5/8/18  We are at Delegal Marina on Skidaway Island, Savannah, Georgia.  After having the ugly skin cancers removed, biopsies cleared and instruction on how to remove stitches, we were freed from Brunswick.  Yeah!  We left Hidden Harbor with the tide on Sunday morning and had a great with the tide ride 50+ miles to Kilkenney Marina, Kilkenney GA (wherever that might be).  Again, waiting for the tide, we left Kilkenney and holding our breath through Hells Gate and down Delegal Creek and on to Savannah.  Now we have to wait a couple of days for the tide again to get out of the Delegal Creek.  That's okay.  This is a nice spot.  We took the golf cart in for lunch and some prescriptions today.  April loves the golf cart!  Tomorrow we go back and do some provisioning and then on to Hilton Head and Beaufort.  The weather has been fantastic - almost too warm too soon.  Just to add to our list of what next, April decided to chase a deer on her walk last night while on the end of the leash.  Yup, Bill did the fall and roll and came out with a sore, swollen ankle.  However, he will survive he tells me. 

April turned 8 this week. She had her birthday lunch today, burger and tomato, and a golf cart ride!

Still haven't gotten outlook straightened out so I can post pictures from my phone.  I have hopes that might happen in Beaufort.

4/25/18  Still in Georgia!  Bill and I both had an ugly sore on our leg so decided to have them checked.  Biopsies take 10 - 15 days.  Time to take a break.  We rented a car and took off for Florida, April in tow.  We stopped in Fernandina Beach to check out the hurricane damage and the reports we had heard.  Sure enough, the city marina has been totally wiped out and the channel silted in with no plans by the city to rebuild.  No slips are open and there are only 7 moorings left.  They plan to pull those too.  We walked around the pretty town and then headed for St. Augustine.

We stayed at the Best Western, which April loved.  We walked the beautiful beach, nature trails and the Coquina quarries every day.  We walked around our favorite downtown streets and took in all our favorite spots for dining.  The waterfront and city marina in St. Augustine had been totally destroyed by Matthew and Irma.  They have managed to rebuild the fuel dock and have repaired about 20 slips, but with no power as yet.  They do have a number of moorings back in the water, but the damage will be a long time in repair.  

While in St. Augustine I had to visit the ER.  I awoke on Friday AM with my face and mouth totally swollen (think Baxter with a bee sting on his flew).  I had an angioedema--reaction to a blood pressure med that I have been taking for two years!  Not a fun day, but Flager Hospital was great.  I was in and under care within minutes and out again by early afternoon with specific instructions.  I  have seen a doctor here on St. Simons Island, had a change in meds and all is better than ever now. 

So now the biopsies are back and we await a surgery date to get rid of the squamous (sp ?) skin cancer uglies - hopefully this next week.  I am sooooo ready to move on!!

We are still tied to a dock in Hidden Harbor, GA.  The weather has been so erratic.   Yesterday it 80 at one point.  This morning at 7:30 it was 46 degrees.   The wind was not supposed to blow today but it is and it is blowing hard right now.  So we wait some more.  We have to be able to anchor the first leg of our trip North and Bill is not excited about taking the dinghy ashore and hopping into the water at 46 degrees.  Nor are we excited about navigating the skinny water ahead of us with the wind blowing 20 knots and blowing the water out of the channel.  Maybe another week. 

We rented a car for a few days and drove to Rock Hill to visit with Connie and Joe.  It was great to see them and get off the boat for awhile.  They gave us a tour of Rock Hill and treated April to some nature walks.  She loved being at their home and the back yard.

We spent last Saturday, a cooler day, at Jekyll Island walking the nature trails.  Sunday was warmer, so we walked Driftwood Beach.  The island is really a beautiful place.

Ann and Bob have been picking us up once a week and we have been doing lunch together.  They are  a couple we met at Brunswick Landing and we enjoy each other's company.  Their motor cat is for sale and once sold they will relocate in Michigan. 


Day to day we have been doing anything and everything that needs to be attended to on WishBone.  It keeps us from being bored and fills in the hours between dog walks.  Once home, we intend to list WishBone for sale.  We have to get on with the other things we want to do in this life!

3/22/18

All is well in Hidden Harbor on Troupe Creek, Brunswick.  The weather had started to warm up until the latest front this week.  Tuesday was tornado warnings with big winds and big thunderstorms.  You know things can get serious when the marina tells you a closet you should go to if a tornado is sighted.  We are nearing the time to start planning for our slow trip North, watching the tides and winds.

On a recent visit to Darien, Georgia I took the following pictures.

Skipper's, a fun spot for lunch on the Darien River.

 

April enjoyed the turtle and alligator pool entertainment center.

 

 

Shrimp boats that work out of the Darien River.

 

 

The waterfront is strung with piers and is a beautiful walkway on a nice day.   The restaurant has large decks for relaxing or eating outside.  The Tabby Ruins were all along the piers and a reminder of the Darien past.

 

 

March 2, 2018

We have begun our SLOW cruise north. We are in Troupe Creek. A very quiet little marina called Hidden Harbor. A welcome relief from Brunswick Landing and the society club.  Anyway, we will be here until next week and the tide is beneficial for our shallow traverse.  This place is great until the breeze goes down and the gnats come out.  Wow!  We thought black flies were bad!  We have gotten lots of needed boat work done and are ready for the trip north. The gnats draw some beautiful birds.  In addition to the herons, we are also watching some bald eagles.  They are too far to get a picture, but are fun to watch.  We have seen allegators and therefore have to keep a close eye on April.  She has been in the water a couple of times but under our watchful eye.  The weather has for the most part been very spring like.  Lots of breeze, 70's daily and cool evenings.  Okay for anchoring now.  There was a front that came through last night and today and the next couple of days will be very windy out of the north and cool.  But around about the 15th we will watch the tides and start north.  The bugs bring the most beautiful birds. 

