouse Creek, two sailboats rafted together behind us:

View of NASA launch site from our anchorage:

Twilight at NASA Causeway anchorage:

Addison Point (aka NASA Causeway)

After a very still night, there was an early morning orderly departure of sailboats from Rockhouse Creek, each of us trying to time the twenty minute opening interval of the Coronado Beach Bridge. It was a quiet and non-eventful day, made special in that we saw temperatures in the upper 70's. We had plenty of daylight to continue, but chose to turn east before the NASA Causeway and anchor around 1:20 pm to call it a day. To give you an idea of the change in temperature, we started out this morning at a brisk 47 degrees in two clothing layers over long wool undergarments, with our feet snuggled in wool socks and muck boots. When we anchored this afternoon, the temperature was in the upper 70's and we were in t-shirts and walking barefoot on the deck. A welcome change.

Sometime after anchoring, we happened to step out on deck just in time to see a six foot or larger gator swim past Hold Fast toward the nearby island. In our excitement to see the gator, one of our solar lights got booted into the water which is when Myron spotted the jellyfish. The water here was never really inviting, but now it is particularly off limits.

This is a new anchorage for us, something we were looking forward to testing out. There is no wifi here, but there is cell phone coverage. We can hear the road traffic rather than surf. The guide says this is a good spot to watch a shuttle launch, but we will not hang out long enough for one to be scheduled - if they ever will again be scheduled. To this point it has been an expectedly pleasant stay and looks promising to protect us for tonight's forecasted southeast winds.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via cell
{GMST}28|31.775|N|080|45.167|W|Anchored|{GEND}

Rockhouse Creek - Second Time

The light was good when we weighed anchor just after 7 am, but it was downright chilly. I was glad to finish washing the mud off the deck, put the hose away and go inside to warm up my hands. Some dolphins joined us briefly around the inlet, then resumed their hunt. It was another favorable day on the ICW. The wind allowed us to roll out the jib to assist the engine for a few hours. We only had one really obnoxious sport fisher local to Ponce Inlet that came speeding close by us, twice.

We dropped anchor in Rockhouse Creek at 2:15 pm, earlier than expected. This is the same anchorage we managed to locate in the 3 am darkness when we came in Ponce Inlet last year. Today we were the first here and had our pick on a spot. Within one half hour a motor vessel anchored in front of us. In another half hour four sailboats pulled in. They seemed to gather up at the entrance and strategize. Soon enough two of them anchored offset to us and the other two rafted up to the anchored boats. It was impressive.
During all of that, the Goodyear blimp was making performance climb outs from New Smyrna municipal airport. Next was a T-6. We settled in just in time to be entertained! Either way, we are glad to be done for the day and look forward to another quiet evening.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Cell Phone.
{GMST}29|03.654|N|080|55.895|W|Anchored|{GEND}

Fort Matanzas

Yesterday, last night and this morning were a blessed and peaceful re-entry into life on the hook.  The St. John’s River was very quiet with no commercial traffic except for a lonely tug with no one to pull.  The ICW was busy with cruisers and small fishing boats, but not too bad.  There were seven other cruisers anchored with us last night at Pine Island.  During the night, it was so quiet we could hear the waves crashing on the Atlantic shore – at least a mile away.  At sunset and sunrise we heard lots of shooting.  Most of it was far enough away that it did not bother us.  I imagine the ducks found it quite a nuisance.  This morning, however, when we were about to prepare a second round of coffee, we heard shots much closer.  Up on deck we discovered, less than half a mile away, a man was shooting from his little aluminum boat, but not skyward.  We could see the water fly up just before we heard the report of the shot.  He had duck decoys out so we suspect a gator took his quarry, or maybe he was a frustrated hunter.  Then we heard him yelling in an accent along the lines of Shelby Stanga on Ax Men, punctuated by similar explicatives.  It suddenly seemed like a good time to pull up anchor and be on our way.  Coffee could wait.

We arrived at the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine for their 10 am opening, after passing a rough and uninviting St. Augustine inlet.  We had the anchor set and engine off at Fort Matanzas at 12:46 pm.  Plenty of time to look for internet, update the blog, get some rest, make a nice dinner and prepare for a much longer day tomorrow.  But first we had to sit on deck and watch dolphins swim around Hold Fast.  We expect more anchoring company tonight, but it was nice to be here early and have first pick at a spot.  We do not expect the same luxury tomorrow. 

Here are some pictures to help you vicariously join our journey.

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via WIFI.
{GMST}29|43.034|N|081|14.495|W|Anchored Fort Matanzas|{GEND}

Catching up while the turkey smokes:

Backing out of the slip at OYCM.  Lucky Dog wonders if Dena will return, as his short order cook.

Hold Fast departing OYCM, Roosevelt and RR bridges in the background. We are still putting away lines and fenders.

Sunset at Pine Island.

