The Magic of Christmas

December 28, 2016

December 19, 2016 

After leaving The Marina at Ortega Landing we spent two nights on the Jim King Park Free dock in Jacksonville. Only 15 miles from the marina as the crow flies, but by trawler it takes 3.5 hours.  Nice that it is about the journey and not the end point.

Before leaving Ortega I managed to lose two things overboard.  The force of the spray from the hose I was using to wash out a pail sent my pail overboard. While I was fetching the pail the hose was curled up behind me and sent the stool we use to get in and out of the boat overboard. The stool, not so lucky, it is at the bottom of the river in the Marina at Ortega Landing. Rob kept laughing. I scolded him telling him that one day I would think it was funny, but STOP your laughing for now.

We stayed the two nights at the Jim King Park free dock because the winds and rain made it difficult for traveling. There were 7 boats at the dock, four sail boats and three power boats, with room for one more. It was funny to see the operation at the dock. When a boat came in to dock, we were like little figures in a grandfather clock coming out to tie the boat up and as soon as the boat was safely tied up we all scattered to go back to the place we call home.

December 21, 2016

We headed off to St. Augustine to spend Christmas and that we did in fine style. We walked the familiar St. George Street the night we arrived and it was so cold we abandoned our walk for for a warmer day. Lots of blankets on the bed that night.

When the warm days came we walked a lot day and night.  The lights in St Augustine are known for their extraordinary  beauty. White lights cover the trees in the park, the poles on the piers and adorn most of the buildings.  I think everyone in Florida was there enjoying the magic of Christmas.  Again people had their tiny dogs on leashes, in carriages and pouches in clothing designed for carrying their dog. One dog weighing under five pounds and not on a leash would have been really easy to snatch up.

It was 80+ at St. Augustine City Marina so many of the boaters were sitting out on their boats. Boats were aglow if Christmas lights showing great spirit. I think there was three different boats that docked next to us during our stay and we chatted with all of them. Something to think about is being very quiet so other boaters don’t hear what we are talking about.  I snapped at Rob once and I knew another boat heard it so apologized very being crabby they acted like they didn’t hear it and I called them on it so we started a conversation about how it happens with all of us especially when we are docking the boat.  Such is the life of a boater.

We found a Methodist Church to attend on Christmas Eve and it was lovely. After church we met Julia at a parking lot to walk her back to the boat. Christmas Day we had homemade toast, then walked the historical section of St. Augustine and we took Julia to see St. George Street, a drastic contrast.  We had dinner out and it wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be, but it was pretty good and definitely several steps above the dinner we had last year on Christmas Day.  We were active in making plans this year unlike last year.

We left Saint Augustine for a Daytona Beach  anchorage where we spent the night on our way to New Smyrna Beach. (NSB)

December 27, 2016-December 28, 2016

Yesterday and Today

We arrived in NSB mid afternoon after a late start in the morning because of the fog, which gave us enough time to walk the cute little town on Canal Street.  We had a very good dinner and evening with friends we met in St. Augustine, we shared knowledge of travel the ICW traveling to the Bahamas and Maine.

When we came back to the boat there was a family set up for the evening with a small table a light and everyone except the mom fishing.  The were there well into the night, past twelve we have no idea what the story is behind this family.

Here are the pictures that finish the story.

New window treatments

 Screens for the doors

The sites of St. Augustine

Read the captions in  the lower left corner

 My castle has toppled

Judy this one is for you, do you have a car big enough for this one?

Are you kidding me!

Did you ever wonder what they called a water taxi?

A beautiful national veterans cemetery notice the wreaths on the all the graves...

Notice the simple stone on the Jewish veterans maker.

 Ms J. and TT

 Ms J. and TT

 Julia calls dad to ask about the stones on the stones for the Jewish Soldiers

The fog of Daytona

 View from the free dock in NSB

 Linda Jean at the free dock in NSB

Onward to Banana River for the night's anchorage

Tricia