Back Home in Charleston

We left Beaufort dock at the butt crack of dawn (5:55am) so we could make the 6:00am opening, which we did! Schooner and I promptly went back down to our warm bed and slept until 10:00am. It’s amazing how well I sleep with the engine noise. Gordon had been battling the deer flies most of the morning and was appreciative to have me up top to kill them for a while. We kill time listening to Fox News on Sirrus Satellite or when possible Neal Boortz on AM radio. It kills the time and gives you a laugh now and then!!

It is definitely a long ride and not much to see although we did catch sight of manatee, many dolphins, ducks, geese, herons, osprey and an eagle. It was a good day however it was hot sitting under the Bimini. And too hot to sit out in the sun!! We arrived at the last drawbridge at 2:00pm and once through it we had almost 2 hours to kill before we could enter the marina at slack tide. The Charleston Maritime Center is officially our home of record (although we rarely spend more than a couple weeks a year here) and other than being a little difficult to get in and out it is a wonderful spot to stay here in Charleston if you are on a boat. After Jeff Davis got us tied up temporally, it was off to the grass for Schooner and the shower for Gordon and I.

This morning we got up and moved into our permanent spot and left the boat to ride to the post office and our mailbox. There was plenty to pick up and thank you Larry and Pam for the wonderful books…I can’t wait for the chance to put them to use!! You know how we love to find great places to EAT!!! On our way back to the boat, we stopped at MOE”S for a case of indigestion. Also, we stopped at the park to walk off lunch and to check out “Art in the Park”, something new for Charleston tourists! It was mostly paintings of the local area and some modern stuff I don’t understand!

OK, do you all remember when I talked about how much bike riding we had done without any accidents? Then Gordon had his little mishap with the palm tree!! Well, I haven’t told you everything… About 3 weeks ago, I was waiting for the cross walk light in Daytona, and when I had the right away I started across the street when this car ran the light. No, I wasn’t hit, but I did through myself over the handlebars stopping. That resulted in some major road rash to the elbow and knee and some hurt pride. Two days later we were riding in the waterfront part with Schooner when she decided to cross my path after one of her lizards. This time I laid the bike down in the grass, but ended up falling right on the handlebar ribs first!! It only hurts to laugh now, but I was really sore for 3 weeks and still have bruises to show for it! Schooner didn’t catch her lizard either. So today …I crashed again!!! This time both hands are skinned, my left knee is skinned and has a big bruise developing and I really thought for a while I had broken my left wrist…I am moving it just fine now and it isn’t swelling, but it sure is sore.
A lot of my pain comes from telling all of you this and Sonia I still won’t wear a helmet, I survived childhood without one and had worse wrecks than these last three! I also believe I’m done now that I have had my third accident…you know things come in threes!! LOL

We were welcomed back to the boat by Jeff, who got us some fresh, and I mean fresh, shrimp right off a boat who had come in for ice. Gordon has them cleaned as I write and we will now have dinner!!!