NOVEMBER 12, 2013 - FEBRUARY 12, 2014 . . . MISC PICS

WE'VE BEEN KINDA WANDERING THE PAST THREE MONTHS AROUND SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA. WE SPENT A FEW WEEKS USING LEGACY MARINA IN DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS ON THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER AS OUR BASE OF OPERATIONS, NOV 12-DEC 31. WE EXPLORED OUR PINE ISLAND PROPERTY, NEAR SANIBEL & CAPTIVA, AND DECIDED NOT TO DO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME, SINCE BUILDING THERE MIGHT WELL INVOLVE HAVING TO BREAK TIES WITH OUR COLORADO HOME. THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING WE'RE PREPARED TO DO RIGHT NOW. SO, OUR "DECISION" WAS TO KEEP DOING JUST WHAT WE'RE DOING.

WE ALSO SPENT SOME TIME PLAYING AT CAYO COSTA AND FORT MYERS BEACH, HOWEVER, A FEW COLD FRONTS THROUGH THAT AREA MADE US REALIZE THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE FARTHER SOUTH. IT'S JUST TOO FAR NORTH FOR JANUARY. ON JAN 19, WE HEADED SOUTHWARD INTO THE 10,000 ISLANDS. TWO WEEKS LATER WE HAD LOOPED DOWN THROUGH THE EVERGLADES, INTO THE KEYS, AND BACK UP TO DINNER KEY ON BISCAYNE BAY. WE HAD GONE FROM SEEING OUR BREATH ON CHILLY MORNINGS TO SHORTS & T-SHIRTS AGAIN. AAAH!

LEGACY MARINA AERIAL PHOTO

"CRUISING = BOAT REPAIR & MAINTENANCE IN EXOTIC PLACES"

One day we were out on the Caloosahatchee River and this pelican kept trying to land on our dinghy while we were going 5 knots. He worked at this unsuccessfully for a half hour and finally gave up. It was really funny.

Jim, channeling his totem, the pelican.

SANIBEL LIGHTHOUSE

Hiking with friends on Cayo Costa. It's a beautiful state owned island, accessible only by water, which we've been visiting for over 30 years with the kids.

Cayo Costa gulfside lagoon - When the girls were small, we used to be able to barely slide over a sandbar inlet into this lagoon over 18" of water in our MacGregor sailboat. We'd stay for a week at a time, swimming, & beach hiking. It's now posted "no swimming due to the increase in alligators".

FORT MYERS BEACH MOORING FIELD from bridge

FORT MYERS BEACH - "normally"

& "during a cold front day"

NOTE TO SELF: Never, EVER bring hardheaded catfish into your dinghy ! After a friend & I caught a nice mess of catfish for blackened fish tacos, I spent the next two weeks chasing down holes(3)poked in our poor baby. Lesson learned.

Typical 10,000 Island mangrove shoreline

We spent the night of January 25 at the mouth of the Little Shark River in Everglades Nat'l Park. We were joined by two really cool sailing/rowing vessels filled with forty Outward Bound kids. They were just a delight to be around and were having a blast. It's hard to imagine spending weeks sleeping "ON" their tiny boats together.

The pic to the right was taken on Jan.28 during a quiet glassy motor up Biscayne Bay. The two pics below are just a minute later. This testosterone addict appeared out of nowhere doing about a hundred miles an hour. The funny thing is, this exact thing happened to us just a few years back, almost on the same date, while we were right IN the Featherbed Banks 100-ft wide channel under sail. WHEW !!!!

While at Dinner Key off of Coconut Grove in Biscayne Bay, we get to see a lot of top level world class sailboat racing almost weekly. Here are some pics of my old Laser class which I raced. If you notice the lettering, these are the current Olympic Laser sailors from all over the world. It makes me want to race again.

DINNER KEY MOORING FIELD from Coconut Grove