Time to get ready for Part 2!

Time marches on, doesn't it? Here it is November already and time to think about more cruising! Currently, Cross Roads is on the hard at Indiantown, Fl where she is undergoing a refit which includes rudder work, keel repair, and new cutlass bearing and bottom paint. The capable crew at Indiantown is doing a great job. Unfortunately, I have to write checks :-(
Looking forward to heading south in December to inspect and load equipment for the journey ahead. Stay tuned!

I've been doing lots of fishing! 

On the Mend

Wed., July 17th -
I am still on the mend and it is now the middle of July.  Summertime and the living is easy, although we are hard at work here at home in Pulaski running our B&B (woodlawnbb.com). I say "hard at work" but the hard lies in all of the projects we are doing this summer.  Paint, new wiring, growing crops, cutting firewood: Mundane but very satisfying.
Far removed from the water but enjoying every minute of great summer weather!

Fast forward!

It's April 15th, tax day1 I just wanted you to know that we owe Uncle Sam a bundle this year!
I also wanted you all to know that I saw my cardiologist today and he says I am on the mend and have "turned the corner". I go back in three months to check my progress. Hopefully I will get stronger in the days ahead. I've lost 15 pounds which is really helping my joints and I am sure my ticker is thanking me! Thanks to all for your prayers, concern, and support!
Part 2 is a distinct possibility next winter!!

And now the truth!

I first noticed something was wrong after we arrived at New Smyrna Beach. We had touched bottom really hard on the way there that day and it shook me up. Just a grounding, but it seemed to affect me. In the days that followed I felt drained and just couldn't seem to get my groove back. I wasn't having any fun as each day was becoming a struggle. I felt tired and worn out which was a large part of why we parked the boat at Indiantown. A few weeks off the boat would be just the tonic I thought.

Then I got a real surprise while we were visiting relatives in Ft. Myers. I was suddenly short of breath and getting palpitations. It was time for the doc. Fast forward a few anxious days and my test results from a Florida cardiologist indicated a potential serious heart problem.
We discussed our options and decided it was time to head for home. Not knowing specifically how bad things were I elected to keep it quiet and not post to the blog. We packed up and closed down the boat and headed north.

I spent the day today at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse where I underwent a cardiac catheterization. The results were good and my arteries are clean. The doc suspects that I may have had a viral infection attack my heart as it is not as strong as it should be. But I am doing better with new meds and hoping for continued progress. My heart muscle is stronger than it was 2 weeks ago. We have treatment options which will help a lot so I should be feeling much better in the days ahead. New meds, lose some weight (more salad steve?),exercise, and before you know it I'll be good as new.

And so a wake up call for me. Perhaps one for you too. If I have learned anything on this journey it is that life is beautiful but fragile. Each day is precious and should be lived like it's our last.
As a person of faith I have felt the Lord's steady hand guiding me through all of this, even when I wasn't aware of it.

And so I end this blog for now. Will there be a part 2? I hope so but Que sera!

Getting Caught Up

I need to post a few pictures that were stuck in my camera

The car is the "tin can" we rented for the month, a Mazda 3.  I would have to agree.  On a scale of 1-10, it was about a 3.
The other pics are from our day with Harv in Delray and a trip to Tramonti's on St. Patty's Day. The only bump in the road came when we couldn't find the car after a wonderful lunch! Thanks to Harv for picking us up in Jupiter and taking us to the airport to rent our second car to head home in.

Three

Crawford is 3 today. Here are pictures from his party and haircut.

Crawford

Joisey

We are at last in New Jersey for an important event. You will guess from the picture that it is Crawford's 3rd birthday tomorrow! We are so happy to be here to share it. We had a pleasant trip north from New Bern by way of the Bay Bridge and the Cape May Ferry. We will spend the weekend here and then home to Pulaski!
Stay tuned in the days ahead for some more postings from this Creaky Cruiser! Lots going on and you will want to be in the know!!!

I left my winter coat on the boat...

And we are headed for home. Pat sent me this picture to warm my heart for the trip up.  I love seeing PICTURES of snow.

Tramonti's

Lunch with Harv.  It was terrific!

Things are happening fast!

