Chilled and Bored

Vero Beach, FL

NoLL

We feel cheated and betrayed. It is almost colder right now in Vero than up in Burlington. This morning it is 28F(-2C) in Vero and 23F(-5C) in Burlington. Worse, because of the humidity it feels much colder here.

Last night, for the first time ever aboard Tarwathie, we couldn't keep warm with our standard two blankets.

I complained by email to a friend in Potsdam, NY today (one of the coldest places on the planet). He said it felt balmy up there today.

This bitter cold weather is supposed to last at least another week. Brrrrrrrr. If we were in Marathon or the Bahamas, it would be chilly at night but much milder.

Yesterday Libby's doctor postponed her appointment for two more weeks. What do we do with that time? I must admit, for the first time in the nearly 5 years aboard Tarwathie, we're bored. We had enough of Vero for this year.

We could take side trips, such as crossing Lake Okeechobee to Fort Meyers on Florida's west coast. However, the cold weather makes traveling on the water unappealing. Besides, Fort Meyers is even colder than Vero.

I could work on maintenance chores, especially exterior varnish, but the cold weather discourages that too.

You see how the tiniest anchor on our cruising freedom, such as doctor's appointments, can really disrupt our activities. I fear that we may be stuck here in Vero all winter. (Yeah yeah. I know. No sympathy from you guys.)

Today, I'm going to investigate volunteer opportunities for Libby in Vero. She used to teach English as a second language and she loves that. Me? I think I'll get serious about turning my blog archive into a real life book. There's an awful lot of work to do. A straight compilation of the blog archives in book format takes more than 2,500 pages. A marketable book needs 150 pages or less.

I'll use the heat, light, power and private workroom facilities at the library as my office.