BOO!

Halloween at Mom's is always quite an event. Each year more and more kids of all ages come through her neighborhood. They even liked knowing that I was taking their photos. Their smiles were priceless. Here are a few of my favorites:

 The little ones crowded in the driveway to get their treats...

 Four friends dressed as Ninja Turtle Warriors. One boy exclaimed, "We save people!"

 Dorothy and Toto

 Halloween was a bit too much for this tiny mousekateer...

 

We told this scary scarecrow to go find Dorothy.

Father and son Draculas

 This girl's Dad said, "She's only 4 years old and she already has her own convertible!"

 We're still trying to figure out what this is, but it had a blower inside to keep it inflated.

 

We really wondered if this kid could see with the eyes lit up like this...

 A family affair...

And the winner is...this girl dressed up as a washing machine! Someone really had a great imagination...

 

They Made It!

I haven't talked to Dave personally, but I have heard that he an Ken have arrived in Hope Town safely aboard Walkabout. This is their 'before' photo (looks like mug shots from the post office!!) and I can't wait to see what the 'after' photo looks like..

At least they didn't end up like this boat that they saw sinking near the St. Lucie inlet...

More as the new adventures unfold in the Bahamas!

Ready To Cross the Gulf Stream

Keep your fingers crossed that Dave & Ken make it to Hope Town safely!

Eclectic Road Trip

Mom, Dave and I went on a day trip out to DeLeon Springs State Park for their tasty pancake lunches at the Sugar Mill Restaurant. We wandered through the small onsite museum and discovered that there used to be a waterskiing elephant that performed there when the spring was privately owned (probably back in the 50's)! What a sight that must have been. Unfortunately, while we were at the park it rained most of the time, but it was still a nice diversion.

On the way back, we decided to stop at the famous Barberville Roadside Store. Talk about eclectic?! Wandering through the acres of 'stuff' was quite an experience, especially the large animal statues.

To top it off, I discovered this sign that I'm sure we will end up bringing back home....

Go ahead and take a tour of all they have to offer. More photos can be found on their website at www.barbervilleroadside.com

The Waiting Game

Time to play the waiting game for good weather and calm seas in order for Dave to be able to "go Walkabout" across the Gulf Stream to Hope Town. Right now it is supposed to windy and rough for at least a week to 10 days. Plus I couldn't even get a flight over until November 5th, so we'll both still be in Daytona for awhile. Meanwhile we will continue to stock up on supplies and help Mom with chores. At least it is warm and sunny. If we do anything exciting I will post it here. Stay tuned!

Going Walkabout

We have done it again and have added another boat to the fleet. It is a Proline 24 that Dave will take to the Bahamas, so that we can have a broader range of travel during the winter months. After selling New Horizon we have missed being able to go to other islands unless it is perfectly calm. When it is rough and we take our little skiff, we get wet and I get vertigo. Sun exposure is a real issue too, and the Proline has a big hard top for protection.

Dave found this used boat in North Carolina and had it transported to our friend Scott's warehouse in Stuart. 

It is waiting to be cleaned up and really tested out, before Dave and another friend Ken, take it across the Gulf Stream to Hope Town, which they can do in a day in the right conditions. One of the good things is that the boat will not sink (although they said that about the Titanic too ;-)) and the guys will have an inflatable boat and small outboard in case there are any issues on the trip. I'm sure the 200hp Evinrude E-Tec engine will run flawlessly though.

 

We named the boat Walkabout because that's what we plan on doing....exploring and looking for new adventures! Then you'll be able to read all about it here!

Thank Goodness It's A Van

It has been a different trip down south this year. First we had to pick up a 21 ft. sailboat for some friends that are shipping it to the Bahamas, and tow it down to the Port of Palm Beach. It came with a whole bunch of accessories that had to be stowed inside our van along with our stuff and other people's items that we were transporting from home.

Then we had to pick up four large boxes of sneakers for Every Child Counts in Marsh Harbour. Both of these stops were outside of Washington at rush hour, so our new smart phones were priceless with the built-in GPS. Inside the van we ended up with an inflatable boat, 3 small outboard motors, 90 pairs of sneakers, several anchors and tubs filled with boat accessories, plus all our own items for the winter.

We certainly couldn't sleep in the van this time around!

Prep Work

Who slammed the door shut on summer and fall? Wow, it sure got cold fast. It's time to wrap things up in the great northeast after a fun boating season. Everything is winterized up north and the van is serviced and ready to roll south.

It was tough mowing the property at home in 40 degree weather...

As a line from one of Jimmy Buffet's songs says, "I gotta go where it's warm!"