It’s Spring!

Pink Birds

We spent a bit longer than planned in Ft Pierce, thinking that we had a good weather window to travel outside to Fernandina Beach, with a bailout at St Augustine, if necessary. When the day arrived, we looked at each other, took a deep breath and admitted we really weren’t so inclined to do the 30 plus hour run by ourselves-- meaning with just the two of us to stand watch overnight. So, Plan B, or maybe it was C or D, we headed north up the Indian River on the ICW. One  compensation is the leg through the Merritt Island National Refuge, near Cape Canaveral, with its’ rookeries and manatees-- and a chance to see the Roseate Spoonbills again, although there were not so many as we have seen there before. I always get a kick out of seeing these big pink birds with their distinctive bills, roosting in the trees.

Did Someone Say "Coffee"?

After a quiet overnight in the Banana River anchorage, we were treated to an early morning show by the local rowing club. Kayaks and shells of various lengths, with single and multiple crew, went racing by as we ate our breakfast. Very suddenly, they all turned in the same direction and paddled furiously back to the rowing club base-- it was if someone had yelled “Coffee!”

Another day spent in the Indian River with an anchorage in Halifax, just south of Daytona, and then a day’s run up to St Augustine. We’ve discovered that the $20 moorings, nice dinghy dock and shore facilities makes a nice stopover. And indeed, we walked across The Bridge of LIons, the beloved, recently renovated drawbridge, and had a downscale, but wonderful Saturday night dinner of fried local shrimp.

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine

On to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) on Sunday, with a lay day for a major grocery shopping run, a few errands and a haircut for me on Tuesday morning, before leaving again to resume the northern march. The rain which started on Monday, continued all day Tuesday to our anchorage in Jove Creek-- in GA, Carry On’s first night out of Florida since early December. More rain on Wednesday, a little lightning and a lot of thunder, but the water was flat and we made great time to our anchorage in New River, near Daufuskie Island, SC. We saw lots of dolphins and all the birds seemed more active than usual, including the group of terns who circled Carry On for a couple of hours. We’ve seen this phenomenon a few times before-- we’ve speculated that because of our superstructure, they think we’re a fishing boat! Of course, we’ve had the same problem with the Coast Guard, so who could blame them?

Got Fish?

The run to Hilton Head the next morning was a short one, we had the afternoon free and dinner out with friends who live in the area. We woke up this morning to a very chilly, clear and sunny day--but it did feel a bit like an April Fool’s joke at 46 degrees!  But it’s definitely Spring. The ospreys are nesting in day marks on the waterway, the trees here in South Carolina are leafing out into a beautiful pale green and the azaleas are in bloom. We’re underway today in sunshine and tomorrow morning, we’ll be in Charleston. 

And once again, we’re having the discussion of going outside on Sunday for an overnight run to Wrightsville Beach!

Patiently Waiting

Postcards from Miami

Miami Sunset

Phew-- it’s been a long time and it seems like we’ve been a lot of places or done a lot of things, or time is just flying as usual. If you’ve looked for us in the last couple of weeks, we’ve been a bit forgetful about putting the “SPOT” out where it can do its thing, so I’ll try to catch you up on the where and what we’ve been up to.

Cape Florida  Light, Key Biscayne

Before we left our Miami marina home on March 10, we managed to get in all our last errands and do some more sightseeing before turning in our car. We visited Vizcaya, the mansion and grounds of James Deering (International Harvester) and found it a great example of incredible excess, which of course makes for an interesting visit and a great audio tour! Built during WWI, at one time it employed 10% of the population of Miami. Whole rooms and crumbling ceilings were imported intact (or reconstructed crumbles) from sites in Italy and France, along with virtually all other furnishings which were chosen personally by Deering and his mentor/ architect on long trips abroad. Some difficulties apparently occurred with the shipping of his purchases due to the war in Europe. Our visit was enhanced by young women posing in elaborate costumes and gowns for their Quinceanera photos, very much a part of the everyday happenings at Vizcaya in the 21st century!

We spent a morning exploring Fairchild Botanical Gardens, the only subtropical plant collection in North America-- the themed gardens were all quite spectacular, particularly the orchids growing in the rain forest. Another morning we visited the Florida History Museum, one of the few things we did in downtown Miami. We had planned a quick hour to visit, but after a couple of hours had to give up finishing because of general overload, not to mention growling tummies. So--- enough on the sightseeing.