On The Move

The months of August through November were dedicated to giving some serious 'spa time' to Hold Fast. To name a few of the larger projects, she got new chain plates, a new windlass, new auto pilot drive, new fuel lift pump, new engine heat exchange, new transmission heat exchange, new shower pumpout, an impeller change and the timely various oil changes. During the haul out at Green Cove Springs, she got a number of new and very expensive hoses and a new through hull. For her pedicure of all pedicures, we had her bottom sanded down to the gelcoat and then we applied an epoxy and copper bottom job that should last more than five years. A friend of ours did the same thing and his is nearing 10 years. Hold Fast's bottom was as shiny as a new penny. She was the talk of the boatyard! We also wanted to change our insurance, so she got a marine survey as well. Some of the projects did not get done and will sail off with us, such as the shade sewing project.
Whew! It is a good thing we run out of time, otherwise we would run out of money.
As our stay at OYCM was coming to an end, it meant it was time to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey for our marina friends. We really enjoy smoking the turkey, even though it makes for an early morning. We get to catch up with everyone around the smoker and anticipate some good eats. This year was no disappointment. Everyone came through with good food and the turkey was the best we have ever had. As we cleaned up the leftovers, I realized that I was getting an unexpected benefit - prepared food for several daily trips!
As always, leaving the slip this morning was with mixed emotions. We had the help of many hands and lots of hugs and waves goodbye. We kept today down to a reasonable distance. We knew we would be tired. As I made turkey sandwiches for us today, I assumed all the local boaters I saw had lunches packed with turkey sandwiches as well. We are tucked away next to Pine Island, along with four other boats - so far - more may also join in. Myron is going to build a fire and I am going to heat up some Thanksgiving leftovers!
We hope God brought to your mind some of the precious things to be thankful for.
Love to all,
Dena

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Land Travel West - Phase Four

Sorry about the blog hiatus.  Since our return to Florida, we have been quite busy working on Hold Fast.   Let me catch you up on the last phase of our trip out west.  It was a compound visit covering three different residences.

First stop was with Myron’s cousin Nicole and her hubby Charlie, along with their kids Elizabeth and Jimmy.  They live in Fallbrook, which is in the foothills north and east of San Diego.  We did not have much time together so we had to jam in all the talking we could manage.  The subject was primarily scripture, our favorite – and no one put any limitations on the matter.  What a joy!   Charlie smoked some pork and we feasted on pulled pork sandwiches.  We thought our stay in San Diego would be a cool down after Phoenix and Lemoore.  Instead, we ran into record heat.  Thank goodness there ways to keep the kids active and cool!

Myron’s buddy, Cory, gathered us up to spend some time with him in Mira Mesa, which is in the valley north and east of San Diego.  It was a little cooler there, but still too warm to do some of the outdoor activities Cory had planned.  No worries.  We soaked in the air conditioning at the movie theater, went down to the harbor to enjoy the onshore breeze and see our old haunts, and took in a nice Chinese meal with Cory’s mom.  We also managed to attend service at Mission Valley Christian Fellowship with Pastor Leo Giovinetti.  We had never attended before, we knew no one, but felt right at home.  Neat church!  Suddenly our time with Cory was over, and all without pictures.  Cory drove us over to my cousin Doug’s house in Escondido. 

The visit blessings were multiplied because my Aunt Ann was there for her summer stay with Doug and his wife Sandy.  Also my cousin Lyn and her husband Ron showed up during our stay and one night Michael, Doug's son, joined us.  We called it our mini reunion. 

We caught up by sharing pictures of our travels on the big screen TV.  (It seems every one loves the swimming pigs from Big Majors Spot.)  Sandy helps out at a local organic farm so we ate well, until we blew the healthy run with signature Tri-tip BBQ sandwiches from Mike's BBQ.  Doug recently acquired an arc welder and wanted him and Sandy to get some training from Myron.  Sandy dawned her new blue flame welding helmet and set to the task.

Doug, Myron and I caught Escondido’s Friday American Classic cruising night.  Actually the cars are parked for better viewing and view them we did.  My high school dream car was a Carroll Shelby AC Cobra.  Since I was keeper of the camera, there were plenty of AC Cobra shots.  When I looked into a parked GT 350, I saw Carroll Shelby’s signature on the dash – seriously cool!  I leave you with some pictures of that walk among the classics (see more pictures on our Picasa site).

Love to all,

Dena

Land Travel West - Phase Three

We were blessed during our stay in central California, because it was not as hot as it could have been.  Indeed, it was still warm, but the evenings and mornings were surprisingly cool, keeping sleep within reach.  We took comfort in knowing that Jacksonville was much hotter and more humid.  (My condolences to our buds in Jacksonville.)

We stayed at Myron’s mom’s house.  She had a vision of remodeling up one of the rooms in the house and our visit gave her the reason and the timeline to do it.  Friends and family members lent a hand removing carpet, installing the wood floor and putting on the new paint.  The room was very impressive upon our arrival.

