Playing Catch Up!

I was going to say something like "how time flies..." but we all know how that goes, so let me just say "It's the 21st of April already!" I left you last in Palm Coast at our last house sit. Well, it wasn't the LAST house sit, because we have one left to go back at another favorite out in Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville. I might also be a little premature in saying it is THE last house sit, but only time will tell on that one.
Moving right along!!

So much happens, and yet it doesn't either. We still feel so much as if we are just marking time. We are and we aren't. Oh dear, I'm not being very clear today, am I!

To clarify: While the boat is for sale, we are keeping her in tippy top shape....in fact, she is the MOST gorgeous she has ever been, in our opinion. She is certainly clean from top to bottom, waxed, de-everything, and still we turn up to do odd jobs, polish the stainless steel one more time, and put a little more wax on somewhere. That somewhere is never ending on a 57ft boat, let me tell you.
We put the dinghy in the water last week, mostly to turn over the motor...and while it took a bit of time to start, not having been started in quite a while, Waz had her revved and raring to go. We donned our life jackets and out we went into the River for a blatt. Half way up the river, the motor stopped. It was choppy and there were small boats coming up the river towards us and of course leaving a wake. I had my back to the wake, and as you knew would happen, as soon as that motor started and Waz gunned it, I got a wet (and COLD) back. As luck would have it, the sun dried me out in no time, once back aboard.

It is days like this that we most miss living aboard. There is nothing quite like sitting on the boat with the breeze cooling the otherwise 80+F day, the gentle sound of lapping water against the hull, people passing on the dock and saying hello, and most of all, just BEING there.
Our 'other' life living in a tube apartment is a lot more mundane, and spent variously doing odd jobs for the boat, managing our various business interests, and dealing with various medical matters, of which I will talk shortly.

The weather is easy to watch, from inside the apartment, and we have to record some of the drama happening across the 3 mile stretch of River in front of us.

We don't celebrate Easter, per se, but our nod to that 'holiday' as it is termed here, was me making chocolate pecan pinwheel scones. Waz loves pinwheel scones with LOTS of cinnamon in them.

 I make my favorite scone recipe with some cinnamon in the mix, and make a paste out of more cinnamon, a small amount of brown sugar, some butter and finely chopped pecans. I spread the dough thinly onto the floured counter, and spread the cinnamon butter mix over the top with a spatula. Rolling the long dough into a log, I then cut off 1 inch rounds, placing them close together on the cookie sheet. oh...the chocolate part??? That was mini chocolate chips (dark choc.) into the scone mix. I wasn't impressed with the fact that they didn't melt very well. I like gooey chocolate in my cooking, and these didn't have enough chocolate to get anything other than what they were. Bah! I try to get away with as little sugar as possible, in my baking, but as the process is all about the chemistry of the ingredients, you cant do away with it altogether. Not unless you use a substitute, and scones don't like those in particular.
Anyhoo....we enjoyed them with a little butter for Waz, and a little whipped cream for me, and of course we broke out the best china to enjoy the accompanying loose leaf tea.

A light and delicious breakfast, if not very filling. An apple followed, but we were hungry by lunch time:)

Our lunches look something like this, normally...

A mix of Romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery, blueberries and strawberries (when not breaking the bank), a little blue cheese, sometimes a hard boiled egg, and a little chicken or other protein. Waz like a sugar-free creaming ranch dressing and I favor a drizzle of Avocado oil and white balsamic vinegar.
I have been avoiding 'nightshade' vegies such as tomatoes, egg plant and peppers, to see if that makes a difference to my acid reflux. What has helped is the odd teaspoon of probiotic plain Greek yoghurt.

I have been making large pots of soup too...this is for two reasons: I cant find too much inspiration in food, these days, so having something read to eat in the fridge is great, and I LOVE butternut squash soup...plain, with just an onion, stem ginger and garlic in it, all cooked up with chicken stock. Simple and delicious! and did I mention roughage??

I also make things like pastry-less quiche and stew or curry, served with lightly cooked shredded cabbage or Zucchini noodles. Staying away from Pasta and other processed white flour foods is good for both of us, and I for one feel better for not eating them. We love bread, but bread doesn't love us!

With all our 'stuff' now out of storage, we were happy to have our bikes back and able to ride them. These are the folding bikes we had on the boat, which served us well when we didn't own or have a car. We need to ride them more often I think.

Waz's is the one with the red hooter!:) We both have different seats, as you can see....they are a very personal thing, don't you think?

We also spent a lovely afternoon with our dock mates and friends, Dan and Kris, on their 42ft sailboat. This is also for sale, but they still spend time out sailing her and enjoying the time on the water. We love sailing and the quiet, once the engine is turned off, and the whack of the wind in the sail as she flicks back and forth, as we seek the best angle for speed.

Waz is getting ready to cast off the last of the ropes, before hopping onboard for our afternoon sail.

 Opening the bridge for us to slip through on our way up the St John's River.

 What a glorious sight! Wide open water, albeit a River, and the sun showing through the sails. Perfect!

 Waz in his happy place:)

 Our light lunch aboard. Dan at the wheel.

It was warm, but the wind can still be cool, so longs were the order of the day, both top and bottom.
What a fabulous sunset to end that day.

Kris and Dan had invited us to the Cummer Art Museum and Garden, some time ago, and the dates never happened, but this Tuesday (in March) we took advantage of the Free Entry (love those!) in the late afternoon, and visited the galleries and then enjoyed the gorgeous Italian gardens. Waz and I have been there before, but it was much more fun going with someone else who enjoys these things.

 The Wisteria arbor is a dream of mine...that along with Climbing Roses and Clematis.

 Waz and Kris enjoy the beginning of the flowering Azeleas (above)

 The HUGE old Live Oak trees are sculptural and shady, which is the most important function they can provide. Aspidistra thrive in this tropical climate. They do get their tips burned by frost though (lower center)....they are a bit of a weed, to be perfectly honest!

Apple Blossom!

 Spring is obviously sprung. Love Snapdragons and Petunias. A couple of young women were enjoying a picnic with their very young children, by the fountain. Delightful!

 This is all alongside the St John's River, in Riverside.

It isn't that we sit all day...although some days it sure feels like that.
We enjoy our daily 45-60 minute walks along the river-side just five minutes up the road. Many others enjoy this too, as there are always a lot of cars parked at our end, disgorging their spandex-clad runners and walkers, most of whom have ear plugs in. Too bad they aren't enjoying the normal sounds of life.

We like to go walking in the late afternoon when the light is lower, the breeze is cooler and the birds are feeding in the shallows close to shore.

Waz's headaches returned with a vengeance just two weeks ago. We have a tentative diagnosis of Cluster Headaches, which are different to Migraines. He doesn't have photosensitivity or nausea, just an intense pain running from the left back neck, across the top of his head to his right eye...and sometimes his left eye. We are trying different medications but they are extremely debilitating. Not a common issue, which is why it has taken sooooo long to get any kind of diagnosis. We are still in the exploration phase of this, but a neurologist is our next appointment, when medical insurance approves it! We wait!!!!!!

Ciao for now!