We are back in Indiantown on the boat and new plans are being made. We have decided for several important reasons to leave the boat right here over the summer. We were scheduled to resupply (see photo below) and shove off to head north up the dtch, but after we discovered Indiantown Marina we began to think otherwise. No tidal surges, since it is inside a locking system. Secure tie downs for boats stored ashore during storm season. Friendly staff and central location. And, next winter we have the option of picking up right where we left off!!! (the good Lord willing!)

This means that the Creaky Cruisers will be heading north on Monday, in plenty of time to attend our Grandson, Crawford's, birthday. We also have a new granchild coming at the end of April. (that would be Bub). Creaky Cruisers have learned about the wonderfulness of Grandchildren and so we do not want to miss anything.

Unfortunately, there is no Corvette in my future!

 BJ helps to get all packed!

Our time in Cape Coral looks to be ending tomorrow.  We will miss our family but time marches on and we have a journey to complete.  Spent a day with my brother and got to drive his 63 Corvette. It's a sweet ride and I offered him 20K cash but for some reason he declined.  Today we are getting all packed up and will head for Indiantown tomorrow.

Jersey

I've never seen the traffic in Florida as bad as it has been here the past week.  It seems that a good portion of America has decided that this is the place to be right now.
What looked like a half hour drive on my way to lunch yesterday quickly turned into a full hour.  Part of this is because the Florida Dept. of Transportation is in the midst of highway reconstruction on Rte. 41, the main local artery in Ft. Myers.  I just can't imagine who dreamed up the idea of closing down a three lane highway to one lane at mid day during tourist season, but that is exactly what they did. Insane!!!!!!  I made it safely and coming home was not as bad as three lanes were only squeezed down to two.

Just about everyone I meet comes from somewhere up north, usually from New Jersey (I always ask where in Jersey because one of my sons lives there), although the two people ahead of me on line at the drug store just now were from Indiana.  Everything is choked up with tourists. Does this mean that the economy has turned around, or does it merely mean that people are tired of snow and cold?  Who knows? I guess the important thing is this is great for local business, so as an outsider I will continue to grin and bear it!!!  

Keep in Touch!

One nice thing about the internet is that it allows you to easily stay in touch. And through the miracle of Facebook, I have been able to reconnect with so many people from my past.  It has been a very rewarding experience to hear from former students and friends I grew up with.  The ability to connect with others has been grounding and very satisfying, at least for me. But not everyone is on a social network. And so much of our contact with others on the web is fleeting and incidental.  Even more important is something my friend Harv recently said:  "The more time I spend with technology, the less time I spend talking to people and looking them in the eye, which I enjoy far more." 

 And so I am looking forward to tomorrow when my brother and I will get together with an old friend from my Long Island bartender days. Bruce is 81 years old now and lives near here in Bonita Springs.  He is a great guy and lots of fun to be around, but I doubt if you will find him surfing the net or on Facebook.  Tomorrow we will be getting together for lunch at The British Open Pub, and I am sure we will have some laughs and share some memories of times long ago. 

        I share this with you with encouragement to remember those people in your            life not on the net who you may not be in regular touch with, but deserve to hear from you.  When was the least time you looked them in the eye?

Ironic PS: I couldn't find Bruce's number yesterday to call him, but since I am friends with his daughter on Facebook, it was an easy find!

Joey

This business of getting old can be quite a challenge. When last I went to visit the doc he said my knees were shot.  Great!  There are some things to be done to relieve this condition, but he recommended I first try to lose some weight.  OK, fair enough, but with bad knees exercise becomes more of a challenge doesn't it?(especially on a boat). Alas, I seem to have developed this little friend at my waist I call "Joey".  The problem is that as Joey prospers my knees suffer.

So here I am visiting with family in Florida.  I've done some walking and there is a pool which I have been dipping a toe into whenever I can.   Unfortunately I am also eating my brains out at every opportunity!!!!   Today I decided to take things up a notch so I went to the gym.  I have a little gym routine I do and I was shocked by how little of it I could manage to accomplish.  Older and weaker means I guess I need to fight harder. So for the rest of the week it will be gym every day! BUT OF COURSE THE REAL  CHALLENGE IS TO EAT LESS... and we are going out for pizza tonight.

On another note we just got back from a trip to Inverness and Tampa.  Spent a nice day with my nephew and family.  Then yesterday we spent some time visiting with Pete Lawless (Uncle Petey) in Tampa.  He is dong very well thanks!  Today is warming up after a brief cold spell which has brought some nighttime temps in the 30's.

