Stay in Key West ~ Weeks Three & Four, with the Road Trip North

Saturday, 2/15/20 ~  After Pete paid a few bills, coached a client with problems with an Excel sheet, and I did a few house chores, we headed north.  What started off a a cool 74 degrees with winds out of the north at about 15, quickly warmed to 84 and mild breezes.
     Once we picked Deb and Mike at the dinghy dock, we continued north.  They were please to check out new real estate.  They have traveled via water, but not usually by land.  Since Bass Pro Shop is on Islemorada, they suggested Lorelei"s Restaurant, which they were able to get to via dinghy when then came down the bay side of Florida.

Interesting car in the parking lot

    While in the Bahamas, we each had a pair of water shoes, which were very comfortable and protective of our toes, but they, long ago, died a stinky death.  Pete found a great pair that are not only, stinky proof, but also very comfortable,  We perused the store, which is primarilly for fishermen and snorklers. It is pretty amaizing to see how YETI has taken over the cooler selection for storage and drinks.  YETI is so expensive, but apparently it is very worthwile.  Mike and Deb keep a large cooler in the cockpit while in the Bahamas and ice keeps things cold for days. Their ice purchases have dropped dramatically,

Mike, Debbie, Pete and Kathy

     With new shoes on Pete's feet, we headed north only a short distance to Lorelei's.  Apparently we were not the only ones with this great idea.  It took about 15 minutes to find a covered table.  Service was slow, but the cheese burgers were good and the drinks cold.  The entertainer was also very good.  Since Deb had mentioned that there are so many entertainers in the Keys, most accept the gig for food and tips, Pete made sure that he dropped some money into his jar.
     We said out good-bys around 3:30 and headed home to ckeck on Bailey. There will not be a dinner in our future for tonight; we are still stuffed.
     After Bailey was fed and walked, we sat in the cockpit and read.  The catamaran next to us is once again occupied by a group of twenty-somethings.  They are courtious and polite; even asked if the soft music would bother us.  They will be with us for the next 5 days.
     Once again, at dusk, the No-Seeums announced their arrival, so we headed down below and watched the final 2 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.  It is a great series, but we hate having to wait a year for this season's episode to be released on disc.

Sunday, 2/16/20 ~  Pete started working at 9:30 this morning.  The client isn't having a good day.  Pete and George were able to work with him to smooth things over until they complete the job later in the day.
     I stayed out of his way working, on the blog.  I am just about caught up with the writting, but I have downloaded photos that still need processing before posting. I learned NOT to save my photos as TIFF files to use on the blog.  The files are huge. One photo was 63 mb! I had to go back and convert all today's processed photos back to JPEGs.  By dinner I was able to publish our first week here in Key West along with all the photo.  I hope to finish up week 2 tomorrow.
     We opted to watch a new series called Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.  It has an interesting storyline. Zoe has a "super power" that enables her to hear peoples thoughts via song.  No one else can hear. They have mixed humor and real life issues.  It will be intersting to see where to story goes.

Monday, 2/17/20 ~ Pete had another crazy work day.  He also had to buy more data.  Apparently when I tried to upload the 2 tiff files before I realized there was a problem, ate up almost a gig of data; lesson learned! I did simple house chores and laundry in preparation to leaving later tomorrow to head to Delaware for a number of medical appointments for the three of us.  Otherwise it was a great day in Paradise.

THE ROAD TRIP NORTH ~

Tuesday, 2/18/20 ~ I packed up for Bailey and me, and prepped the other stuff needed for traveling north: Snacks, made sure the audio books were downloaded, sodas and water chilled, food and water for Bailey, coats for the 3 of us (Yes! Bailey needs a coat when the temps drop below 40.  She is the first dog we have had the shivers in the cold!), plus our hats and gloves. (Traveling at this time of year, temps in Pa, DE, and NJ could be anywhere between 70 degrees to 0, rain or snow…) Pete had some work projects that needed attention today.  He still managed to pack around working.  We were ready and off the boat by 4 PM. 

     We should be at Chris and Kel’s by about 4 tomorrow.  We have the last 3 books in Dean Koots’ Jane Hawk Series on audio and should last the entire trip.  Each book is about 14-15 hours long. We will drive for about 8 -10 hours, stop and nap in a security patrolled rest stop, then continue on.  Thursday and Friday Pete, Bailey and I have medical appointments, plus we need to stop in and catch up with Pete’s Mom.

     It is going to be a rather busy visit.

Wednesday, 2/19/20 ~ We stopped as planned around 4 AM somewhere in South Carolina, knapped for about 2 hours, then continued.  We managed to miss most of the traffic and only had one 20-minute slow down.  We arrived around 4:30 pm with having listened to one full book and half of another. It definitely kept our minds engaged during the ride.

