We are in a great marina in Sarasota FL celebrating Thanksgiving 2021.  Our assigned parking spot is in amongst the “Big Girls”. 

Marina Jacks, Sarasota FL
More Big Girls as the day wore on…

Over the past 3+ weeks we have traveled into and across portions of the Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway to quite a few ports, including Panama City, Pensacola, Apalachicola, Crystal River, Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota, and several others. It has been a wonderful journey filled with playful dolphins, Blue Angels, manatees, yummy seafood of all varieties, interesting walks and the occasional company of good friends.

Herds (pods) of dolphins all day long…
Panama City Public beach
Pensacola  downtown
Into the abyss… 86 miles from Carabelle to Steinhatchee. Chop gradually turned to glass about 20 from the finish.  That made it easier to dodge the mine fields of crab pots!
Sunset from Roy’s in Steinhatchee
Scallops, crab, grouper plate – Steinhatchee
St Pete’s skyline from our boat in the marina
Street art St Pete’s

And we are thankful for all of it it ….pleasures-both big and small, our family,  friends (new and old), our health, our boat’s great running condition and all the workers everywhere who supply goods, services and knowledge to make our life and everyone’s life possible and better.

Eating our T-day dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, cranberries and salad on the upper helm as the sun sets

We are winding down this leg of our journey soon.  We’ll check out Venice this coming Saturday, then head to Cayo Costa (a FL state park accessible only by boat) to anchor out for 2 nites and then on to Ft. Meyers to visit with family and friends for 3 days.  Within a few days after that, ’tis Grand will be hauled out and stored under cover on the hard until we return next spring.  A new coat of bottom paint to repel the barnacles will be applied before she’s launched for the 2022 run up the Atlantic coast.  We are looking forward to seeing family and friends back in WI by mid-December.  Zeke is dreaming of running free in Cable Woods and leaving his leash behind on the boat for several months!