When John called the courthouse yesterday there was a recorded message confirming that he needed to come in. We both had mixed feelings about it. We are looking forward to begin our adventure but John is curious about serving as a juror and I am quite looking forward to having the boat to myself. We spent the evening researching cell phone policy. One leaflet said cell phones can be left with the clerk while the written instructions said no cell phones are allowed in the building. It would be really nice to have a cell phone so he could update me, but if it’s not allowed he would have nowhere to hide it. He could not just take it back to the car and it is a 25 minute walk to the courthouse from the marina. In the end, he decided to play it safe and leave it here. He memorized the route and left Timmy and I in bed at 8:40. Timmy and I enjoyed a sleep in and a leisurely breakfast before we locked up the boat and set off for a morning walk. We (okay, I) decided to walk to the courthouse and find a place for a coffee and light lunch. John planned to call me from a landline if he got a lunch break. It was only a mile away, but the heat and humidity were stifling. I stopped to give Timmy some water and realized I had forgotten to bring anything for me. A guy stopped his car and called over to see if I was okay. I guess the locals are used to having tourists faint in the street. Luckily that wasn’t me, but I was treated to a local history lesson. We got to the courthouse ten minutes later and I did an online search for a cafe. There was one 800 feet away so I headed there for water and wait to see if John got a break. What I had not accounted for was that this was the area around the Courthouse. The cafe was right next to the bail bond place and looked like the sort of place only a truck driver might dare to enter (no offense to truck drivers). Anyway, it was closed. Timmy and I turned to cross the road in the other direction to locate the Starbucks. On the other side of the road, smiling broadly, was John. He had not been picked to be a juror and had just finished for the day. Perfect! Who needs cell phones? Well, apparently this is the first week that jurors are now allowed to bring cell phones into the courthouse. Anyway, we were so happy to see John after our three hours of alone time. Timmy just showed his delight a bit more enthusiastically than I did. John does have to go again tomorrow morning along with the other 50 prospective jurors so he has about a, I don’t know, he probably won’t be picked. We should be able to begin our adventure on Wednesday! Meanwhile, we are holed up in the boat as thunderstorms surround us and John, as ever, is working on the engine.