So despite anchor issues and strong winds, we cruised into Ft Lauderdale. OMG!! The cruise ships were restocking...and the mega yachts were everywhere...we tried not to gawk but OMG. Steven Spielberg's yacht 7 SEAS, and the biggest yacht built in America since 1930, CAKEWALK. You can google photos...but OMG, that was just the beginning. We turned up the New River into downtown...bridges, water taxis, fishing boaters, and day cruises...coming and going, going and coming....no wonder we missed our "slip". Then we had turn around and search again....found it!! Against the pilings along the river wall in front of those high rise condos....we have another front row seat. And what a parade it was.....the only issue for short legged me was the leap to shore. Dakota and Floyd seemed to have no issue....I on the other hand take a breath, hold a hand or rail, and leap! So far I haven't missed...but every time, I think twice.

Luckily, I had called ahead and a mobile dog groomer was scheduled to show up for Dakota at 4:30. It took a little doing because we weren't really at the marina address...we were on the street across from those condos. But several phone calls and missed turns later, Julia and her grooming van arrived. She was an interesting gal and since we were the end of her day, we got to visit a little. Amazingly, it only took a little over an hour...and Dakota was looking fine!! And smelled better too!!

These condo owners are dog lovers...so there is a constant parade of dog walkers on one side of us...and then the boat parade on the other side. One lady I asked did recommended a hair salon within walking distance...so I made that call. They could do a hair cut, but no time for a much needed mani/pedi....:( little did I know then that the weather gods would conspire to make it possible on Tuesday!

Anyway, Saturday the 15th, we cleaned up our act...which really doesn't take much....for our date with "the boys". Manuel, David, and Scott were our table mates on our April Transatlantic crossing on the EURODAM....we so enjoyed getting to know them. And when they heard we were stopping in Ft Lauderdale, they insisted on being our tour guides. We spent a most delightful evening at Capitol Grille and made several plans for Sunday.

Sunday morning, Scott returned to pick us up...we took Dakota and a couple of  loads of laundry to his condo. Dakota ran and played, we did sheets and towels, a little Thai lunch...and back to the boat to watch the parade. Then  back to see Manuel and David's place...and driving tour of the beach area, a stop for supper...and before you know it, we were saying good-bye again.

About those weather gods....the wind has been howling since we arrived....and seems to be worse. Floyd made the call that we wait until Tuesday to exit...with river traffic and ICW, he thinks the weather will improve on Tuesday...so Wednesday we can leave for Stuart... Phone calls to re-schedule marina stops and car rentals....I managed to book that mani/ pedi...."the boys" have a busy plate...so we are once again on our own. The parade of big boats being towed by us is entertaining enough...and the price here is among the cheapest...Dakota has made lots of friends...everyone is happy.

Our WSU shockers both men and women are headed to the NCAA...we are scheduling our future runs around game times....!!!

While we've had great fun in Ft Lauderdale...I have a plane ticket....and a desire to get to Norfolk. So once we visit with my niece in Stuart, we plan to book it north!! From here on, we've been there, done it and didn't really like it all that much! We only need to slow down for laundry and the dog!!

Must be having fun...I am way behind!!!! Let's see how long it takes to catch up!!

Sunday the 9th we did a major grocery run, courtesy of a local taxi...$5 there...$5 back!! Spent the rest of the day getting organized and paying that marina bill!! Time with Faye and Sanford to end our stay in Marathon! Sometimes you wish you could take the people with you...this is one of those times.

Monday the 10th...right on schedule...we pulled to the fuel dock for a pump out...and then off to Caloosa Cove on Islamorada key...a real character marina...16-20 slips...lots of empties...cement wall crawling with ants...and a resort area next door that had signs eveerywhere...NO PETS ALLOWED. But the real attraction for us was the GAS!!! 45 cents a gallon cheaper than anywhere else....and when you're buying 200+gallons that'll add up quite nicely.... Anyway, it was just one night.

Tuesday the 11th...cruised for 5 hours to Garden Cove marina in Key Largo...and it was a good thing we'd saved money yesterday on gas...cause this dump was the most expensive marina we've stayed at in a long long while...at $2.50 per foot we paid $92 for one night... And yea, not much better than the last place...jagged cement wall...lots of dry stacked storage...but we were the biggest boat in the place...and there weren't many around....but it did host a pretty nice restaurant ...so why not?? Crab cakes were the BEST!!  Tricky getting into and out of the place...lots of shoaling issues...but tide worked in our favor...and an O'dark thirty start...

We were really looking forward to Wednesday .. Short cruise into No Name Harbor in Key Biscayne...we arrived just after noon to find about 16 sail boats and a couple of big cruisers at anchor...we had no problem finding a spot close to shore...dropped the hook...easy peasy...lunch...dog to shore...and then the real fun began...a 62 foot party boat arrived...full of party people and photographers...some sort of photo shoot for the boat manufacturer...and the beautiful ones began to party and pose....change and pose, play and pose, sing and pose, eat, drink and  be merry...and pose....we had a front row seat as the restaurant in the cove supplied huge trays of artistically presented snacks....then they began to assemble the water toys...jet ski, paddle surf boards, air slipper slide....the sail boater on the other side of us tried to enforce some water rules...without much luck....then as the sunset in our party cove, they put away the toys, and left!! We enjoyed a delightful evening on the hook....