     Can’t wait to hit the sack.  It will surely be shortly after Hadi and Riley go to bed.  They have school in the morning. Chris ordered pizza as Kel had to work late tonight.  I didn’t check, but I think we were in bed by 9 and asleep by 9:03.

Thursday, 2/20/20 ~ We were up to see the girls off to school with Kelli.  Since Pete had a pretty busy workday, I headed off to my appointment with the neurologist. It is time for the 3^rd round of Botox injections for my migraines.  Hopefully, this will be the last of them.

     Chris had arranged with Pete to meet the UPS driver around 9 this morning.  Hadi’s birthday present was being delivered. It will be heavy, so help is needed to unload it off the truck.  They were right it was HEAVY!

    Chris was home around 1, having completed a training seminar.  With Pete’s help, they got most of the trampoline assembled before Pete left for his medical appointment.  Unfortunately, it was only after Pete left that Chris discovered that the enclosure had to be done prior to attaching the springs.  That meant that Chris had to undo all the springs and reattach them by himself. He is in good physical condition, but it was a real challenge. 

     I went to meet Hadi at the bus stop after school.  She was really surprised to see me in her Dad’s “Go-Go”.  (Hadi likes to name things: the cats, the dog, the cars- Kelli’s SUV is “Stephanie” and since Chris’s car has great pick-up and go, she and Riley named it “Go-Go.” I don’t remember the name of the previous car.) As we pulled into the driveway, she wanted to know where was her trampoline?  Since it is supposed to be a surprise, I asked her, “what trampoline?” to which she replied. “I asked fort one for my birthday!’ I assured her with crossed fingers, I didn’t know.  I managed to keep her occupied walking into the house.  Thankfully, while catching up wit her day, Kelly, Riley and the cousins arrived.  Kelli reinforced that “just because you ask for something doesn’t mean it will happen.”  However, Hadi was escorted to the back yard and the shrieks and fun began!  Despite the 40-degree temps, they all jumped for the next 2 hours.

Chris was sore from assemblying the
 trampoline.  The dogs offered support.

     After dinner, we celebrated Hadi’s Birthday with ice cream cake and gifts.  I had ordered our present for her online and was fortunate that it shipped and was received in time for me to wrap!  Originally, I was told that the delivery would happen after her birthday.

          Included in our travel plans: I was supposed to see the cardiac pacemaker tech next Tuesday morning and then see the cardiologist on Wednesday afternoon. We had made reservations for our return south for a hotel for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, north of Miami, with Bailey boarded for that time nearby.  Unfortunately, the Wednesday appointment had to be postponed for 2 weeks, but the Tuesday one could not be changed. Reservations were canceled, and Pete was able to make hotel reservations in Fort Pierce for Monday night at a La Quinta so Bailey can stay with us.

     By 8 pm the kids were overtired, crying their parents took them up to bed.  The crying didn’t last very long!

Friday, 2/21/20 ~ Pete completed his work commitments early and offered to take Bailey to the vet as I was still tender after my shots yesterday.  There is no big change in her ears, the vasculitis intensity varies, but it will never go away. As to her stress while underway or in the car, she now has a new prescription that will hopefully help. Her hips are showing her age.  Bailey will self-regulate activity when it is needed. Otherwise, she is doing well.

      We decided to do takeout from the Mexican restaurant. Dinner was very tasty.

Saturday, 2/22/20 ~ Chris, Kel and the kids headed to an RV show outside Baltimore.  They are investigating an RV trailer for camping.  They tried it last year with a couple of friends and really liked it.  They came home with information, but not as much as they liked.  The girls were a real challenge due to the excitement.

     We headed down to visit with Pete’s Mom. At 93, she is remarkably sharp, but her body isn’t living up to her standards. She has her good days and bad, unfortunately, the good ones are getting less and less.  Even with her limited movement, we were able to take her out for her favorite fast food -Burger King.  She really enjoyed every bite. Unfortunately, the time passed quickly and all to soon, we had to say good-by.

     Once back, Chris and Kel introduced us to a Netflix series, The Ranch.  We enjoyed the program’s quirky humor, especially with the cast of Sam Elliott, Debra Winger and Ashton Kutcher. We caught about 5 episodes before heading to bed.

Sunday, 2/23/20 ~ Pete and I headed out around 10 am, so that we could meet up with our boating friends for lunch in Annapolis; Jeanne and Gerry, SV RAGTIME, Martha and Dan, SV BRUNELLE, and Betty and John from SV ANDIAMO. They are members of our sailing club, CCYC, who have also cruised with us in the past.  We have become not only good friends, but also great resources for boating and other things for each other.  We met at Grump’s in Annapolis. They have wonderful offerings for breakfast as well as lunch all day on Sunday and there is always a crowd.  They have managed the lines very effectively.  As your party check in, you are given a number and a copy of the menu.  When you get up to the counter you place and pay for your order under the number for your group.  Usually, by the time you get to the counter, a table will have become available. Today, 2 tables, next to one another became available. (It is hard to get a table for 8 in such a small place.) We ladies are at one and the fellas at the other.  As usual, the time goes too fast.  Too soon we were saying our good-byes.  The next time we will get together will probably be once we are back for summer on the Chesapeake.

