Sunday was a good day to recover from the Key West trip, so we had happy hour at Lazy Days. We had crew from 6 boats, so our table was full. The docks are far too high for dinghies, so it was a challenge to get in and out. As we left, Susan decided to compete in the dinghy/dock diving competition. Of course everyone in the place was watching (as they always are when you don't want to be seen), and after compiling the scores she won a gold medal. What a good sport to come up smiling and make the long dinghy ride back soaking wet!
Monday morning we listened to the Cruiser's Net, as usual, and were pleasantly surprised to hear Leap of Faith on the radio. We met Newt and Alice in Clearwater on our way back from traveling in 2007, when we anchored and crossed the Gulf together. When we got to Panama City, they directed us to their yacht club, took us to their home for dinner, loaned us their car, and generally took us to raise. We've stayed in touch over the past few years, and it was a treat to have lunch together and catch up. Unfortunately they planned to leave Tuesday morning so it was a short visit and we were disappointed to learn they'd been in Boot Key Harbor for a whole month. They'd visited Dockside many times (they knew Ed, our resident pirate at Dockside, from earlier days in Panama City) and had walked past our boat on their way to town. The world is small enough to run back into them, but large enough to be within 20 feet of them and not connect!
Monday concluded with a long visit on Miss NanSea with Bob and Nancy. We met on the dock a few weeks ago and they've joined us on a few occasions for revelry. Their gorgeous cat, Buffy, is a magnet for the admiral, but their beautiful boat and hospitality are unrivaled. We enjoyed the evening so much we almost spent the night!
