Here it is, the month of October - we have been here just over three months now and we love St. Petersburg. This is a college town, three of them, actually - USF, SPC and Eckerd. Fine restaurants abound and there's no shortage of things to do. The management here at Harborage continue to earn high marks from us as they improve the facility and provide prompt service in a perfect location.

We are a short walk from the lively downtown where there are restaurants and now a market every Saturday morning where you can find fresh produce and eclectic goods of many kinds. No fried ice cream or fried butter at this one. There's a band with dancing too!

We attended the Annapolis boat show the first weekend of October and stayed with my cousin Tom and his lovely wife Paula who live in Severna Park, MD. They were the best hosts we have ever stayed with! They lent us a car and we parked at the Naval Academy and walked into the show where we found many things for Abundance.

We bought a new refrigeration system - a Frigoboat keel-cooled system. Since we have two boxes, I bought two systems which both run on 12 volts DC. The is will allow both boxes to be refrigerators or one can be a freezer and the other a refrigerator. This is the same system the Oyster yachts come with so I figured it was OK.

We bought a new set of ceramic dishes - when you come visit, you'll get to eat meals using them! They are white with a black non-skid silicone ring that is quite nicely done.

We also bought a pair of tank monitors for our waste tanks since none were installed when we bought Abundance. These use conductivity via sets of rods that are installed through a 1 1/2" size sender unit in the top of the tank. They are powered with 9V batteries so I won't have to run power wires to them.

My wind generator made so much noise when the wind got to 18 knots and above I quit using it. Then I found a set of high-tech carbon fiber blades that are totally quiet - now we have no sound a free power.

I bought a leather wheel cover that I will stitch in place once it arrives. It will make the wheel more comfy for our hands in hot, cold and even wet weather when helming - for those two or three minutes when the autopilot is not steering the boat, that is.

I found my dream gas grill as well - made in Australia - by a retired aircraft engineer. It has two burners and a window as well as a rotisserie! It will last us a lifetime. It sits prominently on the stern rail and we have used it once already with amazing success.

We have to haul to boat out of the water soon to install the keel coolers, so I'll get a bottom job done then too. I expect that will be in early November.

Our good friend Sherri Parris from Las Vegas is here too and has found a job as a Realtor, managing rental properties - she helps us with the dogs and watches the boat when we are away. She rented a beautiful condo with a view of the water just north of Tierra Verde, a posh island near here.

Our friends Kent Lindow and Rita Manley are here for the winter - we met them in the Power Squadron classes back in Vegas. They have a place on Tierra Verde and we will get together with them soon.

Bob Hogan and Jame Imboden, also from Vegas are living in Land O Lakes, about an hour from here. They introduced us to Mike and Jackie who are now our friends. The four of them will be here this Sunday for a cruise and and meal aboard.

Our good friend Linda Heatwole is coming here in February for a week and Will and Janet Cates are coming out in December. Jim and Judy Jones will be coming here too! I don't know when I'll get any more boat projects done.

I keep working daily on boat projects and tasks, getting her in shape for when we cruise offshore. I went to my 40 year high school reunion in Daytona a few weeks ago - had a splendid time. Met a couple who manage a marina right nearby in Pasadena, FL. Another couple are cruisers who live in Guatemala and it sounds like a place we want to head for. My sister forwarded a message from one of her classmates who was visiting Nicaragua and it sounds like a place we want to visit as well.

I have the electrical systems almost done and working well - next big item is a second alternator on the main engine to supplant our 8KW genset. I saw a 220 amp unit at the boat show and may buy it when finances allow. Lots of Boat Units are blowing away! We also are interested in a stern mounted pole called the Solar Stik that holds a pair of solar panels and our wind generator. It will include our dinghy motor lifter too.

I had to replace the Raystar 125 GPS unit since it burned up from bad wiring - and they don't make it any more. I bought a Raystar 130 which uses a newer network protocol (Seatalk ng) which requires that I install a downconverter that isn't available either. Thanks, Raymarine!

I also installed a coffee maker under the cabinet in the galley and it freed a lot of counter top space for us.

My newest project plan is working well for me. I figured out the essence of Project Management: It's the practice of documenting in detail the things you aren't getting done.

We send our best wishes to all our friends and family and encourage all to "Live Your Dreams".

Remember: 1) Ask 2) Believe 3) Receive - that's how the universe rolls.