Say goodbye to Fort Myers-Goodbye Fort Myers

Today is March 28, 2019
My father's birthday and my niece Liz, two great people.

It has been an action packed three months at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin, making it all the harder to leave.

Several people we appreciate and have spent time with, have moved on to different times in their lives.

Saying goodbye:

To a couple that was a mainstay at the marina. They made a life change and bought a home in Fort Myers.

To dear friends from Maine after they decided to do a different form of touring. They will keep their boat in the Northeast and spend their winters in Arizona.

To people that have been at the marina a long time. John has given the boat he made to his son, so they won't be coming to the marina again. They will stay in Pennsylvania.

Two people we have spent a lot of time with over the last two winters in Fort Myers.  They are selling their boat and won't be coming back.  Along with them goes their great and wonderful Jack Russell, Bandit.  I don't know, but I think I might like him better than either of them, you can imagine the emoji that goes along with this.

When I asked a friend of mine if she was sad about all the changes, she said it is "just boat life".  I am not fond of change and the boating life is constant change.  People you become fond of move on or have life changes that effect their ability or desire to continue with boating. The good times are endless, making it all the harder to say goodbye.

We also see people come and go after a few days and some are at the marina waiting for good weather to cross Lake O and prepare to cross the Gulf Stream for the Bahamas.

Let's see. The last time I wrote to you we had just finished the Edison Parade and a trip to Cayo Costa with friends and that was at the end of February.

Fort Myers downtown has something going on every weekend through the winter season.  Here is a sampling of the events.

Downtown Car Cruise-in
From classic to cool, downtown streets are lined with the sight of these show cars on the fourth Sunday of the month. 

Art Walk
A must do in the River District social scene is the monthly Art Walk. Always on the First Friday, visit the many exciting galleries.

A freshman in high school singing an opera in German

Song Writers on the Plaza
The Lee County Library has joined with The ACMA (Americana Community Music Association), to offer free Acoustic concerts of all original music. Concerts take place in the Amphitheater, which is located on South Cornog Plaza. Bring a chair or a blanket.

Music Walk

The River District comes alive on the third Friday of the month as local and regional musicians line the streets. From jazz and blues to rock & roll, many genres can be heard and vary each month. Free to the public with many venues featuring additional attractions and specials. 6-10 pm.  One of the groups is Memphis 56, a band that plays Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. The band always draws huge crowds, some get there early and bring their chairs.  You can walk around the courtyard with your drink.  Lots of people with their dogs large and small.

Bike night
Six Bends Harley Davidson invites you to enjoy the sights of hundreds of motorcycles displayed along the downtown streets while listening to live bands from 6-10pm.  Free to the Publix with many venues featuring specials.

I have never seen that many bikes and old hippies in one place. One woman had on lace panties and chaps, oh and she also had a top on. At 70 she obscenely was underdressed.  Some things you never can unsee.

A singer from the marina

Never too old, right Wally and Darcy?

We did our usual thing I played with my friends, did the grocery shopping, ate ice cream and just generally had a good time while Rob worked on the boat. (note from editor, Rob also played a lot)

The  fascinator  and Sunglasses Society.

There is always one in the crowd that has to wear a hat.  Check out Chase in the right corner staring up at Jane thinking she is crazy.  This is Jane's Fat Tuesday hat.

So, I called up my friend and toldher I wanted to eat a pound of M&M's was she with me on that.

Rob and I are members of the The Edison and Ford Winter Estates and receive a list of events every few days.  There is a long list of benefits for members including discounts on any of the events and admission to the estate anytime, if we bring a guest there admission fee is half the price of general admission.

Trips to other museums or gardens have reciprocal benefits, for example Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota and in my own state of Maine, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Merryspring Nature Center. Every state is represented in the list.  

We brought our folding chairs for a tribute to the Eagles concert at the Estate. Another place to see people from a different era.

