MIDORI ADVENTURES

SEASON 12
JANUARY, 2020

My monthly calendar is filled with events, routines, get togethers and boat chores:

For the third year in a row, Brian participated in the Polar Bear Plunge on January 1st and later on that day we enjoyed tasting chilli at the Chilli Cook Off. We are so lucky to be located next to the City Park where we have gone to the Conch Records Music Festival and the Celtic Festival this month. We caught a performance by "Lady A" at Dockside, but were disappointed not to get to see "Fiddle Rock". We love going to the Marathon Theatre to see the latest movies. It's air-conditioned, and we can have cold draft beer with our popcorn! We enjoyed being able to participate in the Nautical Flea Market organized by the boaters in the Harbour where we exchanged some DVD's and found some boat hardware. We walked to the Marathon Garden Club for their Open House and enjoyed the creations by Artisans and Crafters. Happy Hours with pot luck appetizers at the Tiki Hut have been most enjoyable this year with jazz entertainment by a husband and wife who have a boat in the harbour. Sunday breakfasts at the Legion are a must!

We are doing Yoga in the Park two days per week and walking three miles a day. Most days, the walk includes our favourite salad lunch at Wendy's. We are feeling more fit and losing weight.

We are enjoying the company of friends Gene & Charlene on motor vessel TWOCAN who arrived on January 1st. Happy Hours, walks, Bocce, meals out, meals aboard and quite a few games of FARKLE. We were pleased to meet their daughter and her boyfriend who came from the "north" to Florida for a week's holiday!

We have also made some new friends, like Bill from sailing vessel CYBELE, Sheila & Jeff on SV NAUTILUS and Donna & David on a Gemini Catamaran OFF DUTY.

At the end of January, friends Vernon and Pam cruised down to Marathon for a week's stay at the BlackFin Resort. We enjoyed a couple of meals out with them, including fresh peel & eat shrimp at the new Sparky's location. (The old Sparky's was destroyed during the last Hurricane).

I enjoyed playing Bocce because I was able to play fairly well. Brian and I also enjoyed some happy hour meals at Overseas Bar and Grill. The happy hour appetizers and drinks make for an economical and enjoyable supper.

So far I've listed all the nice stuff, but living on a boat on a mooring ball has some downsides: We are at the mercy of the weather and there have been quite a few northern fronts pass through here in the past few weeks. Wind, rain and cooler temperatures make for an uncomfortable ride in the dinghy. So there have been quite a few days spent aboard reading; listening to the radio; lashing down covers and sails and loose items and checking mooring lines for chafe; monitoring our solar power and battery power; running the back up generator if necessary.

Like owning a home, we can never get away from chores and we never go ashore without having to pack an assortment of things in the dinghy like trash bags and recyclables, water jugs, yoga mats, gasoline containers, shower bags, the grocery cart, laundry bags. And always, we have to be prepared for moisture - either from a sudden rain shower or choppy water.

In review, it has been a very busy month filled with many memorable moments.



Lynn