This has been a very weird day.  We started out innocently taking the boat over to A dock for a pump out.  We do this every week so no big deal.  But on the way back across the channel we passed something floating in the water.  I asked Dick what he thought it was and at his distance he thought it look like a big dead duck ( there are a
lot of ducks in this area)  From my vantage point I thought someone had taken a shirt and stuffed it with straw.  It was brown and bobbing in the water.  Well we parked the boat, Dick went to work, and I went to do some running around.  When I got back to the boat I decided to go down to the end of our dock and see if I could see that thing floating in the water and it was about 15 feet off the end of the dock.  I went back to the boat and spotted a diver swimming toward our dock.  He was cleaning boat bottoms.  I yelled at him to see if he could tell what that thing was floating.  He swam over closer and I suggested he turn it over so we could see what it was.  He touched it and immediately knew it was a dead body.  I called emergency and they sent a bunch of cops and the Coast Guard.  It was indeed a man's body with missing legs.  That poor diver was very freaked out.  He got out of the water and just wanted away from there.
It was on the news tonight.  The body has not been identified.  I feel so bad for him because I am thinking no one missed him.
Needless to say I have no pictures to publish.
It was a beautiful day here.  I have come to appreciate the little things in life.  Like a beautiful, warm day and a walk in the park with our sweet little dog.
May you all appreciate smelling the roses along the way and live every day to its fullest.

Sailing with Chris and Gwen.

Well, winter is over.  Last Friday they salted the roads (they use salt brine) then Friday night it rained.  Saturday it turned cold...down in the teens.  Everyone stocked up with food, the grocery stores had empty shelves.  Then we had a light dusting of snow.  It remained cold on Sunday and Monday then it got back up into the 50's.  It was beautiful today.  And that was winter.  They tell me it might get cold again in Feb. but it doesn't usually last more than a day or two.  They are such wimps down here.  What a joke winter is.
I went sailing with friends today, Gwen and Chris.  What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  Not much work for me right now.  That's ok.  I needed a break.  Dick has decided it quit his job.  I am sure he can find something better where he can use his skills.  We shall see.   More to come.  My friend Cheri Fair is coming down in two weeks.  Should be fun.

Abby and Chewy.

"Nothing says Merry Christmas like a tricked out gun from Stubby's".  This was an ad  That was running on the radio down here before Christmas.  Made me laugh every time I heard it.  Only in the south I guess.
We had a wonderful holiday.  House and dog sat for our friends and had other friends over ... Gwen and Chris.  We cooked and played games and watched TV and took walks and had a fun but quiet Christmas.
For New Years we got invited out to friends of my cousin for dinner.  Yes, I have a cousin who lives in town.  Becky and I and our families spent many many holidays together when we were kids and didn't know that we were living in the same town.  Her brother Terry put it together when he and I exchanged Christmas cards.    So we felt like we had a great holiday.  Instead of gifts Dick and I bought each other eprib's. Those are devices that when you turn them on send out a location signal.  We figure we will need them when we are crossing open ocean on the way to the Bahama's next winter.
It has been very cold down here.  In the teens.  I know all you up north are laughing but it requires that we watch the water Temps very closely as our big boat heaters do not work well if the water temp gets below 40 degrees.  So far the water temps have only gotten down to 48.  It is suppose to warm up tomorrow and be in the 70's by the end of the week.  So we really can't complain.  We can't wait to get back down to the keys though.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.    Dick and Pat and Abby, the boat dog.

There we are on the bow of the boat.

This is the whole group of monks that went for a ride

This boat was part of the decorated boats for Christmas.  The pictures did not turn out very well.

We had 70 degree weather today.  What a relief after the 20 degree weather we had last week.  I know you are all getting slammed up north.  They make it such a big deal that it is below zero.  So what.  It's often below zero.  But we are becoming whimps down here.  So mild.
Dick took a group of monks out on the boat into the Neuse river for a ceramony.  They went out on a different boat about a month ago and came back with a bigger group this time.  So interesting.  They were from many different countries.
We have decided to stay here for the holidays and house sit again for our friends Ralph and Linda.  Both working.  Next year will be different.
Happy holidays to everyone.