I am sitting here at 8pm in a rain and lightning storm, no thunder yet.  We had a little rain this afternoon after we returned from Publix.  It cleared up around 3 just in time for the 4pm Happy Hour!  Yeah.  We went around 5 and hooked up with David and Jill again and then Gary started talking to Larry & Leslie a couple that were on a 55' trawler we had been admiring named Algonquin.  It is an older boat ( 1981) with an 18 foot beam.  It is huge!! If our boat is like a trailer, theirs is a double wide!!  Leslie invited us aboard for a look see.  What a  boat, and they have done a beautiful job of having her restored.  New galley with all the bells and whistles, new teak veneer on all the bulkheads....just gorgeous.  They live on her full time, although Leslie still works as a consultant.  Way out of our league but fun to see.

We dinghied under the bridge and across the ICW  to have dinner with our friends from Marathon, Jill, David, Lillian & Mickey on Tuesday. I had my first raw oyster....not thinking I'll be having another soon.  It was to be savored then swallowed I was told.  I just have this thing....I need to chew to savor....and a raw oyster is not something you want to chew.

The next day Jill, David, Gary & I decided to go for a walk to the beach and we went to an outside sandwich shop for a burger....now that was something I could savor!  Unfortunately if you weigh them burger vs oyster.....I think the oyster would win the contest.  We still have a lot of walking to do to work off the burger where as the oyster probably would slide right out!  It was a share a table type of place and Jill & I sat down with an older couple who were just finishing their lunch.  They were an unbelievable 85 years old, he was showing her Vero for the first time and she couldn't stop smiling.  They were from New Jersey.  It seems that if you are open to it you can learn lots from almost everyone you meet.  I am now a sponge.....soaking up info wherever I go.  I have become a shameless eavesdropper! When we returned to the boat the winds picked up and the boats started pooring in the field.  They are full so rafting boats is a given.  We have been lucky and there seems to be no rhyme nor reason for how they do things here.  Gary helped out yesterday when a single handed sailor was obviously having trouble rafting off of Mickey & Lillian's Island Packet.  Two other guys in a dinghy ended up jumping aboard and helping him out with the lines.  The winds were really gusting, not a help that is for sure.  That's what it's like though everyone willing to help out at any given time.

It has been fun here, mainly because of the people.  We met a couple from Ottawa while waiting for the bus at Publix today.  They were also on their first cruise and had just returned from the Bahamas and are now on their way back to Canada.  Everyone is so open and friendly .  Unlike land life where you are "on your own" pretty much, cruising is becoming in my mind a "moving community".  You are more than likely to end up with the same people in a different port. It is really very cool.

We are headed for Cocoa tomorrow, weather permitting.  We intended on leaving today, but mother nature said "you better rethink that" so we did and are glad for it.  If we had left we wouldn't have met Paul and Carolyn from Ottawa, or Leslie and Larry from the Chesapeake....or been safely moored when the winds kicked up to 25 to 30.  All is good!

Gary, David, Jill, Mickey, Lillian, & Jann

Vero Mooring Field with us at Left

Vero BEACH

Vero Mascot Art, remember the Peacocks in Coconut Grove?

Named after you Mere...you Welsh Goddess you!!

Thank God,  they're everywhere!!!

The Driftwood Inn ...historic landmark inn on the beach made out of driftwood.
logs and too much kitsch to mention...very unique and interesting place that we walked through

My bailer..I just couldn't resist taking this one

Gary helping out yesterday.  Single handed captain tried to raft off  of Mickey & Lillian
this was the 3rd attempt in high wind gusts.  2 other cruisers jumped on board his boat to
help him get it secured, Gary was handling the mooring line.  

Happy Hour....(or two)