We awoke to an even foggier morning than the day before. When I opened the galley window to peer out we had 0 visibility. So much for an early start. Instead we took Prince to play in the nicely fenced park. He had a great time running around off leash, even enjoyed the swings and going down a slide or two. It was all good fun until he found a crack in the fence and took off like a bolt of lightning. Coleen was screaming, crying and chasing him and of course he thought it was a game. This went on for about 10 minutes until he was finally chased into a fenced yard and captured. My girl was so distraught it nearly broke my heart.
After a good scolding we strolled over to the Welaka United Methodist Church where they were having a yard sale to earn money to reupholster their pews. Coleen managed to pick out a couple of little Christmas decorations ($1) and we had a nice visit with the old ladies telling us about their tiny 35 member congregation. Lots of fellows were fishing on the dock when we returned and most of them had buckets of crappie to show for it. So we had an audience when we cast off the lines around 10 a.m. Thankfully, we actually looked like we knew what we were doing and all went well. We traveled for about 20 miles to the Boat House Marina in Palatka. It's always interesting to make way into an unfamiliar marina. You just never know where they are going to put you and how tricky it will be to get in and out. We've been tucked in some scary places during our travels. This time though it was a breeze as we tied up along a long face dock and actually had four people come out to help with our lines. Once again I looked like I knew what I was doing and didn't embarrass myself. I must be getting back into the swing of things. The Boat House Marina is a small family owned operation with about 40 small sailboats and a few trawlers. The facilities, while lacking any charm, are clean and they have the basics, wifi, hot showers, washer/dryer, etc. The owners are super friendly and gave us a good orientation of their little town. Dockage is only $1/ft which is a pretty good price. As it was nearing 3 o'clock and our goal was to tour the Ravine Gardens State Park before dark, we hurriedly readied the boat and set out for the mile walk up a long hill. It had been chilly all day, but the sun came out as we were walking and made it a little too warm for our clothing choices. Anyway, soon enough we arrived at Ravine Gardens only to see a sign posted that the park was closed for the day as they were setting up for a special evening event. Yikes!!! Glad we hurried to get there! So we walked back to the marina and made plans to attend the Caroling in the Park event at 6 p.m. Meanwhile we did a bit of laundry. Coleen enjoyed visiting with her new friends on the new large houseboat docked next to the Glass Slipper. An older couple from Jacksonville uses it as a weekend home and enjoyed giving us a tour. Coleen visited with them while I did laundry. That girl can make friends quickly and by the time we walked back to the park she knew their life history. So we walked another mile back to Ravine Gardens, this time in the dark. We were carrying cans of salmon as our required entry fee and determined they were our first line of defense if needed. I also had my trusty pepper spray and a flash light. But it was a well lit street and we enjoyed seeing all the Christmas lights. We enjoyed a wagon ride through the gaily decorated park. At various stops carolers from assorted churches blessed us with song. It was a nice time complete with hot dogs and ice cream. I'd say we really didn't get to see the park that much as it was so dark, but it made a good mother/daughter memory and that's priceless.
2 Comments
12/9/2012 03:53:44 am
I am so loving all your posts Mary!! I can't stand it! I want to be Colleen!!! LOL!
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mary connaughton
12/11/2012 04:09:20 am
Thanks Mary! We miss you but are having a great time!
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