It is a beautiful temperature here. The sun is hot - we are definitely in T-shirts and shorts - and it's just breezy enough to keep us from burning up.

Over the last couple of days, we've walked, laughed, eaten and ogled. On Wednesday evening, we went with Sandra and Steve (Princess) to see Capitol Steps - a comedy group from Washington DC perform at the beautiful Broward Center for the Performing Arts just down the way. We got as dressed up as we get on a boat, munched on hearty appetizers (pickled herring, cheese, sausage, veggies and spicy hummus) and set off to be entertained. And entertained we were! This troupe has some funny, politically focused routines and even we "aliens" got most of them. The pace was fast, the jokes well timed and everything in good fun. Our mouths dropped open was when the "detective" introduced himself. "First name, Hugh. Second name, Jim. Last name, Bissell. They call me "Hugeimbecile!" It's a line similar to one Jim has used before. In his version, "I'm a Jimbissell, not an imbecile!"

Thursday was Water Taxi Day. Steve, Jim and I took a short run down the river to Bahia Mar, ogling the mansions and yachts all the while. We had a short walk on the beach there and returned to meet up with Sandra and their friend Pete who had driven down from St. Lucie for a visit. Pete was kind enough to take us all on a run to West Marine and a diesel can fill up. (We can always think of one more thing we "need" and this time, we purchased a solar light to attach to the stern rail for some cockpit lighting.) We returned to the river to have lunch at the Briny Irish Pub. The food was very good, the ceiling is chock-a-block full of all things maritime so there is lots to look at, and the company was excellent! I ate a crisp and tasty gorgonzola salad while the others had delicious fish and chips - light and tender batter and tasty fish.

After a short nap (it's the heat, you know) we set off again on the water taxi. It is a great deal - $15 for a whole day ticket that allows us to get on and off at any one of 11 stops. This time we went all the way to stop 11, ... After a short walk to view the beach and check out the ocean conditions, we returned to Shooters for happy hour beers, calamari, grouper fingers and guacamole. Our trip back in the dark allowed us to play voyeur and catch glimpses inside many of the well lit homes. The amount of space given to grand foyers, massive chandeliers and soaring ceilings is impressive. Drapes were rarely closed and we could see folks working in kitchens, sitting around dining tables, and sometimes lounging on patios as they watched us watching them.

The jokes told by the guides were for the most part lame and unoriginal - but it was interesting to hear who owns - or used to own - many of the houses: inventors and entrepreneurs and actors. Blockbuster, Taco Bell, a giant waste management company (whose boat is named Business Stinks!) Sunglass Hut. Sports team owners have party places here and many actors former homes line the river - Cher, Leonard Nimoy, Dinah Shore, Vivien Leigh, Farrah Fawcett.

Another day of exploration over, we settled down for a quiet night on the river.