Day 99, Year 11: Visit with Brad and Sue in Boynton Beach
Date: Friday, January 29, 2016
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool
Location: Anchored in the West Palm Beach City Anchorage, FL
It was mostly cloudy and cool today, but hey, we finally got off the boat for the day. We have been on Windbird since we left Little River nine days ago except for a short foray yesterday morning to take our dinghy outboard ashore. So we were so delighted that Brad and Sue invited us to come visit today, have lunch, and do some laundry. And while there, we were able to pick up a letter sent to us by Ollie and our new FoodSaver vacuum sealer arrived. I always write that Sue is my sister-in-law and often people ask me why I don’t say Brad is my brother. Sue was married to my brother Bennie until he died at age 33, leaving her with my two nieces and one nephew. Sue met Brad after my brother’s death and they have now been married for 50 years! In all of our travels over the past couple of months, I totally missed that December 3rd was their 50th anniversary. So a very happy, although belated, 50th anniversary to Brad and Sue! And a very hearty thank you for transporting us to and from Boynton Beach today (including a stop at a West Marine in Delray Beach), letting us do our laundry at their house, and feeding us a fantastic lunch. They are such a happy, upbeat couple, and look great for a couple of ‘gray hairs’. Since we are going to be around here for the next two weeks, we are invited to return next week to have dinner when my niece Lynn is visiting from Boston. So we’ll look forward to a return visit. When they picked us up today they drove a little south of Boynton Beach to take us to West Marine to buy a couple of small boat items. We then drove up the coast to Boynton Beach where they live and made a stop at the public beach. It is really a very nice facility. Then we drove to the inlet leading from the ocean into the Intracoastal. There is a fixed bridge that would not allow Windbird to enter there, but we enjoyed seeing the area.
While at Brad and Sue’s we got a phone call from A Mechanic on Wheels about our dinghy outboard. The news was mixed, but the good thing is that the motor can be repaired at a cost considerably less than a new motor. The crankshaft and bearings are actually fine, but the seals and water pump are not. Parts have to be ordered, so we are not sure when we will have it back. But in the meantime, we are fine here without a motor. Rowing to the dock is a short distance and for that we are very grateful. Also while we were at Brad and Sue’s, our new FoodSaver vacuum sealer arrived. When we got home we vacuum packed all of the granola that I made in December and early January. I’m happy to report that it works great.
Lee and Lynda on Sea Turtle will arrive here tomorrow morning. They have agreed to look after Windbird in our absence. And soon after they arrive, Mark’s brother will pick us up and take us across the state to the Gulf Coast. Steve lives just north and west of Fort Myers and we will stay at his ‘estate’ tomorrow night. Actually Steve lives on a trawler that is docked at what used to be Rialto Marina on the Caloosahatchee River. Rialto is no longer a marina, but it is an absolutely lovely riverfront property. On Sunday we will drive south of Fort Myers to visit with Mark’s sisters who live in Bonita Springs. We will return here on Monday or Tuesday. Thankfully the cold front has moved out into the Atlantic, so for the next few days we should have daytime temps in the 70’s with lows in the 60’s. Maybe I can shed this sweater that I wore today!
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| 160129 Day 99 Florida, USA–Boynton Beach Visit; New FoodSaver |
