2/27/16       Saturday        Boot Key/Marathon, FL


Early morning dream about dancing, and my meed to do so. I was walking across a yard and heard loud music (Love Is a Many Splendid Thing) and couldn't resist the urge to dance, even though I questioned the appropriateness of it in this place I was...some big yard with clipped grass. I danced and danced, changing levels, a lot of low movements and I wondered if getting on the ground was a good idea (both because of mussing my clothes and wondering how difficult to get back up). As I danced I was no longer in control of my body, rather some power outside my ego was dancing me and I was enjoying the ride...sort of watching but still fully embodied. The dance ended and I went to great some friends. As I walked across the yard/lawn I was slightly appalled at the condition of my dress, a 1960s-style shift of large floral print. It was wet with grass dew, splotchy with grass stains and flecks of cut grass. I kept brushing myself off in an effort to be more presentable. But it was what it was and I'd enjoyed the dance. I saw Cathy Fitzgerald, a college friend, who was chatting with her girlfriends and getting ready to try out a new, low-slung motorbike. It was brushed silver and just her size but maybe longer than usual. I didn't really want to distract her from her friends or the bike.
Woke up.

Okay my armchair psychology friends - analyze and let me know what you figure out. Clearly, I'm missing dancing....but in addition to that???? I did remember this afternoon that I'd considered using that music for a Limon fall phrase I made for David Parker's class this summer. Something to recapture, maybe.

Well, now that we are in suburbia and securely, for the most part, settled onto a mooring...I'm ready to start moving toward home....sort of. Today was just a weird and not exactly pleasant day. We'd thought to go for a motor but the wind was stronger than comfortable and we wanted to go to the flea market. So, no. Flea market produced a couple books for me and a larger anchor for the boat. Expensive and a fine purchase for our safety. There was a trip to the food store, mostly to get cash for the anchor, and the Office Depot to get our absentee caucus ballots printed, then to the P.O. to mail them and back to the boat to test to see if the anchor fit. Score. David went back ashore for some reason and I had some alone time on the boat...very welcomed alone time. I did a few boat projects...coiling line, preparing solar panels for removal (we're getting new ones), read a magazine, battled the strong wind (while coiling line and preparing solar panels.)..so tonight I have a stiff neck.

David and I tried reading from our book together but it was growing toward dark and the book is too dark to read at dark. We'll continue it in the daylight. After dinner I spoke about some things I'd like to start and finish at the house before we settle back into it this spring. Refinish the living room floor is HIGH on the list and would be most easily done BEFORE we move in...given dust and fumes. New curtains. New sofa. And we talked about places we each want to stop on the return trip - me: St Augustine and the towns south of Cape River to explore by car; David: Mystic Seaport. We also talked about stopping to see Don & Dianne at the end of Long Island, maybe doing some boat work there. Also, how to avoid Chesapeake Bay and whether we were brave and/or experienced enough to do that open water crossing...and miss Lynda's dance concert. Clearly, thinking about returning home.

Time is an interesting aspect on our cruise. We've made some casual friends and some people could be long-term friends. But here we are in Marathon...in the creek for 3 weeks already and now in the mooring field for at least two more weeks. We don't know which boats are living here mostly full time, which folks are passing through, like us. Which people do we invest time in establishing or even researching possibility of friendships...beyond the casual acquaintances and how do we do that. And/but casual acquaintances offer limited satisfaction.

I was really glad to talk to a girlfriend of 30+ years today.