Monday, December 6 - Saturday, December 11 Harbortown Marina, Merritt Island, FL

We've been settled here in the marina for six days and are really enjoying ourselves.  We've had a visit from friends Pam and Richard from the Central Florida Cruise Club  we belonged to in Orlando and a chance to see Marcy's brother, Bim, and his wife and sister-in-law as well as many opportunities to hang out with Marla & Al and Roger & Marcy.  We celebrated a large-numbered birthday with Marla on Thursday and went to a Christmas party at her sister, Kathy's, house tonight.  This morning we called Roger and Marcy on the spur of the moment and said, "Let's go to breakfast" and they did!  We miss our friends in North Carolina but it is such a  pleasure to get together with these treasured  friends since childhood and to pretty much be living in the same neighborhood as they are.

Christmas is coming, as I'm sure you all know.  Before we left NC I did some Christmas baking and shipped presents to our three boys and their families.  Beyond that, we really hadn't considered what we would do about a tree (on a boat????), lights, gifts for each other (I guess that would be diesel fuel) or Christmas dinner.  I did take care of Christmas cards, composing our letter and addressing envelopes during the long hours we putted along at eight miles an hour through South Carolina and Georgia.  Since arriving here we've realized that we don't want to bypass Christmas so today we bought a TREE.......and ornaments.......and a tree skirt.......and lights!!!  Good grief!  How crazy is that?  We'll send a picture once we get it all decorated around here.

Thanks to those of you who have kept us updated on the wintery weather in Charlotte.  FYI - Wayne was in shorts and tee shirt and washing the boat on Friday afternoon.  We have had some cold weather here but our central heating system on the boat keeps us quite comfortable.

As for the boat, we are trying to find out how we were taking on water that was wetting our front berth as we were traveling.  We also want to solve the problem of a nonfunctioning bow thruster on the right side of the boat.

Wayne & Colleen relaxing at "home."



There are lots of things you are not allowed to do at Port Canaveral
Here's one.




And another




Yet another



And one more.



One of the Port Canaveral sights that we didn't expect to see.  He has GOT to be feeling a draft.