My Corona🎼🎼🎼

So on the beginning of the Corona Virus, we made it back to Jacksonville and tied up at the Ortega Yacht Club, where we have stayed before.

We have a cabin on the St Mary’s River to hide from germs!  We stayed a week at the marina, packed clothes and food and headed to the Swamp!!!

Help!  There is no internet there, we did get Dish Satellite TV, but he would not get the internet package???  So I drive to the top of hill where I can get email and messages.

So what do we do in isolation, you ask????

Well Skip is happy here! He and the  Neighbor have been going out every morning and afternoon baiting Trot Lines with Ivory Soap cubes and have caught lots of catfish (and they don’t taste soapy)!

There is also a Spring Gobbler across the River and Skip built a megaphone to insert his phone  in to make the hen calls….Here it is???

Then there is the grocery store prep?

Then there was the Cottonmouth snake killing..I did not take pictures!!! Too gross!!  He salted the skin and was either going to put it on a hat band or on the wall???  It is now on a wall hanging there with other dead stuff!!!

We are now happily docked in FERNANDINA!

Tomorrow is Easter, and I am so humbled and thankful for God to give me/us his son as our Savior!  I am so eternally grateful for his love and grace! JESUS, he came here to save our souls!

God bless you everyone, stay safe and alive!

Back to Channel 16!

Trudi

We Are Getting Closer To Our Home!

Although our home now is our boat, we do have a really nice house in Saint Mary’s, GA and a River cabin on the St Mary’s River.

We have had a great trip here to Ortega Landing in Jacksonville.  I can grab a cleat with a line because of not my skills, but because of the bow and stern thrusters and The Captan Skip.

Now let me digress…we stopped at Salt Run in St Augustine to our favorite marina “ The Hutcherson Harbor”!  But first we tied up to an anchor ball along with Donnie and Caren
and Walter was there, we love them all!

It just so seems, Don and Skip have the same haircut!

The next afternoon it was of to the Haven!  Bill  and Amy are wonderful they cooked us the most delicious salmon dinner and the night after they let us crash their party with their beautiful friends!

The last night tied up on their dock, we had Don & Caren over for dinner!  Then off, off and away!

Oh  No, I just hate the Pirates who run me out of town!

When we docked at Ortega Landing, we were beside a sailboat the Trudi Ann.  It was a nice welcome back present!  And Trudi was spelled right, but I have no middle name…in fact when I was young, on the Standard Tests it had block fields for your middle name????  I would raise my hand to the teacher and tell her I had no middle name and she told me to put None in the blocks…Well I would ace my tests but it was labeled as Trudi None Colsen!

We are currently here in Jacksonville to the pandemic!!!  Our President and staff are doing such a great job of holding us all together!

I will survive this flu season, just as I did the Measles and Chicken Pox!!!  We will do this at a safe distance from each other!

Skip and I are headed to the St Mary’s River cabin for awhile.  If you don’t hear from me, it is because we have no cell service!  It’s called the Boonies!!!

Do not worry though, we have lots of toilet paper.  I have found at least 50 ways to cook it!!!

EVERYBODY be safe and stay healthy!  I love you all!  Our God is awesome, pray, take good care of your elderly and loved one’s, if you have money to donate to people, do it!!! Pray for our Government, all parties and Press to heal and accept differences and work for the well being and healing of our country!!! Imagine how people would react after the Second Coming???  I won’t be here to see it🤣🤣🙏❤️

Back to Channel 16!

Trudi

TO BE CONTINUED WHEN I GET OUT OF THE BOONIES!!!  Love to all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boating Plans Must Be Fluid!

We were going to leave Sunday morning…then Monday morning, now Tuesday morning.

We took the opportunity to go to the art fair on the streets of Cocoa Village on Sunday.  Skip stayed and watched a demonstration of glass blowing from Thibault Glass Artistry from of all places FERNANDINA Beach.  It’s a small world.  He bought a glass that the guy made in his demo the day before.

If you are in the market for beautiful artwork or artsy pendant lights, go and see them.  I am thinking of commissioning them for pendant lights for our house in Saint Mary’s when we get back home.

To top the evening off, there was a great spaghetti dinner which Skip made then to a beautiful full moon.

Now to this morning….Trouble in paradise, I was sleeping late because the engine did not start!  I was like “Why are we NOT UNDERWAY!!!”, that is the way me, the Admiral questions.  After I got fully awake, wind blown and a little wet, the Captain asked “Now do you know why We are not leaving?”.

This morning I was happy and thankful to have my Captain keeping me safe!

We have spent our time watching the pelicans dive in for fish and eat and the gulls swooping in for the scraps.  Then this afternoon, to finish the afternoon off, we had a lot of big load of their feces all over our boat!

I try so hard to keep my web site clean,  It not tonight!  So my leaving thought for tonight is when you are dealt with shit, you just deal with shit!!!  Sorry granddaughters, never say that word, you too my grandson Van!

