Best Life

 Since we slept later than usual (8am!), we chose to forego our bike ride due to the heat and walk on the beach after dinner instead.  Tonight we drove south to Daytona Beach Shores, parked in a Volusia County parking lot and walked south for a 2+ mile walk.  The area is under "construction" with the softest, cleanest beach sand ever being dumped onto the area! We made it back to the car just as the "meter reader" pulled in.  Good timing.  Charging $20 regardless of time parked is ridiculous.   (We roll the dice and park anyway.)  Beautiful beach though! We spent the day checking off the "list".  Paul changed the oil in both engines and then tackled the antenna and extender no longer in use.  Climbing onto the coach roof and stepping between the solar panels, it came down relatively easy.   My goal today - clean all the interior wood.  This included all the bedroom, bathroom and closet doors louvres.  Ugh! Thankfully ...

 Our day started very pleasantly with a 3 hour drive to West Palm Beach to visit Marc.  Minimal traffic, gorgeous weather and we rented a Malibu which always feels like home away from home to us (we have owned and rented plenty). Thank you Marc for introducing us to Acai bowls.  I am hooked and with homemade granola - fabulous!  Also thank you for the peanut butter pie.  Paul ate his before we arrived back at the boat.  Mine made it back but squished a bit inside the cooler - still yummy though! We were also able to get some steps in with a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs.  Bella was a sweetheart as usual and Theodore was adorable though uncoordinated.  I tripped on him twice and he managed to get under Bella's urine stream.  Young and foolish he is!  Glad we could help out and tire them out!                                  ...

 With the promise of another hot and humid day, we started our day early.  On the bikes before 8am, over Main Street bridge and at the beach before daytona began rising. Then, feeling ambitious and not sweaty enough, we tackled Seabreeze Bridge.  (I did walk a bit but finished strong). We filled our propane tank, picked up the corrected cushion and then cleaned and packed. After dinner with friends - Fleetwood Mac tribute at the Bandshell!  Way more people, we wound up further back but still enjoyed the night and the music.

 The heat was relentless today despite the increasing winds. For most of the day there were few, if any, clouds.  We opted out of bike riding and went for an abbreviated walk instead.  A couple quick errands - Aldi, AutoZone and a yard sale we came across.  Paul spent the day finishing the repairs on the starboard engine - successfully!  It is unlikely we will ever be tempted to pay someone to touch the engines again except in a professional, learning instance.   Now that the engines are complete and ready to go, cleanup and finalization of storage prep can resume tomorrow.  There are no longer any huge projects on our to do list.  Finally!                                                                   Tonight's sky        ...

 This morning our bike ride took us north towards Granada Bridge.  A bit later than usual, there were more walkers, bikers and people walking their dogs.  Still, it was a pleasant ride along the river.  The breeze was very welcome as was the shade. All the sidewalks have been repaired until the very end near Cassen Park just before the intersection of the bridge.  All good though.  In checking out the progress I noticed the Farmer's Market across the street!  My hummus guys were there and I treated myself to one last container of the spicy variety.  Yum! After a quick trip to drop off the cushion with the screws inserted incorrectly, Paul focused on the starboard engine.  Consulting by phone with Volvo guy and the internet, Paul is continuing to persevere.   We had to order new (brand name) vacuum bags since my generic ones are not holding out.  (Name brand working great - who knew?)   And we finally emptied our water...

 A beautiful night to go to a ball game.  The Daytona Tortugas, Cincinnati Red Single A affiliate, have their ball field right on Beach Street.  Despite their losing it was a nice game with more people than I would have thought.  Friendly people, good food, clean bathrooms and relatively short concession lines.  Parking was easy and free! Being there brought back memories of all the hours we spent on ball fields as parents.  Every minute was enjoyed and treasured!                                                       I think the bat weighed more than Megan!                                                               ...