Sunday, November 30, 2014

Taking a Break!

October 29-November 30

The month of November has certainly had its ups and downs!  When we first arrived the weather was very nice, so we dropped the dinghy and investigated some of the backwater areas close to the marina.  The dolphins entertained us as we slowly made our way through the myriad of passages, until we had to turn back toward the bay.  With the exception of a few windows of sunshine and comfortable temperatures, that excursion was the last until this past week.  We loved having the opportunity to see our grandchildren, Moira and Sellers, perform their band halftime shows and compete as goalies with their respective Escambia High School soccer teams.  My cousin, Butch and his wife, Janet, live in Foley, so we were happy to have time to spend with them.  We enjoyed some great food and some exciting football at their home.  Our family enjoyed our "Thankmas" holiday this past week at a beach house in Perdido Key.  We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, Christmas on Friday, and cheered (rather rambunctiously) for our favorite team on Saturday.  Roll Tide!  Sadly, we have all gone our separate ways once again.  Thankfully all of our family have returned to their homes safe and sound with wonderful memories of their time at the beach.  I hated to have the week come to an end, but after spending a month here, Jess and I are ready to continue our adventure.  This time we will be experiencing cruising in the ICW and at times venturing out into the gulf.

 
We bundled up one day to take a hike on some of the backcountry trails in Gulf State Park.  This guy wasn't interested in showing his face, but at least he hung around long enough for a picture.  We also saw a real live armadillo, a nice little snake, and a beautiful hawk on our walk.

 
Stripping the turkey of its cover of bacon is a traditional part of every Williams Thanksgiving feast.  Laura's handy work disappears quickly as everyone gets a taste.
 
 
Tammy and Dave working their way through the line of food as they try to fit everything on their plates.  With this many people for dinner it is just a matter of self service and finding a spot to sit.


A walk on the beach after dinner proved to be fun as we discovered a tidal pool full of a variety of star fish.

 
       It can be a series of comedic events when trying to get 21 people ready for the
 timer to go off on the camera.


           The sunrise on our last day together at the beach.  We have a had a wonderful time.

 
Saturday turned out to be the prettiest day of the week, and an absolutely beautiful day to go on a cruise.  The dolphins performed to perfection, as they played in the water pushed out by the bow of the boat.




Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The Scenery Changes

Day 19
October 29, 2014

Depart: Anchorage at I-65 bridge/7:33
Arrive: Barber Marina/4:47

Weather conditions: sunny

No casual trip down the river for us today.  It is time to face Mobile Bay with its very busy harbor.  Shortly after leaving our anchorage we meet up once again with Shippery and Andiamo, so that makes three of us cruising around the congestion of the Mobile waterfront.  Just like everything else we have worried about, this too proves to be no big deal.  We will be staying at Barber Marina until December 1, when we will continue our journey.


Arriving at the 14 mile railroad bridge with just a few more turns before we will be able to see the city skyline.


The tall buildings of downtown Mobile clash with the warehouses of the waterfront.  There are huge container ships being unloaded and a variety of military ships at the docks.


                    All of the freighters have escape pods like the one used by Captain Phillips.


                               The view of the city is certainly different from this perspective.


Sliding by these huge ships is just a little bit intimidating. One of the guys working on the ship to our port (left for you landlubbers) radioed down to us wanting to know what kind of boat we have.  He made Jess' day.



Shipperly and Andiamo were parting ways for awhile here.  Evidently they needed to make an exchange.  Where there is a will there is a way, even in the middle of Mobile Bay.


 We were excited when the dolphins started swimming and playing all around us.  I think they were actually hanging with the many shrimp boats working in the bay, but they came and checked us out too.


This guy gave us a feeling for what it will be like when we have to deal with waves in the gulf.  He didn't worry about slowing down to minimize his wake, so we had quite a ride.


The lighthouse in Mobile Bay stands watch over the tranquil waters, as we follow the navigational markers.


We have finally entered the Intracoastal Waterway.  If we were not so anxious to reach our marina, we would stop for supper at Lulu's.  For now we will just wave as we go by.


                                      Our home for the month of November.