Shout out to Santa......

Shout out to Santa:

Don't look for me in Florida........

check Wyoming....burrrrrr

Ho-Ho-Ho

Christmas season must be here.

We watched the boat parade here in Panama City Beach and then (via the internet) the parade at our home town in Buffalo, WY

Hearing "Frosty the snowman" while wearing shorts and a T-shirt just didn't seem right!

Boats of all types were all decked out -
boat horns blaring 

Kids don't have to worry....
Santa will find them even without snow.

Biking at St. Andrews state park - October, 2012

One mile from the marina is an awesome park.

Sand dunes along the bike path

You can hike the alligator pond..... maybe another day!

The white sand and green shrubs 

Captain makes himself useful by holding the bikes....but really didn't want to go off the path.

Tis a sailor's life for me

We love to anchor out. It's the last frontier with being able to anchor outside a channel anytime you want. Enjoy the wildlife like no other. Peaceful and quiet.

Enjoying morning coffee and sunrise.
A pod of dolphin passed by.

Passing a boat yard in St. Andrews Bay

Flying the U.S. flag along with the Wyoming flag.
The wind was whipping.

Picture from the stern of St. Andrews Bay

Freighter that just came in from the Gulf -
heading to the Port of Panama City, FL.

Lollygag in her slip at Pirate's Cove
We expect to be here about a month or until the pool gets too cold to swim :)

Hooking up electric...they have cable TV also - yippee

Pirates Cove Marina via Google Maps

10-7-12 Lake Wimico

The open water of Lake Wimico was a nice change.
Although it is a natural lake, it is very shallow so you need to stay in the dredged channel.

After leaving the lake, you are back on the ICW
(Intracoastal Waterway)

Anchorage in East Bay via Google Earth

At anchor outside the channel in East Bay.

10-6-12 Chipola cutoff and Chipola River

Chipola cutoff (made in 1882) connects the Apalachicola to the Chipola River.  The current is swift and deep and very narrow.

Very little traffic

And very twisty

Chipola River runs parallel to the Apalachicola 

Link to anchorage in Saul Creek

If you're wondering where the "boondocks" are..... check out the Saul Creek.

Relaxed Apalachicola 10/5/2012

Feels great to be on the move again, but still have to watch those sandbars!

Link to anchorage via Google Earth

Sandbars....ARGH!

10/2/12

Day 1

To avoid a tree snag, we zigged instead of zagging and ended up on a sandbar on the Apalachicola river - Mile 78

Lollygag at a heel stuck on a sandbar

Maybe if we take an anchor out an use the new winch....
Nope!

Maybe if we use an oar to shovel a path....
Nope!

Maybe if we take the big anchor out and use the windless...
Nope!

So close to the deep water and we can't get there!

Day 2; October 3, 2012

Navy Reserves try to help......Nope!

Sheriff's office came out to check on us, but couldn't pull us off.

We called Florida Game and Fish, but they didn't have a boat big enough.

We called all towing places and no one served this area!

So, Captain called Sea Tow from Eufaula and explained the situation.

Day 3

Sea Tow to the rescue!

Those 3 guys and little boat knew what they were doing!

Surveying the situation

Almost off....yeah!

.....And we're off

10-1-2012 on the Apalachicola

We are anchored just above Blountstown. 

No pictures today because it was rainy and we only moved two miles downstream.

Check out this link via Google Earth of the Apalachicola River. You can see all the sandbars we hope to get through tomorrow.

NOAA website predicts about 0.7 feet ..... wish us luck!

Chattahoochee, FL 9/30/2012

Link to dock in Chattahoochee via Google Earth

Lollygag at the dock.
We usually don't stay at a dock, but this one was free with electric!

This is an Indian mound from 1450 - 1650AD.
It was a residential mound and is surrounded by live oak trees.

Really?? You need a sign??
Finally a rule I can live with :)

Captain attaching an additional depth sounder in preparation for going through Blountstown (on the way up, we got stuck 4 times)

Ragweed lined both banks of the river. The color contrast was beautiful if you don't have allergy's.

9/29/12 Woodruff Lock

"Save our Lake"

"Save our Lake"

Once the locals found out the Locks would be closing on October 7th 2012, they organized a protest and decided to lock through as many boats as they could.

And, yep....that was the day we were going through. It was a hoot!

Boats were floating around all over with people swimming and hollering back and forth.
This picture is waiting for the upper gates to open.

We were in the Lock with 23 other boats

Both gates weren't even open before the mass exodus began.

Rebel party barge - yahoo