I noticed this as we were passing the Fleet Reserve Club in Annapolis.
This new addition to aa sitting wall is called "White Sails."

     Kel once again made the delicious one dish dinner of chicken, green beans and potatoes baked with Italian seasoning and butter.  YUM!  Once finished, we loaded up the car so we can leave quietly.

     We were able to view a few more episodes of The Ranch, but too soon it was time to say our good-byes, and head for bed. 2 AM will come very quickly.

Monday, 2/24/20 ~ Up at 1:30 am and out by 2.  Unfortunately, once out the front door, Bailey realized we were leaving by car.  She stayed on the doorstep and when I went to get her, she ran around to the back of the house.  I had to drag her back to the car.  Not a great way to start a long trip, but she ain’t no dummy!

Dawn as we refueled
 somewhere in North Carolina

     It took us only a minute longer to take Rt. 896 to Rt. 2 in Delaware to get onto 95 as opposed to the “quicker” back roads from Chris and Kel’s to 95 (with scary, unknown, curvy roads and lots of deer!) We did well once on 95, but had 2 areas of delays which cost us about an hour. All-in-all the ride wasn’t too bad, just heavier traffic heading south.  We pulled into the hotel in Fort Pierce around 5:30 pm. Pete found a Jersey Mike’s and we had delicious subs for dinner. Once again we couldn’t wait to lay our heads down for the night.

Tuesday, 2/25/20 ~ We were up by 6 am and on the road by 7.  GPS has us getting to Miami in about 2 hours, but it is commuter traffic time.  We arrived with about 20 minutes to spare for my 10 am appointment.  Today, I was the first one seen by the tech, so I was out in about 20 minutes.  When I texted Pete to let him know I was done, he had just found a parking spot and set up his computer to get some work done.  Needless to say, he now had to repack everything and pick me up. Before heading out to Pete I stopped and picked up drinks from both of us.

     With the original plans for two appointments, I had also made an appointment for my hair.  We decided that I should keep it.  So, after lunch, we headed up to the salon I have used numerous times while in West Palm Beach.  Since we were an hour early, Pete was able to work while I read until my appointment time.  With only having a dye, wash and bang trim, I was done in about 90 minutes. Even with a wet head, Travis did a great job on matching the color.

     We heard from my sister, Debi. She got the results of her scans today and the new was very good!  The immunotherapy seems to be working. The oncologist is very pleased. The traces of disease are currently gone!  She will have to have a lifetime of immunotherapy and scans, but this is really GREAT NEWS!!!

     So. . . we were on the road again.  Since it was now 4:30 pm and commuter traffic time again, we opted to head directly over to the Florida Turnpike.  Wise choice! We didn’t hit traffic until the lower end of the turnpike.  It was about an hour delay in total, but the final book is really good!  We even though about sitting in the car back at the marina and listening to the last few minutes.  Unfortunately, we still had 90 minutes and NO WAY was this day getting any longer!  It is 10 pm and the unloading will wait until tomorrow.  We only grabbed the dog and what we needed tonight.

    Definitely, good night!

BACK IN KEY WEST ~

The new docks between  Coconut Row
 and the Salty Oyster are now in use.

Wednesday, 2/26/20 ~ Pete worked all morning, but he was able to take break around lunch and we emptied the car.   Once everything was put away, I sat up above and read while Pete continued working. One of his clients is in California.  He has requested Pete and George fly out for 2 days next week to restructure their work force. Thankfully, the marina was able to extend our stay until March 15th.

      My Mom has oral cancer and it appears to be contained. She was cleared for the surgery, which was done this morning. Mom is doing so well, after eating at the hospital, they sent her home.  The surgeon feels that he was able to get all clean margins.  We will have the lab report at her checkup in 2 weeks.

     After dinner, we decided to listen to the end of book from our travels.  It was definitely worth waiting to finish.  We might have missed something being so tired.  It then was a good way to insure getting to bed early.

Sea Slug in our slip.

Thursday, 2/27/20 ~ This morning, I defrosted both the refridge and the freezer. I also checked with Mary and Bob from SV WINDSOM.  We met here last February and then again in Las Olas Marina. When we found out that they were renting a house here in Key West this February, we wanted to get together.  With both our schedules, this was our first opportunity. Pete finished up with work and we met for drinks at the Salty Oyster Bar.  It was so good to see them again.  We will stay in touch in the hopes that we meet further up the state.  They will be staying in Pensacola for a few weeks so we will see. Since they had to get back to Hali, we opted to have dinner there as well.

