OUR NEW ADOPTED STATE: FLORIDA

BONUS PHOTO Ken as Mr. April for the next Swimsuit Edition



Haulover Canal Bridge in background with Ken at helm of RISING TIDE



Famous Travis Co. hardware store in Cocoa Village; trusty folding bike in foreground



Alligator swimming away from us in the Merritt Is. Haulover Canal


APRIL 19 - 26

Apr 19 Vero Beach in mid-coast Florida is a wonderful pit-stop. There are free buses to shopping, it’s a short bike ride to the beach and the boutiques there. The vegetation is lush. And the showers and laundry at the marina are well-maintained and numerous. The next time we’re there I’ll make sure we get to the city Art Museum. There is also a live theater and a huge park. These last 3 places are all within walking distance of the marina.

Apr 21 We got to see Jim (my brother) and Riko today, and catch up on news since we were in Cape Canaveral area last. We got some mail from home, the first since early January. Jim has always said he doesn’t know why everyone isn’t trying to move to Florida, and this visit is proving him right…….

It’s been 12 weeks (almost 3 months!) in Florida counting before and after the Bahamas. We are enjoying the delightful weather -- it’s been sunny, warm, and the winds are light and comfortable since we returned. There is a lot of wildlife near the anchorages and marinas we’ve been at. Ken spotted a few alligators, mostly one at a time, including one slowly and methodically swimming from dock to dock in Cape Canaveral (Merritt Island). Among the birds we’ve seen this time are pink flamingoes. We haven’t seen many insects (which is good). The water is dark and mysterious compared to the Bahamas, but it’s supporting lots of fish and wild “critters”. If it weren’t for the shoaling in parts of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), we’d be very happy! We have been stuck on the bottom several times since we returned two weeks ago.

Apr 26 Northern Florida along the ICW is dotted with small homes -- fishing camps -- and interesting larger homes. Many of them have docks. Looks like a great way of life! We are now at Amelia Island, the last real estate in Florida before we cross to Georgia. We’re back to motoring a lot since we’re in canals much of the time. We hope to get Ken a net and have him try casting it and getting some shrimp in some of the side creeks coming up.