We are all cleaned up and back to Channel 16!

Trudi

Sky High Memories!

It always brings back memories every time I see a rocket launch!  I think back upon our country, John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Camelot, and the space race!  But it was not always going up into space, there was the threat of things coming down!!!!

I was only on the first grade, the Soviet Union had missile sites in Cuba.  Thanks Castro for that agreement.  Florida and the South East were under alarm!  Some folk’s around here built bomb shelters and stored stock piles of food.   We had drills at school.  My Grandmother Sissy was a teacher at the school, so she knew and my parent’s knew when the drill was.  This was the Cuban Missile Crisis days!  I can’t believe one of our politicians praises  Castro.

The Castro drills were one of my most scary and fun times!  I was a walk to school girl, and by dear friend and cousin Tina lived right up the road, I would walk to her house, get her, then six more blocks to school.  They drilled us at school to run as fast as you can home and if you hear a big boom, jump in the ditch!

We had many drills at school, alarms would ring; bus rider  kids would have to line up and get on the bus, I would go and grab Tina out of her class or she would get me and we would run as fast as we could home.

After a very little time, I think we understood that it was just nothing but a drill and if there was truly a bomb  coming our way. Sissy would get us all and drive us away!

So as the innocent’s that we were, Tina & I spent our precious time of getting out of school early and visiting grandparents and friends along the way!  I just love my dear lifelong friend Tina and her family, the first number I learned to dial was Her number, 879.6991, we have such hilarious memories!

So One more memory…another childhood friend Terri and I went to see the first moon walk launch from the banks of Titusville?  Here is your Happy Birthday firework Terri!  I’m lucky to be here in Cocoa to see another launch

 

I am so thankful for my old and new friends and get to see thing’s going up vs coming down!!!

Back to Channel 16,

Trudi

We Are Still in Cocoa Village!

We had only planned for two days here but we are going to stay till Sunday due to weather, primarily winds!  Because we live on a boat our plans are always fluid.

While here, we have grocery shopped and Skip took his scooter “The MacWheel” for a haircut! He has been looking pretty wooly!  He shaved before he left which was an improvement and when he came home with his Faux hawk haircut it was really short on the sides and longer on top!  He was not too happy with his new “Hipster Look”.  We learned all the new hair terminology from his daughter.  He was adamant for me not to take a picture of the NEW DO yesterday!

This morning was worse, with morning hair he had a Cockatoo Do!  He wore his hat all day!

Skip has always said, “If you want something done right, you do it yourself!”.  So he quit complaining, grabbed the shears and finished the job!!!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

A much needed improvement!  I love him either way!!!!

Tonight is a rocket launch, I have my alarm set for 11 PM for an 11:50 launch.  I am going to sit on the front of the boat and watch the giant firework.  Will post pictures tomorrow!

Back to Channel 16!

Trudi

 

 

Okay, My Publisher is Withholding My Next Draw Until I Post!

Okay, the Captain let me know that I would soon be poor, if I don’t post so here it goes!!!!

So we left Fort Meyers back to the East Coast, when we we got to La Belle, it was another lucky night  There was a slip available and it’s free!  Three nights in, 8 days out!  No problem, we were off early the next morning! It’s a great night here, Skip gets off on the scooter and gets Chinese pick up!

Life is good!  Then on to the next place!

On to the next to our next adventures  to Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina.  We spent two days there!  This place just happens to be the Capital of bass fishing!  At the marina, Skip only caught catfish but they were huge!!!  There were bass charter boats going out constantly.

We went there because our friends we met along the Tennessee River, Tom and Patty were in the area, in their camper.  They are truly water and land campers!!!  We toured their camper, then went to the Tiki Bar for lunch.

A good time was had by all!!!

We also met a couple on their catamaran, Russ and Jax, she let me know about a cool app called Nebo, it logs your trips and activity underway.  I just love my new app, thanks Jax!!!!

Next day we were off across the Okeechobee, it’s a really BIG lake, and there were waves, wind, and dirty water!  It was an angry sea day!  We anchored in the afternoon at Hoggs Cove, it was a great on the hook night anchored across million dollar homes!

We left Hoggs Cove to Vero and docked at Loggerhead Marina, and the good ship, Will Sea?, got a much needed scrubbing!!!  Salt and mud are not needed on our voyage!

Yesterday was a better travel day to Cocoa Village Marina, less wind and warmer.  I was actually able to go up to the fly bridge and enjoy the trip!

 

We passed my cousin’s Penny’s house, that is not actually her house but close!!!!

We are now safely tucked in at the marina at Cocoa and headed to Palm Coast tomorrow.

Back to Channel 16,

Trudi

Moving on Up!

We left this morning from Fort Meyers to head back to the East Coast and back to the Jacksonville area.  When we left, we had about 50 seagulls ushering us out!

We have very wonderful friends in St Augustine, Bill and Amy Hutcherson.  They have three beautiful, smart, and talented children: Olivia, Rachel, and Zack.  I have known them since they were born and I have loved watching them grow up!

