Best Life

  Fort Lauderdale Beach was my choice for our after dinner walk.  Beautiful warm breeze and lots of kind folk sharing their music with us! Traffic was good getting there.  Not so much on the ride back.  For a Monday there sure are a lot of people out celebrating something! The strip across the beach was perfect for walking.  Lots of restaurants, music, people watching and glimpses of the ICW.     Our day was very productive.  Quiet Time is emptied, cleaned, secure and locked.  We made a final trip to the storage unit and thankfully Trem, our host, was able to take our trash. The other major accomplishment today - a new AC filter for the car.  We have been struggling with bad odors in the car.  First we blamed the horses - maybe poo on our shoes wound up on the carpet.  Then a coffee spill that needed steam cleaning.  Then we thought the rear window leak that Paul fixed this past summer.  We added car fresheners....

  After coffee with Marc (thank you for being our mailing address and helping me unload my pantry!) we headed to the boat to continue prepping her for sale.   Paul changed out the raw water pump on the starboard engine and eradicated all leaks.  Meanwhile I cleaned and packed bags.  I had only 3 today and expect only a couple more of the last minute items and random things I "forgot".   Intermittent thunder storms and rain kept us scrambling to stay dry. And my new phone.  So frustrating.  Transferring all my pictures and data (successful).  Hooking it up to my car (unsuccessful).  Figuring how to download my pictures onto my laptop (successful).  All which took way too long!    The plan - hoping to complete the move off the boat tomorrow and head to the beach.  I am more than ready for some down time and exploring. Refired, Not Retired Day.  A launchpad for new adventures, passions, hobbies and for living l...

  A glorious night here in Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale.  After driving a rental to Daytona to grab my car we spent the day emptying the boat.   First, a very full car of vacuum bags to the storage unit.  Just a few blocks away we made quick work of it.  Unfortunately, the first of several downpours occurred just as we began emptying the car.  And there were no dollies available for our use. (A rainy Saturday - busy at the storage facility!)  So we carried everything in multiple trips - final count more than 2000 steps! Second task, empty the pantry.  Though I will keep some for the next few weeks - the rest is being passed on.  Especially the case of toilet paper.   Then a bit of cleaning while we waited for Dave.  A quick meeting and we were finished for the day.   Having been awake since 430am, driving almost 500 miles, making multiple trips carrying multiple bags to the car - we are done!  Loving the ...

  Sunrise on Lettuce Lake.  Lettuce Lake was a great anchorage and we slept well after the wind diminished and the nearby catamaran left at 9pm.  (They startled us since their anchor was just off our stern, thinking we had drifted).   Our day started early so we could avoid Friday boat traffic.  By 715am we were waiting in line for our first bridge opening.  A monohull and tug were our shadows through the first leg of journey.  No party boats and no speed boats.  Perfect.   The buildings were taller.  The boats docked just as large.  And the waterway began with twists and turns.  Easy peasy. Three bridges that Paul timed perfectly and we entered New River by 9am.     New River starts in the east (green arrow) and heads west.  Our dock - the red arrow.  Five bridges                     and many, many twists and turns over almost 4 miles. Ne...