How We Spent Our Winter Vacation

Trawlering isn't always about cruising; sometimes it's about having a condo you can move with the seasons.  Sea Angel hasn't left the harbor at Apollo Beach since we arrived in November, but we've been busy having fun with family, friends, sewing and golf.  (Next year we're going cruising, dammit.....and Brett Favre's gonna retire.)

We sure didn't miss this!  Or should I say, we're glad we did!  We've never seen our house like this.



There's a lot to do in the Tampa area.  We got free tickets to a hockey game thanks to St. Joseph's Hospital, where Lisa works.

With WRCC friends Bob and Julie Norman we had lunch at Marina Jack's in Sarasota and toured the Ringling mansion and circus museum.  Ringling's "house" was fashioned after palazzos in Venice.

This 3000 square foot model of the circus contains everything the real circus had in the 1920's.  The level of detail is not to be believed -- the Big Top contains 7,000 hand-carved folding chairs, that actually fold.  One man spent his life making this.

Sisters Gingie and Rachelle came down to escape the snow.  Eric and Baby Kathryn went to the beach with them and visited an old fort guarding the entrance to Tampa Bay.

We all went to see the manatee viewing area, where manatees, sharks and rays by the hundreds come to bask in the warm water from the power plant.  You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

The power plant dominates our skyline and gives accurate wind information.

Nancy's ongoing dental adventures have brought us to the Keys a few times.  We're grateful to Tom and Elinor Adensam for putting us up at their condo in Marathon.

While in Marathon we had an outrageous breakfast at the Stuffed Pig with Jim and Robin Roberts....

...and we got to go snorkeling!  Look at the fantastic clarity and detail of our underwater photography!

Just kidding.  This is a glass aquarium at Lazy Days in Key Largo.

We stopped to visit Aunt Ginny and Uncle Bud in Ft. Myers.  Aunt Ginny is always interested in help with computer projects.  In return for bed and breakfast, Peter pretends to actually know something.

We attended a Dedication ceremony for Kathryn.  (Think Baptism without the water.)  Here the minister and his wife are blessing Kathryn in front of the congregation.

After the service, all Kathryn's family and friends enjoyed a feast at Eric and Lisa's home.

Kathryn with Pop and Grammy.  (I'm sorry, but Nancy looks way to young to be a Grammy!)  Pop is holding a "church doll" made by Nancy for the occasion.  Kathryn wore her great-grandfather Harry Vreeland's baby pinkie ring.

The Andrew family at home.