Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Grrrrr

Yep, its me again...Dad thought he would have the last word this year but not so. I celebrated my very first Christmas yesterday and it was great! After flying home ( I dont like airplanes but I behave pretty well cause I get to go) we got to the river and my deck and I had to check everything out at the house including running a few laps around the den and kitchen.

We spent Christmas day at Matt and Susans and I got to play all day with Riley and Bogie and open presents (mine and everybody else's too). When Dad and I got up at our usual 5:30am time it was snowing...first snow for me but it didnt last long. I got new toys and treats and got to see Jamey on the internet hook up...cool! Papa and MaMaw Wood came over for lunch and presents too. It's cold up here and I do miss the warm weather we left in Florida. Dad took me upstairs today and we got on scales and I topped out at a whopping 13 pounds....boating life has been good for me. I will make this update short and sweet cause I wont be sweet much longer today....heard Mom and Dad talking about a bath today and I know what's coming shortly. Attached are some Christmas pics and a few other loop pics with yours truly.

See you all later when we get back to Here and Now in some warmer weather next year.

Remember, bark more and growl more!!

Last Stop in 2009

We have made it to Fort Myers, Fl which is our final stop for 2009. We will be here a week and then head home to Tennessee for the holidays. We left Palm Island Marina yesterday after a stay of a week there. Very nice marina with access to beach and pool. The beach was not crowded and Carolyn got lots of shells. We biked a couple of days including riding to church on Sunday morning. It was a beautiful day yesterday on the water as we traveled @ 45 miles from Cape Haze, Fl to Fort Myers through Gasparilla Bay and Pine Island Sound including Captiva and Sanibel Islands. Several pics attached are from both near Palm Island and on the trip to Fort Myers. We had some dolphins who followed close behind our boat for a long time. Also note the slow speed zone sign for manatees. We saw some of these in the marina at Palm Island.

We have traveled almost 1100 miles by water and have been away from home for about 6 weeks. Enjoy the pics and we will update again in 2010 (unless Willi sneaks in and does a Christmas update).

Stay Safe....

Waiting Out the Rain.

We have been away from home for a month now. It sure doesn't seem that long. Last week we were in Clearwater Fl. The marina was right by a beautiful white beach and every chance we had we were there. That is between rain storms.... which aren't that bad because then you clean the boat and catch up on your laundry. Another thing that happens especially when it rains, is you meet everyone on the dock. Most are starting or finishing the Loop which lends itself to great evenings with everyone sitting in a large circle talking about their experiences. We learned where to eat along the way, what towns are unique to visit, and where to find the best price for gas/deisel. One of the quaint villages was Tarpon Springs. Its a greek community thats been there forever and has the best food and friendliest people. Got to shop a few hours in real stores, not a Walmart.

We are now in Cape Haze, Fl on the ICW after stopping yesterday at Cortez, Fl. The marina here is very nice and we may stay a few days....weather is great. We are now only 38 miles from Fort Myers where we will keep the boat for a month or so over the holidays.

Data, Zombies, and Taking Control

Hey Folks, its me again! I have picked up the lingo and learned a lot about the boating and navigation in short order including actually piloting the boat. Anyway, my Dad got so worked up about this big crossing we did that he would be quite upset with me if I did not update everyone on some info (data, he calls it) about our recent crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. So here are the facts and then I can speak to the fun stuff:

Left Panama City @ 7:15 am on Nov 28 and arrived at Apalachicola at 3 PM (Dad uses military time but I havent gotten into that yet). We refueled and headed back out across Apalachicola Bay at 3:45PM and went through Government Cut (Dad says this name sounds like a good idea) and into the big, big Gulf of Mexico. We traveled all night and arrived at Clearwater, Fl the next morning, Nov 29 at 10:45 am...a total of 19 hours from Apalachicola and 27 hours from Panama City. We traveled 61 miles from Panama City to Apalachicola and then 180 miles to Clearwater, Fl. The seas were 1-2 feet most of way and the boat did good....my Dad says all his fancy equipment worked and really helped out way out in the middle of the big water. Mom and I slept a lot upstairs with Dad...I did have to relieve Dad once as you can see in pic. We stayed in contact with the boat behind us every 30 minutes by radio. As we got close to Clearwater Dad started zigzagging to keep from hitting crab pots. Anyway, we made the big crossing and Dad kept using the word Zombie toward the end of the trip.

We are going to stay here a few days and it is a neat place. I am really peeved about something and I will just put it on the table now....They do not allow dogs on the public beaches here and the problem is that I am a Westie and that should be taken into account . I want to dig in the sand and check out the birds and kids on the beach. Dad says you have to be careful eating on the beach as one of the birds swooped down and snatched some chips right out of his hand! And another thing...as you can see in the pic Mom is using MY toys to decorate her morning beverages...not sure why? But guess it is OK...she does a good job of taking care of me in the mornings when Dad is busy with the boat and keeps me warm too! Oh, almost forgot, met a new little friend over Thanksgiving and played with him a while. Not as much fun as Riley and Bogie back home but I could handle this little guy.

It is much warmer down here now and I dont think I will have to wear that icky sweater they put on me sometimes for quite a while. We are going to rent a car today and go to some Greek town with sponges, Tarpon Springs I think.

Over and out, roger, and all that other stuff...plus remember Bark More, Growl More!!