Best Life

  The late afternoon was spent walking and exploring.  Sunrise Park, just north of us on the ICW, was a great spot to walk.  It was nice to be in the sunshine and thankfully with windbreakers we didn't allow the fierce wind to send us back to the car. Further north we attempted a beach walk without success.  Not only was the wind brutal but between the erosion and the high tide, there was no dry sand to walk.  Beautiful though. Flagler Beach continues to be a work in progress.  So close to the road even with the road being moved away a few feet. Hopefully the new seawall they buried prevents further erosion towards the roads and multimillion dollar homes and condos. Then we found a craft fair in downtown Flagler! The morning was spent completing our latest project.  The master bedroom windows have been scraped, caulked and painted.  A multiday process with great results.  (I think)   Before:            ...

 The sun came out!  Crazy how a little sun and a little warmth change the day.  This required a longer walk in a better setting than sidewalks.   Pershing Highway was a brick road built in the very early 1900s from Daytona to Deland.  A triangle was formed to connect Deland to Ormond and then onto Daytona.  The adjacent Chattahoochee stone was added to make room for two lane traffic.  More than 100 years old and located almost parallel to International Speedway Boulevard, it was a remarkable place to walk.   Along the road are interpretive posts with detailed voice recordings of the history.  Just under 2 1/2 miles, there were a few other people but no wildlife other than birds.  (These bird hunters were empty-handed.) Meanwhile the mechanics are making progress and hope for completion sometime next week.

 The elusive third piston arrived yesterday at Marc's.  With all the pieces packed (the other two pistons, gaskets, hoses, etc) we headed south early to grab our packages and proceed to the boat.  With everything labeled and ready for the mechanics we spent the rest of the afternoon doing small tasks.   I cleared out the salon closet of unnecessary items - old fridge tow handle and old broken shelf.  I moved snorkel gear and extra life jackets in order to make room for our new "go bag".  It will hold copies of all important documents, water, snacks, flares and emergency items.  Our life jackets have new light strobes and are secured in place. All extra spare parts were organized and put in storage.   I inventoried all foods, spices and toiletries.  We keep hearing about the high cost of items in the Bahamas.  I intend to be prepared and instead spend my money on exploring and entertainment. We met with the mechanics, reviewed t...

 We waited until the "heat" of the day to venture out.  With the high of 46' and feel like temp of 34' at 3pm, we ventured to the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens.  Located on one of the busiest blocks near the beach, this garden is pretty well hidden.  (So was the parking lot). Definitely worth a visit and is probably even prettier without the clouds and wind.  With sustained wind gusts in the 20s, the bamboo trees made eerie breaking sounds without actually breaking. Ormond Beach itself was empty of everyone. The only description  I can find is "angry ocean". As cold as we are, we are grateful to no longer be in Savannah where they received snow during the storm.  Here's to hoping we all warm up soon!

 Happy Birthday Papa!  Family, fishing, baseball, football and basketball.  And almost forgot - tractor!  All the things that meant the world to him!  We miss you!                                                                                                                                                                Megan with Papa                                         ...