April 29th: Sailor Dave Visit

We met "Sailor Dave" in Baltimore about five years ago. I was recovering from my broken shoulder and he was recovering from a broken back. Dave was working on restoring a sailboat. At the time we knew several guys named Dave so he became "Sailor Dave". We were in Baltimore together for about 6 weeks so we spent a lot of time together. We have kept in touch and he is at the point he is ready to move his sailboat south. He called and said he was coming to the Keys by car to check it out. We of course encouraged him. We had a fun visit and he was able to check out his options. We visited the usual places, including Key West because he'd never been there even though he was in the Navy, and a variety of marinas where he might stay with his sailboat

Near the original residence of the Crane family. 

A visit to Crane Point was in order the first day. Dave was interested in the history of the Keys and this is always an enjoyable place to visit.

The docents are knowledgeable about both the history and the mangroves and other vegatation that grows here. Plus there is a small natural museum that is quite well done.







I always learn something new from the volunteers who narrate the tour. I already knew that the Golden Orb spider is the largest spider in the Keys.














I did not know, however, why it was named the Golden Orb Spider. We learned that it is because its web is very shiny and golden when the sun shines on it. We were fortunate to see a medium sized spider with a large web.













From there Dave and I took a walk on a 1.5 mile fishing pier. It runs alongside the 7 mile bridge. There was a little more wind than we would have liked but we were still able to look down in the water and see a giant Eagle Ray, some needle fish, a small nurse shark and numerous other small fish.



We did make it to the end and back!





One of the reasons Dave came was to check out marinas to stay at if he decides to move his boat here. This very colorful crab was spotted at Boot Key Harbor. Boot Key Harbor has 225 mooring balls. We don't want to stay on a mooring ball and have to take the dinghy in whenever we want to walk around or go anywhere. Also there is no electricity or water! Even though it costs more, we much prefer being tied to a dock at Banana Bay, as does Dave. After visiting several marinas Dave decided Banana Bay is the best.



The next day it was very hot so it was a good day to ride the Conch Train Tour around Key West. The ride includes a very good narrative history of  Key West.













We also went to the Shipwreck Museum. There is a lot of history about all the wrecks at Key West. In the 1800's Key West was one of the busiest ports in the country. It was also one of the most dangerous because there are many shallow reefs around the entrance. During strong storms and hurricanes many ships would run aground. Salvage crews would head out as soon as they heard there was a wreck. There was on average one wreck a week. They were required to save the people first and then they could claim the cargo. For that period of time the Key West community had the highest average per person income in the country. The highlight of the museum is a 65 foot tower that overlooks all of Key West, 360 degrees.






 The Key West roosters, hens and chicks, are still going strong. Protected by law, they are literally everywhere.










 While Dave was here we observed a pair of Red-bellied woodpeckers nesting in a dead palm tree in front of the boat.



They sound sort of like WoodyWoodpecker and are very colorful. Fun to watch them going in and out the small hole.





It must be a popular tree as there is also a pair of Starlings nesting in another hole at the top. We've seen a number of different birds arrive this month. Usually we are gone by now. It's been fun to see some new feathered friends.











Dave is creative and likes finding new things. He showed us his new "shoelaces". They are stretch bands that take the place of regular shoe laces, no tying!


With Linda's knuckle surgery I have been tying her shoes for the past three months. These sounded like a great idea.  Linda ordered some on the internet and I installed them as soon as they came in. They work great!

















Dave headed for home Thursday and because there was very little wind I decided to go dinghy fishing under the bridge.

I caught only two fish but they were two good ones. A Yellow Snapper and a Hog Fish. They made a great supper.















There continues to be good news about Linda's hand. We went to the Clinic Friday and they removed all of the remaining stitches. For her right hand we needed to make two trips to get all the stitches out because the incision wasn't quite healed. This time the incision looked healed and the x-ray showed the new knuckles are settling in well. She'll have the mechanical splint in about another week. The numbered straps hold her fingers in place in the splint and the little white strips are steri-strips which will continue to hold the incision closed. The strips just eventually fall off on their own. We are on schedule to be on Guppy the first week of June.

April 24th: The left hand is freed!

Left hand prior to surgery

The picture shows Linda's left hand prior to surgery. She was unable to open her last three fingers.

