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!