1/29/16 Friday Key Largo, Fla.

Woke up this morning to a beautiful day!!! Rain and wind gone!! Sun shining blue skies are incredible!! So,parts still needed for the generator repair!! Off we went on our new tamdum bike!!! What a Cadillac ride!! It is a used bike but in great shape!! We love it!!!

Rode into town and stopped at the bike shop as they did not put a kickstand on it before delivered, and he put us one on. We ask where would be a good place to eat breakfast? He sent us to a small local place off the beaten path just down on the beach! Just a few blocks and we arrived at The Hideout Restaurant. What a quaint little place that was refurbished and then built onto from a 1950's mobile home!! We enjoyed the daily special 2 eggs over easy, hash browns (Rod had grits of course) and the home made breakfast sausage called geurache. Ok so I spelled it like it sounds!! Ha It was like a salami texture but a little spicy, but not hot!! Very different!! It was good, but for me I would order bacon next time!! Ha  We headed on down the road and stopped at a couple of places for the hose Rod needed and everyone told us "your need to go to the Napa store about 3 miles down the island"!! So,we went to Napa!!! Ha  It was a long trip but they did have the part we needed. On the way back to the marine we made a stop at a local farmers market. Purchased homemade guacamole, homemade tortilla chips, beautiful tomatoes. We ate some fresh watermelon while we were there!! Sure wish we could have taken one home with us, but we do have only so much we can carry on a bike!! lol

We rode back to the Winn Dixie for a few groceries and just could not resist the big t-bone steaks on sell and decided it would be supper!!!

The ride there and back home was a total of 18.6 miles!!! Boy are we tired!!!

Sat on the back deck and rested with a cold drink then Rod worked on the generator!!! BUT NO GO!!! There is now an issue with a metal part that has just detereiated beyond repair. For a quick fix Rod thinks we can have a welder repair it for a while, maybe enough to get us through this trip. Looks like a generator purchase may be in our future!! It is old and has served us and previous owners of this boat well!! Just our luck, I really wanted to be in Key West by my birthday, but I just figure God is holding us here for a reason. I look too as what a great place to get stranded IM IN KEY LARGO!! And it's 75 degrees!!! So just chill out and enjoy!!

We have some calls out to few welders that people told us work weekends, so maybe we will here from one of them. If not, I guess it will be Monday before we leave here. 

Dinner enjoyed, dishes done, jammies on, movie watched life is good,!!!

I have a few pics to share!!

Please pray we get repairs completed this weekend and pray for the health of our home!! 🙏🏻🚢     Love and Blessings to all, Fran & Capn Rod

My Chariot!!! It's a Cadillac!!! Lol Nice basket for carrying purchased "stuff" ha 

I love the local places to eat!!! Great place! 

This, among many signs on this restaurant, was just too funny to not take a pic!! Ha This was posted at the front door as you enter the restaurant!! Read it closely!!

The Key Largo Farmers market!! 

This beautiful guy sat on the post at our boat this afternoon and groomed himself for us!! Dock builders spend a fortune putting these plastic pointed cones on the post to keep the bird from sitting on them!! 

Looks to me look he is having no problem sitting there!! Ha 

2.6 pound T-bone steak!!!! This will make a few meals!! Ha

There will be leftovers!!!! Lol    steak, baked potato, and sauted peppers, onions, and mushrooms!! Yummy!!!

1/27/16 Wednesday Key Largo, The Keys

Is I ended the blog yesterday with a night of little to no rest--- well we checked every hour last night to make sure we were still sitting at anchor. All was good till the 6am check and we had drifted from our position to the other side of the waterway!!! About 300 yds!!!! We quickly got the motors started and and got the anchor pulled in and just decided to get on our way south!!!! Ha  it was dark till about 7:10am but we were in the downtown area so vision was really ok. Still raining some and the wind was about 25 MPH. NOT A FUN MORNING INDEED!!! We had decided to get on down to Miami and find a Marina and dock for a few days to let the weather improve before crossing Biscayne Bay into the Keys. By the time we got to Miami the weather was really much improved, wind was down to 10-15 MPH soooo we made the decision to see if we could cross the bay to the keys. Biscayne Bay was fairly calm and we talked to a few boats that had come across and they all said it was a fairly smooth ride, so we continued on!!! A georgeous day!!! It takes about 4 hours to cross over but the view and weather could not have been better!!! 

We arrived in Key Largo at 3:30pm and found a Marina for dockage!!! It's the Anchorage Resort Yacht and Marina. Great little, and I do mean little, as they have 6 docking slips!!! So glad one of them was available for us!!! We were tired, needing a shower, and a hot meal (our generator is still not working) and some sleep!! Because of the generator being nonfunctional, Rod has had no coffee all day and it was sandwiches chips and fruit today!!! So tonight I made homemade chicken noodle soup for supper!!