Thursday we decided to stay the day...the winds picked up significantly and our anchor held
fine. Others seemed to struggle getting an anchor to hold. Even though the dinghy wouldn't start, Floyd paddled Dakota to shore three times a day and claimed he liked the exercise...boats came and went...though most just stayed...at one time we thought there were over 20... But it never felt crowded...always room for a few more. But no beautiful party people on Thursday...:(

Friday was time to move on....we soon discovered why our anchor held so well....it had dug in. It didn't help any that the wench wouldn't engage...but Capt Floyd managed to direct Driver Linda...and after quite a bit of finagling we got it. Floyd is still giggling that we somehow managed to bend the shank!! The strongest part of the anchor....I'm giggling because the anchor has been bent since I came aboard in '07. We just hauled that sucker to Wichita with us over the holidays to have it straightened...and now it's crooked again!! Hmmmmm, maybe a trend?? We just got the props reconditioned in Mobile...then banged 'em all up 6 weeks later.....dinghy motor worked on, now won't work.....hhhhmmmm.

9:30 AM and Sanford and Faye joined us to head out to the 38th annual Marathon Seafood Festival...big open area.. ...Big stage for bands....hundreds of vendors...lots of seafood....opening band was Eric Stone...we meet up with Martha and Bob...and several other loopers. We really enjoyed walking around looking at all the vendor booths...found several items we needed...like new hot pink OluKai flip flops....and sparkly Florida t shirt and some spiffy Bushnell binoculars (2 pair).... A little lunch and then back to the boat to cheer on our still undefeated Shockers!! They really didn't need our help to slam dunk Missouri State...it was a lovely afternoon on the aft deck. Winds have died down...temps are a little cooler. We are making plans to head out on Monday...which means we'd better make a trip to the grocery store. So the list making has begun...that'll be first on our agenda tomorrow.

Friday dawned cloudy and extremely windy! Folks were still talking about all the rain...Floyd did a few chores...planning our route toward Ft Lauderdale...but mostly we lazed around waiting for the WSU BB game...we had to cheer on our undefeated Shockers! Game and done...at 3:45pm the phone rang...voice said, "your props are being installed as we speak...we are splashing you today"!! OMG...winds at 30mph...and we are suppose to maneuver a boat! REALLY! Yep, we did...4:10 and we were on the wall...moving all our things out of the bungalow...7:00...showered, dressed and headed out with FIELD TRIP and PAULA FAYE to Dockside Tropical Cafe, owned by Eric Stone. He wasn't playing tonight...and seemed to have taken all the CDs and t shirt supply with him...but we had a lovely night catching up with Martha and Bob...and Sanford and Faye. We made plans to attend the Marathon Seafood Festival in the morning. Big plus...we got to sleep in our own bed tonight.

Thursday morning the AC guy showed right on schedule and replaced that new AC....really they claim to have fixed the original that we had just purchased in Mobile but has never worked correctly. That remains to be seen...as we can't test anything with the boat on the hard. Prop guy hopes to have them fixed and returned to us on Friday ...weather is suppose to blow in rain and wind today.

We walked up to the Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital around 1.... Took a great little tour of that facility...and by the time we were ready to leave that strom was really brewing...a short taxi back to our little bungalow ...arrived just in the nick of time!! The rains came!!! Really blew and pelted us from 4 til almost 9....weather girl went a little crazy...just like home.  The poor pizza delivery guy was a little wet...but he said it was gonna be a wet night and predicted he'd make more money that way! We certainly made it worth his effort!

Also got a call from FIELD TRIP friends...they are here in Marathon as well.. Just a different marina...about 5 miles away...hopefully we can get with them before we leave!

Floyd wants to visit a restaurant here that was purchased by singer/song writer Eric Stone....and Faye and Sanford seem game for that as well...Floyd also says weather doesn't look to be calming down enough for us to head out until Wednesday...so the money for the bungalow will pay for the rest of the month on Sunday ...so we are in no hurry....it is almost 11 and no news on the props...Dakota is resting well...and while we'll be glad to be back on the TUMBELWEED...this place is all right!! Though still rocking!! Lol...my sea legs are still working!!

good news travels fast...bad news travels faster. While we are meeting lots of folks, they all seem to know that we are the ones that have the serious prop damage! But then they fall in love with Dakota and our little bungalow is right in the main walkway to and from the marina office. Floyd and I spend quite a bit of time enjoying the view from the lawn chairs in front...and there are plenty available...so folks stop and chat. And the dogs...big ones, little ones, friendly ones, not so friendly...they all look in envy of Dakota's great chew bars...Lance even tried to steal one...but that didn't work so well for him.

Anyway , Goldie (the teacup poodle) and her parents, Faye and Sanford, have become very friendly...so we made plans to venture into Key West together on Wednesday , March 5. The plan included the Key West Express bus which stops just outside the marina entrance...and for us senior citizens costs only $1.50 per person. That cheap cost should have been a clue. 

