Monday

January 2nd, 2017

Kay and Jim, Joell wanted you to know that we do ride our bikes...

We almost lost Elwood...

Two days before leaving Pink Shell, Elwood and Mike walked Joell off the boat, past the elevated marina office, across the street and waited for the Trolley to show up.  Joell got on the Trolley and rode it to Walgreens.... Elwood and Mike went back to the boat.  Mike decided to start loading the bicycles for our departure onto the boat and after the second one was carried up the stairs to the fly bridge Mike noticed a Trolley had stopped at Pink Shell and either dropped off or picked up some passengers and then drove away...(Joell wouldn't be back for a good hour or more) Right about then Mike thought of Elwood...the transom door was open and he hoops off by himself pretty much anytime we disembark...  all of a sudden I hear "Mike"...it's Dave the Marina manager carrying Elwood in his arms like his baby...  I told Dave that I had just got done loading the bikes and was wondering where Elwood was...he said, I know, I was watching you!  Dave was perched high atop the Marina office where he was watching over everything at the marina and said that he witnessed Elwood leave the boat, walk down the long floating dock, up the ramp to the hard (ground) and that's when he decided to intervene and pick up Elwood... 

All we can guess is that Elwood was heading to the Trolley stop to greet Joell on her return....or was heading to the marina office to get another treat from Dave the Dock Master...

we had a little talk with Elwood after that, but not sure if he understood...

After leaving Pink Shell Marina and Resort we grabbed a mooring ball just south of there...The picture shows a painter, which makes it a lot easier to grab the mooring ball.  Not all mooring balls have painters attached to them.

Looking north at the mooring field...

From the mooring field we took the dinghy over to Salty Sam's to watch the Packers kick the Lions #%&!

Tim and Michell, if you were down here with your sail boat you could deck it out like this sailboat...

Back at Salty Sam's to help the Packers Win...

I figure that when you go to a church festival you have to "drink for god" to support the church,

well isn't it the same for the Packers?  Ok, we only had two buckets of beers...between Joell and myself.

Kay, these were taken for you so you know were at Salty Sam's, aka, Parrot Key...

Leaving our mooring area this morning, back under the Carlos bridge and out into the Gulf...

More restaurants in Matanza's Pass as we head under the bridge...

Coming back past the Pink Shell Marina, heading out into the Gulf...A month was long enough.  We are ready to head out and continue our adventure.

Looking at the Pink Shell Resort from out in the Gulf...Bye Pink Shell👋

So, why would our speed stop working on our Ray Marine unit....well, after you sit a month #@%& grows on things...this is my water wheel that transmits my speed to the display...thank goodness it's removable from inside the boat for cleaning....

That's better..... Joell screamed when she saw the wiggly things living in there...

After leaving Fort Myers Beach we cruised past Naples and pulled into Marco Island to an anchorage...  Low and behold but who was there........another boat flying the looper flag... 

We had cocktails and Hors d'oeuvre's on our boat... Turns out these Loopers are from Canada...Thunder Bay!  They're Rachel and Nick Kovachis, a wonderful couple on a 38' Bayliner called Sandy Gail II !!!  They are leaving the anchorage tomorrow but we hope to run into them again!

Elwood leaves the boat again!!!

After a nice evening with Rachel and Nick, they boarded their dinghy which was tied to our transom...Nick got on first, then he helped Rachel into the front seat...then Elwood disembarked from off the swim platform right into Rachel's lap...he was ready for a boat ride we think!

we had another talk with Elwood...we don't think we're getting through to him!!!