Stiltsvville,  Biscayne Bay

We spent a weekend on the hook at one of my favorite anchorages, in Miami Beach, below the Venetian Causeway. We were there last year and it was one of the reasons we become enthralled with the Miami area. As the sun goes down, lights begin to twinkle in 360 degrees from the skylines of Miami and South Beach. Combine that with the cruise ship traffic late in the afternoon and I always found myself looking forward to the end of the day. But then, another highlight is the dinghy trip from the boat through the Collins Canal over to South Beach-- what a kick going under the low bridges, the overhanging trees and tying up midway to make a quick trip to the grocery store across the street!

Dingy Route to South Beach

This year we timed our arrival at Cape Florida State Park/ Bill Baggs Recreation Area so that we were able to find a lovely spot with ample swinging room to drop our anchor in tiny No Name Harbor. After lunch I took the mile or so walk to the Cape Florida lighthouse at the lower tip of Key Biscayne, looking at the fisherman gathered at the small piers along the outer path and marveling once again at Stiltsville. The houses there, built in the 1930’s on a sandbar, have a colorful past. Barely surviving Hurricane Betsy in 1965, they were further devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. They now lie legally protected from the wrecking ball, within the Biscayne Bay National Park area, but the seven structures remaining are now barely more than campsites.

We’ve had so little company on board this winter, so were delighted when our niece and her husband, along with our great-nephew, joined us for the short trip up from Miami to West Palm Beach. We had a great time, but it was a short visit, and we left them in West Palm Beach Friday evening to fly home again.

Skipper Resting, Collins Canal, Miami Beach

We’re now in Ft Pierce, having arrived Saturday from Palm Beach, traveling outside, along the coast to miss the three challenging and grumpy Jupiter bridge tenders. It’s been a long time since we’ve been underway any distance, and an even longer time out of the protected waters of the ICW. Bubba and I had our sea legs challenged-- I was fine by early afternoon after crackers and my seasick bands, but poor Bubba spent the day under the bedspread feeling miserable. 

All in all, we are feeling that we are in very good shape boatwise, with a little help 

from Scotty and a very flexible (physically, literally!) mechanic who was able to twist himself over, down and around to replace a part in the 12KW generator. And I’m happy to report to anyone who cares that our Florida registration numbers are now painted on our inflatable-- yes! I can finally cross that one off.

We’re all happy campers and it’s getting warm down here. We’ve loved our winter in Florida, but it’s time to head north and we’re looking forward to seeing friends and family in the Boston area. 

I think I’ve rambled on enough for one sitting-- the next entry will be shorter, I promise!

River of Grass—or Gators, Waders and Three Owls

Anhinga Drying Out

I’ve been interested in going to the Everglades, the third largest National Park in the US, since last winter, our first trip to South Florida. So last week we made a day trip down, entering the park near Homestead, the most accessible of the three entrances from the Miami area. We packed a picnic lunch, lots of water and insect repellent, although we almost didn’t need the last. We had been warned that amenities were few in the park outside Flamingo, where even the park run lodging is closed indefinitely due to hurricane damage.

We explored the Ernest Coe Center, checked out the bookstore and exhibits and went to meet the ranger for a guided walk on the Anhinga Trail. From what I know I would say that Anhingas are similar to Cormorants, although somewhat larger than those we commonly see in New England. They have a similar habit of spreading their wings to dry, as they are unable to fly with the extra weight of the water their feathers carry after being submerged. We have seen a few of these birds on the ICW in South Florida, but never so up close and personal as the many we saw on our walk. 

Everglades Cat & Mouse

It’s the dry season now and also alligator mating season (who knew?) so the alligators are beginning to congregate in “holes” with enough water to support them. The holes are shared with all the species of birds one would expect— white ibis, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, Wood Storks and Moorhens, a pretty little brown and blue bird, new to me. We and our fellow Anhinga trail walkers were transfixed by what seemed to be an elaborate cat and mouse game between the alligators and the wading birds. When the sleepy looking gators began to slowly move into the water, the birds warily moved a foot or two back. After the gators moved on, the birds resumed fishing until the next gator appeared. The sequence was repeated again and again. We were told that alligators need to eat only every couple of weeks, but when they’re hungry can be quite indiscriminate, even, the ranger reported, feeding on another smaller gator, as he recently witnessed. Quite a lesson in the food chain!

