We enjoyed a GREAT Thanksgiving at Garry's sister Vicki's house in Summerfield, FL.  Good neighbors, friends & family, including cousin MaryJane Buckman.  They & Jules came and picked us up from Daytona's Halifax Harbor Municipal Marina one day after we got in.  It was a little hairy getting there: the seas/water was up so much from constant NE blowing that the bridges were much "lower" than the preferred 64-65 feet.  But we made it through ok.

Helped Vicki finish preparing her dishes for the holiday feast, including fabulous mashed potato casserole, made more cornbread, ran for a few fill-in groceries for recipes, and helped touch up house and table settings.  Festivities started promptly at 3 PM on Thanksgiving Day with Wine and spinach appetizers, followed by homemade soup course at the table.  After a suitable pause, we cleared that course and helped set up main dish and all sides on the large table in the kitchen/smaller dining area. Then people cycled in to serve themselves.  All and all, it was a "feast fit for a king" or queen.  Even multi-course desserts.

Enjoyed several days of visiting with relatives before returning to Daytona for last day of laundry, more boat cleaning and put-away groceries from shopping.  Even visited friends Deb & Dan Skidmore of sv About Time at their new house in Orange, FL along with Kim and Gordon of sv Current Jumper.

Pulled out early the next morning and proceeded south at a pretty good clip.  Water was still high but not impossible.  Eventually, arrived at Vero Beach City Marina on Wednesday November 28th after couple more harrowing bridges.  It was blowing a bit and traffic was piled up at the fuel dock, but we perservered and got to our "new home", Mooring #28.  We were next to sv Undine, who we had met back at Osprey Marina in SC.  That day we saw sv Narsilion, ms Valkyrie and sv Orion, not our friends or NSHSA boats, but named-a-likes.

After we got settled down a little, we proceeded to contact a real estate lady we know to look at some houses in Vero Beach area to serve as a new homebase.  Did this over 3 or 4 trips until we found one we really liked and made an offer on it.  It's a "Short Sale" so may well take some time, 2-3 months to learn our fate.  In the meantime, Cath fought a tiring battle with the Shingles, which she somehow got.  Very painful, annoying and almost disfiguring while fighting it.  Also expensive!  Almost recovered now, thank goodness!  I would strongly suggest you all get the Shingles Vaccine, especially if covered under your medical coverage.

Last weekend we enjoyed the local Light UP! boat parade right near the marina.  We had a front row seat from our dink.

Now we are finishing up small boat and provisioning details.  We've been here so long, we emptied our our big water tank of 100 gallons and started on one of the smaller ones.  Garry made 4 dink trips of 6 buckets to replenish.  Cath helped him back at the boat.  Have some provisioning to do:  groceries and Rotella engine oil, mostly before we get ready to pull out this coming Thursday, December 20th.  We have decorated the boat with wreaths, lights outside and in, little tree, etc.