Ok, I gotta go 'cause Joey is calling me to eat breakfast!

Got him!

Burrowing owl!

Brrrrr....

It's 63 degrees and cloudy here in "paradise" and that feels chilly to my rapidly thinning blood. Not much else to report today. Joanna is feeling better after her spill and we are taking her mom out to dinner tonight.  Tomorrow we are headed to the local Irish
Festival and Sunday we're on the road to visit more relatives.

I did take a walk today and saw a cute little burrowing owl sitting and watching me from 10 ft. away.  Alas, when I reached for my camera I realized I had neglected to bring it along.  This seems to be the story of my life as I am constantly missing photo opportunities. I'll get one yet!

On duty...

Joanna had a fall in the shower this morning and is badly bruised and on an ice pack. So it's up to me to help out with taking care of my mother-in-law. Made my famous pancakes with Bacon for breffis.  Now I'm am relaxing here  by the pool with a book. Guess this job ain't so bad!

The Life of a landlubber

I am enjoying my time as a landlubber here in Cape Coral, Florida.  We have settled into a routine as we are staying in my mother-in-law's condo.  It has a gym and a pool. I admit to not having visited the gym yet, but at least I am thinking about it.

Tonight is my turn to cook for the gang, so I have prepared a nice batch of chili to go along with Joanna's corn pudding. Last night we went out to eat at Pete's place, a fish joint that serves terrific fish 'n chips prepared properly by a Brit from Manchester.

We are continuing to connect with family which is why we headed to the Florida west coast to begin with. I have also watched some tv (disappointing), read some, watched a movie ( The girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and put some time in the pool. I am also getting a taste of the Florida madhouse. People and traffic everywhere. Tis the season. Except for family and swimming, all good reasons to jump back on the boat and get out of here. But alas, I should not forget that the weather has been mighty fine and I have a chance to recharge my batteries.

And so my life is pretty mundane for the next week or two before the boating adventure starts all over again. We are on schedule so to speak and the chili is ready.  Plenty of time for a gin and tonic!

wildlife

 Below are Florida's famous burrowing owls which live in underground tunnels up to 20 feet long.

 This is my grand-nephew Damien.

 Nephew and grand-nephew by the pool

 Each day ends watching the sun set!

Had some great family time in Naples and now we are in Cape Coral for more of the same.  Saw so much wildlife during our stay in Naples.  The highlight was when a bald eagle swooped down over the pond behind the house and captured a frog right before our very eyes.  Eagles, hawks, owls, alligators and birds!

Gordon Gekko

We are in Naples for some R&R with R&R (<----Rich and Robin, my brodda and his wife).  Yesterday afternoon we spent some time in downtown Naples and it is gorgeous and filled with fancy shops, restaurants and tourists strolling the streets into the evening.  We visited the beach, walked out on the fishing pier (pink lures), and then ate at a sidewalk cafe.  Very pleasant!  Then back to the pool for some swimming and soaking. Here are some pictures, including one of Gordon becoming dinner for a local egret.  

My brother Rich and his wife Robin.

Nature walk

Baby alligators

 egret

 turtles

 Bald eagle

 We saw a number of hawks, a rare painted bunting, and a red bellied woodpecker.

Video of St. Lucie Lock

Here we are being raised 13 ft. in the lock.

The view from our cockpt

Joanna snapped some photos of our "neighbors" here at the marina.  Guess I will cancel the swim!  

Long day of boat maintenance and car packing for trip to Naples to visit my brother and family. Leaving in the morning.  On the highway with the rest of America tomorrow.  (Guess I don't need to take pictures for you.)

Warm weather returned and it is gorgeous out!

It will be nice to take a break from boating.  More time for this:

To Heel or not to heel...

Basically what happens is this: A guy named Billy Owens comes out to your boat and for a fee straps on 55 gallon drums. Then he fills them with water until your boat leans over far enough to squeeze under a low bridge. Suddenly your 54 and 1/2 foot boat inches under a 49 ft. bridge. We were all set to go with an appointment set up for Sunday morning.

But somewhere along the line on Saturday I had a change of heart. Partly because of Billy's desire to do it on the weekend with a forecast of high winds...but mostly because I was feeling too stressed out. Not so much about Billy's bridge, but what would happen next with nowhere to hide from the winds on Okeechobee. And what about the bridges to follow, one around 52 ft. where I would be on my own? As captain in charge of the safety of boat and crew, the risks involved were making me very uncomfortable and my confidence was down (I like to think I was simply listening to my guardian angel). I called Billy Saturday evening and cancelled. I am comfortable with the decision (as is the crew!).

