Still - Vero Beach

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!

Well! We can truly say we now know why everyone calls this "Velcro Beach"! It sorta just grabs you and holds on forever. When we arrived three weeks ago yesterday, we had no idea we would spend Christmas here. But in all honesty, I cannot think of a better, prettier spot to be anchored/moored in than right here! The reason we are still here is that I have had to have some emergency dental work done as most of you already know. In many respects, I am very lucky because my dental problems started here rather than somewhere in the Bahamas. But, I bet there is even good dental care over there too! After a temporary crown, root canal, and then the permanent crown, I am finally over the hump.

I have spent some time contemplating this Holiday Season and what it would be like to spend it on our boat, away from home and our two precious girls, Lucy and Sally, and away from our family and friends. I must admit that in many respects we miss being home enjoying sharing the Christmas Season with our many loved ones. With that being said, I must share that my next thoughts were about the many blessings we have to be grateful for and the new friends we are meeting along our journey! I just wanted to share with you all a few of these folks.

First, I was really fortunate to find a Dental Office where everyone in the practice treated us so respectfully and professionally. Dr. Overlease and Romona, his Assistant, were especially kind and competent! They went out of there way to accommodate my needs. When totally dependent on such things as the dinghy working, being able to find a space to tie-up at the dinghy dock, and being on time for the GoLine(Vero's free public transportation bus), it can sometimes be a little more complicated when making appointments. These folks were so accommodating and considerate about this. They treated us as if we had been coming to them for 20 years! So, to all of you at Coast Dental, Buck and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Secondly, I marvel at what a small world this really is and how you never know who you might meet and what role they might play in your life. Let me elaborate. When coming into the harbor three weeks ago, we noticed a boat that was already moored named "Bees Knees". Interestingly enough, we had seen this boat in Ocracoke last summer when we were there for the Music Festival. Its hailing port is Beaufort, N.C. I have learned in cruising that the showers and laundry facilities provide great places to get acquainted with your fellow boaters! Interestingly enough that is where I met Ann, the captain and owner, of "Bees Knees". I had just finished my shower when I started a conversation with a gal about crusing with dogs. I am always looking for folks who are traveling with their 4-legged children so that we can share our intimate stories as well as seek advice. Come to find out, Ann lived aboard "Bees Knees". After further talk, we discovered that we have many friends in common back in N.C. even though she if from Ohio originally.  Neil, at Morehead City Yacht Basin, who is a good friend of ours, actually helped her find the boat. She also was at Matthews Point Marina, our marina where we keep our boat, during some of the past hurricanes participating in the hurricane drills. She knows Jet who is the owner of our marina. Somehow we missed meeting her. Little did I know when talking with Ann in the shower what a true angel she would end up being for us. We were cooking one night and all of a sudden, the stove went out. We had used up our first tank of propane. Well, lucky for us, we have a 2nd. tank so we could continue cooking our meal. The next day we started to investigage where and how we could get the tank filled. We learned that Florida has a law that you cannot transport propane on any public transportation - that meant no bus, no Klub Kar(one of the local cabs). What were we going to do? The walk to the propane store is at least 5-6 miles if not longer. Needless to say carrying a filled 10 lb. tank would not be comfortable. Guess who offered us her car so that we could get our propane and any other needs we might have? You guessed it - Ann! Oh, but Ann wasn't finished. On Wednesday of this week, Buck was sitting in the cockpit working on the hand-held GPS and happened to notice that one side of the dinghy was sinking into the water. Yuk!!! That can only mean a hole in the rubber dinghy or some other type or leak somewhere. For those of you who are not boaters, our transportation to land begins with our dinghy carrying us from the boat to our designated area. So to say our dinghy is important and necessary is a true understatement! After getting to shore, removing the engine, lifting the dinghy onto the grassy area, and using a bucket of soapy water, we were able to find the teeny tiny hole about the size of a pin head. What is good about traveling with a competent Captian is his ability to fix things. Thus, Buck was able to patch the hole. That is the good news. The bad news was the dinghy would be out of the water for 24 hours. Oh no! How will we get to and from the boat? My appointment for my permanent crown is scheduled on Thursday and Magic has an appointment with the Vets to get his Health Certificate for the Bahamas . And Christmas Eve is Friday and these places will be closed. I bet you cannot guess who stepped in and helped us out again? You guessed it - Ann, our new friend and guardian angel! Not only did she loan us her van again, she graciously ferried us to and from shore in her dinghy. Ann, you will never know how much we appreciate you and your overwhelming kindness!! We wish you and Lucy (her Springer puppy) the Merriest Christmas ever and a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year! We look forward to eating with you tomorrow at the Cruisers' Potluck Christmas Lunch.

So you see - the spirit of Christmas is wherever you are because it is found in people who are performing kind, considerate acts on a regular basis and are doing it because they care! My wish for each of you this Christmas Season is that you have these people in your life too. My hope for myself is that I carry the spirit of Christmas today and throughout the new year.

We want our family and friends to know that we will keep you in our hearts and prayers today and every day throughout 2011! May God Bless you and your families!