Myron spent time helping his mother with projects around the house and farm.  We would work until it was pretty warm and then we would come in the house for a late lunch, ice cream and a movie.   I got used to the routine and it made me sad to leave it. 

One of Myron’s projects was to put a security screen on the front door.  Once installed, ‘Hunter’ the dog, a greyhound/Russian wolfhound mix (ie very tall and long) could no longer let himself in or out so he came into our room to request door service.  In a sleep stupor I made a hasty agreement with Myron that if he let Hunter out, I would let Hunter back in when he was done with his one or two hour romp.  Within a few days it became apparent I got the worse end of the arrangement.  If one of the farmers with adjoining acreage was irrigating, Hunter would invariably find these muddy spots.  At 5 or 6 am, when Hunter wanted back in, clad in PJs, I would take a bowl of water and a rag to the front porch and clean Hunter up before letting him in the house.  Once in the house, Hunter wanted to play.  In this mode, Hunter can be an unmanageable amount of leg, tail and nose.  I would whisper commands in a futile attempt to keep him quiet and not wake everyone in the house.   I am glad none of this was digitally captured!

Outside this routine, we also managed a day trip to the mountains to retrieve the tent trailer, squeezed in some family visits and also did another little reunion at ‘Ed’s Drive In’ in Craig and Ciana’s backyard.

I regret that I was not more active with the camera – but I can share this snapshot of a kitty that hit the motherload when she found her way into the dog food can:

From Travel West

Before we knew it, it was time for our last phase of the trip.  More on that soon.

Love to all,

Dena

Land Travel West - Phase Two

ARIZONA

Not only was it difficult to leave family in New Mexico, but there was some trepidation about leaving the cool weather.  Regardless, we strengthened our resolve and boarded SWA for a visit with so many loved ones in Phoenix, Arizona…in July.  Thankfully, God gave man the intelligence to make air conditioners.  We were pleasantly surprised that temperatures stayed below 110 degrees during our visit.

 Jen and Jody were kind enough to let us stay at their home, and their teenage daughter, Kylie, gave up her room and moved in with her 9 year old sister, Ashlynn.  Their dog, Dax, and their cats, Lyric and Melody, put up with us as well.  What a sweet and generous family, especially since we would sometimes not get home from visiting with other families until 11 pm.  They called us party animals.  Truth is, we were just trying to jam in as much family time as possible.

From Travel West

We got to see Irene, Julie, almost all the Mailo’s and relatives, the Benners, John and his momma, the Ojamerayes and relatives, Tony and Mary and the boys.  Plus we squeezed in several doctor visits.  Dr. Sam was pleased with our test results, except a few aspects, which we concluded were a direct result of our New Mexico overdose adventure on chili rellenos.

We were all over that valley, from Cave Creek to east Scottsdale to Apache Junction to the west side.  We got to attend church where Jody leads the music worship.  Kylie and Ashlynn also introduced us to Kinect games by X-Box.  What a blast!  I think Ashlynn was a little shaken when ‘grandma’ (me) jumped in to do cheering routines next to her.  I still claim there will be no permanent psychological damage.

The only downside to the visit was a severe lack of photographical evidence.  Grant’s hair did not even fit in the picture.  He plans to cut it when he nears the time of his interviews and college graduation.  I hope I have convinced him to donate those impressive locks, it seems long enough and would out produce at least eight of us normal women!

From Travel West

Jen, Jody and Ashlynn were great sports and got up at 4:30 am to see us off to the airport, Kylie was at an all night youth lockout.  It was hard to believe it was already time to head for central California.

Love to all,

Dena

Land Travel West - Phase One

Visiting family in New Mexico was Phase One of our travels out west.  It is a rare occasion that my sisters and I are all in the same place.  My nephews were there too, what a blessing.  I relish the memories of our giggle episodes.  Big meals were had, lots of apricot pies were made and pounds were gained.   

We were glad to be able to help out dad with a few items around the property, including repairing the culvert from the flash flood damage.

The cool mountain weather was an incredible relief.  The temperature on several evenings made it essential to wear long pants and a sweat shirt.  We slept under three blankets to wake up to 53 degree mornings, a far cry from Jacksonville weather!  On our walks we occasionally would see deer, mostly bucks, including a six point.  At night, the deer would come up to the house to eat apricots and the elk would raid the rain cistern off the back porch.

One of our goals in New Mexico, in addition to visiting family and helping out dad, was to eat as many chili rellenos as possible, good chili rellenos that is.  Mission accomplished!  Another goal was to climb Nogal Peak.  Unfortunately, the trail head was closed due to the Little Bear Fire and it never did re-open during our stay.   God made up for it with sunsets!



And then suddenly, our time in New Mexico was over and it was time to catch our flight to Phoenix.  More on that soon.

Love to all,

Dena