We are at Indiantown Marina. A very pleasant and friendly place. After taking care of some needed boat chores, it looks like there is an Enterprise Rental car in our future and some time as land lubbers before we put this whole trip into reverse. The boat can rest here while we spend some time with family. A thousand miles is far enough!

I'm working on my shell collection!

When you tell people you are going to go cruising, many picture you sailing off into a sunset or lying on a beach or collecting shells.  I like the sunset and the shells part very much.  No way am I going to lie on a beach with my pinky skin!  My dermatologist would be furious if I did that!

For us, cruising is being able to go and see new places and meet new people.  But equally important is the idea of becoming a part of the environment as we immerse ourselves into the ICW and its lifestyle.  The sights, sounds, and smells are all part of the experience.  A cormorant sitting on a day marker drying his wings, a pelican skimming  low over the water, dolphins blowing air as they surface during the hunt, an alligator sinking slowly under the water as we pass.  I smile as I walk past the Ole Dixie, a wooden cruiser up the dock that leaks like a sieve.  I can pretty much count on hearing the bilge pump kick on every time I pass.  The list is endless in this watery world, and we get to experience it all from our floating home.  Love it!  We tend to enjoy the remote anchorages close to wildlife the best.

But alas, nothing good in life happens without a lot of hard work, and right now I have a long list of maintenance items to perform.  For every hour on the water, it seems like I've spent 10 hours getting the boat ready to go.  But it has genuinely been worth it.
I'll try to remember that later on today when I am crawling around the bilge on bad knees performing engine chores!

What we really need...

Yesterday while motoring up the Okeechobee Joanna took some pictures of a few interesting homes. I was surprised to see ANY homes at all, since all I expected was swampland and alligators.

But homes there were, and I liked the setting of many.  I do wonder if gators on the lawn and hordes of bugs in summer might be a problem.

Anyway, we have seen a thousand miles of waterway since we left and that means tens of thousands of homes.  For the most part it takes money to live on the waterfront in America.  We saw stomach turning examples of flagrant capitalism along the way.  Huge  homes with yachts almost as large tied up in the back yard.   It is such a waste as no one could ever properly use/enjoy so much "stuff".  It shouts of "here I am, I am successful and I have money".  Sadly much of America measures success in terms of material items.

We also have seen examples of the difficult economic times, as so many of these same homes became anchor chains around the necks of their owners in a sour economy.  We saw for sale signs all along the way, with many homes foreclosed and vacant.

And we also saw pockets of middle class America still thriving amongst the big boys.  Trailer parks, camp grounds, and homes that look like the right size to live in.  We love that part. Whereas the big estate homes always seem to look empty and unused, the little parks always seem jammed and busy with activity by people looking to get away and enjoy "the good life".

So?  I guess the lesson for us is clear.  We age and hopefully gain wisdom, and part of that wisdom is that "stuff" just weighs you down. We also clearly see how very little we need in this life besides family, friends, and the good Lord to guide us.  In times like these we are better served by rejecting the idea of "more stuff" and reaching out to others

This is the end Rosie!

Here's a picture of us arriving at Indiantown Marina today.  I guess you could say we look a little disheveled.

We made it safely under the Palm Coast Bridge this morning but scraped the antenna on the under side of the bridge.  I did some hard swallowing. Then we managed four more "short" bridges and the St. Lucie Lock which lifted us 13 feet. All in all a good day for us and now we are safely tucked into the marina here at Indiantown with a nasty cold front moving in.  You folks up north will be pleased to hear there are freeze warnings posted for tomorrow night!!!

We are feeling a little worn out right now from battling the waterway and plan to stay a while at Indiantown.  Here are today's pictures: The first shows a bridge gauge indicating we can make it.

Here is a shot on the Okeechobee.

Coming in to St. Lucie Lock

 We are still at bottom of lock in this one:

 At the top...13 ft. later

Joanna wanted me to add the fact that we saw our first two gators today.  The first of many!  Finally, here is a shot of us pulling into the marina.

Notice Joanna in the back of the boat checking her internet signal on the laptop!