Fair winds and until next time,

Vicki, Buck, and Magic

St. Mary's, Georgia to Vero Beach, Florida

I have written in my previous blogs about the many beautiful places we have visited, the magical anchorages we have enjoyed with their majestic sunrises and sunsets, their abundance of wildlife both on land and in the water, and the many hours spent in methodically meandering down the winding, lazy and comforting ICW with its many creeks and man made cuts.  It seems that each new anchorage and each new stretch of the ICW brings with it equally beautiful places as the ones before it.  Words seem so inadequate to describe the sheer beauty St. Mary's and Cumberland Island.  Each place we visit brings with it many nice, friendly people that are there to help in anyway they can.  This was especially true for us in St. Mary's.  As I said in the previous post, we motored into our anchorage at St. Mary' (on November 15) to find our friends, Dan and Cheryl, whom we had met last summer in Orcacoke.  It was great to get reaquainted with Dan since Cheryl was in New England visiting with her family.  We were sitting in our cockpit enjoying a cup of coffee when a dinghy motored over to us with the couple from Lawanda on it.  They came to welcome us to St. Mary's and to see if we needed anything.  They had a house and car in St. Mary's and offered to take us to the grocery store or anywhere we needed to go.  One thing we have learned is never pass up the offer to go to the grocery store, especially when someone has a car.  So we gratefully accepted.  We found St. Mary's to be a very friendly and welcoming town to boaters. They have an annual Thanksgiving Feast that the town sponsors for all boaters anchored in the harbor.  We would have loved to have stayed for that, but we felt we needed to continue south since Thanksgiving was still a week away.  But before we do that, we took a must-see visit to Cumberland Island.  Many of our friends had told us this was a place we didn't want to miss and we found they were right! Wow!!! What a beautiful island with its serenity, its well-maintained and natural vegetation, and its abundant wildlife.  It was remarkable to see the wild turkeys and the wild (or supposedly wild) horses grazing in the grass.  Then there were the armadillos scurrying around and then hiding under the brush when they would hear our feet walking down the dirt path.  The buildings that have been there for centuries were breathtaking and huge even in their ruins.  The remains of the Dungeness mansion was something to behold!  Standing there in the sunlight and quiet, you could almost feel the presence of those who lived there so many years ago.  It was really an awesome experience.  I am not sure these few pictures do it justice.  It was obvious the the horses looked forward to the tourists who come to visit their home because they would approach with caution waiting for a treat or snack of some kind! We had been asked by the Park Service folks not to feed them so, of course, being the rule followers that we are, we complied with their request.  By the behavior of the horses, it was pretty clear that others had not.

One of the many things I have loved about this trip is the many reminders of the men and women who have committed themselves to keeping our country and its people safe.  We passed by the Kings Bay Submarine Base in Cumberland Sound.  What an impressive complex!  When traveling from our anchorage in St. Mary's to our mooring ball in Fernandina Beach, Florida, the Coast Guard alerted all Mariners that a submarine would be leaving the base and heading out to sea.  What a sight to see!  We were able to just see the black, silhouette of the submarine skimming the top of the ocean headed out the inlet there at Fernandina Beach.  It literally took my breath away.  We should be so grateful to live in this country of ours and at that moment it was never more clear to me as just how grateful and thankful I am!

We spent two days in Fernandina and really enjoyed the Historic District.  We even got to see the NC State/Georgetown basketball game in one of the sports bars.  The bartender just smiled at me when I asked him if he would mind turning one of the TV's to ESPNU and I explained who I wanted to see!  Then it was on to Palm Coast where we were going to spend Thanksgiving and meet up with our friends, Vic and GiGi on GiGi's Island.  We were really looking forward to that!

On the way to Palm Coast, we passed St. Augustine but didn't have time to stop.  Maybe next time.  While in the South Amelia River, we enjoyed the many dolphins splashing and having fun.  There were several that came right up beside the boat while we were motoring and would come up out of the water and look at me.  I would talk to them and they would look at me, make a sound, go under and come back up.  I would talk with them again and they would do the same thing.  This went on for about 10 minutes.  Buck's comment was that I could be in the middle of the River and still find someone to talk to!

Palm Coast Marina was a great place to spend Thanksgiving!  We were there from Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Tuesday after.  It was a really great week!  Palm Coast is another beautiful and friendly community.  We enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving meal on our boat with turkey and all the trimmings!  We were at a Marina so we had cable and were able to see all the ballgames we cared to.  We met our new friends, Bob and Penny on Pretty Penny and enjoyed getting to know them over several dinners together.  They are good friends of Vic and GiGi from previous trips to the Islands.  Vic and GiGi returned from visiting family on Saturday night and we immediately began planning the next leg of our trip.  We would more than likely be buddy boating until and when we cross to the Bahamas.

While traveling from Palm Coast to Vero Beach, we passed another awe-inspiring landmark if our country - Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.  We could see the launch pad from our cockpit where so many space shuttles have been launched.  Another one of those goose bump moments!

Now we are in Vero Beach or Velcro Beach as many mariners call it.  Another boater friendly community where the "Go-Line" (city bus transportation) will take you wherever you need to go for just a donation and "Klub Kar" (city cab service) will take us and Magic anywhere for a nominal fee.  We are loving it here as we are literally tied up with Vic and GiGi on a mooring ball.  We are in walking distance to the beach and Ocean Drive with as many shops as there are boats in the harbor! This town is certainly a "shopper's paradise"!  We will be here a little longer than originally thought due to some dental problems I developed in the last day or two.  I am in need of a crown - yuk!  But the good news is I found a really nice Dentist and we started the process yesterday.  They are rushing the permanent crown and I should have it on the 21st. the day the Lab closes and the day before the Dentist closes for the holidays.  If it had to happen, I feel very fortunate that it happened now and here.

As the Holidays approach, Buck and I remember with fondness the many memories we share with many of you and can only wish that you and your family will have a very Happy Holiday Season filled with all the joys, promises, and blessings the Christmas season brings!

Merry Christmas!  Love to all!  Fair winds to all!
Vicki, Buck, and Magic