Finally We Get On The Water.

The Fish Tale Marina across the street has all kinds of boats, from our 10' 6" yacht, which is undoubtedly the smallest in the whole place, right up to a huge new Viking which must be about 80 feet long.

Hey! You can always look can't you?

Today we finally got a chance to launch the dinghy.  At 250 pounds empty (including engine) our little inflatable was no challenge for the huge marina forklift truck.

It was still a chilly 65F but it was the first day when the winds were relatively calm and the sun was bright and warm. The motor started right up on the second pull after its winter hibernation.  We went straight to the gas bar and topped up the fuel tank with ethanol free gasoline.  I was set aback when the attendant quoted us $53.00 for five gallons of gas.

Fortunately he had read the pump incorrectly but it was still $23 for a little squirt of fuel and I remember the old Sea Pig days when that would have cost maybe $2 or $3.

Today this was basically a 2 hour shakedown cruise where we learned the procedure of placing the boat in the water and removing it again and got a feel for the markers and channels that led us to the north end of the island and back.
 

This is the Mound House as seen from the water, where we did the tour yesterday.
 

An osprey has set up camp in this 25mph speed limit sign.

Snook Bight is another large marina building near the Publix store on the Island. 

Everything ran perfectly. We used about 1/3 of a tank of fuel to get up to Times Square and back. Our tank only holds 5 gallons.

Back to the marina for Happy Hour. Wendy had the Tuna, blackened, rare and I of course had the chicken wings. 

We shared a picher of Bud Lite. Wendy is wondering when I will tire of chicken wings. Hmmm!
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A Piece Of Heaven On Earth. Read on.

Today it was cool again so after breakfast we killed some time by driving north on the island to the Publix grocery store for supplies then back a few blocks to Mound House for a tour.

Our tour guide Kelly led us along a trail explaining the varied vegetation located around this first house ever built on this island.  She told us they are restoring the house itself and it could be available for tours in the coming year. 

The seed pods of the Annatto tree reveals red, edible seeds which were used also as skin colouring dye by the indians.

The house was built on a huge mound of seashells. When they decommissioned an old swimming pool on the property they could see that it was cut through layers of shells with extreme historical and archealogical significance.  They made the resulting cavity (where the pool was) into a large underground room with a beautiful mural depicting the early Caloosa Indians.

Also, on the walls of the excavation we could actually see the layers of shells that the archaeologists investigated to help explain the rich Indian heritage of the region. Our guide showed us numerous artifacts that were found in the excavation including masks and tools that were fabricated by the Indians.

Our first floor balcony is only a few yards from the huge swimming pool  at Leonardo arms condominiums so that is where we spent the afternoon enjoying the Florida sunshine.

Before happy hour expired at 6 pm, we went over to the Fish Tale Marina  (where we keep our boat) for dinner. I thought it might be nice to sit and eat overlooking all the boats, but I had no idea the place would be the gem of our trip.

Can you believe it?  $1.25 drafts (any brand 3 to 6 pm) and 10 chicken wings with fries, celery and dip for $8.99 and throw in a view of the whole marina. Am I in Heaven? Pinch me!

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Warmer Each Day - Nice

 

Day 5 Monday March 4 (sunny and cool, high 64 F winds breezy)   
Today we get a little more exploring .  The traffic along the main beach road was moving at a snail's pace which gave us time to look out the window at the passing scenery .  Normally the speed limit is 35 and there's always some guy right on my back bumper.  Hey, it's the first time I've enjoyed being stuck in slow traffic.  These little drives are basically orientation exercises.  After we toured the main drag we headed down to Lovers Key State Park (2 miles) and drove through some of the park roads .

 
Day 6 Tuesday March 5 (sunny and warm, high 76 F winds calm)
We called our good friend Linda (who lives in Fort Myers when she's not in Grand Bend Ontario) yesterday and went up around 10:30 this morning with her and her sister Debbie to Manatee Park.

