Tuesday, March 1, 2011

RAIN!!!! Well, Possibly.

SHIP'S LOG:

Today was another one of those day . . . you know what I mean. A good day to sit around and enjoy the sunshine an do lots of nothing. Unfortunately, I also had to go and do some shopping. So, since I am still "sear pin-less," I took ABISHAG on a three mile cruise up to South Beach and dropped the hook and then rowed the mile up the Collins Canal to Publix. Before I went there, I did a little stroll to the local CVS to pick up a few items that are actually cheaper there than at Publix.The CVS is about 5 blocks south of Publix on Alton Avenue in what you might call a very "avaunt garde" section. One of the stores I passed was a second-hand clothing boutique called "Out Of The Closet" which also offered free HVI Testing.

Miami broke some kind of record with the temperature today and the row to and from where I had anchored ABISHAG got me rather overheated. So after I got back to the "Free" Miami Anchorage and had stored all the stuff, I went for a little swim. Just me and the dolphins . . . or so I thought. I was approached as I swam by a manatee. It was the size of a couple of sofas and about as ugly as you can imagine. Of course, all the stories about mermaids are attributed to sailors long at sea who spy a manatee. Take it from me, you would have to be at sea a LLLLONG time to see a manatee and come up with mermaid.

We are going to get socked with a front passing tonight(they always seem to come at night) and there will be a lot of wind and quite possibly 1/4 inch of rain. The wind just did a 180 from South to North so the front is definitely here. It will make for an anxious night and probably not one of a lot of sleep. But the holding is good and things should be just fine.

In about 2 weeks or less, I will begin the long trip back. Me and the spring weather will travel together so it might be awhile before I get back.The ICW has no secrets for me now and there are some places I really want to see. It should be a rather interesting trip back.