Wednesday January 28th

We made our way back north again to Cape Coral where we met up with daughter and grandkids--they had rented a house with a dock out front--so lots of fun to spend time with them.

Enjoying the pool--which is heated!!! ---thankfully as it has been a bit cool--but the sun is shining.  You can see our boat at the dock.

One day we went to Sanibel Island by boat and anchored off shore--here we getting ferried to the beach.  Spent the day walking the beach and picking up shells--included large sand dollars.   Another day we went to see the manatee's that congregate near the warm water from the generating plants.  They sure are big.

At an empty lot just up from the house--these burrowing owls have a home.  They are only about 5 inches tall--thankfully I have a zoom on the camera.  They are pretty cute!!     But tomorrow unfortunately we have to head out once again---this time to put the boat back up in dry dock and head back to Canada.  I have a health concern that needs to be addressed----with a whole lot of luck we hope to be able to continue our 'great loop' cruise this year.  Until then--stay healthy and happy.  Neil and Beth

Monday January19th

We've been blessed with wonderful weather the last few days.  Anchored out off Panther Key

took the dingy to shore to walk the beach

lots of shells--this one is a Helmet Crab

an another fabulous sunset!!   We are now at Everglade City at the historic Rod and Gun Club at their dock.

Last nite we decided to have a stone crab 'snack---after having to dodge all those crab pots in the water we thought we deserved it!!

The should be named rock crab as we needed Neil's channel lock pylers in order to break the shells!!

Coming up the river in the distance we saw this huge white raft--and couldn't figure out what it was ---the closer we got--it became obvious

The smell was over-powering!!  so that's whats new for now..  Heading back north again to meet daughter Jerri in Cape Coral on the 23rd.

Friday January 16th

Cruising along this section of the gulf coast has been a study in contrasts--that's for sure!  Left Monday heading back out into the gulf--south along Estero Island where the famous Fort Myers Beaches are--wow!   Snow white sand for miles and miles--lots of people strolling along.  From the Gulf we took Gordon Pass to get into Naples---canals with

million+ $ homes everywhere!!!

We left Naples traveling on the old ICW-which allows smaller boats like ours to travel inland.   Now we were in Mangrove swamps with, thankfully,  well marked buoyed channels.  Saw lots of these guys

--they build their nests on anything even this red marker.  Quite a feat--right!!  We anchored out just off  the channel--not a soul around.  In the morning we could make out the manatee swirling to the surface as they made their way up the river.  Thursday afternoon we arrived at Marco Island--again lovely beaches and not a soul on them!!   We began to wonder if they knew something we didn't!!!!

The shrimp business is booming--we were told they go out for 30 days at a time into the gulf  as far down to the end of the Keys.  We went to the local shrimp market and had a great dinner back on the boat.   Today we are heading out towards Everglade City.  Will update later

January 9th 2015

Happy New Year to all who are following our travels.  We flew back on January the 6th--and started the grueling task of cleaning the barnacles off the hull of the boat

Neil is using a razor blade scraper to knock the blasted things off!  After 2 afternoons of this and a lot of help we were finished and ready to launch

Looks pretty scary but these guys know how to do it right---soon we were in the water and on our way.  We've spent the last 2 evenings at a 'fellow loopers' dock on one of the canals in Cape Coral.  Kitty is very generous--letting loopers use her dock free--but not to wear out our welcome we will be underway tomorrow heading back out into the gulf to explore some of the waters south of Fort Myers.

Monday December 1st.

Sanibel Island has amazing bike pathways--and from what we could see--no stop lights!!  At one busy intersection where there was a farmer market going on, they had a traffic cop directing the traffic.  We biked around for nearly 3 hours--

even getting to see a couple of these guys.  Not sure what this fellow had in his mouth-just hope it wasnt a human leg!!!     We left Sanibel and headed east up the Caloosahatchee River to Cape Coral.   On the Great Loop forum, a free dock was advertised--so we thought --why not!!!  Turns out--it was one of those lucky things you do!!   Not only do we have a free dock with electricity, and WiFi, but were offered the use of the pool and shower--with our own private entrance!!

So here we are slumming it!!!  You can just see the back of our boat at the dock.  Kitty owns a beautiful house right on one of the many Cape Coral canals, in fact it was so nice we came back for a second night!!  She is a working member of the United States Coast Guard Auxilliary, so has many boating stories to tell.

Here we are cruising up the canal to Kittys dock.  Note--even Mr Teddy and Mz sheep are getting a bit tired of all this boating!!  Tomorrow we head to the marina that will lift out our boat---we were to go there today, but found out their lift is broken--so hoping that it will be fixed by Wed.  We have no internet connection at that marina--so this may be my last post of 2014.  I was hoping to put a picture on the blog of the boat after it was pulled out--with, we hope, not too many barnacles attached to it!  Thanks to all who have followed us--and we will resume again in Jan with more tall tales.  For now we leave you with Christmas greetings.......

Sanibel style!!

Saturday November 29th

This is what Neil does at the beach--(no bikini's--darn)

And this is what I love to do at the beach!!   We are now at Sanibel Island--and it is beautiful.   Still a bit windy but lovely and sunny. Yesterday we stopped at Cabbage key and toured the island--walking the nature trail,--plaques explained the native trees and shrubs.

This is a strangler fig we saw along the trail

Another wonderful flower we see everywhere--the bird of paradise.

Thought I'd try to show you how we have to tie the boat up at the southern docks.  First, Neil has to back the boat in between those 2 outside posts, which he does very well--but it is a challenge if the wind is blowing.  Then before we tie up to the fixed dock we have to go out on the front of the boat and loop the lines around those posts--when thats done then we can finally get back and secure ourselves to the dock---but all lines must be able to go up and down with the tide, which can be 2 to 1 1/2 ft.  Sometimes we have to climb up onto the dock and sometimes we have to jump down.   Its been a big learning curve, but we are finally getting it.  Now if there is what they call floating docks--then thats easy--as they float up and down with the tide and us with them!!   We like those!!   I was walking past the end of our boat at this dock and saw a big old manatee, just swimming on by.    Tonight on Sanibel we went out for dinner to celebrate Neil's 70th birthday (tomorrow)--he had a big plate of baby lobster, and I had grouper, which both of us thought was very good.  Tomorrow we will head for Fort Myers--only a few days left before we haul the boat out of the water.   Christmas decorations are up everywhere--doesn't seem right!!  But I guess in a week it won't be so warm--and there might be white stuff on the ground--so then it will be OK to hear Christmas music.  the loopy loopers

Monday November 24th

We love Venice--biked around the town today for about 3 hours--I have never seen so many flowers--apart from the bougainvillea and  habiscus of every colour,-there is all kinds of plants and trees I have no idea what they are!!

This is what the locals call an 'orchid tree'--

the fragrance is wonderful. There were bushes with blue, yellow, orange and pink flowers---just wish I could include pics of them all.   Even the bird of paradise are in bloom.

The sand here is nearly black--very different from the last beach we were at.   They find sharks teeth along here--just little black ones.  

One gal on the beach showed us one.    Finally!!!  I got some pictures of the dolphins--but not quick enough to get one of the guy who did a leap right out of the water.

We've gone out to the end of the pier the last couple of nites and watched the sun go down over the gulf--along with about 100 others--we see lots of Ontario license plates in the parking lot.  I guess we're not the only ones who like Venice.