12/15/15/  Tuesday   St Augustine, FL

Now this was a fine day on the water...a long day of nearly 8 hours but little stress and some beautiful pieces of Earth and water fowl. We traveled in some wilderness along the Tolomato River and in a very straight canal bordered by sweet homes and some truly ostentatious homes. There were more American White Pelicans (I looked up their name and found out some habits, too.)

wilderness marsh

Nature's ornaments - white herons 

Pine Island has 3 good anchorages..but...

I'm fascinated with the white pelicans. They are among the largest flying birds. They live, mostly, in the middle of the country and come to the coast during the winter. (snow birds, like me!) They don't really hang with the brown pelicans. When they air out their arm pits and lift their bent wings they look, in profile, like swans. And, oh my, do they glide!

our phone cameras don't do them and their elegance justice

We passed this beautiful and both they and we congratulated the other on the beautiful boats.

David and I shared the helm pretty equally today. Pleasant. Easy. Only a few moments when we both needed to consult our various charts (electronic, iPad, paper) at confusing junctures. We made GREAT time, averaging 7.8+, traveling 63 miles, more than we've ever done in a day. The tides and current were pushing us most all day long.

We arrived in St. Augustine around 1630, picked up our mooring which is along the Lions Bridge and watched the lights come on from our front deck, beers in hand. St. Augustine is fully decorated for Christmas w/all the houses along the waterfront decked out in white lights. The palm trees, too. This schooner passed our mooring, going and coming.

Christmas decorations

Out of my bump slump of yesterday. I already found the yoga classes in St. Augustine though it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow and the closest is a 30 min walk. I could take David's bike. He offered. We'll hang here for several days. Do some sight seeing with our friends from Deltaville. I'll definitely visit the fort (don't yet know the name). I have a great memory of being there with my aunt and uncle, Betty and Delford, and their first couple of children - Cheryl, Kathryn, maybe Robert - when I was about 12. I've a photo...at home and in print, of course. The memory fills my heart. Betty and Delford had invited me to travel with their family. They loved me...I now realize. I'm smiling.