Well, Jeff did it again...he took off for a motorcycle trip to Mexico with Jim and a bunch of Colorado guys, and left Izzy and me here on the boat in Fort Myers, FL for ten days. At least he didn't make the mistake of going on Izzy's birthday like he did last year. As I recall, that cost him some points, not to mention the bill from Morton's Steak House in Fort Lauderdale where Izzy and her cousins, Brian and BJ, racked up a sizable tab on his credit card as they celebrated without him!
This year while we were waiting for Jeff to return to Fort Myers from his Mexico boondoggle, Izzy and I rented a car and took a road trip across Florida. We drove across the southern tip of Florida to visit with cousins BJ, Brian, and Jimmy and pick up our new salon table that they had been keeping for us in Deerfield Beach. Our route took us through “Alligator Alley” where we saw lots of swampy land with moss hanging from the trees and beautiful white birds sitting on their branches.
If I looked real close, I could see alligators sunning themselves along the road. Luckily there was a big fence between the swamp and the road. I was afraid Izzy might want to stop and take pictures like she usually does, but she didn’t stop the car.
I was especially glad she kept on driving after I saw a sign like this one
We had a fun time with cousins BJ, Brian and Jimmy. I kept watch over BJ’s house while everyone else went out for dinner. I think they had Italian and wine by the smell of their breath.
On our way back to Fort Myers, Izzy took me through Fort Lauderdale to check out our old “hood”. I remember being there last year before we took off on our long journey around the Great Circle Loop. We drove by our old slip, and then went for lunch at the Floridian, where the waiters bring me water and treats while I watch the tourists pass by. It's easy to coax some of them to pet me.
Well, Jeff finally finished his Mexico motorcycle trip with Jim and a bunch of other Colorado guys. He came back to Fort Myers, FL with all his body parts in tact, so Izzy was real happy about that. We thought we were going to be able to start traveling south again right away, but the weather hasn't been too cooperative. Its been rainy with cold winds that are blowing so hard that I have to wear my harness every time I get off the boat to go for a walk.
To keep us busy, we did a little touristing here for a few days while we waited for a calm day. One night we went to a light parade in Fort Myers that was celebrating Thomas Edison's birthday. (He was born here, you know.) There were floats and bands from all the surrounding towns with crazy lights on them. This floating lightbulb with the smiley face and sunglasses was leading the parade. I wore my glow-in-the-dark necklace, and my flashing ID tag.
The next day we took a tour of the Thomas Edison's Estate, and Izzy must have caught Jeff holding hands with this metal lady on a bench. What's with those white socks? Is that a Mexico thing?
Meanwhile Izzy stood with Thomas Edison himself (he's so old he turned to stone!) under a huge Banyon Tree that took up the whole yard.
This is another time when I wasn't allowed to pee on the trees there.
Jeff found a favorite car in the museum that reminded him of one his dad used to have. I'm surprised the Fashion Police let him in with those white socks and deck shoes.
Soon we were back on the water heading south, still trying to find the warm part of the country.
Shrimp boats were everywhere,
and tons of crab pots like this one that we have to dodge so we don't run over them. Jeff does a pretty good job, but sometimes he just doesn't pay attention, and Izzy and I hear a few muffled words, and boat turns wildly for a few seconds or stops. Usually we miss those pesky pots, but sometimes we have a trail of rope following us for a little way before Jeff figures out the problem.
With so many of these things in the water, we should be in for some good eating.
Our next stop was in Marco Island at the Factory Bay Marina. They have big beautiful palm trees surrounding the docks
and soft grass for me to...um...well...check out the "news in the neighborhood".
We walked to breakfast the next morning, and saw the strangest manatees on the side of the road holding mailboxes. I'd heard that they are quite friendly, but surely they have better things to do with their time.
This one even had a broken arm...one of those power boater accidents, no doubt. And she dragged her baby out here with her too!
Good to be a dog here in this town instead.
I think Jeff's been thinking about scuba diving, but it's too cold here right now.
At the end of the road, there was a cute restaurant called "Sweet Peas" where they let dogs come in and have breakfast, too.
I ordered ham and eggs, but I guess the waitress didn't understand me - I just got a dog biscuit.
We left after breakfast, and after a day of rockin' and rollin' in the rough seas, we tucked into a sheltered area and anchored at a place called Little Snake River with seven other boats nearby. Anchoring is nice when the weather is good, because we can barbeque on board and have a quiet night watching nature and the stars, but I usually have to use my "yard" if there isn't anywhere to dinghy to shore. Jeff likes it because, as he says, it a "zero dollar day".
There was a real pretty sunset as we put some salmon on the grill and relaxed with a glass of wine, and without any mosquitoes, (it was too cold!). I counted a bazillion stars at night when I went out to my "yard" for a wiz before bed. Well, that might be an exaggeration. I really only know how to count to a million.
Had to get to bed early, because Jeff said we were going to Marathon the next day as soon as the sun came up. I don't know where that is, but Wendy said she was going to a marathon and she had to run about 26 miles. I was worried that it might be the same place. I haven't been in training.
But as you can see, I didn't have to do any running. Instead I sat up here on the flybridge supervising Jeff and Izzy, relaxing and reading while the water turned this beautiful aqua color right before my eyes.
As it turns out, Marathon is town on a little island in the beautiful Keys. As we entered the harbor in this cute town, six dolphins played in front of us. They did flips in pairs as if they were trained at Sea World.
Jeff spotted a fuel dock and decided to fill up before going into the marina so we'd have plenty of diesel for the rest of our travels in the Keys this week.
It wasn't until he spoke with another boater the next day that he found out that we had spent $1 more per gallon than everyone else who knew enough to buy it from the fuel truck that brings it right to your boat!
So, 500 gallons, at a dollar more per gallon... that means he spent....well...errr...a lot more money than he needed to. This was NOT a zero-dollar-day.
We made our way through the rows and rows of boats tied to moorings in the harbor and finally got to Sombrero Marina Dockside where we had managed to get a slip at the last minute.
That night we went to the dog friendly Sombrero Marina Dockside Bar and Grill for dinner. I got to sit at the table with Jeff and Izzy, while Jeff gave me some of his chicken under the table. Lots of people came over to find out what kind of dog I am, and I heard Jeff tell one guy that I'm a "California Beagle", and then he told someone else that I'm an "Alaskan Licksalot". I think he's confused, because a long time ago I heard Izzy say that I'm a "Yankee Doodle". I like that, and besides, there's a song about me that she sang to me once.
There were a lot of crusty old salts there at the bar having beers and listening to the singer. They were all laughing real loud and having a good time. It must have been real fun because in the morning, some of those same guys were still at the bar having their coffee...at least I think it was coffee, but it's served in a bottle...must be iced coffee. I'm sure they were getting ready to go to work, don't ya think?
Well, today Izzy is busy doing wash, cleaning the boat and fixing up the v-berth. I've seen that drill before. Must be company coming. Wonder who it will be this time.....
I hope they like dinghy rides.
Love,
Ben
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