Friday, 2/28/20 ~ Key West has only 2 medical labs, Quest and the hospital.  I have been using the hospital for the last two blood tests, but I have to go through the admission process each time.  Pete noticed that LabCorps is now open inside the Walgreen’s. I was able to go there for testing this morning.  I really like the way LabCorps uses the driver’s license to bring up my records, which makes check-in very easy.  Apparently, it has only been open about 3 weeks. 

     Since Publix is on the way home, I stopped there for some provisions. Once back, groceries put away and lunch finished, I took a nap. The skies became overcast, the winds picked up, the temps dropped, and the rains came.  We chilled (literally!) and read for the rest of the day.  We are so glad we will not be traveling on the water for the next week or so.  Heavy winds and waves will be constant.

     

Lime green means 25-30 knots (28-34 mph)!

Hourly Reports don't show gusts!

     
      Pete also found out that he will not be heading out to California next week. With the winds for the past week or so, I am so glad we were hunkered down here.  If we had left on the 1st, we would have been scurrying to find a protected harbor.  It is hard to find negitives when in Key West!

~ ~ ~ /) ~~ P & K

Stay in Key West ~ Week Two

Saturday, 2/8/20 ~ Ann and Howie brought the makeings of a Jewish Breakfast: bagles, lox, cream cheese with lox, white fish, & creamed herring.  Needless to say, it was a delicious treat.

Make sure to read
the posted sign!

     Once breakfast was cleared and put away, we headed out to Old Town Key West.  We strolled along Duval Street.  It is always a great place to people watch, car watch, bird watch as well as shop and eat.  With 2 cruise ships in port for the day, there were plenty of people enjoying the day.

     Found an art gallery showing works from an artist we admire.  We went in to see his new paintings. Now that Harlan is using aluminum for his canvases, the artwork take on a new demention, but the sence of the painting are still the same, only "crisper."

Rooster and hen up a tree

      Dispite the great breakfast we enjoyed, we were once again hungry.  On Howie's suggestion we opted for lunch at Old Town Mexican Cafe.  Pete and I shared a quesadilla, while Howie and Ann had Conch Fritters.  We sat outside and received shade under the tree canopy. We also watched a cock and hen walk out on one of the higher limbs, thankfully not above our heads!  eIt was time to turn around and stroll back to the car, then head back to the boat.
     After everyone rested for a while, we called for a taxi to head to dinner. We were shocked at the rudeness of the dispatcher, the driver who couldn't follow directions and was late, as well as the condition of the taxi.  not only were all the warning lights on, but every bump blasted the radio! We though by calling 45 minutes early, we woulld arrive at least 15 minutes eatly.  Instead, we were 2 minutes late for our 6:15 reservation at Santiago's Bodega.  Thankfully, it wasn't a problem. We were seated immediately.
     The food here is simply outrageous; beautifully presented tapas that are delicious. Our server took our initial order for 4 different dishes.  As we finished one, the next one came out.  We found ourselves rushing a little instead of enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.  After speaking with our server, the pace slowed with the dishes that followed.  It was wonderful to enjoy 12 different dishes.  Some were meatless dishes while others weren't. All of us opted to have the crapes with chocolate and strawberries for dessert. None of us regretted out choice! When the bill arrived everyone was astounded.  The amount of food, with drinks and coffee and tip was about $40/person.
     We opted for an UBER ride home.  It was soooo...much better!

Sunday, 2/9/20 ~  We enjoyed our Jewish Breakfast today al fresco.  We set up in the cockpit enjoying the warm temperatres and gentle breezed. Unfortunately, noon came around too soon.  It was time for Ann and Howie to head home.  By choosing to travel earlier in the day, they should avoid most of the weekend traffic heading north.

The fishing fleet was smaller
than in the past

     After they left, beds were stripped and Pete offered to do the laundry.  I didn't realize that there are a lot of folks who also had the same idea.  Thankfully, I had included a cold soda and water with the laundry.  He was thrilled to find it when he finally had access to one of the machines.  He was able to talk with lots of other boaters during the 4 hour laundry stint. (It usually takes about an hour and a half/ hour forty}
     We ate dinner in the cockpit and enjoyed relaxing and reading until the No Seeums made themselves known,  So instead, we went below and enjoyed a few more episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

Monday, 2/10/20 ~  Today  things were back to normal. Pete has a very busy week ahead with work.  He started work around 7:30 this morning to be ready for a 9 AM conference call.  He worked until 6 dealing with problems.

