The sun is shining and it is warm down here.  Very humid and things are starting to smell a little funky.  Difficult to keep ahead of it.
We have been having fun here is Carrabelle.  Met some locals and are learning our way around.  We found the world's smallest police department and took pictures.  It was featured on Johnny Carson and some other programs back in the 80's and 90's.  It was used back then but now it is just a tourist attraction.  We are thinking about riding bikes over to the WW 2 museum later today.
Got engine oil changed and new air filters yesterday.  We are ready for the crossing tomorrow.  Friends are gathering.  Looks like there will be 4 boats for sure and probably a sailboat also but they travel differently than we do.  Depends on the wind.  They may sail across or else do it under engine.  Either way we will be watching out for our friends Chris and Gwen on Davali.
I can't think of a better way to spend New Year's eve.
Hope you all have a wonderful new year.  See you on the other side.

Changing the oil on a hot muggy day.

Hands in the air you suspicious  looking character.

Worlds smallest police dept.

Well, we made it to Carrabelle.  Very sweet, functional town.  Everyone is friendly and we get a free breakfast!
Eddie (of Eddie's Weather Wag) is saying there may be a weather window on Wed.  We are really hoping we can spend New Years eve on the other side of Florida.
Our Canadian friends are anchored out behind Dog Island and loving the long white beaches.  We will have to anchor out at least one night and let our dog run.
We found out why it is called Dog Island.  Has to do with early shipping.  They would put their sailors ashore there before coming into port at the America's.  Because the sailors would get into port and disappear and stay.  So to make sure they had help on the return voyage they had to keep them under control some how.  They would pick them up again on the way out.  Cute little island that all but disappears at high tide, in some places anyway.
Having fun in Carrabelle for now.

We are dwarfed by the Fish and Wildlife boat across the dock from us.

It was a beautiful full moon over the river in Apalachicola.  Can you see the lights on the top of the two sailboats of our friends anchored out in the bay?

It has been an interesting and fun Christmas.  On the eve we had carolers by boat.  They came down the channel talking to everyone.  They actually did more drinking and laughing than singing.  They eventually had to move out of the way because a shrimp boat came by with their nets hanging out and the channel is narrow.
We ordered out for Chinese and sat around the table with fellow looper talking politics.  Was interesting to hear the Canadian perspective on American politics.  Finally...my people.  Fellow liberals.  (Dick was not happy). Enough said.
We were invited to join some locals at the grave yard this morning for a beer.  Decided I needed to get my turkey in the oven instead.  The grave yard idea sounded better last night.
It continues to be foggy off and on here and warm.  Everything is damp.
We continue to watch the weather.  The waves on the Gulf do not look very inviting.  We are still thinking about moving to Carrabelle on Sunday. But will have to see how the water looks.  So sitting tight as usual waiting for our weather window.
Merry Christmas everybody.  Hope you get electricity soon in Grand Rapids.

Shrimp boat with nets hanging out.

Pelicans hanging out off our bow.  We see dolphins too but they are too quick to get a picture.

We are bogged down by the weather.  Rain, rain and more rain in the forecast.  So we have hunkered down and will make the best of it.  This is  sweet little town with lots of little shops and art galleries.  I could stay here a long time.  Except for those cats roaming around the docks, taunting our dog.  I always know when they are near because her ears perk up.
Have been having fun watching the shrimp boats come and go.  They are lit up like a Christmas tree when they return at night.  Initially they scared me cause they seemed to come out of no where out of the dark and then zoom right by us.
It has been very warm here but then it sounds like it has been very warm everywhere.
We are still hoping to get to Carrabelle on Friday and wait for our crossing window.  There are friends down there and friends here that will go with us.  We have been playing cards with our Canadian friends and learning about their funny plastic money.
So we continue to wait to do the 20 hour crossing of the gulf.  Will wait for good weather rather than risk a dangerous uncomfortable ride in high seas.
More to come.

Shrimp boat at night.

Shrimp boat during the day.

On the road again.......     On our way to Apalachicola to wait.  The crossing does not look good for this week.  A slight possibility on Christmas day which would be great cause it's a full moon.  We will wait for a sign from Eddies Weather Wag that it is safe to cross.
Really enjoyed Port St. Joe.  Nice little town.  Found a place that sells liquor and wine.  They also have a bar with outside seating and live music.  We went one night and sat around the fire with the fishing boat captains and a woman that runs a turtle sanctuary.  We had our dog with us too.  Very fun.  Of course that was just before the weather got cold.  The past few nights it got down to freezing.  The days have been sunny and crisp.  Also fairly windy.  It was a little challenging this morning getting away from the dock.
Lots of boats here decorated for the holidays.  Some were in the boat parade last weekend.
It seems a little weird not being around family and friends for the holidays.  But we will be with our new friends.
Happy holidays everybody.  Especially all the Leighton's who will be getting together on Christmas eve again.  Thinking of you all.

Good bye Port St. JOE.

Decorated boats.

We moved today.  We are now in Port St. Joe.  Next we will move closer to Carrabelle Island and the start of the crossing.  There are a couple other boats around here that we are hoping to connect with.
We were back in the ditch commonly called the ICW or the intercoastal waterway.  It runs all the way from Brownsville, TX at the tip of Texas to Carrabelle Is, FL.
It has been a pleasant day.  Lots of crab pots.  Have to watch out for the crab pots.  They have a tiny ball on top followed by a long rope.  It needs to be long to make slack for the tides.  It's all about the up and down of the tides.
We heard that there are 40,000 derilict boats in Florida.  Boats that no one claims and they are hanging out on a beach or side of the water somewhere and no one wants them.  We saw a lot of them on the ICW today.
Also saw several bald eagles.  Very fun to watch.  Still no alligator sightings yet.
My deep thought for the day was to ponder how different things-places look from the water looking into the land.  Versus looking from the land out to the water.  Until you have been out here for awhile you really don't understand some of the difficulties.

Derelict boats.

There is a bald eagle in this picture somewhere.

The Christmas lights at Panama city last night.

Well we are still in Panama City.  Yesterday started out overcast and windy so we hunkered down.  Later on the sun came out and it turned into a pretty nice day.  Too late.  So today we planned to move regardless.  But not to be.  Now the winds are twice as strong and it really did rain and there really is a storm heading this way.  So we are hunkered down again.  Have decided to go to Port St. Joe to wait for the crossing.  Only 4 hours away and still gives us time to get down to Apalachicola for the crossing.  Better place to wait.  In the mean time the window did not open up for this week but there is a glimmer of hope that we may be able to cross before xmas.
We were thinking that Panama city may be one of those places to consider for retirement.  Then Monday morning arrived along with the US Air Force.  The air base must be close by cause they are extremely loud when they go over us.  And there must have been 20 take offs.  I am a little less thrilled with Panama city than I was.  So here we will sit for the time being.  Hope the storm passes quickly.

The plane, the plane.