Left hand after surgery and cast removed

Our wait was finally over Friday. The cast was removed from Linda's left hand and replaced with a removable splint. The splint will keep her knuckles from moving until the soft tissues become solidified. She will wear it 24/7 with the exception of taking it off to clean it. The splint does allow her to bend her fingers beyond the knuckles, which is fun because she couldn't move them before the surgery.  Of course all this means at least six more weeks before she can do the dishes!






As you can see from the picture of the back of her hand, she still has 1/2 of the stitches in and some swelling. The swelling has gotten a lot better already. Notice how nice and straight her fingers are. Everyone asks Linda if it is painful. She assures us it is not, We return to the Clinic Friday, and if healed enough, the remaining stitches will be removed.




Shown here is the soft splint she wears all the time to keep the knuckles from moving. It is much nicer than the hard cast.



















You might be wondering what I'm doing when not doing the dishes or driving Linda to Miami and/or Key West for physical therapy. There is plenty of teak left to work on. An example is this small piece of trim which was coming loose. The screw that was supposed to hold it in was broken. Because the screw heads are covered with a teak plug, I had to drill out the plug, reset the screw and re-plug the hole.

I knew I had teak plugs but I didn't know where. I started looking and kept digging deeper and deeper. As usual, I finally found them in the last place I looked. Linda took a picture of the aftermath. There are six of those little tubs and three smaller ones









It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself! Just need to clean the Cetol off of the white paint.

Then of course there are the unexpected projects. I went to pump out the holding tank for the heads, (toilets for you landlubbers) and discovered the hose was plugged. Not good. The tank of course is under the floor toward the bow of the boat. Fortunately, because we removed the generator last year, I was able to crawl in and get to it without too much trouble. Linda of course would fit more easily but oh well! I tracked down the problem and decided it was the old 90 degree, 1/2 inch elbow at the bottom of the tank. I was able to rig up a hose through the top of the tank to pump it out.




Then I was able to replace two fittings and the pump out hose. Put it all back together and we should be good for another ten years.












 Linda and I enjoy going out for breakfast before going to the Fitness Center to get our exercise.  A favorite place is Porky's. We are considered "Locals" and even get a 10% discount. They have a wide variety of coffee mugs. Recently Linda was served with a eight-sided coffee mug. She tells me they are very light, have a big handle so easy for her to grip it, and easy to drink out of. She started asking for the mug every time.

The servers have enjoyed watching the transformation of Linda's hands. The last time we were there Linda told the waitress she loves the mug so much she thought about sneaking it out. (She was only kidding, I think!) The waitress said, "Just take it, no problem, really". Linda is enjoying her new mug whenever we don't go out for breakfast. Needless to say we are true Porky's Locals now :-)

April 16th: Easter at Banana Bay

Great news.  The Easter Bunny found us here at Banana Bay. We woke up this morning and found this Easter Egg outside the door. It's definitely Linda's kind of egg! Sharon, our friendly teak refinisher, was noncommittal about it but we feel certain she was the Easter Bunny's helper.

Dove chocolates and mints

We saved our Popgun Easter Bunny from our Arizona trip so we could have an Easter decoration for our front window.  We also used the "Easter Gorilla" from Linda's brother Tom. The gorilla lives on our front dash where he has been since we moved to the boat.

In the Easter spirit, a flock of 10 ducklings showed up in front of our boat. The small water leak on our water pedestal on the dock provides just enough fresh water to keep them around. The first time I saw them all 10 were tucked under the mother.











Later in the day the mother led them to the water where they dove off a rock into the water. They are getting lot of attention from people walking around the marina.

It is not uncommon for people to leave things behind after staying on the boat. When Randy and Cindy left, they not only gave us a lot of food off of their boat, but also left some foam noodles usually used for swimming.  Shortly after they left the winds picked up and we had some rainy days. Unfortunately, when the wind blows a certain direction the dock lines squeak.








Very annoying at night and difficult to stop.  When I saw the noodles Randy left in our trunk I thought they just might work. I slid them over the dock line, around the post where it was squeaking and no more noise! Randy left 4 and we'll be keeping them!












They also left some shampoo and conditioner in our forward head. Again, not uncommon but this time they're more fun than usual.  Can you guess where they took their kids and grand kids when they visited from Canada?

Linda goes back to Miami Friday to have her cast replaced with a splint. We can hardly wait to see the results. We know from the way she can wiggle her fingertips that it's going well!

