What day is it? Usually I have no idea. It’s not old age dementia, unless you consider taking a year-long boat trip around the eastern half of the United States to be crazy. Mostly, it’s the fact that there is nothing to qualify the question. I don’t have a job to go to and my appointment book is empty. So you see, there is no reason to know the particular day unless I’m waiting for something or there is something I want to watch on TV. Like football. There are some great games going on as the NFL season winds down. But here we are in Carrabelle, Florida, where it is quite cold. We’re talkin’ low twenties at night. The frigid temperatures that has assaulted the northeastern part of the country has extended its icy tentacles all the way into northern Florida. The other day they had their first ever winter storm warning. During that night, freezing rain pelted the waterfront and covered the docks and everything else until the sun melted it away ’bout mid morning.
Oh yeah, there is no TV reception, and sadly, no football on Ginger Lee. Between that and the cold temps, I can’t wait to get outta here.Don’t get me wrong. Carrabelle is very nice. We’re enjoying our time here as well as can be expected, but in order to continue our Great Loop adventure southward into warmer climes, and get football on our TV, we need to cross a small corner of the Gulf of Mexico to the port of Steinhatchee, a trip that may take more hours than there is daylight.  Apparently the Gulf can be as fickle and cantankerous as Buzzards Bay. We hear tales of smooth-as-glass seas quickly turning into angry 8 footers, seasoned sailors retching overboard from the constant pounding of broadside waves, and shallow water grounding. We don’t want any of those shenanigans; it’s important to be patient; sooner or later the conditions will be favorable. It’s been a week since we cleated the lines at the C-Quarters Marina, making this one of our longest stays so far.
We’re keeping busy. I’m doing a lot of walking, writing, boat maintenance, and beer drinking. The XO is attending Yoga at the library, as well as biking, cooking, reading, and making a nifty rope rug. So we will wait in unpretentious Carrabelle until the high winds and big waves subside enough to make such a long passage possible.
It looks like we could be here until Thursday. It’s okay though, we lack for nothing except warm weather and football, so I definitely know what day it is. SOCOBO 1/5/17