So we wanted to see Zack who is an engineering student student here in Fort Meyers!  He brought his beautiful girlfriend Erin to dinner, she is wonderful!!!!  We went back to Izzys, our usual stomping grounds, and had a great dinner and story swapping!

He is a clone of his dad!  It is so amazing to watch the similarities between father and son…Zack was behind me at one time talking and I thought, “Is Bill on the boat?” .

So many thanks to Bill and Amy for sharing your children with us!  It has been a fun adventure, and it’s not over!

So the Hutcherson’s are smart and beautiful, so will you come and help me with this????

So my Skipper is also brilliant and beautiful and I love him with all my heart and soul!  He is the best Captain and Chef, but he has no fashion sense.  Maybe one day!!!!  Obi Wan Bill, please help!

Back to Channel 16!

Trudi aka Princess Leah

 

It’s a Wonderful World!

Skip and I have been pondering, should we go further North up the Gulf, or should we head back home???  Well he has the taste for some Greek food in Tarpon Springs and I wanted to see family!

So here we are in the Tampa area with my dear cousin Jerry!  It has been such a very long time that I have not spent any time here in the Tampa area with my Foreman family!

We would hold family reunions here often.  I always looked up to my older cousins, the Todd and Mullis boys!  Of all of them I thought Bobby Todd was the most Super because he was a pilot but my favorite is and has always been Jerry Mullis!!!

We are now in Gulfport and Jerry Mullis came over for a visit and he took us out for dinner!

He is SUCH a wonderful man and I am proud to call him my cousin!

Back to Channel 16,

Trudi

 

Venice, I Love It!

Today was our first full day here.  We had Mardi Gras beads on the boat this morning from our neighbors on the sailboat docked next to us.  They are from New Orleans and Diane said she was just spreading some “Louisiana Love”.  We are so blessed to have met SO many wonderful boaters with great stories of life and adventures along the way.

Skip and I took off this morning for a short walk to this little outdoor cafe for breakfast and that was fun.  It is at the opening to the Gulf of Mexico!

Then we came back to the boat to start preparing for special guests!  Skip’s step mom and her very significant other live in Sarasota and they were coming to see us!

Okay, so Bobbi is 86 and Frank is 90.  They hopped around the boat like teenagers!  We had such a great time.  We could not get reservations at the restaurant here so we picked up their food to go and ate on the boat!

It actually worked out the best!  Who needs a waterfront restaurant when you can get their food and eat on the water!!!

Okay, busy day and we are traveling the Gulf tomorrow!

Back to Channel 16,

Trudi

 

Englewood, FL!

After we left Fort Meyers we went on the hook (aka anchoring) at Caya Costa, a lovely place with lots of Mangroves and many more mosquitoes!  Skip took a picture from the kayak, I LOVE MY SHIP!

We pulled anchor early afternoon and headed to Englewood where we have great friends from Stillwater, MN, Sunnyside Marina, Pier Two.

We arrived Thursday afternoon after a much stressful navigation to get to dock at the marina.  There are no navigational markers of how to get here and when you see a yacht beached outside of the marina, you get way much more than nervous!!!! The water is Skinny!

NOT A GOOD SIGN when you see a boat a ground! It was very stressful, Skip is a great Captain and I watched from the bow for shallows and he watched the charts and our immediate depth levels from our depth finder! I heard a lot of #%#% words from the Captain, but I as bow rider could see no shallows.

Finally tied up to the marina and about 2 hours later our very dear friends, Deb and Steve Rockow, from Pier 2 came and met us at Snooks, that’s the restaurant at the top of the marina.  It is posted as the Redneck Rivera as you leave the restaurant.

We were so ready to hug our great friends and share old times and next adventures for us all.  We partied and swapped great times, then had some more!  We went to Englewood’s Friday night for more fun, food, drinks, music, and laughter

Saturday, we took a break.  Sunday Skip went golfing with Steve and two of his buddies.  Deb and I took off and had breakfast at Maria’s, then to see the the lot where they are going to build, then to see Skip and Merry (other Pier 2 buddies)!

Then Deb and I took off about 30 minute drive to see the model of the new home they are going to build.  It’s going to be beautiful, Steve is not going to like the door paint color, but Deb and I will!!!!

Then off we went to see Christy and Russ at their new beautiful Florida home, they are also Pier 2 Peeps!  I wish I had taken pictures of every moment of the entire day to share with y’all!

Then we were off to Walmart!  I forgot my grocery list but luckily I got everything on the list!

Today is Monday and we have arrived in Venice, FL at Crows Nest Marina.  The water is beautiful, boat activity is HUGE, and the sunsets on the West Coast are so fantastic!

I am still an East Coast girl! It’s in my roots!  I am so fortunate to be on this boat, with Skipper, and having the opportunities for these adventures!  So here we are, life is good!

Back to Channel 16!

Trudi