a year "IN"

Well, for all who don't like the touchy, feely, type blog.....quit reading now.....

We are almost a "year in" to this incredible journey.  We left Lake St Clair on June 15 (fathers day) ....The other day (in Michigan...more on this later)  someone asked me....."seriously, what do you miss living on a boat for almost a year"......I thought and thought about this question and could only come up with ....."maybe a garden and a yard".   That question has been probing my  brain all week.   I honestly cannot think of a thing....besides "my stuff" that is in storage....and I don't miss it, I am just concerned about its care  (ie: are mice chewing holes in my custom sofa??,  where are those clothes I cannot seem to find in the boxes that are stored in my daughter basement??)....but, when it all comes down to it.....That is all about "stuff".   Had I had more time, and if I  knew then what I do now, a year later,.....tons of "stuff" would have been given away, sold, etc...  In hind sight, we didn't have time and/or the the mind set, to organize, donate, etc .  It is amazing what little you can live with....and what you can live without!

So now, here we are, almost a year "in".   What I do know is that whatever I pictured this journey to be a year ago, was sooooo small compared to what it has been!  We have seen a side of America that we only read about, met people (with opinions) that we never considered.....and traveled outside of the U.S....(to Bahamas)... that I NEVER  in my wildest dreams imagined could be so beautiful and so welcoming.  Our only experience up till now was Nassau (hardly a sampling)......  Because of this, we have decided to consider "plan B"....That is "holding up" in Jacksonville, Fla for the summer, taking a break from "the LOOP"....and picking that up a year from now.   What that means is we would summer in Jacksonville,  in a "hurricane safe" marina....fly back to Michigan for a few weeks at a time, and then......go back to Bahamas next winter..     We met some great friends that are going back for a few months starting in December 2018 and we would love to tag along.  We loved, loved, our time there this year, and feel we have missed a lot of islands, also swimming with the pigs!! that we absolutely need to experience!  Then a year from now, resume the loop up the east coast.  There is NO time limit on completing the loop.... our friends, Barbara and Bill, took 12 years !!!

Meanwhile, we are presently in Melbourne, FL.....we left Ft Pierce and headed to Vero Beach....we traveled with another looper boat we had connected with in the Bahamas....we enjoyed a lovely dinner out and the next morning, went our separate ways.   Our next stop was Melbourne.... with 1st mate, Jane following instructions from the "marina harbor master"....and relaying them to the captain.....we found ourselves "stuck"!!!! on something in the channel....  DUMB, DUMB!!  and first mate Jane, takes full responsibility  for any miss -communication with the harbormaster....WHY did Captain Bob listen to her!!!!  (he seldom listens to anything she says!)... from now on, we keep RED ON RIGHT RETURNING!!  now matter what anyone else says!

OK...long story short.....we needed to have our props pulled and inspected....one was really bad and needed work....which means a diver takes them off,  we stay where we are for at least 2 weeks while being worked on.....AND...(praise the Lord) it is not as expensive as NEW props would be!!  So, during this time off.....we decide to fly to Michigan and see our loved ones!   (That includes our 6 month old granddaughter Josie)    We enjoyed a "family reunion" with son Rob, Jennifer, grandsons, Bennett and Chase.....and Molly and Aaron , grandson Gabe, and Josie.  (also Mom, Alice, who joined us at Sunday Brunch!)   It was a great extended weekend visit, and the weather (almost)  made us miss the Midwest!  Here we are now,  back in Melbourne, and planning a weekend visit to St Pete to visit friends .....as props won't be repaired until next week....We think we have seen all Melbourne has to offer and are anxious to visit with "old" friends.....   (Deb turns 60 soon!!)  we must advise her on how to "navigate" thru these years!.....haha.  It has been an adventure  beyond our wildest expectations!