Tethered buoy and cloud reflections

   

       I was able to walk around, take a few photos, exercise, shower, then be a lady of leisure.  I spent about 4 hours in the cockpit reading the book 3 in the Outlander Series.
     With Pete and George still at it, I took Bailey for her after dinner walk.  We met a cople of new furry friends.  Gracey is a 25 lb, skinny mut, with an attitude.  She gets on Bailey's nerves with her nervousness.  Taz is a beautiful, 130 lb, African Mastiff, who likes almost all dogs, with the exception of the tiny ones. Reggea is a 85 lb, yellow lab like Bailey, who is also a sweetheart. There is a dog park here, but we actually met at the top of our dock.
     After dinner, I watched someTV while Pete slept on the sofa.  It really was a brain drain kinda day. I woke him up at 9:30 to go to bed.

Tuesday, 2/11/20 ~ Pete had another full day.  I was able to exercise and work on the blog.

The bees gathered around the
"spongy" flower on these palm trees

     Around 4, I started to make a make sausage & totillini caserole (I mixed it in a pot rather than bake it and allowed the mozzarella to melt on top of the mixed dinner.)  We were up at the meeting spot for 45 minutes before we decided to head back to the boat. Nobody showed!  There were people gathered on some of the boats, but nothing was said about change of venue.  So . . . we had a great dinner AND I have 2 more great dinners in the freezer for another night.
     We also used the time to empty out the car and reload the aft cabin again.  Since I have a system for the placement of the stuff, we were done rather quickly.
     We were able to get in another 2 episodes of Star Trek; Discovery. It is only offered on CBS All Access. It is frustrating that even though we pay for TV, we still don't have access to a lot of programming.  The way things look, we will need to subscribe to each channel individually. It is terribly frustrating knowing that TV used to be free. Currently, we are waiting until the end of the season and purchase the entire season on Blue Ray.  We had opted to forgo watching a lot of interesting programming due to limited TV reception or the fact that the only way to see it is to subscribe to a service like HULU or NETFLIX, both of which require strong internet service with addequate bandwith, not usually found in most marinas.  Or if it is offered, we get knocked off due to so many boats using the bandwith.  As a reslt, our fall back is HGTV and a few other network programs.

Wednesday, 2/12/20 ~  While Pete and George worked, I had errands to run.  I checked on the internet for local medicl labs and found 2.  Unfortunately, the first one didn't have any address or contact information,  When I found the second, it is now closed.  So I called the Lower Keys Medical Center and found out that the hospital does routine lab work through the Outpateint Clinic.  It was nice using the front door intead of the ER which I have used twice before on previous visits here to Key West.  Once done, I stopped at Publix for a number of items,
    With the heat and humidity and I decided to lay low for the rest of the day.  A good day for reading.
     My doctor's office called to discuss the results from the blood work earlier today. My levels are high and she suggested the modifications. After dinner I did some research on medication interactions and found that one of the over the counter drugs I take will interfere with one of my presecitions, and might have caused an irregularity. I will speak with the pharmacist and doctor's office tomorrow.

Thursday, 2/13/20 ~  With a list in hand of all my prescriptions and over the counter meds, I spoke with the pharmacist.  She agreed with the one med I had found, but also suggested another OTC that might also interfere with my prescrition.  I contactred my doctor's office and will wait for the repeated test on Friday and discuss resuming the medication.
     Pete and George were able to break around lunch.  They are finished for the day.  So, Pete invited me to take a ride and get a qick bite to eat.  We opted for pizza.  Afterwards we headed downtown to walk the harbor andstop in at West Marine. It was a great day for walking.
     We got back aroud 3 and settled down to dosome reading.  Pete's reading was cut short due to so work question.
     Once again Pete crashed and burned after dinner. He had said it was going to be an intense week.  I even took Bailey for her last walk of the day. I finally woke him up at 10 to head to bed.

Friday, 2/14/20 ~  As I went to get up this morning, I found my first Valintine's Day Card. Pete was already prepping for an 8:30 meeting that was cancelled.
     After breakfast, I headed out to repeat my blood work. Then I headed over to an eye glass place to have the pads on my glasses replaced, then back to Publix to get the items I need for our speial dinner.  It has become almost a tradition to have sausage, meatball and shrimp parmasian for very special occasion. Once home, I realized I forgot the shrimp.  It is very convienent to have Fishbusterz about 1/4 mile from here.  I was able to get freshly caught Key West shrimp.  Needless to say, dinner was scrumptious!  Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert.  That will have to wait until tomorrow.
     After dinner, Pete suggested we take a ride up to Islemoralda tomorrow. There is a Bass Pro Shop that has the sandles he is looking for, AND, since we are headed up their way, I also contacted Deb and Mike, SV RESOLVE, in Marathon.  We agreed to meet them around noon toorrow and head out to lunch
    We chilled the rest of the evening.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