Gator Hole

After a drive down the road, a picnic lunch and another long drive down the road towards Flamingo, we made an excursion to the Mahogany Hammock, a seven hundred (or so) year old stand of mahogany trees, thought to be the oldest hardwood stand in North America. The park’s winding boardwalk through the grove was beautiful, but the scene stealer of the day were a pair of Barred Owls. Only four days old, these downy creatures were brought to our attention by a couple, with binoculars and a camera with a huge telephoto lens, fixed in mid-trail. I’m afraid we would have walked right by without their presence blocking the boardwalk. Instead, we were treated to a visit by the mother Barred Owl, a beautiful creature so named for her lovely striped brown and white foliage, who had come to bring the babies food. The babies, unable to fly before 42 days, were surprisingly large for their young age—they also looked a lot like very appealing lemurs!

Baby Barreds

That was it for the day, albeit a satisfying “it”. I will go back again next year, perhaps with my bird-watcher sister for an overnight trip. There is much to see in the Everglades and much to learn about man’s interaction with a natural phenomenon responsible for the water supply and ecology of South Florida. I am almost finished reading The Everglades, River of Grass by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, written in 1947 but still relevant, which details the geological formation and anthropological history of the Everglades. I highly recommend it for an appreciation of this vast area of sawgrass, seasonal flowing water and a very important, endangered ecological system. 

Thanks to Sibley’s Field Guide to Birds for references!

Ferocious Felus Catus (Really!)

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Miami Days

We’re here in Miami and I would say we definitely have what my nephew-in-law calls “the Florida attitude”. I’m not quite sure how I’d define that, so I’ll just say we’re enjoying the weather, the tropical scenery and our surroundings in general.

The natives are very accommodating! 

The marina here is small and not fancy, sitting just off the ICW on the western shore of Biscayne Bay, where the breezes come up every afternoon. Unlike our previous two marinas, transient cruisers and live aboard couples predominate, with only a few sportsfish. The atmosphere is low key and friendly, set by the very accommodating staff of two. Our complex includes three high rise condos on wooded grounds with a nice pool area and fitness room, which are available for our use. 

The complex sits on the edge of MiMo, the recently designated Miami Modern neighborhood. While the side streets have many small renovated 50’s style homes, Biscayne Boulevard (US Route 1) is a little iffy, although the best restaurant in Miami, according to Zagat’s, is at the end of our block. There are numerous 50’s style hotels, some more attractive than others, but we couldn’t resist photographing Wishes-- yes, it is actually in operation-- we have a laugh every time we drive by!

South Beach Sunday

We see Manatees almost daily here, and sometimes a congregation of them heaving under the sea grass which blows in and out with the tides and wind. We also see dolphin feeding off our stern on occasion, and last week, there were incredible moonrises.

We spent our first Sunday afternoon here walking the board walk at South Beach with our niece and her husband who had joined us for a long weekend. We also explored Coconut Grove with them and went back again ourselves last weekend to the 49th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival. There was a huge number of artists and skilled crafts people, food vendors and many fellow visitors, a fun afternoon. There are many, many things to do here and I’m afraid we’ll run out of time and energy before we’ve scratched the surface.

Moon Over Miami (Beach)

Miami has become a center for the art and design markets and the Design District is about 20 blocks away, home to several restaurants on our list. We are often struck by the feeling that we’re in another country, not just from the diversity of the population and the multiple languages, but by the look and feel of the buildings and streets, the elevated trains. We have been seduced and Miami is again high on our list for next winter.

Going back to our trip here over two weeks ago, I’ve included a photo of Carry On underway coming down from Jupiter, approaching the Donald Ross bridge. It was taken by friends from the eastern shore of the ICW as we transited-- we had no idea they were there. We really got a kick out of this photo and the others they took, as we never see ourselves underway!

We have two more weeks here and I know it will go fast. More later---

"Carry On" southbound at Palm Beach Gardens

Home Again

So Happy Together

Yes, it’s been a while since I sat down to blogspot.com. We’re in Miami today, having arrived yesterday afternoon after an early start, transiting 29 bridges, 26 of which required a draw. While we had beautiful weather to travel, it was an intense day, calculating speeds required to make timed openings, sometimes treading water waiting for a bridge tender to stop traffic and sometimes needing to giddyup. We’re pleased with what we’ve seen of our new marina and the 10+ acres surrounding it, but more about that later.