2/13/18
Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow!  April's box arrived today, but I hid it.  She will be sooo excited to get a box from Chewy.com!

We enjoyed two beautiful days, Sunday and Monday, and actually got some stainless polishing and cockpit waxing done.  However, winter is back today.  It looks to be short lived though.  We are seeing pollen in the water.  A sure sign of spring.  Today the wind blew out of the North, much to April's delight.  She loves the cool, windy weather. 

On Saturday the sailing club from the high school held a regatta.  I didn't have my phone with me when they were racing, but it was fun to watch them.  They had a pretty good breeze.  They are heading back in to the dock in these pictures.  I can't help but wish our local high school would sponsor a club.  Healthy competition learning about the wind, water and weather and team work.

We discovered this special place on one of our long walks with April.  The food is delicious and very healthy.  A reward for the walk.  I visited their website and it seems they are all over the country.  The Jamaican gentleman that waited on us said they are church based organization.  They had the most beautiful hand thrown pottery one of the members makes to sell on the premises.   And the gardens are fantastic!  The chef's young daughter was in the kitchen helping dad.  Just a fun place!

I think we have given us heading any further South.  It is just a difficult journey through Florida.  So many of the marinas and anchorages have been storm damaged and as yet not fully repaired.  Bill seems to be doing well but we will give it a little while longer and the weather a little while longer and then head North slowly.  There is still so much to see! 

January 31, 2018

The weather has started to improve here - started.  Thus, we have been able to get off the boat away from the heater and do some exploring.  We have been over to St. Simon's Island a couple of times and walked Driftwood Beach at Jekyll Island.  April was leashed but thoroughly enjoyed the beach.  By the way, they have the right idea and we might consider it for Kittery Point.  $6.00 to get on the island--parking fee--and no other way on or off.  The island has continuous  walking/hiking and biking trails through the conservation land.   I saw no trash. 

 

Indigo Coastal Shanty - serves wonderful island food and is a really fun  place for lunch in Brunswick

These pictures are for you Pati.  Beautiful Driftwood Beach.  A very windy, cool but beautiful walk.



Bill sees the doctor again Friday to get the results of his biopsies.  The rash is still not under control so hopefully there will be some sort of news on Friday. 

1/17/18

 

 

Finally got to take that maiden voyage in the new dinghy - faster, faster!

 

 

Getting some dove hunting in.  April's favorite off the boat activity.

1/12/18 

Oh yes, we are still here in Brunswick GA and the weather forecast seems to indicate we will be for another week.  We made it through the coldest days Georgia has had in 12 years.  We were fortunate enough to purchase two space heaters at the local hardware store before they ran out.  That and our diesel heater kept us comfortable.  Yesterday and today were in the 60's (so nice) with rain.  And now the temps are going down again (not as cold however - 40's and 50's) and the winds are going to blow.  We have two shallow sounds to navigate which you don't do in windy weather as they blow up and the water blows out) and we will have to anchor at least two nights as the marinas through St. Mary's and Fernandina Beach have been wiped out as has St. Augustine from the hurricanes.  Not going to anchor without any heat at 30 degrees or less.  And so we wait. 

We have befriended Capt. John aboard Common Cents - a 60' yacht - who has been keeping us abreast of the marina and sailing conditions as we move south.  They are headed to the Abacos too, and are not planning on getting there until March.  We are thinking the end of February due to Bill's medication refills.

Somehow with boat chores, dog walks and exploring we have managed to fill our days.  We got needed haircuts the other day and today we treated ourselves to lunch at the Indigo Coastal Shanty.  It was sooo good!  We rented a wreck again the first of the week to explore, get groceries and oh yes, another pair of shoes.  We both have worn out our shoes!  All the walking keeps the weight down however while we are not sailing.

April is doing just fine.  She really has become the sailor and adjusts to any situation.  Just make sure she gets her walks and meals on time and she is a happy girl.

 

A

The uncommon Small Blue Heron keeping an eye on April and she on it!

 

 

1/4/18

Again this morning it is in the 20's, but today the sun is shining!  Yesterday during a pause in the ice storm and the dog walk I took some pictures of the prettier sites in Brunswick.

 

A close look and you'll see the ice falling off the trees.

 

 

I love the architecture of this beautiful house - pure Georgian Victorian.

 



 

 

On a recent day we walked the campus of a very modern Glynn Academy.  Yesterday, we found these two original buildings dating back to the 1700's.

 



This is one of the prettier churches in town, a United Methodist.  I don't think the picture does the stained glass justice though.

 

 

We have two space heaters running and our diesel heater.  So we are staying thawed so far.  I think today and tomorrow and then things should be looking better - hopefully!

 



1/1/2018  Happy New Year!  We are thinking of friends and family today, hoping everyone had a great holiday.

We are still tied to the dock here in Brunswick, GA and it looks like we will be for another week!  The cold front has us unable or unwilling to travel.  Very windy, wet and cold with light snow.  We actually are running two space heaters and on the below zero nights our diesel heater for the boat.  Crazy weather everywhere this winter.  We are thinking worse case scenario is we  stick around here until spring and then head home. 

We rented a wreck the other day and did some exploring.  It was a wreck, but it was fun.  We found a new warm bed for April which she loves and did some shopping.  We found a nice restaurant for lunch and a great southern waitress who made us do a lot of laughing. 

After two failed attempts with urgent cares, Bill found a good dermatologist on St. Simon's Island, and is doing much better. 

I believe we are keeping the shrimp boats in business.  Love this shrimp!