We are in Key West! ~ Week One

Friday, 1/31/20 ~  We were up 7 out 7:30. Kate helped us depart.  As we were departing the harbor, I saw flying sea ray. Twice, he, or she, jumped about 4 feet into the air! Impressive to see a 2 and a half or 3 foot ray get airborne.  A short while later,  Pete saw one swimming on the surface. They was also a pod of dolphins about 4 miles south of Marathon.
     Skies were overcast, winds light and crab floats . . . well, LOTS! South of Marathon, for miles, in waters measuring 18-25 feet deep, the water is loaded wtih the colorful floats.  It makes navigation tricky as our "bread crumb line" squiggles like a drunken worm! They are a little more creative with the floats here in the Keys.  There are the usual single collored or white, or colored balls with stripes, styrophoam balls with the licence numbers written somewhere on the ball. Some others have a large and a small, bi-colored, balls that sometimes look like colorful snowmen as the wave action makes them "stand up." Others have 2 balls on different lenght lines so they float about 3 feet from each other.  I even saw one float that had other float also attached to it, floating about 3 - 4 feet apart from each other. The most unsusal was the floats with faces painted on them.  The orange and red ones looked like pumpkins, while the white ones looked like clown faces.  It was not easly to get a photo of them as when they bob in the waves, they also spin around.

  The only buoys I could caputre are here below:

        

     

Even with the crab traps, we were doing a good 7.0 - 7.2 mph for our jorney today.
     Bailey started today's trip with nervousness and shaking,  After about an hour, I gave her one of the seditives the vet prescribed. It really didn't seem to take the edge off  until we were 3/4 of the way down. Hopefully, she will feel better once we dock.
     She has also been favoring her left leg, on and off, for most of the trip. Innitially, we thought it might be her hip, but when I look to see how she positions her leg when she is lying down, the left leg is extended and not bending at the "knee."  Her vasculitis is also showing signs of a flair up. We will be checking in with the vet when we head north at the end of the month
    Of course, we are still monitoring the predicted winds. They are now being foreccasted for Sunday  at 25-35 mph! Included in the forcast are 2 fronts that are supposed to come through; one tonight around midnight and a second one due mid afternoon tomorrow.  It was definately the right choice to head down today.  Of course, the fans of the San Franscisco 49ers and of Kansas City Chiefs are also watching the weather for this Sunday as their teams will compete in Super Bowl 54 in Miami.
     Shortly before our approach to Stock Island, we spotted another pod of dolphins. Since wour dolphin sightings are few and far between this trip, it really was exciting.

Working yard next to Marina with SEA SHEPARD

 
      Pete called Jason, the rigger Deb and Hugh of SV SIMPLICITY recommended.  He will call and try to get to PEKABU later today.  Fingers crossed!
     We docked aroung 2:30 with help from Kyle and Jonathan.  Prior to docking, we were informed that we will be heading to C-20.  However, they asked us to wait before entering the marina.  They reassigned us to A-32.  It is against the hotel bulkhead, right next to all the head boats. It is convienent, but we came down for the social aspect of the docks.  When Pete went to the marina office, they discussed moving us.
     Pete took advantage to run to the bank before the rigger showed at 4 pm.  The will call before coming back to do the work. After a quick look and some discussion, the jib needs lubricant, the stanless protectors on the stays, have been glued (apparently, by the last rigger) Not good! and the boom need to be lowered as it is currently to ohigh.  That might be the reason the mail furler us jammed with the sail. They discussed their schedule and they might be able to come back wither tomorrow, Sunday or Monday. Interesting!
     Pete had some work projects to finish up and I took advantage of the cockpit to do some reading.
I heard the weather forecast on the news.  Severe thunderstorms and heavy rains are predicted for tonight and into tomorrow.  Winds are due on Sunday and we are well protected here.
     I worked on finishing the blog and I am caught up! He took a nap which is very unsusal for him.  Apparently, he did't sleep well last night, and the past two days were intense with work.  It finally caught up with him.
    We are in Key West!

Saturday, 2/1/20 ~  A very strong line of thunderstorms came though around 10 PM last night, with heavy winds, heavy lightening and loud thunder!  The line extended from below The Dry Tortugas 3/4 up the state of Florida. Though some places had more of the storms than others; everywhere had their share. The rain was so hard and coming from out stern, that we had a leak from the front hatch.  We know it sometimes leaks in rains from this direction when mixed with heavy winds and rains.  I had already covered the forward bunk with plastic. The rain bands continued, just not quite as heavy, util about 4, but no more leaks.  During the morning the winds were averaging 15-20, but increased to 25 by mid afternoon, when the second front came through.

