Life as a live-a-board 4.15.2018

It is difficult to believe that we have been at Burnt Store for more than a month. Okay I went home for a week and had a great visit – but still a month. So here is what we have done during that time.

1. I have enjoyed yoga twice a week at the local health center.

2. Frequented the Friday farmers market here at Burnt Store – for fruit and vegetables, fish and bike parts.

3. Kayaked around the harbor area and into the mangroves

4. Enjoyed an overnight anchored at Cayo Costa – checking it out for our trip there with Karen and Brain. The winds reached 25 knots while we were there - which was a real surprise. We had never before been on anchor in that much wind. Good news is the anchor held fine.

Flowers at Cayo Costa

1. Enjoyed a day at Gasparilla with Rhonda and David and Mary and Brian Monroe. A magical day with a golf cart ride around the island, a delicious lunch near the beach, a walk on the beach where we collected shark teeth found on the shore and a fast sail back to burnt store.

Lighthouse at Boca Grande - Mary, Brian, Rhonda, David Sheila and Bob

Signs on the beach at Boca Grande - see the distance to Kelley's Island?

Sand crab on the beach at Boca Grande

The group on the beach. We went hunting for shark teeth - found quite a few.

1. Went up to Tampa for Seder with Brian and Debbie and got my tattoo enhanced. The Seder was wonderful and it was great getting to know Erica and Abbie – two of Debbie and Brian’s daughters. I had wanted to get roses around my anchor tattoo for a long time. The roses are for our baby that passed, Sara Rose, who was named for my grandmother. Secondly I wanted to make my tattoo a bit more feminine. I am delighted with the results.

Roses added to anchor tattoo

1. Went to synagogue at Temple Beth Shalom for Friday night services. The rabbi is a retired female opera singer with a real outgoing personality.

1. Visited with the many manatees that hang out over on A-dock.

Cant get enough of the manatees or dolphins.

1. Raced aboard a Catalina 32 "perfect Match",with Walt, Eric and Jeff and came in second place, three seconds behind the first place winner.

The crew on Perfect Match

Bob in action

Walt (boat owner) and Jeff.

1. Made a day trip to Safe Cove to see where we are going to summer store the boat. We were pleasantly surprised to find a climate controlled self-storage facility right next door and feel much more comfortable with our summer plan. While we were in Port Charlotte we stopped in at BestBuy to have them look at my computer which we were concerned might have been compromised. Everything was fine.

2. Participated in a group bike ride from a bike shop in Punta Gorda. We rode for 15 miles along a designated route that went through beautiful housing developments, a lovely park and along the harbor. We were among the few that didn’t have riding shorts, gloves and rear view mirrors on our helmets – but we made it and enjoyed the ride.

3. Daily walk or bike ride through burnt store – usually 45 minutes.

4. Art projects – including my fish Pricilla.

1. Organized an E-dock pot luck happy hour so that we could get to know our fellow dock mates better. Had about 11 people show up including David and Rhonda.

2. Dinners and time spent with David and Rhonda – so nice to be with family.

Tomorrow, Monday April 16th, Karen and Brian will arrive for a week.We are so excited to host them.I want to get this posted before they come -