Blackwater Sound

White ibis photographed by April at John Pennekamp State Park

We are watching dolphins play off our port side and pelicans dive off the stern.  An osprey is eating a fish on top of the mast on a neighboring boat.  The water is flat as can be, every little fish jumping makes ripples spread out around it.  Callie is particularly interested in those small movements while she keeps a watchful eye on the big birds overhead.  She doesn't know that in her current chubby state she is way too much for them to carry off, or that they are not cat eaters. We haven't told her about the crocodiles.

The weather is predicted to be mild for the next few days and we are thinking about moving a bit further south to explore a new anchorage today.  No wind means we'll have to motor but it's getting a little boring sitting in the same place. Even though it's about perfect, you have to move sometime, right?  Otherwise, inertia sets in, I think.  It's easy to see why people come down here and just stay.

Yesterday we finally got the mustache that we had accumulated coming down from NC cleaned off the hulls.  It was embarrassing to still have that on there after all this time, even though we were gone for over a month in the interim.  Now we need to work on the slimy bottom.  There are probably barnacles down there too.  If only the water would warm up some more and/or we could find some sand to stand on.  It's currently a bit too muddy for complete comfort.  Tom also cleaned out the forward starboard locker that had some oil spilled in it.  The hatch leaks up there some and it was beginning to grow some healthy looking mold.  Nasty job but somebody had to do it and that  person wasn't me!  I just tackled the salon grim.

April and Joey left yesterday morning to head back to NC.  Even though we always enjoy are solitude, it has been lonely around here without them.