Note Pete's great hanging solution

     Since the weather was icky (technical term!), I took advantage and did some of the heavy chores that have been postponed.  The refridgerator was defrosted. The shades were removed, scrubbed in the shower (with my body assumming some very unnatrual angles), and hung to dry on Pete's marvelously improvised clothes line in the cabin. The areas around the windows and ceiling were scrubbed of either heavy dirt or mold (not quite sure which), and the woodwork and walls were
cleaned with Murphy's Oil Soap.  Not bad for a day's work.

Today's weather and winds ~ (Winds in darker green are 25-30 and increase by 5 knots for each additional color. Purple is 50+)

           

     Pete generously offered Rustica's Pizza for dinner,but I had already taken out franks to go with the last of the salads.  Besides, the rains are still continuing.
     We spent the evening watching more episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, then was able to rehand the shades as they were finally dry.  Great way to top off a very productive day.

Sunday, 2/2/20 ~ The storms cleared out by midnight.  The air was clear and fresh, and the winds gusted to 35 mph overnight, but it was great sleeping weather.  Due to the winds, the boat gently rocked in our slip, protected a bit by the hotel.
     It has been a while since laundry was done. I had planned to take it over after breakfast.  Pete was great. He grabbed stuff to eat and departed for the laundry with the 2 loads.  With extra time needed on the heavy, large white load, Pete didn't get back for 3 hours, but laundry is done and put away.

Gathering of Flamingos

     We grabbed a quick lunch, then headed to Old Town Key West.  The skies became more overcast, the winds again picked up, and the temperatures dropped the longer we walked the waterfront.  We had our jackets, but left them in the car, because it had been sunny, warmer and less windy when we arrived. Needless to say, we got progressively colder along the water front.  However, we were successful in finding Pete a number of Tee Shirts.  He is past due for new ones.
    It might have been cold on the waterfront, but being in the car, we quickly warmed up. We opted to Dairy Queen for a treat. Here in Key West, it is located quite a way away from Downtown and in a fairly residental area.  There are only government buildings and one of the fire stations near by,  Our sundaes were made like they used to be made.  An inch of either hot fudge or strawberries were placed in the bottom of the cup, ice cream added, then another inch of  toppings were added.  All this for old fashioned pricing of $3.00 for Medium and $3.50 for large!
     We headed back by 4:30.  I wanted to make dinner and have us eat before the Super Bowl Game started at 6:20. Besides, it gave Pete the chance to watch some of the pre-game ceremonies. We didn't have anyone to watch it with since we had no neighbors to socialize with. Besides, now we could now get comfortable aboard.
     It was a good game; teams evenly matched.  We decided to root for Kansas City Chiefs as Andy Reid is their head coach.  He had been with Philidelphia for years and both the team and the fans loved him.  He has coached the Eagles to the Super Bowl, but never won one. Pete's Mom was rooting for the San Franisco 49ers, solely based on "49," the year she and Dad were married.  There was a number of good, new commercials and a couple of "What was that's?"   But, it was the game that was exciting. The teams alternated field goals and goals, but KC came from the rears and made 2 interceptions and 2 touchdowns in the last quarter. The final score waas KC 31 and SF 20.
     OK. Now it is bedtime. 'Night all!

Monday, 2/3/20 ~ Well, I know that I did some heavy cleaning on Saturday.  My back, hips and head are yelling at me.  So, I was a lady of leisure today, but I did get stuff ready for the pump-out when Tyler came around.  We were able to flush out the holding tank and since I had the water hose out for that, I topped off the water tank and Bailey's water containers.
       Pete worked most of the day.  He did speak with the Marina Office to remind them about our move to another dock.  They called back in less than 20 minutes.  We headed over to the original dock we had been assigned, C-20. Chase and Tyler were waiting to help us dock.  Pete had a bit of a challenge in the narrow fairway and the squirelly winds, but we are now in our dock for the rest of the month.
      We met Don and Paula of  SV BLUE DAWN. She is a relpacement for another sailboat that perished during Hurricane Erma. They are in the process od tracking down leaks and cleaning up some mold.  They have a larger sailboat up on Lake Michigan close to their home.
     After dinner we sat up above and enjoyed the beatuiful weather and sunset.  Someone here in the marina loves to herald the sunset with a conch horn. (Thinking of you, Martha!)

