January 22, 2007

Today started out nice. Just a fair breeze making it nice to sit on Shorty's back porch and read more manuals. The back porch is also known as the cockpit. Then all of sudden the wind picked up and it started misting. According to NOAA WX radio it said it was not going to be so nice for the next couple of days. It is supposed to get down to the 40's and rain which it was doing by two today. About noon I decided that the wind has pushed enough water into the canal that I might just as well saddle up Shorty and we would go for our daily exercise which consists of trying to get 12 hours on the lower gear oil so we can change it according to the book.

This morning while sitting outside I happened to notice something out of the corner of my eye. A manatee had arrived and was doing his morning feeding in the canal. Later on in the day after being out on the bay with Shorty for exercise I was sitting inside reading and Kenny from Three Rivers Marine came by to tell me tomorrow morning was going to be pullout day for getting the cockpit screens made and in place. Well guess what, looked over the side and here was another manatee not six feet from the boat but to deep to get a photo of her. The reason it is so difficult is they seem to just stick there snout above the surface an inch to inhale more air and then it is back to the bottom to eat more grass and weeds.

Tomorrow I will be land bound once again but I am going to stay aboard Shorty on dry land for a couple of days. Along with the screens, I am going to need help with the satellite radio it isnt connecting with me and I have tryed the procedures at least four times so I need big time help here. I think I have figured out how to do waypoints but I don't have figured out how to set up my route. I have two land days to do that.

At noon time today Three Rivers brought by a car for me to use while on dry land and out of my neighborhood. I don't believe I have ever met a nicer group of people who just keep doing things that I don't expect.

That's the news from Crystal River for today. It is now getting closer to cutting the ties to momma's apron strings and striding out of the bay for places not seen before and conquering what people call dockitis. I know Shorty is ready but am I?? The question will soon be answered in the coming days.