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Bethel Creek

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  This morning we set out to walk to church despite the cold, gray fog that threatened rain.  I figured worst case scenario - we turn around if it starts to really rain.  But for once the weather people were correct and we made the leisurely walk to Holy Cross Catholic Church arriving dry (and not even sweaty!). And the sun was shining brightly after mass.  Which meant we could explore the area by dinghy.  We are situated in the upper mooring field so we checked out the lower mooring field.   It looked plenty deep.  Most of the McMansions along the shoreline have large boats on docks so it must be deep enough.  Nope!  We ran the dinghy aground between two "islands".  (I thought we broke something!)  Thankfully we have oars aboard and pushed ourselves free pretty quickly.  Ugh!  Still it was a pretty ride in the warm sun.  Paul even saw a turtle! The sun did not last long.  The forecast - rain by 2pm.  I...
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Conn Beach

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  After a morning of sorting and cleaning, we were ready for a walk on the beach.  A sunny 78 meant lots of people enjoying the sand and water - though my pictures make the beach look almost empty! We figured out the shuttle service with only one gaffe.  Who knew that when stopping at the main hub all riders must get off the bus and then reload.  It was a cheap and comfortable way to skirt the city.  I would much rather walk on sand then pavement!                                                                 Fred came to visit this morning!                                                           ...
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Jones' Pier Conservation Area

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  When choosing a destination for our morning bike ride Jones' Pier looked close enough.  What I thought was only slightly further than our ride yesterday turned out to be incorrect.  Stupid SIRI.  It was more than 7 miles.   Once there we dawdled (aka recovered).  There were swings, benches, a clean bathroom and lots to see.                                                                 Jungle Trail continued north.  We did not. After we recovered sufficiently we started the trek back.  We made it about 5 miles before disaster occurred.  My bike rear tire was flat again!  Ugh.   We started walking the bikes back on the hot sidewalk (82 degrees today) along A1A.  Hot, noisy, minimal breeze - time to ditch the bikes.  So we di...
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Happy Hour

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  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...
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Vero Beach Sunrise

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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 ...
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Riomar Beach

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  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!
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Farley Island

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  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...
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