Home Sweet Home

It's good to be home!  As many of you are regular readers of my journal, you already know about our family vacation fiasco.  Thanks to Hurricane Dennis we had to cut out our trips to Key West and Pensacola/New Orleans.  The last leg of our vacation was Steinhatchee, Florida and we were able to make this part of our trip.  We arrived home today. . .Thank God!  The hurricane wreaked havok there as well.  The scallops were gone.  The chest deep water was murky and muddy, making the snorkeling miserable.  Day 1 (Sunday) Arriving around 9:00 am we got our rental boat, and then waited and waited for our friends to arrive.  When the 30 or so people finally arrived (about 10:30 am) they launched and boarded their boats, and we all set off to go scalloping.  Well, we headed out into the bay and then raced to the south for 13 miles over choppy waters with me and Katie sitting on the bow hanging on for dear life as our boat bounced across the water.  I didn't think we would ever get to where we were going and saying "slow down" was like spitting in the wind.  By the time we anchored I had a splitting headache.  Then we proceeded to "scallop" only there were no scallops to be had.  I say "we" proceeded to scallop, but I didn't exactly get in the water. I don't care for snorkeling, salt water, slimey grass wrapping around my legs, and most of all dragging my fat butt back in the boat with an audience.  So, I just stayed in the boat and watched, as I do every year.  This year, however, it was UNGODLY HOT!! I am not kidding, scorching, blinding heat! and I already had a headache from the ride out there.  We stayed out there until 3:00 pm and then raced back in to outrun a thunderstorm.  We didn't eat lunch because we wanted to save room so we could "pig out" at dinner! By the time we got back to the cabin, I was starving, I had a splitting headache and way too much sun.  I had applied plenty of sunscreen before leaving and even reapplied it while out there, but I still got really red in the chest, back and shoulders.  I even sat under the canopy most of the day!  When we got back to the cabin it took me about an hour to cool down even with the air conditioning blowing full blast and a cool rag on my forehead.  Thank God for the cooler of ice cold drinks or I might not have made it. By 6:00 pm I was showered and ready to pig out (and I did!)  The next day they were all going out scalloping again at 9:00 am.  NOT ME!  NOT Katie or Betsy. . .we stayed behind and enjoyed our lazy day in the cabin.  Here is a picture of our cabin:

This is the marina and deck (which has had a roof added to it for shade and many more boat slips too).  It isn't a bit luxurious. . .just a fisherman's motel and marina.

I'm glad we didn't go out yesterday; they didn't come back in until 4:00 pm!  One of the other boats broke down and our boat towed them back in.  They didn't get any scallops, but they were all very sunburned.  Poor Robert and his "farmer's tan"!  His back and legs are pretty red!

It sure is good to be home!  I think we might go to Alaska next summer!