Finally pulled away from the safe, secure world of Legacy Harbour Marina to venture east via the Okeechobee Waterway to Glades Boatyard where Broulee will be hauled out for work on her bottom. This decision came after our return to Ft. Myers and realizing that time was too short for a trip over to the east coast, pulling the boat in Dania (near Ft. Lauderdale) and then cruising down to the Keys. Besides we are enjoying Ft. Myers so much and love Legacy Harbour Marina. The marina is top notch and the area is so clean - palm fronds bearly touch the ground before they are mystically swept off somewhere. There are some 2,000 royal palms along a 15 mile stretch of McGregor Blvd. (the reason Ft. Myers is known as the "City of Palms"). The marina is within walking distance of the winter estate of Thomas Edison. The 14 acre riverfront estate which includes his house, laboratory and botanical gardens is open to the public. Our thoughts are to return to Ft. Myers after bottom work on the boat is complete. (Notice how I didn't say plan). Some photos of the haulout and life on the hard are posted below.

Getting ready to go into the pit for haulout.

In the pit

Always a little nerve wracking when she's hoisted. Especially this time - you could actually hear the straps groaning.

So much scum you could hardly tell the boot stripe was blue and the bottom was black. Nice to get her bottom all cleaned up!

This will be our house on stilts for a few days - it will be a challenge getting Izzy up and down the ladder - oh well, it is what it is.

The captains daily workout

This is cow country - lots of grazing land. I am a little concerned about them so close to the river because this is also alligator country! We were warned not to let Izzy go anywhere near the banks or let her look out over the cockpit.

"Holy cow - what the heck are those things"

Last morning on the hard -" good bye to all my friends - thanks for petting me". New through hulls are in, bottom paint got touched up, transducer installed and prop is clean and shiny - all is good. Looking forward to cruising on the water again.

Made it to Ft. Myers on January 23rd around noon and made arrangements to stay a couple of days at Legacy Harbour Marina. Our really good friend Doug was down from Minnesota and stayed a night with us on the 25th - we always enjoy having the Stiefels here. Then we figured hey, if we paid for one more day we would qualify for the weekly rate and why not stay a week - seemed logical.

This year "we have no plans" - this is our new plan for a stress free life. Legacy Harbour Marina, Hotel, Tiki Bar and Swimming Pool

View from back of Broulee - Joe's Crab Shack, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. When the wind blows our way - the wafting of food smells makes you extremely hungry all day. At night the colorfull lights and music make you feel like your are in the caribbean.

Morning Fog Ft. Myers

Tom & Phylllis Davenport surprised us with a visit. They are friends from Canada and where down boat shopping in the area (their Kadey-Krogen was destroyed by fire while on the hard this summer). They saw our boat in the Marina from a window at Joe's Crab Shack. They invited us to lunch and asked what are our plans? Told them we had just decided within the last hour that we were finally leaving the next day and going across the Okeechobee Waterway to the east coast and then down to Ft. Lauderdale for some work on the boat then spending the rest of the winter in Marathon, Fl. We no sooner got back to boat when we got the call Rick's sister Barb had suddenly died. Rick's favorite statement "You make plans and the gods laugh" certainly holds true. We quickly decided to leave the boat in Ft. Myers, rent a car and drive 2200 miles (couldn't fly because of Izzy) to Phoenix for the funeral. So much for our new stress free lifestyle. New plan - don't make plans!!!! ( We are new at this - so hang in there with us).

Barbara Jeanne Smith Morancey

June 20, 1939 - January 29, 2009

Left for Phoenix on January 31st (Saturday) and arrived on Monday February 2nd. Rick's sister Sandra, Brother-in-law Don, Nephew Brian, Barb's son Greg, Rick's cousin Dave and our son Brad all came for the memorial held February 4th. We spent time with the Smith family thru Saturday the 7th and visited with Deb's family in Queen Valley, AZ until the 10th. Then it was back 2200 miles to Ft. Myers and Broulee. (Man Texas is one big ass state).

Cousin Dave, Don Nice, Sandra Nice, Deb & Rick

Debs Mom, Aunt Babe and Dad

Rick had not been up to Tortilla Flats before so we added a little sightseeing into our adventure out west. These are a couple of views of Canyon Lake.

Gorgeous views on the way up to the flats.

Bar stools at restuarant at Tortilla Flats. This is another one of those places where you can sign your name on a dollar bill and put it on the wall/ceiling or wherever. We had a great lunch here.

What a tourist!

Izzy enjoying a refreshing drink from a crystal clear mountain stream.

The night before we left Arizona, Deb got to attend "Girls gone wild" at the wrinkle ranch. These ladies know how to party!

The morning we left it was snowing in the mountains which made for a harrowing experience for the first 50 miles or so. But once we made it thru the mountains and got to the other side the snow in the mountains was breathtaking.