We May Be Old, But We Aint Dead Yet

Vero beach proved to be great fun. We spent some time on the mooring balls, wonderful facilities and $15 a night.  Monday, we walked through a wonderful Veterans Park and had lunch at Waldos, a part of the Driftwood Resort, built in the 1930s of cypress boards by an eccentric millionaire, who collected various odd items, including ships bells and train bells, which still adorn the property. The restaurant has a pool and ocean side setting, perfect for a breezy, sunny 80 degree day.

The best discovery was the Riverside Cafe. This bar on the Indian River is the place where all the staid grandparents live out their "other lives". At home they may be perceived as the old people, eyes are rolled at their sense of fashion and stuffy traditions, but not here. A country/bluegrass  band pounds out songs while all the old codgers pound down the beer and happy hour appetizers at the bar, singing along with gusto to Rock Me Mama Like A Wagon Wheel and Ring of Fire.  Here the lead singer manages the trifecta of singing, playing the guitar, and impressively, the harmonica, all in the same song, friends gather, toasts are drunk.  Here the good times roll without the presence of children and grandchildren, who might think them too old for such behavior. But the truism, you're only as old as you feel, takes precedence here. We have moved into our second youth, full of laughter, singing, and fun, wherever we find it. And a lot of us seem to have found it at the Riverside Cafe in Vero Beach.

Sailing North

We had a small send off crew as Sand Castle and Wind Dancer left the marina for parts north. Seems everyone left early this year. But we appreciated the three man farewell commmittee and conch blowing adieu.

Most of the trip to Marathon, where we anchored for the night, involved motoring, but we did managed the last 2 hours sailing. Our second day, we left at 8 am and  planned to sail to Rodriguez, but the winds were wonderful and as we approached Rodriguez at speeds of over 7 knots by 2 pm, we decided to continue on north overnight. The winds died as we reached the end of the keys, but a peaceful night of motoring in calm seas at speeds of over 10 knots on the Gulf Stream got us to Vero Beach by Sunday afternoon. So far an easy time going north...but we never think it's easy until it is finished.

The Last Wreckers Race

Our last Wreckers Race was great fun, although we finished just out of the money. Great winds of 15-20 made for a fast race. We had Dan and Karen Schroeder and John abd Dottie Milhouse for crew. Couldn't keep the smiles off the sailors faces both during the race and on the ride home. The Wreckers Races are an all day sailing deal, with s 2 hour sail over, and hour or soof  racing, and a 2 and 1/2 to 3 hour return. Fun for all of us.