The photograph is of a man fishing off the beach off the Ft. Pierce inlet. He was actually kind of a jerk and told me to leash the dogs so the picture didn't make the first cut, but I didn't take any pictures today and I needed material. It was a very busy day. Filled up with fuel, did the final pump-out so the head is officially closed, and enjoyed a nice short cruise on perfectly calm water to Riverview. This place is an old school everyman-type marina. Few rules, not altogether organized, people working on their boats, people living on boats while in dry dock, lots of activity with boats going in the water for the season. There is a close-knit community of people who are essentially living here under the guise of getting their boat ready to cruise. The problem is some of them have been doing it for years. Got a ride with new friends to the Hertz outlet about 7 miles away (good thing I didn't try and walk). They are former professionals and now living aboard after having sold the house and most of their worldly possessions. They are happy, as are almost all of the cruisers I've seen. She pointed out at dinner that all the working people drive over the bridges but the cruisers cruise under them. They stress out in traffic on those bridges, we simply do not. Of course, I may very well be driving over the bridge before too much longer... The rental car is really nice. A Mazda small SUV. It will be comfortable and safe to drive the 800 some miles to Oriental. There isn't enough room to take everything I want in the car so a number of things are being left on the boat. I gave away several bags of food and packed several more bags away in the car. I've devoted the entire back seat to the dogs even though the seats fold forward to make more space and I could use the space. It's a long way in the car and I don't want the dogs to suffer. They've been through so much over the last 6 months and have adapted remarkably well. No need to push it. When Jake saw that I was packing the car with our things, he jumped in and refused to leave pretty much all day and part of the night. I guess he's ready to go home. We all are. As I pack to go home the cruisers around me are excitedly getting their boats ready to splash. I've met many cruisers recently and I'm sure if I stayed around for another few weeks I'd meet a ton more. Met a solo sailor who said he had so many friends among the cruisers that he never felt alone. Had new friends over for beers tonight (they don't have a refrigerator in their boat so it was a treat for them). Then they treated me to salad and pizza at the local place down the street. I'm back on the boat now. Still lots to do tomorrow morning. Lots and lots. Don't know if I will be ready by my 9:00 haul out. Some things I can do even after it gets hauled so I should be ok. Once the boat is out of the water, it's too far of a climb for the dogs. They are evidently fine in the car for a while. I need a good night of sleep tonight so I'm going to head off to bed soon. Tomorrow I'll be writing from dry land.