So what do you do when you're not cruising

During February and March, I've spent a LOT of time working on the house, the property, and the boat.  I don't know how many days I spent with a chain saw, cleaning out vegetation.  You've got to love Florida weather, where everything grows year round.  I hope I have the premises trimmed up enough to make it until next winter!

Yard maintenance, house maintenance, boat maintenance x I think I have too many vessels, vehicle maintenance....  Fortunately, although unseasonably warm, we've had enough wind to keep me someone content trying to work around the premises.  Oh yes, jury duty, haircuts, dental visit, vet visit, doctors visits x too many, church services, multiple trips to Miami/Fort Lauderdale...

My friend Casey came down, and we went to the Miami Boat Show for a day.  That is always a lot of fun.  As soon as we walked in the door, I heard someone call out "Linda and Mercy" and turned to see Jan and Rusty from the CBay entering the foyer.  I had met them in Marco Island, and listened to some of their Great Loop adventures.  They were slowing heading north, but, I think were enjoying Florida too much to go north too fast.

I entered the boat show with my shopping list, and promptly hunted up the Defender booth to order a couple of high ticket items, like a new water heater (which had a catastrophic failure in the Everglades), a heater (which had failed on the trip down from Annapolis, and I by-passed to eliminate leaking engine coolant) and a few other things. 

When those items arrived a week later, I installed the water heater, but decided to wait until fall to install the heater, and replace my engine coolant hoses at the same time.  Thanks to Craig for the he-man strength helping me remove, and replace the old unit.

My parents came to visit for a while in March, and Casey returned to chauffer me for a day to Miami for hand surgery.  Its been a week now, that the surgeon opened a tenden sheath on the pointer finger of my right hand.

Note:  I'm not sure how much I can blame my hand problems on not blogging, writing, or running the wiring that I'm adding to the Mercy, but, I submit that as an excuse.

I've done several couple hour trips, and one over nighter to keep everything running.  I've changed the zincs on the engines, and on the vessel, installed a marine stereo/mp3/ipad/sd/usb digital player, replaced the cabin G-4 halogen bulbs with LED, and LED in the reading lamps as well.  I'm glad the vessel is much brighter now, with a lower power draw.

This next week I have more friends coming, and I'm looking forward to seeing Mike and Vicki and Connor.