So Wednesday at 10... We headed out....bus due at 10:20, finally arrived at 10:40... And harangued us endlessly for not being in the spot he chose to pull off...that's because we were standing under the bus stop sign...Floyd apologized several times...but he just kept on us...kind of embarrassing...hour and a half later we were in Key West. Though it didn't take long for us to realize why some folks refer to it as Key Weird! Someone should tell these girls and boys to put on clothes! And wear sunscreen!!but you can't fix stupid....and we didn't try! 

Did I mention that the bus driver was beyond cranky! He made everyone get off the bus at the Key West stop...poor college kid was trying to get to the airport....which we learned later was the next two stops...his tall thin build reminded me of someone I love...who others have helped along the way...so I slipped him some cash to call a cab and hopefully make his fight out...I don't often give cash to strangers...but this seemed like a good call...hope he got to where he was going!

Ran into some great kids who recommended a great lunch stop...Blue heaven...or maybe Blue Haven...but whichever, it was wonderful...chicken salad or grilled cheese...we couldn't decide which was better...then we left Faye and Sanford for the afternoon....

First stop for us was the Hemingway house...OMG, I got chills! Such a thrill to stand and see the place where the man who wrote all those great novels you taught actually lived and worked! The photos, the stories, the six toed cats....lovely just lovely! 

Then off to Mel Fisher's....Floyd wanted to purchase a little something for me from the collection for our anniversary ...I already own a coin necklace from Mel's wife's jewelry collection....with the help of a very nice sales representative we located another coin from the same collection. Now we'll have to find a jeweler at home to make a ring. Shouldn't be an issue! And exciting! Thank you, Floyd!

Just down a ways was the Truman Little White House Muesum ...so in we went! Very Interesting! Somehow they had managed to hang on to the actual furniture used by Truman...and of course, they had great videos of him actually strolling the grounds. History come to life! Don't get why it is so boring in a classroom....Floyd and I loved every minute of it. 

Ice cream stop at Kilwin's ...Floyd found a nice cigar stop....managed to find Faye and Sanford as we walked down Duvall street...then off to the square for the sunset viewing. Talk about mingling with the masses...whew!! Street performers everywhere....magicians, fire eaters, tumblers, dog acts...pick your poison! And a glorious sunset it was! Jack Flats for a bite to eat...then back on the bus! We expected it to be packed...and it wasn't! Surprisingly, several of the folks we rode in with were there as well! It was like a mini reunion....and this driver was so nice!! We made sure she knew how little we cared for her morning counterpart....

Long day...left at 10AM...Got home at 11PM...Dakota was glad to see us...but really seemed not to mind being alone so long. I don't think he naps like he'd like to when we are around...hard to sleep and keep track of Mom and Dad...they keep moving.and when we are boating, those engines are loud. He seemed rested and none the worse for the wear. Anyway, we felt like we had seen all we wanted to see of Key Weird...and really in some cases, more than we needed to see! 

Where does the time go? February has turned into March...and I seem to have missed it! And while I love my IPad, it is not conducive to posting photos. So you will just need to be a little patient. Floyd did take great photos of our new canvas...and once we settle in...I promise to post them!

We managed to leave Ft Myers and motor to Marco Island...a short lay over and we headed south ...with the Everglades on our port side, we went in at New Turkey Key...the only stop that indicated you could take a dog ashore....boy, was it a rough place. Very shallow going in...and we were at almost high tide. We anchored and went ashore...which by the way was R O U G H...beach filled with huge, broken shells and two groups of men camping and fishing. One fella advised us to move in more...deeper water. They also advised us to wait in the morning to leave until after the tide reversed. Conflict ...we have a 70 mile run...which makes for a really late arrival if we wait til 10ish to get started. Compromise...leave at 10... Drive a little faster than usual...which we did.

Sunday was not to be one of our better days of cruising. We carefully and slowly left New Turkey Key on the rising tide...stirring up sand most of the way. The further south we went the stronger the winds and waves...but hey, we had kicked it up to 10 mph...and nothing but green Everglades on our port...and crab pots everywhere else...seriously, rows and rows of crab pots...amazing! As we left the protection of the land, the winds and waves really kicked up...and our auto pilot refused to engage...still we were on track to arrive at the marina before they closed at 5.... Big seven mile bridge of highway one was really a jumble of current and pillars...somehow we managed to get through without crashing into cement...but then we went right where we should have gone left...or left where we should have gone right...grinding noise of gravel, weeds...yep, we were soft aground. Floyd was amazing as he managed to float us over and off...power up a little ...drift a little ...but the vibrations let us know that we'd done some damage.

Mariana was still open...and they are a full service facility...while it is pricey ...they had a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit available...and could pull our boat Monday afternoon. So we moved out/in Monday morning...they pulled the boat at 3... Props off and headed to ft Lauderdale for fixing. We can play tourist from here...and with luck, be back on our way this weekend.  So happy anniversary to us...prop work!!