Happy New Year

Catamaran Anchored Off the Beach

The cycle starts again and I have regained my "Oceamview" as most of the Christmas/New Years travelers have returned to their places of origin -- returning to work and children back to school.  Most left during the weekend and before the chill really set in last night and hangs around again for tonight.  Mike and his wife Dawn Ann left this morning on their return to Prince Edward Island while the temps were still hovering around the 40 degree mark.

After they left and we exchanged email addresses and etc., I headed to the Post Office and filled up the Jeep for the month of January.  Will refuel the Winnebago for the month when I'm on the road heading to Homestead for my next stop of 10 days -- should also get me to Key Largo for the week after that and maybe to the first stop on my swing up the Gulf Coast.

My Oceanview (Getting Better)

When I finally climbed from the warmth of my bed, I could see the waves pounding into each other and onto the sand bar some 100 yards out from the beach as the tide was turning back out from a 4:00 am high -- low should be around 10:00 am but, I think I will be spending most of the day inside staying warm and getting some things packed away in preparation for the Sunday trip farther south past Miami.  May be tempted to fish a little later this afternoon when high tide returns aound 4:00 pm -- still have more mullet to use up.  One of the old-timers from Colorado (Dick) caught a 20" Red Drum last evening (after dark) -- his first big fish on this trip (one of six years in a row).  He booked another month for him and his wife (Jolene) so, imagine he will be catching many more after I leave here.  I saw the fish earlier in a bucket with ice on top -- he had given it to Borges (the Canadian from Ontario) since Dick only eats the Whiting he catches.

Speaking of Whiting, we had a gsthering yesterday afternoon and Whiting was the main dish -- pan-fried by Borges with lots of fried garlic and olive oil.  I made a dish of brown rice and Acini di Pepe pasta with chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions and celery and Borges's wife (Marie) made potatoes and salad, while Mike and Dawn provided the front row spot on the seawall with wine and beer.  I also brought a bottle of red table wine given to me by a couple from PA (Wayne and Cindi) at my happy hour -- the night before they left the RV park.  It was a delightfully fruity red wine made by Oregon Hill vintners in Morris, Pennsylvania -- where Wayne and Cindi had their farm.  Marie also made a really tasty desert with lady-fingers as the base, dripped with a coffee liqueur, whipped cream and raspberries on top.  Mike and I enjoyed a few sips of Sambuca afterwards too.

Calmed Down A Bit from Earlier

I took a few pictures this morning and will attach them as soon as I can find my camera cable (temporarily misplaced -- perhaps in the dresser drawers blocked now by the bed as I retracted it for the cold night).  Sunny, bright and very breezy now.  Happy New Year to you all -- whoever might be reading along.

Beach Day for Some

View at Oceanfront