This has been a year of Eos staying in Brunswick as we work to get her painted on deck – not an easy task when the weather is such a major factor. It can't be too cold, too hot, too humid, too wet or too windy or the paint chemistry won't work or we will get a bad paint job. Then there are the times when the no-see-ums are voracious and you can't stand to be outside with them. Right now the weather is beautiful for working but every morning the boat is wet, not just damp, and we have to wait until it dries before we can mask or sand or paint. That means only a half days work. A great deal of patience is required but we do progress although slowly. It has not been all work though. We have had many great times with family and friends this year. The gallery of pictures with this blog entry are the best description of the year.

We had a lovely a lovely Thanksgivings in 2014 with many existing and newly made friends here at the marina. Happy Hours through the year were another way to reconnect. I actually got out our Christmas decorations last year and we had a lovely tree decorating gathering with friends. And, of course, the Christmas was fun with a large gathering in the club houose lounge.

We were sad to see the crews of Valinor and Tres Bien head south but had so many grand times with them while they were here getting ready. The marina has been very active with Happy Hours Monday, Wednesday and Fridays plus potluck dinners the first and third Sundays of every month. Then there are all of the various holiday get-togethers – usually once a monthand the monthly trips to the Confederate Station for down home GA music.

Bill got to celebrate Easter here while I made a quick trip with friends Ann and Lynn. He needed to get to Houston for some heart surgery so I went along to help drive. The surgery went well and all is good with Lynn. The trip also gave me a chance to visit friends LeeAnn and Jerry who had moved there. They are selling Bella so seeing them will become more problematic since they won't be back to the marina. But as with so many of the friends we have made we will keep in touch. Mark and Chris from Silhouette sold their boat and have a bought a house in Houston as well. More reason to get a trip into Texas one of these days.

John and Joan are New Foundland friends on Changing Lanes came through again in the spring as they headed to the Bahamas. What fun to get together with them. We have such happy memories of sailing with them in Nova Scotia. Minnesota friends, the Rhodes, on Jubilee were around and we had Greg Hoffenkamp ,a single-handed sailor we met in Superior, WI, came down for a visit. Again there many people here from many places around the US as well as Canada, Germany, Australia, Scotland, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand to name a few. Some were long time cruisers and others are just starting off.

As the summer came it became hotter and more humid so we started looking at places to go to be away from GA. In June Bill had his 80th birthday which we celebrated with cake and friends but then after the July 4th celebration we headed to MN for our annual trip to see friends, family and doctors. This year we didn't stay as long a previous years – a week plus at my sister, Diana's, and a week pet and house sitting for her son, Tim. With all of the doctor appointments (everything is fine for both of us) and the lovely wedding of Tim's daughter, Bekah, and our shorter time there we just didn't get a chance to see as many MN friends as we would have liked to have seen. Next trip we will have to do better. As Bill described it, we then pin-balled our way back to Eos. We went from MN to NE to see childhood friends, to MO to see niece, Kim, and most of her family, to TN to see great niece, Shannon and to meet her brand new (2 day old) son Keaton, to NC to see brother, Bruce, to Newnan, GA to see niece, Tami, and then finally back to Brunswick.

Soon after returning we went to Mount Dora, FL to visit Kim and Amy Kelley and their children, Ben and Aislen. Their catamaran was on our dock and we became extended family very quickly. They graciously put up with us for over 3 weeks making sure that we understood that we now have a “home” in FL. They even loaned us one of their cars on Amy's days off (she is an ER Doctor and has a varied schedule). Having the car availablae allowed us to take a couple of quick trips to Ocala, FL to see long time MN friends, Joel and Michelle Towner and to drive over to Melbourne, FL to see Carol and Kent Davenport, long time home town NE friends.

The Kelleys had had the misfortune of getting Wonderstruck, their catamaran impaled on an I-beam in the ICW channel under a local bridge. The I-beam wasn't marked and it was not their fault. A barge was working on the wing gates that mark the channel under the bridge and had not only removed lights but had not buoyed the I-beam that stuck out in to the channel. It punched a Nerf football sized hole in their boat one the side with their batteries and a great deal of their electronics as well as one of their engines. Luckily no one was injured and the boat didn't sink. It was patched and then towed to a boat yard in Jacksonville. FL. After over $100,000 in repairs they are about ready to be relaunched. They had good insurance so that wasn't an issue but the insurance company will certainly be going after someone – the repair company or the state of Georgia. You just can't create a hazard to navigation like that in marked water ways. We had hoped to be able to cruise together with them this spring. Time will tell.

We have a freedom we have not had before because when Tim and Dorothea on Valinor left the first of November we worked a deal where we paid the difference in “parked” versus “being driven” insurance on their car. What great friends they are to do that for us. We are truly spoiled right now. We are even able to head to Newnan, GA to niece, Tami's for Christmas with her family, her dad (my brother)Scott and her brother Randy and his Sue and my brother Bruce and his son Bob. Will be fun to be with family for the holidays.

This year not only did we expand our extended family with the Kelleys but also not only added a great, great nephew but two great, great nieces. As mentioned we have seen Keaton and look forward to seeing both Marian and Kinsley one of these days. Since we turned 70 and 80 this year it is wonderful to see the next generations come along and to imagine what the future will hold for them. Not that we are ready to be done yet, of course. We are still enjoying our life style in spite of the work it takes to maintain it. We are both healthy, we have made and continue to make great friends. And as we say to each other after a tiring day working on Eos, “Well, it is better than sitting on a porch in a rocking chair”.