B-Bye Fort Myers (yes again) and OH Canada.

Yet another wind event was coming.  That's the rhythm down here.  You get a hot and humid high and then a low blows in and it's windy as all get out, then everything cools off for a few day.  Back and forth.  The weather is a little bi-polar.

Knowing that I had a flight booked to Canada for a grandbaby fix, we took advantage of a break in the weather to move a little closer to Fort Myers where there was the desired airport, a discount battery store and a truck in storage to facilitate those chores.  We set our sights on spending a few days in Bimini Basin in Cape Coral.

The only problem being that to get there we had to make our way through the "miserable mile" on a dreaded Sunday afternoon.  The miserable mile is a tight channel South of Cape Coral which is NOT a no wake zone and is very traffic heavy, especially on a Sunday.  We had been drifting at anchor for a couple of days and we figured, what the hey, let's take it on.  So we battened down the hatches well and off we went!  Jeff's middle finger got a good work out as we were cut off and tossed around from every angle for a few hours.  

Granvida at anchor in Bimini Basin.
If you weren't reading the weather you probably
wouldn't know there was a "wind event" going on.
 There were nasty white
caps out on the river.  Here, we were totally protected,
there is a park with a dinghy dock and stores/
& laundromat
a short walk away.  We enjoyed several days here
where I burned through several
great biographies.  Priceless....  

We settled in Bimini Basin, which is a very protected anchorage accessed down a canal and surrounded by low-rise condos.  Perfect.  We rode out the winds there very securely.  You never would have known there was a weather wind event going on if you didn't look up at the palm trees whipping around.

We enjoyed a visit from Canadian friend Stephano, who was looking for a suitable fixer-upper boat on which to escape on.  Kind of interesting to see what's for sale out there and how some folks live on old, non-functioning boats.  He eventually found something he could work with.

We had a week-long reservation at the Yacht Basin but that somehow got lost in translation through the various levels at the office there, so we ended up at anchor, which turned out to be lovely. 

A great trip home.
 I enjoyed several walks in the woods
 with Louis, my grandpet
and various family members.
 Sometimes I just miss the snow soooo much!

I made my flight home to the Great White North, while Jeff stayed and minded shop. A few glorious days were spent hanging out with my daughter, her husband and their two lovely children.  Lots of long walks in the woods with various grandbabies/pets, yummy meals cooked together with great conversations, cuddling in front of the fire...just what I needed to rejuvenate my soul.

  

What's not to love about finding
such treasures on your pillow.
I took this one back to the boat
and put it out on display.
 Such sweetness!

I returned home, er, back to the boat with our 'ol Great Loop Burgee in hand.  It has been in storage for the past several years but we're ready.   We're time to bring Gran Vida Home and finish our Loop.

After I got back to the boat, we pulled into the Yacht Basin for one full day of provisioning, laundry and good times with friends.

The 'ol Great Loop burgee is back in place.
Complete with signatures from our Looper Buddies.
It's time to take this baby home.

Hard good-byes.
Good-bye get together with Dave and Michele (M/V Just Us)
We've made so many great friends.
Check out the hot-dog contraptions.  Too funny!

Another dinner with friends...  Joe and Rob are old friends (meaning
we've known them for a while now) and Dave and Denise new
Looper friends. Boaters are such social people.  We love it.

At the anchorage outside of Fort Myers Yacht Basin
between the two bridges.
This guy was quite comfortable and we had a hard time
shooing him off our dinghy.