Rested up jammies on, a little TV watched and to bed soon!!!! Tomorrow Rod will repair our generator and hopefully a little site seeing if it don't rain!! I do have a few pics to share, I sure wish I could post the videos of the dolphins we saw plenty today in this incredibly blue water riding along beside of our boat. I'm Ready to enjoy the Keys for a few weeks!!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers for a safe journey, Love to all, Fran & Capn Rod

When we first entered Biscayne Bay there was probably 300 + sailing boats from all over the world!! Looked like a sailing regatta!! Beautiful site!

About 20 miles out in the bay I saw this one waterway marker filled with birds!! Couldn't help but laugh as there was not another marker for probably another 20 miles!!, I guess they have to take turns to rest on a dry post!!! Haha

Lexie insist she can help dad read the map!!! LOL

Passed this sailing boat today!!! We have never seen a flying pig on sails before!!, LOL 

12/27/14 Saturday Key Largo, Fla

Our 3rd day in Key Largo!!, such a friendly beautiful town!! We have seen about everything we can but this morning we decided to pack a picnic and go to the State park. Off we went in our trusty double seated bicycle (we have put many many mile on this thing!!) only about 1mile ride and when we got there, they said it was $2.50 per bike. And said will I guess it's just one bike although there are 2 on it so they just charged us $2.50 hehe. They lady said they had never had a 2 seater bike come in before!!

They park was packed!!! OMG!!! I have never seen so many people in a park before. We found a nice bench and ate our lunch, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. Then decided to go check out the glass bottom boat tours. There wer 25+ people in line for the next tour which was 2 hours away. So we chose not to wait that long. We decided to just ride the bike. Had a great time there. We left the park and decided on ice cream!!! Just across the street from the park an ice cream shop!!! I I enjoyed Pineaple mango sorbet and and Rod had Strawberry!! 

We went back to a marine surplus store, more like a boat parts yard sale and looked at their junk!! Hehe    Never know when you might find a treasure. 

Returned to the boat and picked up Lexie and took her to the park for some exercise and met up with with the people from Georgetown. They were have a group drinking party in the park!! Not our thing!!,

When we returned from the park we began talking about our friends Jim and Paula and both of us really felt the need to go there and support them with all they are going through right now, Jim will be having knee surgery in 2 weeks, and his has one of his twin boys that starts chemo tomorrow with stage 4 throat cancer. We just really feel we need to be there. We called and let them know we were coming to spend the rest of our vacation time in Sanford!!! I thought Paula was going to cry!!! They were sooooo excited. She said she thought she was dreaming!! ha  We know it is a God thing !!! If we listen He will tell us where we need to be!!, Sooo, plans are made we will be leaving Key Largo tomorrow morning and head back toward Jacsonville beach turn inland and go to Sanford for a month. It will take us a week or better to get there. And we will stop at Fort Pierce and spend a few days in the way back up as we had planned. 

I have posted some pics from today!! So excited to finally catch that ugarina (lizard) and got a good pic of him today!! We have seen several around. They are fast big critters!! I can't imagine having one of those things even getting near where I live!!!

Ready to pull up anchor tomorrow and head back in a north direction to Sanford. It's another 2 1/2 days back south again  from Jacksonville. 

I know we have made the right decision !!

Love to all and pray for our travels!! Fran and Capt Rod

A picnic in the park!! A nice man took our pic for us!!

This critter is better than 3 ft long!!!! I took several pics of him!! This was the closest I could get before he bolted away!!

This sunset has been a daily view!!! 

12/26/14 Friday Key Largo, Fla

Another day at Key Largo!!! We did not even set the alarm this morning but Rod was up early as usual. Went out early and rode bikes and picked up some needed supplies at a Publix Grocery store and then Ace Hardware. Came back and Rod did some maintance and washed the entire outside of the boat, boy was it filthy!!!  I cleaned the inside!!! Fun fun!!  

We then packed up all the garbage and Lexie in the dinghy and headed for the park to let her run play and do her thing!!, she so enjoys a dinghy ride which we call our limousine service!!! Hehe While at the park we enjoyed the Sandhill cranes, but the best was this HUGH eguaina (lizard) I mean 3 ft Long or better. And could he run fast!!! Oh my gosh!! He ran across the entire yard of the park and into the brush in 3-4 seconds!!! He was bright green in color!!, what a surprise!! No pic of him he was like lightning !!

We brought her back to the boat and again we took off to ride and see the town. Rode some of the back streets to see where the locals live, found a West Marine boat store, and made a few purchases of things needed!! Always boat things needed when you live on a boat!!! It's like going to Lowes when you own a house!!!

Found a local farmers market and picked up some local produce. Also a lady there was making fresh guacamole !! Yum!!! Could not resist taking some of that !!!

