It's Good to be Back

Wow, it's been too long since Anna and I have updated the blog and I am sure there are quite a few of you that are wondering what the heck happened. Did they give up? Did they drowned? Where are they? To tell you the truth we have no good excuse as to why it has been so long, the plain truth is our arrival in Florida has been a bit of a head trip. For the past eight months Anna and I have felt like a rocket that was launched into space. On the day we left port we felt as if we were placed in orbit circling the earth filling each day with wonderful new sights and experiences. As we entered Florida and the holiday season approached we arranged to leave Blue and drive home for Christmas. As the day of our departure home approached, mission control called and brought a new word into our looper vocabulary. It was as if it came to us over the VHF radio in a static filled voice from far far away, "Blue Yonder, Blue Yonder" we heard. "this is mission control, prepare for REENTRY!" As many of you have seen this whole trip has been just amazing, the things we have seen, the places we have been, the people we have met, they have changed us forever. With our arrival in Florida, Anna and I realized that we have now completed over 70% of our trip and with that realization we find ourselves facing a harsh reality. In four months time we will be home. That leaves us facing the big question, what's next? The truth of the matter is, we have no idea. The whole situation came to a head last week and Anna and I realized that if we spend the next four months obsessing about what is next, we might as well quit the trip. All our time and energy is being wasted thinking about what is next, not on what is now. Thankfully neither Anna nor I wish to give up on our dreams so with much thought we have determined that we will leave it to fate for now. In our lives there have been many things that seemed to happen for a reason, some were good some were bad, but it has always seemed to fall together in the end. Why should this time in our lives be any different. With that being said, let me fill you all in on what we have seen in the past four weeks. Right before Christmas Anna and I had a spent a few wonderful nights in Fort Myers. The Edison and Ford Estates were a must see for us and they did not disappoint. The number of inventions and the contributions of these two men are astounding. After a long day at the museums, we connected with friends in the area and got to enjoy a fantastic evening with Donna and Joe Corso at a neat restaurant in downtown Ft. Myers. We got a kick out of meeting them at the boat before dinner, it is always fun to watch peoples reactions to how we live on Blue. Half the people that visit us say man I could do this, the other half say no way, you guys are out of your minds. I think it was a split decision with Donna and Joe, Joe seemed to be into it, but Donna seemed more skeptical as we showed her the small space we call home. I can't say I blame her, there are many a moments when Anna and I have freaked out over something on Blue, for instance I seem to have a habit of hitting my head on something every day and Anna seems to have a similar problem with banging her kneecap in things. When these things happen we say to each other, give me a minute I am having a bad boating moment. Thankfully the bad boating moments have become fewer and fewer as days go by, but I would be lying if I didn't say they happen. Leaving Fort Myers we made way up to Rialto Harbor on the Okeechobee waterway and left Blue safely in the hands of Buss, the owner and operator of one of the most fantastic marinas we have seen thus far on or trip. If you are traveling through the lake Okeechobee waterway, you must stop at Rialto Harbor, it is unlike any other marina you will find in the area, and offers one of the most peaceful and enchanting experiences anyone could ask for. It is without question a fantastic representation of old Florida, from the horses to the beautiful landscaped paths, you think you had been brought back in time to an old Florida plantation paradise. Feeling great about Blues new home, we hopped in our rental car and made the trek north. Stopping at my Uncle Ed's home in Evingtion VA then on to NJ to spend a few days and Christmas eve with the Gulick clan. Late Christmas Eve we pushed on to CT to see the other half of the family the von Pechmanns and were greeted by a winter storm that left us all filled with joy on Christmas day. Our stay in CT was made all the more special by having been able to connect with our good friends Ryan and Kiley and their son Paxton from Nantucket. To tell you the truth we could not have asked for a better Christmas, it had been to long since we enjoyed the company of or families. It was truly one of the best Christmas's Anna and I have ever had. With the holidays over we made way back to the boat and have pushed on south with the warmth of the keys on our minds. We will make a stop in Naples and visit with friends and family then we will make way to Marathon. It is good to be back on the path again, we are letting fate make the calls, and sleeping a whole lot better for it. What comes next, who knows. But we can't wait to find out.

A stop at the Edison and Ford Estates in Fort Myers is a must

We had the best tour guide of our whole trip here and that made it so interesting to learn about Edison and Ford

Check out the really cool original lighting in this house.

This above ground swimming pool was truly a unique feature

Anna just loved this amazing tall palm tree

It is said that the phonograph was Edison's favorite invention- because it was the only one that worked on the first try. He was deaf so you can see teeth marks on these where he bit into it to feel the vibration

The number of inventions and contributions that Edison made to society seem to be never ending as you walk around his museum

What would we do without Mr. Ford?

This car on the right would arrive without a cab. What many did is use the wood from the car shipping crate to create the kind of cab that they needed.