There were no manatees yesterday down at Lover's Key. The locals said it was too cold so we hoped maybe we'd have better luck up up at Manatee park where the outflow of the electric power plant attracts them to the warm water.
Here's a clip from the Manatee Park web page:
MANATEE UPDATE,  20 to 30 manatees were in the park this morning. Because of the current cold front, we do expect increasing numbers of manatees for the next 2 to 3 days. Mornings are perhaps the best viewing time for manatees. Manatee Park is a non-captive refuge, therefore they are free to come and go as they please. The park offers a free "All About Manatees" program at 11am and 2pm each day. Please visit Manatee Park and learn about our gentle giants.

You can read about the park and the Manatee Updates - CLICK HERE 

Yes! Lots of them. I got my first chance to view several of them up close.

The water here comes from the big electric power plant nearby. The thermometer shows 80 degrees.

 After the park, Linda treated us to lunch at one her favorites - Mimi's near her condo. I wish I'd taken some pictures of her lovely condo in a golf course. The place is beautifully done, especially with Linda's artistic touches.
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Not Perfect Weather, But Safe and Sound.

Day 1 Thursday, Feb. 28 (Temperature -2C, Light Snow, NW Windy)
We left London on Thursday morning around 4:00 AM. We only made it a few miles when Wendy discovered that we did not have our important papers with us. Returning home , we didn't get underway again until nearly 5 (could have been worse) and now we were faced with blizzard-like conditions on Highway 402 until we arrived in Sarnia . The weather began to clear as we crossed the border and turned  south, moving farther from Lake Huron .    We scooted through Detroit around 7:00 AM and continued on for a dozen or so uneventful  hours to arrive in Chattanooga at 5:30 PM. 

739 miles from London to Chattanooga.

How did they know?

 I had reservations in a Microtel which was just walking distance from an Applebee's Restaurant where we ate a year ago on our way down to Florida  to take our cruise.  Josh our waiter recognized us from last year and was pleased to tell us that we had made it in time for happy hour. After a good feed of chicken wings and a couple of tall beers sleep came easy after the long drive.

Nearly 1500 miles in 2 days.

Day 2 Friday, March 1 (Temperature 62 F, Clear, Calm)
Up at 2:30 AM, I ran into some difficulty in replenishing my Rogers cell phone (pay as you go deadline) which delayed our departure until around 4:00 AM. I wanted to leave early because last time we got held up in Atlanta morning rush hour traffic. Driving in darkness with the glare of oncoming headlights was making the sleepy so we stopped at a McDonald's for some strong coffee and still managed to scoot through most of Atlanta ahead of the morning rush using the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes.  As we neared the Florida state line it was becoming more apparent that we weren't the only ones going there.  In Florida the traffic grew heavier and heavier with more and more road construction. Being March 1 there was also heavy traffic coming in the other direction (the February people) and we saw some fender benders with huge delays. All the gas stations and rest areas were packed. Road construction near Tampa caused a backup for us and there was heavy traffic near our condo at Bonita beach but we arrived at our condo destination in good time at 5:30 PM - weary but safe.
The wireless hub here is located near the pool and serves the entire complex this high volume of users especially at the first of the month with dozens of new arrivals trying to read their emails slows our Internet connection to a snail's pace and makes it difficult to use. Check back as I post pictures later.

Needless to say we were both a little wiped so sleeping in the new place was easy.

A parking lot greeter at our condo.

Day 3  Saturday, March 2 (Temperature 62F Overcast, NW Windy)   
Up early we drove along the main drag and explored a little bit. I stopped in at the Fish Tale Marina to confirm my arrangements with our boat and we noticed a big event in the parking lot of the nearby Santini Mall. We parked the car at our condo and walked back to the mall for the 3rd Annual Barbecue Rib Competition.

We enjoyed a good feed of ribs and chicken with beans and explored the many tents and displays. We are a little disappointed  with the weather, but it is forecast to improve steadily after a cold front moves through.

Day 4 Sunday, March 3 (Temperature 62F Overcast, NW Windy, Scattered Showers)
Today had a nice breakfast at the mall and then we got the dinghy ready for rack storage and off the roof of our car. Everything went smoothly as planned and they will have the boat in the water waiting for us whenever I call ahead.

Then it was off to the Publix grocery store for some basic essential supplies like tonic and soda etc.We explored a bit, sat watching the ocean from our balcony and headed over to the Castaways at the mall for beer and un-battered chicken wings in time for happy hour 11 am to 7 pm.
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