Brought those goodies back to the boat and decided to check out a local restaurant for supper to night. We both had a great house salad, of which I chose the house dressing of mango and poppy seed!! It was fabulous!!! Rod had a seafood platter, Mahi, oysters, scallops, and shrimp !! I had fresh made lobster rolls with a tihia sauce. We could eat not more!!!! Rode off a few calories for a while and came back to the dinghy dock to go home and ran into a friend from Georgetown!!! What a surprise. Talked with him for a while, he said Marty his wife  was on their boat. we may get together tomorrow. 

On return to the boat we sat out on the front and enjoyed the beautiful sunset!!! What a treat!! Lexie just enjoyed our time with her !! Ha   pics below!  Not much for TV here so, movie night tonight!! Rod is choosing the movie now!! We saw a state park today so we may go there tomorrow with a picnic and spend some time. Fun day and a clean boat!!! Ha

Love to all, and hope all are still enjoying the Christmas goodies, food and presents!!

Fran and Capt Rod

Flocks of Sandhill cranes in the park. Lexie first stands and stares as she can not believe they are not afraid of her. The. She runs toward them and they fly off. But they come right back!!

Our limo service coming to pick Lexie and I up!!

The Fish House for dinner!!! Great local  place!!

Enjoying the sunset from the boat!!! What a way to end the day!!!

12/25/14 Thursday Key Largo Christmas Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!   I so hope that each of you have had a great day!!  Rod and I spent the day in travel and lots of time texting, calling & on face time!!! So much fun to hear from the grandkids and all about their Christmas day!!! Crossing Biscayne Bay took all day but as Rod promised we would be in Key Largo by Christmas, and we made it!!!!

The wind was bad today but did have it pushing us the entire trip across this HUGH body of water. We made 10 MPH almost all day. A little overcast but still almost 88-90 degrees!!!!

We docked at Tarpon Bay here in Key Largo and got the dinghy down and took a ride over to the park and let Lexie run and play a little and do her thing on grass as she loves to do!! Ha

We just relaxed after the long trip today and talked to Sherry a little to get the scoop on the family day they had. Rod then informed me that the wind had picked up and our anchor was not holding well. He was really afraid to leave us here for the night. So, up the anchor came and we moved about 1/4 mile over into a cove. Where we felt was holding much better and sheltered some from the wind. We now have a longer dinghy ride tomorrow, but that can be fun as it is mine and Lexie Limo ride to land, and we do enjoy the trip! Hehe    Our Christmas dinner!!! Chicken Bog!! It was yummy!!!

Showered and In my Jammys I am set for the evening. Planning to go bike riding tomorrow. It's a must to find some groceries!! Need some fresh veggies, milk and eggs!! The boat must be washed in the next day or so, it's a job, but a mess from all the salt water and crud from the waterway!!  Rod will clean the outside I'll do the inside!!! Even on vacation chores still must be done at some point!!!

We had a good Christmas and I do pray all of our family and friends did also!!! We celebrated Santa but also took time to remember the true meaning of Christmas the birthday of our Lord and Savior. I hope each of you did too!!  The year 2014 is almost over and we feel so blessed to have this opportunity to travel again!!  God has been good to us this year, and He has watched over us each day on this journey. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!! 

Much love to all and again, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Fran and Capt Rod

Rod loves sporting no shirt, and bragging about how hot it is!!! Hehe

Right in the middle of Miami bay!! Here was a board of directors meeting of the Pelicans and sea gulls!!

(I forgot to reset the time on my camera after I charged the battery last night, this was taken today) 

We are docked right in front of this resort!, beautiful place!! Of course we did have to move on down  little farther to get out of the wind as our anchor did not hold well here !!! 

Day 17 of our voyage "Headed to the Keys". 12/26/12

After a wonderful long journey we anchored this afternoon at the north end of KEY LARGO!!! We finally made it to the Keys!! We are spending the night at a small cove called Thursdays Cove!! We plan to cruise on into the city area of Key Largo tomorrow morning and see if we want to stay a while or mosey on down to another Island!! We will just take it as it comes!!! Great weather all the way through the Biscayne Bay from Miami to Key Largo 78 degrees and sunny all day. We traveled a total of 68 miles today. The water is so clear we could watch the dolphins swimming under the water along side the boat.
Saw 2 lighthouses today way off in the distance Rod said they were the Cape Florida and Cary's Fort Reef Lighthouse. He is studying the history of them now! (of course that is not surprising)
I told Rodney this evening I am ready to do some playing and sightseeing!!!
I really want to scuba dive and snorkeling by News Year !!! I would be happy to put our Kayak in the water and paddle around!!!
Blessings to all, Fran
Sorry no pics tonight it is had to take pictures when you are in the middle of the ocean!!!
I will have pics to share from my camera of the lighthouses later!!!