Whirlwind

It's been a crazy past 11 days. In brief. Took my Dad to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Mn. for a check up. (all OK). While there visited my cousin Kim and her husband Jeff who was recovering from a several hour surgery. (also OK) Back home we moved Matthew, Mandy, & Oscar into our house since it was going to be open for a while. Celebrated New Years Eve with friends. Travelled to Cedar Rapids, Ia. to celebrate Grandson Drew's 16th birthday. (He's driving! Yikes!) Attended Oscars baptism in Kieler, Ws. and a family gathering at Mandy's parents home nearby following the baptism. Watched the Packers beat the Bears! Picked up our rental van. Packed and loaded aforementioned van. Said goodbye to Oscar (pried Pam's hands off of him and carried her kicking and screaming to the van!). Left home at 5:10 am on the 3rd. Picked up my parents and travelled just shy of 1500 miles in two days to get to Tourist at River Forest Yachting Center near La Belle, Fl. Transferred the van's contents to Tourist and proceeded to check things out while putting all that we brought with us away. Spent the day and night at River Forest and travelled via the Okeechobee Waterway to Ft. Myers and our home for the next couple of months Legacy Harbour. (www.legacyhorbourmarina.com)

New Years Eve revellers'. Notice the kidnapped Oscar being held by the possessive GramPam.

Grandson Drew opening gifts. Happy Birthday Drewski! Drive Safe!

Godparents, Parents, and Oscar right before the priest grabbed the little guy by the ankles and dunked his head into the water! Must be something new in the Catholic ceremony?

No trip through the South is complete without a stop at a Waffle House. This one near Perry, Ga. You just can't beat a couple of snotty eggs and that paper thin cut of ham! All that in a friendly down home setting. It just don't get no better!

Our trusty steed. OK, so it's a bit of a soccer mom vehicle but it's one of the best riding and driving rentals I've ever had. The last two rows of seats fold into the floor to make a flat floor for cargo which suited our needs perfectly.

Escort or are we being lined up for a bombing run?

Legacy Harbour. Tourist is the 3rd boat on the left.

We travelled from River Forest  to Ft. Myers on Thursday Jan 6 thru periods of heavy rain. We had the waterway to ourselves only meeting one boat travelling in the other direction. We left RFYC around 11:30 am not in a hurry since the Franklin Lock is on a restricted opening schedule of just twice a day at 10 am and 3 pm due to the low water levels in Lake Okeechobee. Once through the lock we started to encounter the Manatee Zones which means idle speed travel. We arrived around 5 pm at Legacy. Just in time for Docktails!