Tuesday, 2/4/20 ~  The exercize room for marina guests is uncergoing some renovations. According to Misty, in the office, it might not ever be an exercize room again.  However, as guests, we are welcome to use the Hotel's gym if she puts our name on the list.  At the Hotel's desk, I sign in and they give me a magnetic key for access, which I return after I am done. Works for me!
     Today, I simply walked around the grounds.  A lot has happened over the past year.  DeLuna's Cafe has been torn down. They have moved into a truck and are now open for business at Boyd's Key West Campground about 1/2 mile from here. I know that they will do well. Everyone raves about the Cuban inspired breakfasts and lunches. In that area, which also housed the community gardens and the Guinea Hens' house, is now a beautiful second pool and the Barrel House BBQ, complete with a small, outdoor stage with grass viewing and games.  The  community gardens and the Ginea Hen House is now behind the Coconut Row Building, which is being remodeled.  New docks have been added to both sides of Coconut Row.  They have not been given the final inspection for use.  Workers are still there during the day.  They also made a decent sized parking outside of the gate for overflow and guests.  All must have parking passes.  The restuarants at the hotel, Matt's Stock Island Kitchen and Bar as well as the Salty Oyster Bar are still popular. In fact Matt's now has a Sunday Brunch.

New docks ~
    

View around new Barrel House BBQ ~
     

    

Parade of the Guinea Hens heading back to the Coop

    It was the first time I walked down Coconut Row.  These live aboards claim about a 12 x 12 foot square of land by their boats for their yards.  There are seatings and lots of plants and usually somthing for shade, and what ever else inspires them.



     

      Around 3 this afternoon, A familiar boat came in and docked behind us.  George and MV DAWN, a motor cat, returned to Stock Island.  We both were on this same dock last year. I look forward to catching up.
        The Navy was busy today with lots of take offs and landings.  Things quieted down until about 3:50 when it sounded as if the entire fleet took flight within 5 minutes. The roar was remarkable!
      I had already started dinner, when a neighbor nocked. Tuesdays are "Docktails" or pot luck dinners.  Even with such short notice, we were invited to join everyone gathering tonight for docktails.  We visited with them for about a half hour and returned before dinner burned.

Wednesday, 2/5/20 ~ We were getting concerned. We are still waiting to hear from Jason, the rigger.  He said he would be at the boat possibly last weekend.  However, he did call and say that they would be over around noon.
     I did my exercize and when I returned, the riggers arrived. Pete had o run a few errands, so I watched them from down below, where I was not only out of their way, but also cooler.  When Pete returned, I headed over to take my shower up at the bath house.  As I exited, I ran into Kate from MY STEADFAST.  We had met last year during our visit.  We will see about getting together again.

      
Checking the jammed mailsail, getting her free, then inspecting the rigging ~

     Back to the Riggers: Jason and Dave.  Dave is a hard core racer and helps out Jason during the winter when racing is suspended on Long Island.  He is used to climbing the mast while "at sea."  Our jammed main sail posed quite a problem.  Slowly, but surely, they inched out the material.  Jason told Pete that the boom is sitting to high, which allowed the main to fold upon itself. Now the lines are marked for heir proper position so it won't happen again.  Once the main was fully free, the in-boom furling system was lubrecated, the anchor light replaced (but still not working; nor is the spreader lights, which Pete will investigate further) the windlass readjusted, and a line switched.  Once back on deck, Dave freed up the turn buckles on the spreaders so that they could be cleaned and lubrecated, and new cotter pins to replace the old ones. Then he unflurled the jib, undid the furler and fully lubrecated that as well.  Now it was time to tune the rigging.  Pete went up to provide light as it was going on 8 PM when Dave finally finished.  The sun set by 6:20!  It was a long day, but well worth it for both PEKABU and the riggers. Everything that was done was done for a fare price and by very knowledgeable people.

Thrusday, 2/6/20 ~ We have company coming for the weekend.  Ann and Howie will be down around 4 tomorrow.  That meant that today was prep.  Besides laundry and cleaning, I wanted to wash the area rugs. We also emptied out the aft cabin, which is our "basement/storage"  We loaded it all into our car.  Thankfully there was enought room.  Pete also took time to scrubb the hull and topsides so PEKABU looks pretty!  There was also some last minute groceries to be picked up.

Jellyfish in the boat reflection
Spotted on my way to the laundry

     While I was waiting with laundry, I met Ken who arived on a 42' Leopard Catamaran. with guests.  His wife will be joining him in about 2 weeks.  They are from Montana and have tradded up from a monohull to the Cat, but is not quite sure it was the right move.  It is a more unpredictable ride in waves. We talked the entire time I was up at the laundry. Will have to see if we can do more together after repairs are made on his boat.

Friday, 2/7/20 ~ We had the usual last minute staightening, etc., but had time for Pete to wrap up some work and for me to read up in the cockpit.
      We spemt time catching up after Ann and Howie arrived, but soon, we all were hungry.  We opted for Rustica's for dinner.  Instead of pizza, we had delicious individual dinners of lasagna, clams and linguini, and lobster ravioli.
     Once back, we talked until we started to get sleepy.  It was time to say goodnight.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K