Start Planning Now, August 21, 2017

 Zebulon, NC

I always wanted to see a total solar eclipse, but I never did.  This morning, I learned that a chance is coming up 8/21/2017.  

Looking at the map below, the Mills River Lookout on the Blue Ridge Parkway will be an excellent vantage point.  August is not the most convenient time for us, but we'll have to give it some thought.

If you're lucky, maybe you too can arrange to see it.

Silver Springs Slide Show

Zebulon, NC

We will spend 2 weeks with Dave & Cathy.  Lots of house projects to keep us busy.  It's too cold still to go further north.

Here are some pics and videos from our canoe trip in Silver Springs.  I'll repead my advice to readers -- GO THERE!!

Another Grand Adventure

Silver Springs, FL

66 years ago, my mother brought me to Silver Springs State Park to ride on the (then new, now famous) glass bottom boat.  Four months ago, I brought Jen here.  Now it is Libby's turn.

We camped here two nights.  This morning, we got started early and rented a canoe for two hours to tour the Silver River.  What a grand adventure that turned out to be.   The water from the springs is unbelievably clear and warm.  We could see 55 feet down, as if it were only 5 inches deep.

 The surrounding nature, and the nature in the water are fantastic.  There are monkeys here, but we didn't see them.  But we did see lots of fish, lots of turtles, a big alligator, and birds too numerous to count.

Libby sat and paddled in the back.  She never learned how to steer a canoe, so our course was a bit comical at times.  No matter, we were out there to look and experience, not to paddle.  Besides, the other people around on kayaks and canoes weren't much better.

We forgot to take our camera on this trip.  It is on board Tarwathie, so for the whole summer, I'll have to make do with a cell phone camera. I must have taken more than 100 pictures this morning. I'm trying to upload pictures from the phone now to post here.

If you have never been to Silver Springs, and if you are ever near Ocala, FL, I recommend it.   It is unique, and the kind of experience you'll remember for a lifetime.

Our first(?) selfie.

Can you spot the alligator?

Two turtles, 30 feet down.

The famous glass bottom boat goes by.  The brand new one I rode in in 1950 is now in a museum.  Sigh.

Lonely Girl

 Placida, FL

Poor Tarwathie.  She is about to be left all alone for the summer.  We think this is a safe place.  See the blue dot on the maps.  The nearest big city is Punta Gorda.

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We think this is a safe place.  To get here we had to go through a lock.  There are mangroves in every direction.   We are miles from the shore.   The boat yard will tie down Tarwathie with 4 straps to screw augers in the ground.

Her first ride on a truck

Our friends steered us right.  These boat yards are very professional.  We had an appointment for a 1000 haul out.  We arrived at 0945.   By 1010 she was up on land.  By 1030 she was trasferred to a truck.  By 1130 she was in a storage yard one mile away, all blocked and ready for the summer.

Libby and I figure that by Friday morning, we'll be ready to leave and start driving north.

What A Pleasure

En Route Near Sanibel Island
26 28.44 N 082 05.86 W

I mentioned that we took a cruiser friend Lynn on board for the passage up from Marathon. I'm so glad we did that. Lynn was by far the most enjoyable crew person we've ever had on an offshore passage. She's a real sweetheart; one of the nicest people we ever met while cruising.

Both Libby and I had fun teaching Lynn some of the basics of offshore cruising. She really loved it. At one point she sat on the bow while four dolphins (one of them pregnant) cavorted beneath her. That made her so happy that she cried.

Libby and Lynn also did a lot of girl talk when I was below sleeping. I think that they both enjoyed that a lot.

Lynn and Louie. (Louie did not sail with us)

We spent two nights in Fort Meyers Beach. We got to see cruising friends Dick & Kathy Degrasse who have not been in Boot Key Harbor for several years.

Today, we are heading for Caya Costa, an island that is a state park. We'll kill some time there before going to Charlotte Harbor Boat Storage on Tuesday for a Wednesday haul out.

 

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