Roller Coaster Of Life

I know this is my first post of December, it's been a month full of ups and downs. My Grandmother in Michigan fell and broke her femur and things have been touch and go. She made it through surgery but the last time we talked to her she seemed to really be slipping. She was very confused, drifting off in conversation etc. Part of it could have been the pain meds and I can keep telling myself that's what's going on, however I know injuries like this many times start a downward spiral and she may never make it back home. This is one time I really hope I am completely wrong. My Grandparents played an important part in raising me and if it wasn't for them I honestly don't know where I would be. 

My back has been giving me some major problems for almost 2 weeks now, not sure what I did but it's been excruciating to move. I've managed to work through it and it feels like I'm much better now, but still moving really carefully.  

THE LAW

Starting on Thanksgiving day the Florida Fish and Wildlife began stalking boats in the harbor. They were spotlighting boats late at night, boarding boats without owners on them and floating at the end of the dinghy dock pulling over anyone coming in or going out. If all of that wasn't enough, they were also writing tickets and warnings for things so obscure, so out there, it felt like we were being attacked. I began to voice my opinion and took to forums, media and the radio to organize people to stand up and fight. Every night the FWC blazed through the harbor pulling over anybody and everybody they could, spending many nights 4 to 6 hours terrorizing the harbor. Last Thursday we took to the Marathon City Council meeting and showed in force, causing the most attended meeting in the history of Marathon. I spoke on behalf of the harbor, afterwards the Mayor and council seemed genuinely concerned and we now have a meeting setup with a representative from the FWC. The meeting will be this coming Wednesday at 6pm at the city marina. There has not been a patrol in almost a week.  There is a thread I started at www.cruisersforum.com with over 200 replies and well over 12,000 views. Word has gotten out and people all over are showing their support. Thank you to everyone that has helped back down the FWC's overwhelming presence. 

THE BOAT

We had some issues with our VHF radio on the new boat, these issues had been a problem for years with the previous owner and I had done quite a few things to troubleshoot the issue without any luck. With everything else failing there was really only one other thing it could be, something at the top of the mast. Our friend Alex was willing to help and Colby wanted to learn as well. While Alex was up there he was also able to diagnose the problem with our mast anchor light, split and broken wires. 

We now have a bright anchor light with a photo cell and a working VHF. I've also installed a command mic in the cockpit so my Sunday morning net is done while sitting outside drinking my coffee. 

Yesterday we had some friends visit from TN, they were only here for the day before they went on their cruise but it was nice to see them. Taryn is a Paramedic where I worked in Nashville and her husband is a Franklin TN Firefighter. We had a few cocktails (except Taryn, she's pregnant!) on the boat and then took a trip down to Key West. 

Other than that, not much to report right now. The new job is going well and I'm really enjoying days at work driving a boat around. A few new boat projects coming up and I'll be posting some of those soon. Other than that, just enjoying the 80 degree weather ;-)

By Air, By Sea

A few weekends ago there was an air show in Marathon. We took the kids over so they could check out the planes and they were offering free rides for children between the ages of 8 & 17. Colby had shown an interest in flying since last year, when there was a 16 year old in the harbor that had just earned his pilots license. We immediately went to the sign up table and got both kids registered, took the first golf cart down to the staging area and waited for our number to be called. There were several pilots donating their time, planes  and fuel for the event, which I've noticed is a common thing here in Marathon. The city is constantly sponsoring events, many of which include food, games etc, all at no cost to the kids. It's a very family friendly and cruiser friendly (meaning free) town. 

We waited to see who their pilot would be, and lucky for us we got the one we were hoping for. I swear I could almost hear my buddy Tom Whitlock's song "Highway to the Danger Zone" playing in the background as this guy walked up. All business, aviators, full jumpsuit and the ideal character for the kids to fly with. We also noticed he was former Army & Marines!

The kids waited as he reviewed the paperwork and then it was off to the plane. He talked them through the preflight ground check and walk around, they got in the plane and taxied out to the runway. I saw Peyton wave as she passed by, while Colby was upfront and being instructed on the instruments in the cockpit. The flight was supposed to be 30 minutes long and they were gone almost 50 minutes (slightly nerve racking) We watched as they made the landing and I was surprised by the rough bounce before the plane actually touched down. I later found out why when the kids came over.

The pilot let Colby fly the plane the entire trip, from take off to landing only grabbing the yoke a few times to help Colby or show him something. Colby was all smiles we he got back to us and is very interested in earning his license at some point down the road. Another fun day in the keys, cost $ 0.00 !