View from the concert at the Edison and Ford Estate

Every Friday night there is a group of drummers that meet. There isn't any plan just show up and join in the drumming.

We were incredibly fortunate to still be at FMYB when Barb and Ross arrived to prepare their boat for sale. All of their male friends and their grandson pulled together to do the chores on the boat. Elaine and Russ, dear friends they met on the Loop, also were a big help the list is endless of the help they gave to these wonderful people.

My honey, Barb's honey and Joe's honey

Ross and Russ working together

Joe at work

My honey gets to futz with the pump out hose

Ross

Barb and Ross accepted an invitation to breakfast and several of us had meals out.  One night Barb and Ross treated the helpers to dinner at the best buffet.  With the non descriptive name, Buffet City it was hard to tell what the fare might be.  I have no idea how the restaurant was able to serve the fresh sushi, delightful veggies and several flavors of ice along with 100's of other items with it all being good and looking great.

Does it bite?!

Guess not

These five people traveled the Great Loop together in 2012

The potluck with Barb and Ross

Barb and Ross leave their boat with a broker and return home to Michigan

We know a young man, I don't know how young but younger than us, that had an invitation to the dress rehearsal at the Fort Myers Rep.  We saw the Million Dollar Quartet.  AMAZING!  The Rep draws from talent all over the country to perform at the Theater.

I learned to blow the conch I still have a long way to go, but I have all summer to work on it. I don't know what people will think when they hear me blowing it on my lake at home as the sun goes down.  I have my very own conch given to me by a friend at the marina that blows his every night.

Learning how to blow the conch at sunset

They told me they were having fun

I guess I believe it

Preparing to leave FMYB

Today we are at the East Coast River Forest Center in Stuart. If I step back I can put it in sequence.  We left FMYB on March 21st and went through the Franklin Lock. The starboard engine just stopped.  We had just past River Forest Yacht Center so we turned back.  The marina had some one immediately take a look at the boat the diagnosis was a fried starboard side starter. The details are boring unless you are in that same predicament and then please call and we will tell you what we did. 

Our nice pretty boat you have seen several times.  She sits there waiting to be fixed.

Whimbrel 18"

On second thought I better tell you what it says- Paddle Bored.  Hilarious

On the day we left  RFYC in Moore Haven, calm seas ahead

That was a Thursday that we left FMYB, Friday friends helped by taking us back to Fort Myers and have someone rebuilt our starter.  RFYC installed the new starter and Saturday we were on our way.  Made it as far as the  St. Lucie Lock and attempted to tie up to the dolphins and the starboard engine kicked off.  We went on one engine to an anchorage across from the dolphins again we were one mile from RFYC on the east coast.

The sky wishes us good luck

The upshot. Two starters burned out because of a fifteen dollar starter switch.  While we were at the marina our electrical cords burned out, good timing, so we had all new ends put on the two cords we have.  There were other annoying boat things that had to be dealt with. The last being that the fridge stopped working.  In all the electrical stuff the fridge needed to be reset, so the ice cream is refreezing as we speak.

Lucky we have friends in Stuart and they took us to the grocery, for a nice ride along the Atlantic coastline in Fort Pierce and the ICW. 

We had lunch at the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House Restaurant that use to be called The Outrigger. Frances Langford singer, actress and philanthropist was a "A gracious hostess at the "Outrigger", she donated time and money to many local causes, including the Oceanographic Society the Martin county Parks System and Martin Memorial Hospital.  Donating over five million dollars to the hospital made it possible to open a cardiac wing, named fittingly after her.  There is so much more to her story than this and the best way I can tell you is for you to read the following:

Bike rack

Check out the dentist handle

Boating is not for cowards!

There isn't anyone here on a boat since this is really a place where people bring there boats for the summer storage.  I don't mind being here alone at all.

We are very excited to be coming back to Florida to Julia and Ryan's wedding in May.  I probably will write a last blog before heading into our summer at home mode.

All the best to you and your family,

Tricia