Happy New Year to all. The end of one year and the beginning of the next proved to be an enjoyable time for us, as we visited with family and friends over the holidays. Our travel included stops as far north as New Hampshire with our daughter Samantha and family and other points in New England with other family members combined with two visits with our other daughter Jennifer, her husband and their four cats in Virginia. Then it was a trip south in our car that included stops to say “Hi” to friends. Maddie was the hit at most of these stops, but I think they enjoyed seeing us too.
Now that we're back on the boat in Marathon, we're appreciating the warm weather here. We've had enough of the colder stuff. It took only a short time to reconnect with friends here. Sandra was called upon to employ her nursing skills for one cruiser and arranged to help another who is interested in making pine needle baskets – all within the first fifteen minutes of our return. Marathon is a busy place for all the cruisers during this season you northerners call “winter.” We find that this lifestyle, together with the concentration of cruisers, makes it easier for people to connect with others than do other more traditional lifestyles. It reminds me of life in a small town where everyone greets each other in passing on the street and are always willing to assist in times of need.
That isn't to say that cruisers are all alike. Far from it. They come from all sections of the country, and other countries are well represented as well. Canadians are by far the most numerous of foreigners here as one might expect. We've met others from Europe and from Australia as well. Some choose to live quite simply on very small boats with minimum of life's necessities. Others enjoy most of the comforts of home, like a large trawler parked here that has a piano on board as well as a treadmill with large screen TV in front of it, to identify a few of the extras. Most are of retirement age, but there are young families here as well as those who've chosen to take some time off from the work world for a bit of travel.
In at least one respect, we're among the minority here. We have our car with us, having driven it down after the holidays. Most cruisers use a bicycle or walk to destinations around town. This turns out not to be a big deal, since most necessities are within a mile or two of the marina. The beach is a short dinghy ride away. In this respect, cruisers get a bit more exercise than most people do. If they don't get enough exercise biking or walking, they can join the yoga class or the line dancing. Others use the local tennis courts or join in weekly softball games. It's worth adding here that we don't use the car much, but walk or bike most places. The car is helpful for runs to the grocery store, and we've been able to assist others when a car is needed.
Perhaps this short blog provides an insight to our setting down here – a place we'll call home for the next three months. It's time to wrap this up though, because the daily radio net is about to start, and I'll want to hear what's happening today and be ready to help those who might need a bit of help with some project. All this and lots more is shared each morning on the net, a unique service provided by a group of volunteers in Marathon for the past several years.
So until the next blog is written, stay warm.
Captain Bob
Carpe Diem
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