Spring Break 2023 Begins!

Today we departed Venice Beach for one of our favorites, Boca Grande. We cruised in the open Gulf waters and had some shallow areas of crystal blue waters. There we spotted two sea turtles, so beautiful in their natural habitat! We arrived at Miller's Marina with plenty of time to get a golf cart and travel around the main town area near Gasprilla Inn.

We had lunch at the food truck at nearby Whiddon's, which looks so authentic old FL,it almost looks staged! Pig pens, roosters and old boat parts!

It is such a small Island, we even had time to drive our cart north and look at homes and beaches. That evening we ate dinner at The Pink Elephant, with our dog on the terrace. Ran into Kitty and Scott Z. from home and had a nice visit. We had hoped to stay another night, but we had a small window of good weather to get to the Keys, and we know we will be back again to this special place!

Venice Sunset

We started our way south today and travelled in open Gulf waters. I learned a new nautical term, "wind beam" whic is a crosswind from a ship's 90' heading. When it blows like that, you begin to ride the swells of the waves, which is wild and rocky! We barely got into our slip at the Crow's Nest Marina, but it is a wonderful location to experience Venice Beach. It sits inside the Venice Inlet along the South Jetty Beach public park. In a short walk, I was on the beach with my chair relaxing! David explored the area and the man-made island on the paddleboard. Later, we walked down the jetty pier with several other folks and dogs, and watched a spectacular sunsert. Dinner on the boat and a good night's sleep followed!

Wrapping up LBK Vacation

As this month is closing, I went home again, only to travel again! I drove a round trip to Knoxville to see my dad before his 92nd birthday and my old friend's first grandchild!Then I flew to Dallas for Mom/Son weekend with Pierce had major airport delays, due to weather, but it barely phazes me anymore! I had a great visit with Pierce, my sister, Kathy, my old friend, Tina, Louisville friends and SAE moms. The highlight for me was visiting the Dallas Arboretum which was in full spring blooms! David powered thru boat projects like changing the oil in the 3 engines, 2 transmissions, replaced the spreader lights and re-wired and installed a new dryer!! And for entertainment, he visited the nearby ski show!

Mother Nature

David, Rugby and I explored the remote north end of LBK's coast and were awed by its natural beauty. Dogs are not allowed on the local beaches, but we wanted Rugby to have the experience. Turns out, he ingested some tasty sand and threw up all night! No beach frisbee for him! Still exploring the mangroves is interesting, especially by paddleboard! I was in very shallow water adjusting my paddle and when I put it down into the water, it nearly hit a pair of manatees (which were larger than my board!) I quickly switched sides, but I still fell, causing the manatees to splash away. I was able to track them and had a lovely experience. David had a similar experience with the pair for over 45 minutes. At one point, the juvenile started following his paddleboard! Wish we could have videoed the experiences, but they will just have to live on in our memories. On another note, Red Tide has been spreading from the ocean side and into the bay. The water is a rusty brown and smells like decaying fish, which means we are avoiding the beaches. Besides causing humans to cough and get irritated, it literally chokes out the fish and other marine life. Unfortunately, a few days after David's swim with the manatees, a juvenile was found peacefully floating belly up in the marina. It's hard to entirely blame Mother Nature for the Red Tide as there other contributers like run off of chemicals from the land.

Settling in LBK

Since we have our car here, we have been able to explore a broad area as well as get provisions and projects done. Our favorite restaurant in Sarasota is Owen's Fish Camp, which is not even on the water but fun casual vibes. We also have been to the Salty Dog a few times, since Rugby is welcomed and it sits right on the water. Nearby is Mote Aquarium which we joined since they do a great job of supporting marine life as well as bringing awareness to people about these amazing creatures. (Did see the manatees there, but they were upstaged by the ocean turtles!)

David has been playing pickleball and tennis daily when he is not working on the boat or exploring the waters on his paddleboard or Zodiac. We have been very fortunate to have friends from home here as well, especially the Orrs, who have shared this place with us andseveral of David's tennis friends. One highlight was a visit by our first boat buddies, Jib & Teresa (Make it So) They are completing their loop in a few weeks on the Atlantic side of Flordia. We are so grateful to have received such helpful information as well as hearing Jib's entertaining stories!

Family Time in February

Rugby and I went home for alomost two weeks to check on our home, gardens and my hair color. David is so comfortable on the boat and has made new friends at the marina and tennis courts. He really should get Florida residency since he is happy as a clam at high tide! Instead of David travelling to Dallas for Pierce's Father-Son weekend, Pierce met David at the boat. They took trips to the Gulf on Voyager and Zodiac.

Our daughters came from frigid NYC for the long weekend and even though MW had to work, she was happy to be on the boat!

Katie took long runs on the beach and was happy to explore the mangroves and open waters on the Zodiac. She can capture nature in photos like this one...

They enjoyed the calmness of bering on the boat and we grilled fish and stayed "in" for dinner each night. Cruising the bay area was a special time together!

Winter in Longboat Key 2023

David and I returned in early January to Longboat Key, Florida to spend the next few months enjoying the salty air and sun.We are staying in the Moorings Marina facing Sarasota bay with a great view of Downtown Sarasota's skyline. It was a perfect time to explore our new surroundings, especially the wildlife in the mangroves just next to our marina. We often see the pelicans and comorants diving for their dinners and nesting among the egrets in the mangroves. I have been wanting to see the elusive manatee, especially while puttering around in our Zodiac (dinghy) but seeing birds like ospreys,herons and ibis, make the rides so peaceful.