:( no photo today...

BUT!!! Ken rigged up the computer so I am now writing from the beach house instead of the Holiday Inn!! We are using dial-up, so no photos today- but more are to follow. Today we worked on setting up the boat- installing boat hook holders, a towel bar, a caddy with suction cups next to the helm, and checking out that all-imporatnt AC on the boat!! (It was about 88 degrees today!) Yesterday we drove the boat South on the Caloosahachee River about 20 miles- our first real ride on the ICW! It's going to take some time getting used to how high this boat sits in the water, the different navigational signs of the ICW, and the CONSTANT wind of 10-20 knots! So far, no manatee sightings, but there sure are lots of laws protecting them. (they ARE cuter than Palmetto bugs!!!)
Last pm Ken & I both really realised just how LONG this trip is going to be...We both miss the company we had here- and understand why his Grandpa always had tears in his eyes when we left- We just keep telling ourselves to take it in baby steps, and that thousands of people have done this trip before!
Tonight at sunset on the beach, Cory made several new dog friends- I swear he is trying to sniff every square inch of the 7 mile long beach! It's hard to believe that next weekend we must be out of the beach house (April 1)- we are going to play it by ear as far as when we leave Fort Myers- a lot depends on the weather. The days are FILLED with sunshine and being stuck in traffic and doing errands! I miss our Invisible Fence!!!! Love to all- Linda

My exciting evening in the kitchen...

Doesn't it look like Cory wonders who's going to drive him? "Hey! What's the meaning of this!" Anyway- my exciting night in the kitchen started when I opened a cabinet-a HUGE scary "Palmetto bug" was on the cabinet door!!!!! I screamed and shut the door, and started to cry- a real impressive reaction!! There should not be bugs that size anywhere- let alone in the kitchen! (Terminex is making a return to the house ASAP!) The boat ride was great today- a preview of things to come, and the mechanic that rode with us helped us decipher the special navigation markers of the ICW! That's all for now- more adventures await, but I'm NOT going in that kitchen again alone!!! Love to all- Linda (In fairness to Linda - the bug was 3" across and on the cabinet door when she opened it - Ken)

"We go where we're towed"

Those of you that know my boating history realize that the above picture is a familiar sight for me. This time everything ended happily. The boat was towed from the slip by BoatUS tow ($557.00 would have been the cost without the tow insurance), was picked up by Boaters Landing Four Winns, fixed about an hour later and put back in the water. Many thanks to Boaters Landing and to G&R Marine in CT for making everything go so smoothly. After being returned to the Caloosahatchee River the mechanic went for a 45 minute ride with us. The boat works great, has a top speed of slightly over 40mph and likes to cruise at about 27mph at 3400rpm. There was a moderate chop which the boat handled with ease - it was very dry. However, after the heavy Albin, the lightness of this boat can really be felt. It is heavily affected by the wind!! I had a perfect docking but I really miss a bow thruster. Now just 10 more days of working out the bugs and our adventure will begin.

Tom & Larry left today...

Dave left Sunday :( and then Tom & Larry left today:(-but somehow we will persevere with the sun & the warm & the beach!!!We had a blast with the guys, and lots of laughs. Cribbage and Upwords and miniature golf were the games of choice- several different winners at different times! Thanks for all the comments- we really appreciate them. Ken will give the report on the boat- I just can't believe it's spring already- March is almost done! Time flies when you're having fun. Cory discovered the joy of knee-high water on the beach last pm, and the crescent moon over Sanibel Island was just beautiful! Love to all, and here's Ken!!!

For all of you asking about the status of the boat - It is going to be towed from the slip tomorrow morning at 0900 hrs. to the launch ramp and then to the Four Winns dealer (hey Mark - one of the Four Winns brothers (George Winn) operates the dealership in Fort Myers.)They expect that it will be back in the water on Friday. It appears as though the problem is a cable bracket for the shift cable being loose on the outdrive. That is normally part of the prep of the boat. I cannot complain - this is boating after all. G&R Marine has been in constant communication with us about the problem and paved the way at the dealership down here. All will be taken care of under warranty.
To Tom and Larry - we miss you both all ready but at least now I don't have to pretend to get up at 8 o'clock every morning! Cory is despondent over losing Larry's considerable chair shade. See you both not so soon.

No Pictures Today

I'm sitting at the marina at a dial-up connection writing this. Our boat - currently with "0" hours on it - currently needs repair. It seems some shift cable was not secured properly on prep and came loose - consequently, the boat is stuck in forward gear. No problems except it may need to be pulled from the water to be fixed. If that is the case I have to call SeaTow to tow me to the launch area, load the boat on the trailer and transport it to the dealer - big hassle!! The Volvo mechanic is enroute "sometme today, it may be 10 minutes or 10 hours" - so here I am. Tom, Larry and Linda are enjoying the day at the beach - Tom and Larry's last one. We went out to miniature golf last night and after a lot of trash talking and even trashier playing - Tom and I tied for the lead - Linda came in last - she blamed it on her keeping score and being distracted. Nothing much new here.
Ken

Cold Front

Last night a cold front came thru and dropped about `1 inch of rain. The wind out of the north picked up and by 0400 hrs. this morning the temperature dropped down to 49 degrees. 0400 was when Dave and I woke up so he could get to the airport for his flight out. We're going to miss him! The next time we see him will be when we arrive in N.Carolina on the trip. Tom and Larry are still here but they are an embarassment to New Hampshire - both were complaining of the cold this morning. I just learned about the NE snowstorm. I hope everyone is doing well - all the cats have a little pathway shoveled for them outside.
We are still lazing around the beach while company is here. I believe tomorrow we are going for the first boat ride.
Talk to you all later.
Side note - congratulations to Rich and Mary on their new boat. We'll have to get together this summer - maybe Block Island?
Ken