shower, thunderstorm

Stuart, FL .  Sunset Bay Marina

3/20/18

Yesterday we pretty much forgot it was Spring Equinox...really it feels like summer here. Sorry my northern friends and family who are tired of winter but it is true. And, finally, we're on the vacation that sis-in-law keeps accusing us of...no goals, no agenda, no deadlines. Hmmmm, vacation. And since we've been here before for a couple of weeks there's not a great deal that we "just have to see or do." So we can be lazy.

Well we did get hot showers, both of us. Much needed. My growing longer hair was straw-like from ocean swim at Peck Lake even though I'd washed off in fresh water from our sun-shower on the forward deck. Sticky and a little matted feeling. So showers. Long showers...except not too long because we'd forgot that the showers are closed at 11:00 for cleaning. Twenty minutes was enough. My skin is really dry from the sun and wind. Sun lotion each day and body lotion most days, as well. Perhaps age also has something to do with the dryness.

David had a successful dentist appointment. Cousin Kathryn's husband, Lew, made an appointment with his dentist. A small filling to get David through the next couple of months and expect a crown, not the royalty kind, when he gets back to his own dentist. Insurance will pay for most of this visit.

I had the pleasure of doing laundry while David was at the dentist. Great laundry here at the marina. While clothes were washing, then drying, I read and chatted with the "regulars," those folks who've been coming here for 3-5 years. They are a generous group who've become friends over several years of showing up here at the same time. I was invited into the conversation and introduced all around by Olivia. Can't remember, if I ever found out, where folks are from but north...Michigan and Wisconsin?

Lots of wind. I worried while David was away that our wind scoop and my mosquito net/hatch cover would be shredded or blown away. The wind was that fierce. David returned and we made a dash for Grace in our dinghy. Didn't get as wet as I expected. Wind scoop and hatch cover were fine. We brought a bunch of stuff in from the deck and buttoned up for thunderstorm and water spout warnings. For about 2 hours we rocked and rolled and swung around. We could have read by lightning light but it wasn't steady enough. I learned as a kid to not stand in open doorways or near windows. Eh, we have a pilot house but I did ask David to move away from the open door. He says that warning is a wives' tale but I'm sticking with it. We moved down to the galley after a while. By bedtime the storm had passed. There were some brilliant moments of bolts of lightning but mostly the storm went around, rather than over us. Fine with me.

3/21/18  Sunset Bay Marina

A lazy morning. Coffee on aft deck. Reading. David read some of the news out loud to me. Did some phone and computer work.

Our friend, Fordyce, called. Yea! He's back from the Bahamas and just up the waterway at Fort Pierce where we moored together a little less than a month ago. He was glad to have gone to the Bahamas but said he spent a lot time hiding from the wind and didn't get to explore as much as he'd hoped. So great to hear his voice and know that he was safe. He had a pretty harrowing story about loosing all his steering just as he was putting into his slip in Fort Pierce. That's getting fixed.

He is in the same relaxed situation we are on "vacation" time. We'll stay in touch and connect in person soon. We and he are interested in seeing the space launch on April 2 at Cape Kennedy but will likely connect well before that...which is only 12 days away (!).  He has to be in Maryland by mid-April so he'll have to scoot if he does stay for launch.  I'm really pleased to hear from him. Had been thinking about him last night/this morning and he called before I texted. Smiling.

David and I walked to town for lunch and hoped a visit with WPB friend, Cal. Cal was a drive-by visit with David. The walk in town was pleasant enough as was lunch.  Now back on the boat for relaxing evening with beer and books. Perhaps another WPB friend, Mary Beth, will visit and we'll have some time with cousin, Kathryn and Lew. And maybe some photos, for visual interest.

Oh, Fordyce told us that the other Grace that we'd been traveling with earlier this week was right beside him in Fort Pierce. He's going to say hello and learn his plans. Maybe it'll be a "launch party" in Titusville on April 2.