Cold Rain, Warm Beer, Bad food And The Blues

SHIP'S LOG:

The rain hung on until mid afternoon and so another day was spent in Fort Lauderdale. One good thing was that there is a Blues festival going on in the city and one of the sites is a ho, skip and a jump away in a small par just down the Riverwalk. It was a good way to kill the day. The bands were pretty decent and were certainly courageous. Playing an electric guitar in the rain takes a special kind of crazy but no one in the bands seemed to mind, especially those who weren't play electrical instruments and the crowd, small as it was appreciated the effort. And as I said, they were pretty decent.

Other than that it was a low point day, again went and cold and generally miserable. I took as much of the rain-soaked music as I could and went back the the boat. If i had known where it was and could find a way to get there, I might have attended the Greek Festival at the Church of St. Demetrios. They say the food at this festival is really something if you like Greek food. What they do with lamb is out of this world. No one around here seemed to know exactly where the church was and I didn't have the cash for a taxi ride, after all it might be some fair distance away. I had to suffice on my own culinary skills and creations.

I shall make a valiant attempt to make it to at least North Miami tomorrow and possibly to Miami Beach and maybe even farther. I have a half dozen spots picked to anchor and one of them should be available. At least the rain has stopped and there is no more predicted in the immediate future, though it will be chilly tonight - in the 40's. Yes, I know that most of you would love to have it in the 40's where you are but trust me, after days and days and days of 70's and 80's, temps in the 40's is "really" cold!

I am still amazed at the huge powerboats going up and down the New River. Most of them have professional crews because over a certain length, 60 feet I believe, you really do need a captains license to run the boat. And unless these owners have lots of sons in their 20's, they have professional crews. A number of them even have to be towed up and down the river so tight are some of the turns and bridges.

I have a few days over a month before I will make the turn for home. And since it will be well over 1,300 miles, I am not too, too interested in getting too much further south. I'll only have to go over the same track on the way back and it doesn't make a great deal of sense to really push on too much further. I may have to move a bit in the Miami area as they don't allow for anchoring anywhere in the Miami area for more than 7 consecutive days, though I am not quite sure exactly what defines the limits of "the Miami Area."

I had several more people walk by the boat since I have been in Fort Lauderdale wanting to know if I am "Finish." They all seemed disappointed that I was not for some reason. And they are all surprised that I am by myself. I am beginning to get the impression that there are not as many people doing this solo as I originally thought.I guess it really is something special