All Work and No Play . . . .

. . . makes Jack a dull boy, as well as Bob and Cathryn.  So we haven’t posted for a few days, again.  We’ve continued to work on the boat, bought a new dinghy and motor (West Marine 310 RIB and Mercury 4 hp), and have had Dave, the marine technician, on board almost daily continuing to work on The List, mostly in the engine room, but also on the windlass.  We’re accomplishing a great deal, and very pleased with progress, but we’re ready for a day off. After 8 days of driving from Seattle to Fort Pierce, followed by 8 days of working on the boat, tomorrow we will play – photos and stories to follow afterwards.

We did have a pleasant evening of relaxed fun last night. At 6:30 Merwin and Crystal came aboard our boat for cocktail hour. They’re from Nashville, TN and keep their 2005  49-foot Jeanneau (French) sailboat here at Harbour Isle Marina year-round. Because they’re currently semi-retired, they come here about 3 times a year to spend a month on their boat.  We had dinner at The Tiki Hut, a nearby shoreside restaurant with live music on Friday nights, good seafood and lively conversation among the 4 of us. We really enjoyed it, and they had lots of local knowledge to share to make our time here easier and more productive.

We also affirm our happiness at being here in Florida as the weather at home has been horrid!  We heard on national news, as well as a call from Sara and Tom, our house-sitters, and two of our adult children who live in Seattle, that there was a lot of snow and ice this week.  Schools were closed, few people made it to work, and the very hilly streets were hazardous in addition to power being out. Florida remains sunny and warm, so we feel lucky to be here.

Finally, Cathryn is now a Great Aunt!  Her sister Susan’s oldest son, Brad and his wife Kate, announced the arrival of Clay Crawford Shaffer yesterday!  This made Cathryn’s parents into great-grandparents for the first time, and Clay’s middle name is the same as Cathryn’s father, Crawford – what an honor and excitement all around!  Cathryn will travel to Houston for a few days in February and enjoy an introduction to the handsome little guy.