The trip back home to Carry On from Sun Valley was a long one—a car, three buses, three planes and then the ride home the next morning from the cat sitter’s with a very vocal and unhappy beastie. Once back on board, Bubba was fine, but stayed pretty close to me for a couple of days!

We really enjoyed our stay in the Palm Beach area and it’s definitely on the agenda for next year. Thinking about the appeal beyond the weather and the golf that so many enjoy there, we loved the beautiful beaches and paths for long walks, the availability of good and reasonable restaurants, the shopping-- for marine supplies and everything else—a good fish store, the citrus stand, the stone crab truck on the highway, and of course the Sunday morning Farmers Market in Palm Beach Gardens. 

Pickles Anyone?

Operating from October to May, the market ranged beyond the usual array of produce to the family run pickle stand, the olive stand, Mr. Mycelium and the Mushrooms, a couple of olive oil vendors, a woman selling custom painted pointy toed shoes and high heeled sandals, orchid specialists, “Sisters in the Pot”-- two large ladies selling Bahamian conch specialties, barbeque and Jamaican jerk stands, a burrito and empanada stand, even huge funky flowers made from recycled plastic. I’m sure I’ve missed a few. As interesting as the vendors is the people watching—especially with a cup of coffee and a treat from Mr. Bread!

There were so many other things that we didn’t quite have time to do this year, but key to our happiness and well-being are the friends in the area, both old and some new. 

Paul's Favorite Stop

I never thought much about palms before our extended stays in Florida, but I’ve become an aficionado-- so many varieties and while I have my favorite species, I know the names of few. The Palm Beach area is beautifully landscaped for the most part, accented with tropical plants that we struggle to grow indoors in New England and colorful plants and flowers. The hibiscus have been in bloom and sun tolerant impatiens are abundant, and the banyan trees provide lovely shade. It all feels very tropical and exotic, and a very nice way to spend the winter months. A little scary to these two confirmed New Englanders!

More technical difficulties with the “SPOT” so you won’t be able to see our location for a few more days. The problem will be solved with 3 new lithium batteries from Amazon.com—we’ve discovered leaving it on while running all day goes through battery life quickly! 

Banyan Tree Near marina

High and Dry at 43°41.1859’ N, 114°24.0475’ W

Gondola View of Ketchum & Sun Valley Resort

It’s quite a different morning here in Sun Valley—the temperature is 59 degrees cooler and we look out on a snowy landscape. We’re nearing the end of our two weeks skiing vacation here and have enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, despite the hard rain that fell all over the mountain the day before we arrived. Our first day out felt more like New England skiing, particularly one large ice cube of a run on our way back to the base at the end of an otherwise enjoyable day!

The skiing has gotten better and better each day and with the exception of one day with high winds which felt like a sandblasting on the mountain top, the weather has been very comfortable and sunny—as one would expect in Sun Valley. We’ve been away from the area for three years and a new gondola now provides a high speed connection and fabulous views of Ketchum and the Sun Valley resort area. I’d be remiss not to mention John, our incredibly observant ski instructor and excellent coach, who always makes our skiing experience a great one. In return, Paul and I provide him job security!

Snowy Day in Marblehead Harbor

We spent our first week away from the boat—and Bubba—in Marblehead, doing our biannual round of doctor and dentist appointments and catching up with friends. We accomplished most of what we had planned, even with the rude mid-week interruption of 16 inches of snow. Our flight to Hailey, Idaho was easy, with settled weather and planes that had open seats and elbow room.

We leave for Florida next Monday, arriving late evening. After spending the night in Ft Lauderdale and picking up Bubba the following morning, we’ll be back on board Carry On,  which has been washed and buffed during our absence. We’re crossing our fingers that Bubba won’t be too angry with us—at last report from his caregiver, he is still spending most of his time under several layers of covers on his queen size bed. 

For those of you who have attempted to use our “Spot” link, we have discovered that the location information expires after some period of time. As we don’t leave the beacon out when we’re on a dock, there is presently no new data-- we’ll correct that next week when we’re back on board and beginning our run to Miami.

Seattle Ridge Lodge from the top of Baldy (Elevation 9,150 Ft.)

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!