Happy New Year!

Jupiter Inlet on a Calm Morning

A friend called Paul last week and said it had been so long since the blog and SPOT had been updated, that he wondered if we’d sunk! We reassured him that no, we had been in the Marina at Admiral’s Cove for three weeks, but had just moved to a slip in Jonathan’s Landing  about a mile away, still in Jupiter. You can see us again using the link-- although I have to say, from a bird’s eye view, our new slip doesn’t look strikingly different. The boats are a bit smaller, without crew for the most part, surroundings less landscaped and manicured—and no wonderful fitness club that we so enjoyed at Admiral’s Cove—but still very pleasant and pretty. My favorite thing at Jonathan’s Landing is a large pond near the 7th hole which is completely surrounded by pelicans, herons, egrets and wood storks. The storks are odd enough creatures, but I’m really waiting to see one of the three sandhill cranes that live in the community.

But back to our friend—his call did wake me up to how long it’s been since I put out an update. No good excuses other than holiday preparations, some varnishing work done on our interior and exterior, Scotty being here for a couple of days (among other things we now have wind speed and direction so we can tell you just how bad it really was) seeing friends, trying  out some local restaurants, even going to the movies—you get the picture, it’s just life—on a boat! 

Mangroves off the ICW

We have enjoyed our time in the Palm Beach area even though we don’t play golf or tennis or fish, the primary preoccupations here. The weather was lovely for walking or exploring, mostly sunny and warm, even near 80 for a couple of days. On Christmas day, we put the dinghy in the water and went out for a ride down the ICW and through some of the canals looking at houses and the boats on the docks. The photo of the mangroves was taken that day and I wanted to include it because I have been fascinated by the peculiar arching aerial roots that provide desalinated water to the plants. They are ubiquitous here, used for erosion control along the banks of rivers, canals and the ICW.

It was a busy weekend of tying up loose ends and packing for cold weather. Early Sunday morning we flew back to Marblehead for a week’s worth of doctors and dentist appointments and catching up with friends. From here we’re flying out to Sun Valley for two weeks skiing-- we are excited about our vacation and crossing our fingers that muscle memory will kick in when we get those ski boots on. It’s been three years since we last skied and we couldn’t put it off any longer.

Night Heron at Dawn

The boat is in a safe place in Jupiter visible to us by marina web cams and Bubba is at kitty camp just north of Ft Lauderdale. We felt very good after meeting his caregiver and seeing his bedroom full of climbing gear, catnip toys and places to hide, as well as a patio view of plants and birds. As of yesterday Bubba is still in hiding under the covers despite all efforts to make him feel at home. I’m sure all will be better in time.

That’s the update for now-- we’ll be back in Florida February 1, regroup and reprovision, then head a bit further south! We’ve booked a marina just north of Miami that has been getting rave reviews from the cruising community. It will be a good base for a short car trip to the Everglades, the Miami Boat Show and exploring South Beach. We’re there until early March and after that, no plans—yet!