Weather forecast for December 27, 2018:
Skipjack Marina, Marathon, Florida
Low 68 high 75
West winds, 10 to 15 kts
Captain’s Log: November 20, 2018 thru December 26, 2018
When we departed Port Charlotte back in October we left our SUV at Safe Cove Boat Yard so, on Tuesday, November 20th, we rented a car from the Enterprise office at the Marathon Airport and drove back to Safe Cove to retrieve our vehicle.
With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away Shirley thought that it would be nice, since we were in the neighborhood, to reach out to our friend Bebe, who was alone in her condo in Cape Coral. Bebe jumped at the chance to spend the holiday with friends and we found ourselves back at her place once again.
On Thanksgiving Day Bebe, Shirley and I climbed into our SUV and, with Bebe as our tour guide, set off to explore Pine Island.
On our way to the island, as we drove through the funky little town of Matlacha, we passed the Yucatan Waterfront Bar and Grill. It was too early for dinner but, in front of the restaurant, on a makeshift marquee (chalk on a black board), a sign read "Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins' served 2:00 - 7:00". I immediately knew where we would be eating later in the day.
We drove down to the southern tip of Pine Island and did a quick exploration of tiny St. James City. On the way back we stopped at the Yucatan and I ordered the "Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins' served 2:00 - 7:00". Although it felt a bit strange to be eating turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie in an open-air restaurant, on the water, on a sunny, 75-degree day, the meal was delicious. (Special Note: I also had a SECOND Thanksgiving Dinner back at the boat a few days later. Shirley's home-cooked meal was much better than Yucatan's).
Upon returning to Bebe's we discovered that the water heater in her condo had ruptured and the carpet was soaking wet. Fortunately, we caught it early and quick thinking and action by the three of us prevented serious damage.
After the crisis had past, we relaxed and enjoyed a great evening of conversation and drinks; we then retired for the night feeling quite satisfied. Back to Marathon in the morning.
Sometime during the next week, in the late afternoon, while we were relaxing in the Skipjack pool, Shirley started a conversation with two strangers who were drinking beer while dangling their feet in the water. The strangers were Blake and Stilyana, from Gardiner, Montana, who were staying at Skipjack for the next 10 days. We struck up a good friendship with these two over the next week.
Stilyana is from Bulgaria and Blake is the owner of the Iron Horse Bar & Grill on Route 89 in Gardiner. As luck would have it, Shirley and I drove through Gardiner only four months earlier (Gardiner is just outside Yellowstone National Park, only a few miles from the norther Park entrance/exit). We probably drove right past the Iron Horse as we were leaving the Park.
On December 7th, our friends Robert and Karen joined us for a long weekend on the boat. Robert and Karen also enjoyed the company of Blake and Stilyana and, a few days later, the six of us went for a day sail out to the Sombrero Light Tower. We didn't quite make it all the way out to the Tower as Stilyana started to turn green.
Two days later we (Robert, Karen, Shirley and I) headed for Key West to get the mandatory, limited dose of the weirdness. In Mallory Square, after enduring the ravings of 'The Cat Man', Robert was selected to be "Miss Sunset", the lovely assistant of yet another street "artist"; this one a not-so-high-wire balancing act. We all got a good laugh at Robert's expense and then headed to Pepe's for a great dinner. Robert and Karen departed, bound for the frozen north, on December 10th.
The next two weeks were uneventful. Shirley was consumed with Kellogg-related work, mostly emails and conference calls, while I tackled a few boat-related projects (including the hanging of Christmas lights on our boat). Every evening we would walk around the golf course that was just across the street from Skipjack. We also took a few dinghy rides around the harbor.
Activities at the Skipjack docks increased noticeably as Christmas approached. A few noteworthy items worth mentioning:
The City of Marathon sponsors a Christmas Parade every year and Greg, a long-time live-aboard at Skipjack, was the Parade's guest of honor. He also graced a few of our dock Happy Hour gatherings while in uniform.
A day or two prior to the big Parade, the Skipjack Happy Hour Team held a 'special event' at the picnic tables on the dock in front of our boat. Nothing special here, just the same group of borderline drunks telling the same old lies. It was a good time.
We enjoyed an early Christmas dinner at the Key Colony Restaurant and then attended a 10:00pm Christmas Eve Mass at San Pablo Catholic Church with our dock friends Bruce and Claudette Freeman. We actually arrived at the Church one hour before Mass to hear a choir and string trio perform traditional Christmas carols. The music was beautiful, and it reminded me of the many Christmas Eve masses that Shirley and I had attended at St. Lawrence Church in Cincinnati with my aging parents. Good memories, old and new.
After mass we took a stroll through the beautiful gardens, decorated with Christmas lights, behind the Church.
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!