...now where was I?

November 29, 2016
Hurrah we have a windlass.  Here is the rest of the story.

Our new windlass arrived the Friday after Thanksgiving. The installer is such a wonderful guy and even though he was booked solid, he fit us in Monday. First thing Monday morning turned into Eric working through noon and to the end of his work day.  Defender sent us the wrong windlass, one that has a slot too small to except the size of the chain. After several phone calls to Defender and them telling us that they were working on the problem, I suggested Rob call Maxwell, the maker of the windlass. Within 30 minutes we had a solution and new windlass chainwheel shipped to us over night. The box was labeled with the right parts but the windlass in the box was not the same as the label. It looks like we will be able to leave here on the last day of our month here, Saturday.

One of our friends said something pretty funny, "Hey, cruising has been defined as repairing your boat in exotic locations. I don't know if Ortega Landing can be defined as 'exotic' but you get the idea. Plus, it's unlikely that you will have to shovel the front walk any time soon!"

Well, you know what they say, you can't dance and it is too wet to plow, so we might as well settle in.

We had a tremendous Thanksgiving with 63 of our closest friends at the marina.  The marina provided 71 pounds of meat and the boaters brought all the rest of the meal.  Unlike at Spruce Head (where we usually spent our Thanksgivings) there were not as many desserts as I thought there would be, a couple of pies and that was it.  We had a friend visit us the day after Thanksgiving and she brought the most wonderful pumpkin pie, saving the dessertless Thanksgiving.  We brought buttercup squash and it was not a hit, we brought most of it home.  It probably didn't help that it was so dry it fell apart whenever someone put a spoon into it.  We brought it all home and added water and put it in the freezer, it will make a nice meal when we are in the Bahamas.

We were given a "take home" container and picked the left overs we wanted.  Rob and I each had our own containers, smart right?  We just happened to take a lot of turkey.  Our neighbors here on the dock gave us leftover chicken bones to make broth, so I made the greatest turkey soup.  If you are interested in the recipe you can find it in the 2016 issue of Taste of Home magazine, "Holiday Slow Cooker", page 47.  Delish! The recipe is for a slow cooker but by the time I was able to make it, it was too late for that so I made it in a dutch oven on the stovetop.  I will send the recipe to anyone that wants it just email me.

I want to backup about 2 weeks to the weekend we rented a car.  Did you know that Enterprise has a weekend special for $9.95 a day starting on Friday and returning the car of Monday morning?

We drove to St. Mary's to see our friends and have lunch in St. Mary's it was nice to see where they have been spending the month.  St. Mary's a nice little town with an ice cream shop just a few steps from their boat.

A picture of our friends in their boat at the Lang Marina in St. Mary's, GA. The area where we are sitting has a hard top providing shelter from the weather.  Of all the things about our boat this is the part that I regret not having.

Maddie is the one that made the fantastic pumpkin pie.

While we had the car we visited Fernandina Beach one of my favorite stops along the ICW.  As you know we couldn't stay there this year because the marina was destroyed in Hurricane Matthew.  We spent Christmas in Fernandina Beach last year, the city was alive with lights.  I think that I have already told you this I guess it is worth it to me to say it again. 

Fernandina Beach

We went to the Jacksonville Zoo

I couldn't bring myself to show you pictures of the animals.  I don't know if I can ever go to a zoo again because I don't like seeing the animals caged.  I feel differently about animals caged if they have been rescued or unable to take care of themselves in the wild.

The marina is coming alive with the signs of Christmas, boats nicely decorated for their winter stay. The boat across from us has nice blue twinkling lights. Rob plans to put our new LED Christmas lights up tomorrow. I put my knitted palm tree out, don't ask! I think Rob and I need to spruce up the decorations for Christmas but we both agree that it isn't going to be a blowup Santa on the bow of the boat, I don't want one on my lawn let alone on the boat. It might have been a lapse in sanity when he thought that was a good idea.

People have a great sense of humor,  how come there is violence in the world?

Trying to cut paper for my Christmas cards and the cutter I use doesn't know how to make right angles.  I ordered a new cutter and will part with my SU cutter as soon as I am home.

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A different take on a house boat

We took a dinghy ride along the shore and had a peek of the other marinas, none coming close to as nice as this one.  Here is what we saw along the way.

Pretty in blue

I think this is an out-off-the water buoy marker

I walk every day to Publix and stop at other stores just to be out and about.  There is a store here with the name Stein Mart that seems like a smaller version of TJ MAXX. We can walk to West Marine and have several times.  We went to a used book store that is possible to lose yourself in.  I am very spoiled from the prices I pay for used books at the Lobster Lane Book Store in Spruce Head, Maine where the most I have paid for a book is $2.50 unless it was a cookbook and then I might pay $4.00.  This book store has used books at half the cover price and other books that are new for 10% off the cover.  I wanted a book they didn't have, I couldn't believe that but it is true.  They ordered it for me at the 10% off.  If you are in the area you should visit this book store even if you are not in the business of reading.  I can't remember the name, but you don't need the name just ask anyone around about the used book store.

Here are some signs of Christmas along my walks.

WHAT!  I am use to $30.00 from the Kiwanis Club

We are headed up the St. Johns River on Saturday with friends from Islesboro, Maine.  We are going to have a smash up time.  People at the marina have traveled the river and have maps to show us with all the great places to stop.  I will let you know the fun we have.

Tomorrow Eric comes to switch the chainwheel on the windlass, hopefully for the last time.  

We had tea with friends down the dock from us that have traveled the St. Johns River.  They loaned us their maps of the river until we could get our own.  I wrote down the entire narrative from Jean as she told of all the best places to stop.

Thursday is the day I defrost the fridge, Friday another boater with a car is going to take me food shopping and Friday night we are going to visit with boating neighbors to see the inside of their boat.

Boaters are so generous and fun, I am so thrilled to find that out.

I will be glad to move on but there are so many parts of this marina that I will miss.  We have fun visiting with the staff while picking up all of our packages from Amazon and all other parts of the online world.  I will miss unlimited water, electricity and internet.  I won't get to jump off the boat and onto the dock to take my 3+ mile walks.  I will miss the people that we have met from New Zealand, Jekyll Island and across American and further.  I will miss the decoration on the club house and a Christmas feast here.  I will miss the calm waters and being able to sit in my chair on the dock.

I will gain lots when I leave here and will update you on my new adventures.  Off to Sanford, Fl. on Saturday.

Tricia