I'm back again, writing.  I was so discouraged, trying to download pictures onto my new computer that I lost interest in writing a blog 'til I could solve that problem.    Technology concerns are frustrating me so much.   

But, above is the beach we bicycled to during the Memorial Day weekend.   There were people on the water everywhere that weekend - at the beach, on the sand shoals in the intercoastal and at the Fort Matanzas anchorage where we spent two days.   The last night of that anchorage we were up during the middle of the night watching whether we were changing position.   We wondered because the wind was blowing hard one way and the current was running fast another way, keeping the boat swinging around its anchor and the water sloshing against the boat and the anchor line came from aside the boat, not straight from its bow, as we're used to.    We marked the spot where we anchored on a GPS and apparently we didn't actually move.   (The anchor comes with 125' of chain.  We spent the uptime at night reading about anchoring and the difference between the effect with chain as opposed to line.)   Apparently we have a good system and we learned along the way some more helpful things we can do as anchoring.

During our time at Fort Matanzas, I got sunburned and Tom cut his feet on an oyster bed when trying to take our dinghy into a beach.    So we decided we'd had enough beach for a while and to head on to St. Augustine, Florida, about 12 miles up the intercoastal waterway.

We'd thought we would see manatees several places along the way but were getting out of their range when look what we saw off to the side:   a bunch of manatee!   A boater nearby said it had to be a female with a pack of males after her to be in a bunch like that.

We have been living off the bounty of the Farmers Market we visited in New Smyrna Beach.  Here we have hummus, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper and ciabatta bread, all from that one stop.  

Tom wants everyone to know that we are using Elmo's seasoning in just about everything - including the olive oil that he dipped his bread in that day.  Anyone who wants some should contact Elmo at www.elmosseasoning.com.

We arrived in St. Augustine two days ago and signed up to say for a week on a city marina mooring ball ($120).   That gives us access to showers, a lounge and laundry and the dinghy dock.    The marina is located right in the historic district.  

When we started to walk around we couldn't stop - everywhere looks like it's foreign country or a step into the past and very attractive.

 

 

We have been looking for ice cream cones and for some flowy, soft cotton/lineny long pants for Tom.  He sees some like that for women in the shops and wonders where can he get some like that to wear in the evening on the boat.   Apparently no where.
So, yesterday evening I offered to lend him my pareo and he took me up.  He pictures himself as a Samoan islander, I guess.

Tom's sister Pat and her husband Frank are driving up from Fort Myers to visit St. Augustine and us for a few days.  They stay in a bed and breakfast near here and we'll visit on land and on sea.

Also while here, we plan to work on the boat in the mornings and explore St. Augustine in the afternoons.  Today we did that, so well, that we may skip the visit in town 'til dinner time and just hang out here and rest this afternoon.