Sarasota, FL

We stayed on the boat at Marina Jack's for the first 10 days due to our condominium association's decision to hire out having all the water pipes refit and our water was turned off. It's ironic, the only month we stay in our condo, the association is having it worked on for most of our visit. Luckily, we're self sufficient with John Henry! The marina is in the middle of downtown Sarasota. Wilma and Sara go for walks from the Marina around and over the Ringling Bridge and back several times a week (about 3 miles).

Wilma spent the first week on the boat washing, waxing and polishing the John Henry. Every locker, container, nook and cranny has been clean, caulked and organized from the boat deck all the way up to the top of the fly bridge.

John Henry sparkles in the Sarasota Sun. Our dock at Marina Jack is very short and the lower hull couldn't be cleaned. We have arranged to move the boat to a floating dock in the marina during the first week of June so Wilma can get the hull washed, waxed and polished.

For Memorial Day, our grandchildren and their mother came for the weekend. We went to Oscar Scherer State Park for the afternoon. There was a nice selection of Shark's Teeth on display in the Information Center.

Above, Wilma, Toni, Emma and Amber along the Lester Finley Trail in Oscar Scherer State Park. Next time, we're going to bring our fishing poles and bathing suits. We didn't realize there is so much to do there.

Toni, Amber, Emma and Wink pose at the Lester Finley Trail Head.

After we moved over to the condo, Wilma and Sara continue their walking down Midnight Pass Road 4-5 times a week. Wilma still wears her pedometer that Lisa Bradshaw gave her in the Bahamas. Wilma tries to get 10,000 steps a day. It's not as easy in the USA to walk that many steps. We have too many conveniences - such as cars. The weather in Florida is so hot that it's hard to stay outside. Life is just too busy in America. Maybe with the gas prices the way they are, many of us will turn to bikes and more walking. The only problem with that plan is it takes more time than working people can manage.

THANK GOD WE'RE RETIRED AND LIVING ON A YACHT.