Best Life

  We made Happy Hour at Seaside Grill next to Jaycee Park.  My new tire tube arrived this afternoon, Paul spent a quick 20 minute switching it out (using the dinghy battery to power the little compressor to fill the tube) and we were good to go.   Destination - the beach! The neighborhood route was a bit upscale with little traffic.  A perfect short ride in perfect weather. We returned to the marina, took quick showers, grabbed the laundry I had started prior to our ride and headed back to the boat.  The sunset - stunning again. A productive day - our waste tank was emptied (not a job I would want) by a very talented young man who was the most efficient we have seen (not an easy job), we continued sorting and selecting items for our various piles and watched the dolphins.  Paul started the search for lodging, car rental and storage facilities.  So many logistics! The plan - the dinghy needs work - funny motor noises - Paul has ordered the part and...

Our day started bright and early.  Our intent was to ride bikes to the nearby Holy Cross Church for the 8am Ash Wednesday mass.  A quick dinghy ride to the dock, unlock the bikes and ....  Ugh.  My rear bike tire was flat.  A quick calculation - yup, we can walk if we keep a good pace.   We cut through a construction site, a park and even hopped a fence!  And we made it with two minutes to spare!  Of course we were sweaty but mass was inspiring and the church - beautiful.  Worth the extra effort. Back at the boat we started our new project - prepare Quiet Time for sale.   At the start of our season, after waiting yet again for the yard, the weather etc, we began discussing options.  Having bikes have helped with the frustration of minimal movement but we want the freedom of where and when to travel.  Too cold - find some place warm.  Too hot - head somewhere cooler.  All without having to wait for something ...

  Our bike ride today brought us to Riomar Beach, less than 2 miles from the marina and further south on Ocean Drive.  Sunny and 75 - a beautiful day.  There were few people and a couple dogs, otherwise we had the sand to ourselves.   The foliage is reminiscent of a New England fall - brown dried, dead leaves scattered everywhere.  The extended frost earlier in the month definitely left its mark.                                                                            A calm and quiet night. The plan - keep riding and exploring Vero!

  Our bike ride today brought us to Farley Island and the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary.  What an awesome park!  Well laid out, dedicated areas for each war and each branch of the military and with each section facing water with plenty of benches to sit peacefully.  Well done Vero! The bike ride was the perfect anecdote to our long night and early morning.  With the winds and rain last night the dinghy was banging into the boat too frequently.  Paul wound up going out in the weather and essentially "putting it away" on all chains.   Then this morning our swinging with the wind caused us to run into the mangroves, breaking branches.  What?!?  We wound up retying our lines to our neighbor "Duet" and hoping for the best.  Although we were in deep enough water, we kept swinging into the branches.  Thankfully they left early afternoon and once we were snug on the mooring ball, the mangroves were out of our swing zone.  Ugh...

 We switched things up this morning and took off on bikes first thing.  Humiston Park was a mere 1.5 miles away and made for an easy ride.  All flat, some traffic and crowded sidewalks - fun!                                              We were walking the beach by 11am - sunny and 75 - perfect.   The dinghy dock was very crowded, as was the laundry room.  Not a single washer was available either before our bike ride or after.  Ugh.  When we returned to take hot showers, I found a washer open and took advantage.   Another gorgeous sunset: And because the wind is expected to pick up tonight, Paul and our "neighbor" Bill, tied us to the mooring ball.  Using two black dock lines, we are more secure. And Paul's project for today - caulk around the supposed leaky seams on the supports for the roof over th...

  A good night in Vero Beach.  We are enjoying breakfast for dinner - pancakes and bacon - with the hatches and door wide open to enjoy the 69 degrees!  We had a successful, albeit tiring day.   We have reinstated the unofficial "rule" of working until noon then using the afternoon to have fun, explore or just act retired. Paul's project at the moment, as Captain of the power police force, is to rewire Starlink to a different switch.  This will allow us to leave the salon outlets on, ice maker on and laptop charging without using the power to run Starlink.  Typically we only turn Starlink on to watch a movie after dinner - so easy enough to flip a switch at that time.  (And I usually fall asleep watching a movie causing Paul to get out of bed, climb the stairs and flip the switch sometime during the night.)                                  ...