April 14th: Time to Celebrate

Matt returning home with his official retirement papers

We are celebrating! Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Limbert, our son-in-law, is retiring from the Marine Corps.

He has served in the military since graduating from high school in 1991.  He began his career by attending, and graduating from, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

Matt at his graduation from Annapolis with his proud parents Dale and Linda Limbert 

Matt, Wendy and Matt's Brother, Tim at Graduation - 1995

As most people in the military, Matt and our daughter, moved quite a bit in the last two decades. Matt served as an officer at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point North Carolina, the Marine Corps Base Camp Le Jeune, near Jacksonville, North Carolina and completed his career at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Graduation Day, 2001 Naval Post Graduate School

Matt and Wendy also relocated so Matt could earn graduate degrees at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA and the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. To learn more details about Matt's assignments and deployments overseas click here: Lieutenant Colonel Mathew Limbert named Commanding Officer  (The article does not include his assignments to the Naval War College nor his final assignment at the Pentagon.)







Matt and Wendy are returning to their home in Encinitas, CA. Their long range plan for a place to retire to has come through. It is a nice house only one mile from Moonlight Beach.

Swim 2.4 miles

Matt is a tremendous athlete. He has participated in numerous marathons and IRONMAN Competitions despite his demanding work schedule. The captions under the pictures tell you what is included in an IRONMAN triathlon. This all takes place continuously in one day. We get worn out just trying to get to places where we can cheer him on!

Bike 112 miles

Run 26.22 miles

We really enjoy following Matt to fun locations and cheering him on. He is looking forward to having an uninterrupted training program once he arrives in California.  We are looking forward to his next event.

Matt will also resume surfing in Encinitas. He started surfing while stationed at Camp Pendleton. As you can see, his surfboard has been removed from storage and he will be ready to go! Wendy enjoys reading on the beach while Matt surfs.



















I know that Wendy will resume serious landscaping efforts around the house. The native plants she used to landscape their home years ago are doing very well but I know some changes are already on the agenda. Sounds great!









The time has flown by. We sincerely appreciate Matt coming into our family. We have enjoyed visiting the many places he and Wendy have lived. This most recent Marine Corps Ball photo shows that both Matt and Wendy are holding up well. Thanks to both Matt and Wendy for their service. Being an officer, as well an officer's spouse, in the Marine Corps required true dedication and sacrifice from both Matt and Wendy. We thank them for that and wish them happiness in the coming years.

April 13th: The Wait is Over, Success!

The day for Linda's left hand knuckles replacements surgery finally arrived. We drove to Miami Sunday to make certain we would be at the Cleveland Clinic in plenty of time. We enjoyed the afternoon with the new King Kong movie at the theater with the reclining seats. We thought the movie was fun. Then we had a great dinner at a very good Chinese Restaurant we found close to the Clinic.

The surgery started at 1:00 PM. We were hoping Linda would be finished early enough to make the 3 hour drive back to the boat instead of staying in a motel. The surgery was very successful and took less time than her right hand, so we were able to return to the boat about 9:00 PM.  She has a new big foam block that makes it easy, when sitting around, travelling or sleeping, to keep her hand above her heart.






When we arrived back to the boat we found these flowers on our table. Compliments once again of our friend Sharon.




















After a day of rest Linda was feeling good so we went out to breakfast Wednesday. Really fun to see her wiggle her left hand fingertips. I told her perhaps she could now do the dishes with her right hand. She's pretty sure her doctor said "No".

Notice, even without the foam block, Linda is conscientiously keeping her hand above her heart as directed. That keeps the swelling down. Seems to be working well so far.





We'll return to the Clinic April 21st when they'll take the cast off and replace it with a splint. The rehab will basically be the same as for the left hand; cast off  and replaced by a firm splint after 11 days, final stitches out after 18 days, and a dynamic splint to replace the firm splint for about another 6 weeks.



We're looking forward to Linda having two fully functional hands when we get to Guppy in June.

Linda driving Guppy shortly after we bought the boat. Notice no name yet.

Added "Guppy" to the Transom.

Added Guppy to the Flybridge

Can you tell we're anxious to get to New York and on Guppy? It has been a lot of waiting this winter because we discovered it takes a long time to rebuild the muscles and tissues in the hand, but the results are fantastic. We are very grateful for Linda's surgeon, Dr. Friedman, and his team. The work they do is truly amazing. The end is in sight!