Life's A Beach

We have been here for a few weeks now and are getting settled in as well as learning the lay of the land. I don't know how we manage it, but we often seem to settle in at a popular tourist location with all of the issues and interesting experiences that apply. Fort Myers Beach, Florida is no exception. But there is a lot to be said for this location and things are moving in the right direction for us.

It is fun living in a beach community, at least until the high season when the crowds and traffic bring us back to reality. With the beach and the Gulf of Mexico virtually right across the street, we can make any day a beach day. Susan likes to come home from work and take a long walk on the beach for exercise and contemplation. We often walk together in the late afternoon when the sun gets lower and the temperatures drop a bit. There is always a great sea breeze blowing off the Gulf. This is a typical beach community with a single two-lane road lined with restaurants, t-shirt shops and beach supplies. We had a great 21st anniversary dinner at the Bistro here at the marina. The menu can be a bit tricky so you have to be careful what you order or you wind up paying a lot more than you might expect. We are also getting used to the Florida afternoon thunderstorms that arrive at about 3:30 most afternoons. We had one last week that had reported 86 mile per hour winds. These storms can be strong and destructive, but they are much needed in south Florida to ease the drought situation. We also have almost daily wildfires, and Lake Okeechobee levels are still falling. 

Susan is back to work for the State of Florida and getting comfortable back in her old routine. As with any social work job, there are a lot of stressful responsibilities, but after many years, she handles it well. After leaving Waterway Guide and relocating back to Florida, I am now working for a company based in Baltimore, just a few miles from where we lived in Pasadena, Maryland. I am delighted to be working with MarinaLife doing some of the same work I did for Waterway Guide. One of my new projects is to get the MarinaLife website set up and publishing current Navigational Notices and Updates for the waterways of the United States. Those of our followers that are familiar with the work we did in that area previously will find the same useful information now provided on the MarinaLife website. We will begin sending the notices via email by the end of this week. I will also be working with the marinas on the west coast of Florida to help them promote their facilities. We have several other new projects in the works that will be announced later.

The boat is getting some work done now since all of my time is not dedicated to working a 60 hour week. As each project is completed, it will be posted. After we arrived, the engine was in need of maintenance work so the usual fuel filter, oil filter and oil change had to be done. The engine room is slowly getting a fresh coat of paint and additional bilge pumps being installed. The replacement of the opening ports is still ongoing as is other cosmetic work on the interior and exterior. We are also installing the Icom 802 HF radio which we be very time consuming to get the installation right and the various pieces installed in the right locations. As each of these are completed we will post the details. Other major projects on the drawing board are for an autopilot (the Simrad AP 28 is at the head of the list at this point) and the Next Gen generator, which will be a big expense and major job. With those installed, Beach House will be ready to do some serious cruising. All we will have left to do is put the money back in the bank that we spent on the equipment. Be sure and stop by from time to time to see our progress and sign up for email notices or an RSS feed to get the latest.