It has been a very long time since I went out on our boat. I’m at the mercy of my son, as he is the one who takes the boat out. We’ve had to fix a few things on the boat, and my son has been busy doing other things. I’ve been waiting – mostly patiently – but it is one of the only good things about living in Florida- the saltwater rivers.
Friends of ours have been going shrimping and have brought in big hauls. Shrimping is done late at night, so I do not go. But we have the nets, lights and pails and we love shrimp. The processing is time consuming but worth it to have lots of free shrimp in the freezer.
Mainly I want to simply be out there on the river. I enjoy visiting our favorite beaches and going beach-combing. With the water warming up, the manatees should be coming back. We are always careful and watchful for them. Boats are a big issue for these animals who tend to be near the surface, but often undetectable.
My son has always been good about taking care of the boat, but a few things needed fixing. After sitting covered for months, the Redfisher needed a good cleaning too. The humidity really messes things up.
Springtime is like Fall in Florida. All the leaves fall off the trees as the new growth comes out. It all happens at once around February and March, and makes a mess on vehicles.
It is hard to believe we have had this boat for nearly 10 years! We used it a lot for years, but then we just didn’t. We bought a camper and focused on camping. I miss being out on the water. It’s a great feeling to be out in the watery wilderness, exploring. I never know what I’ll find.
