After the guests leave

3-21-16   Yesterday evening the weather started to change, We were with the crew of Bodacious at Sparky’s for Happy Hour when the first blast of cool dry air forced its way into the bar area. It felt great to me but the restaurant staff quickly scrambled to deploy the rain and wind screens. I could feel the sweat drying from every inch of my body and thought to myself, “It’s gonna be a good sleeping night”. As the night wore on some heat and humidity came back but nothing too bad. I believe it was 4 AM when the rain really started and the wind began blowing a full 20 to 30 knots out of the North. When Mango’s on a mooring or anchor and the wind blows above 20 the knots it begins to jog back and forth on its tether and you start to hear the waves lap against the hull as well as the wind in the rigging . This wind continued to howl and I know it interrupted our sleep a bit. 

The winds caught several boats by surprise.
This one was the highest and driest we witnessed.

Morning came and Karen wasn't next to me. I got up and peered around the corner to find her reading her Kindle under a cover. I cleared the sleep from my eyes and assembled my stuff to go ashore and exercise. I climbed the stairs to the companionway and looked across the mooring field at the waves and overcast skies and thought it would be a good day to take it easy. I also thought how nice the weather was for Hannah and Jared’s week here, never any rain or cool weather. As it happened I actually talked Karen into coming ashore with me and she did laundry while I exercised to Shawn T for a while.

Karen always makes a comment when I go ashore, saying I dress like a slob or look homeless and I probably do but I really don’t care too much, especially while exercising. Today there was a guy sitting at a park bench by where I do my workout routine. I gave him a “Good Morning” and spoke to him a short bit. He appears to be a homeless vet with many of his belongings situated near him on the bench, he was very friendly and laughed a bit when I told him I do this almost every morning. As I did my thing and I could see that he had a couple other people join him while I was working out. As I wiped the sweat from my body and assembled my backpack and other stuff he gave me a salute and offered to share his breakfast with me. I thanked the 3 of them but declined as I told them I now don’t smell too well and my wife had breakfast waiting for me. They stated it was good because “if you do that every morning you need to eat”. As I walked away and took a shower I thought to myself I hope they are here tomorrow, I’ll take them up on the offer. I’d really like to know some of their story and ask them if they think I appear homeless with my ratty shorts, t-shirt and backpack.

Great dinner of Lamb Chops (best I ever had)
grilled steaks and fish.

Another wonderful spread.

3-23-16  Weather has certainly changed since Hannah and Jared left, it’s been cool and windy until today. Today started out cloudy and windy but since 9 or so the weather is perfect, mid 70’s with sunny blue skies and winds to 15 knots. Karen and I have been productive since this morning when I worked out (sorry no homeless guy today or yesterday) and Karen went grocery shopping before we leave tomorrow on our journey south. I varnished teak, stowed gear that we’ve used over our month in Marathon and filled Mango’s water tank. This evening we’re having dinner with Pat, Tim and their boat neighbors. Dinner tonight consists of Lamb Chops, NY Strips, grilled Skirt Steak and many sides. It was another wonderful meal with more wonderful people.

During our journey both this year and last we’ve felt sad leaving different areas. It’s not necessarily that we’ll miss the location but we’ll miss the people. We definitely felt this leaving the crew of Fracas last year. This year we felt it leaving Palm Beach with the Aussie’s and Bob and Maureen from S/V Emerald Isle. We certainly feel it tonight leaving Pat and Tim from Bodacious and our new friends Irene and Jack. Karen and I have spent a month here in Marathon this trip and have many fond memories here. These memories would not be nearly as joyous without Pat and Tim. We did not see them every day but grew to enjoy the banter between them and the many “Happy Hours” and of course our trip to Key West. I can’t put into words how they have added to our enjoyment of the area but I can tell you that we’ll always think of them when we think of Marathon.