Fruit salad with Limincello

7 ounces Greek Yogurt. (recommend Fage).       Serves 6
1/3  cup bottled lemon curd
1.     Tablespoon honey
1/4.  teaspoon vanilla extract
2.     Cups sliced strawberries
1.      Cup raspberries (1/2 pint)
1.      Cup blueberries (1/2 pint)
2.      Tablespoons sugar
3.       Tablespoons limoncello liqueur
1.       Banana, sliced
Fresh mint sprigs

Directions:
For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt , lemon curd, honey, and vanilla. 

Set aside at room temperature.
For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries,

sugar and limoncello. 

Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate

with the sugar and liqueur.  Gently fold the banana into the mixture.
Serve with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top.  Top each with a sprig of fresh mint.

Bradenton,  Our Departure Post

Wednesday, May 4 2016

Our decision to return to Bradenton on Tuesday was well founded.  Rain began Wednesday AM before we were up.  By 8 AM we experienced strong winds and heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning.  It was comforting to be surrounded by the tall masts of other boats.  The boat rocked but we were dry inside.  We read and I finished a knitting project.  My 14th book was completed. 
By late afternoon, we were in sunshine and beginning the process of drying out.  The boat was super clean now.  Another small group of storms materialized during cocktail hour but were gone in time for us to walk to Main Street for an Italian meal.

Thursday 

Our day was destined to be a busy one.   I started to do our laundry, my detergent was nowhere to be found.  I came to the realization that I must have left the new bottle in the laundry room last week.  I had one packet of powered and got a second from our neighbor. Next, Don arrived to deliver our poly carbonate side panels.  They are amazing; so clear you don’t know they are there.  He and Dave put fasteners in the hard top so we can stow them up under the hard top.  The last piece of screen is for the windshield.  Don took the patterns before the wind became too strong.  As he left our friends, Nancy and Jess arrived with a wonderful lunch the included fresh fruit topped with Limoncello.  See recipe below:
After lunch they were good enough to drive us to grocery shop. They had another mission and that was to bring us the remainder of their wallpaper primer paint and paper paste.  No, the boat has not sunk yet.  Thanks again to both of you.
After all that excitement we were invited to tour another dock mate’s 41’, 1984 DeFever trawler.  A very nicely appointed  boat in great condition.  He also has a herb garden and tomato plants on the aft deck.  We learned that  Bob is headed to Key Largo tomorrow to complete his Loop Passage.
We passed on the  Cinco de Mayo celebration on Old Main Street. Instead, Dave worked on weather forecasts and projection our trip home.

Friday

It was so nice to sleep with the hatches open and no AC running. I stripped the bed and went to the laundry with my detergent.  Well, no it was fabric softener.  Did I feel stupid just reaching for something in the right shaped bottle yesterday at the store! Two caps of softener and our sheets smell good and that was the purpose I intended.  
Don arrived with a bag to store our screens, the patterns for the work he did and the screen for the windshield. We will miss seeing him and are so pleased with the work he has done and the designs he and Dave collaborated on together.  It is like having a new boat.
As he finished, Dave’s sister, Joyce and her husband, arrived.  They are vacationing from Lynchburg and staying in Venice, FL.  We showed them around the immediate downtown and went to several thrift shops followed by a nice lunch at Pier 22.   It was very windy and Joyce made a good call when she grabbed her sweater.
Dave put the bikes aboard and began the preparations for departure in the morning.  We took the time for one last soak in the hot tub before we say goodbye here. An eighth grader in the hot tub with us had a Rubik cube and in less than two minutes he could solve the puzzle and most of the time he was not watching what he was doing, Kids are amazing!
Our boat neighbors next door invited us for cocktails and we spent several hours talking. A great couple, married 52 years, with many adventures from their native California and down the coast of South America to Argentina and back here to the West Coast of Florida.   They will fly home for the summer months and then plan for more time on the water.

You may not get another post for a time as we will be doing on nighters back to the East Coast.  We plan to stop briefly in Daytona and St Augustine and be in North Myrtle Beach on or about the 22nd of May.

These little guys are brown here, they must have suntan,. In NMB they are green.

Poly carbonate side curtains in the stored position

Windshield sun screen

Storage bag,  OK sorry folks I edit the pictures but when I post them they revert to the way I have taken them with the I-phone

Joyce and Leo, "What do you mean this cost the same as our house!"

Windy lunch

Mike and Neila,  boat neighbors

Bradenton  Part 3

Saturday, April 30, 2016

We started our Saturday by going up to Old Main Street to the Farmer’s Market.  Produce and fruit and a bottle of pomegranate balsamic vinegar completed our list for the week.  These vendors set up 6 days a week at markets from Clearwater to Naples.  We got back to the boat and our neighbors returned from the market and asked if we had found the seafood vendor.  They showed us the red shrimp, huge and frozen.   Back on my bike and up to the market.  Now, what shrimp dishes to make for dinners.

At 1 P.M. ,80 or more of the slip holders were treated to an Italian lunch at Pier 22 (part of the marina property).  It was nice to make a more informal acquaintance with folks on our dock that we have just been saying hello to as they pass our boat.  We learned that one of the couples we see at the pool is from Uruguay.  Another gentleman that we see as he walks his Scotty dogs; leaves the dock with a computer and briefcase at irregular hours.   He checks sites for in ground pools for a local company.  The food was outstanding; better yet I would not have to cook an evening meal.

We relaxed, read, napped, and followed by cocktails.  At 6:15 we took the bikes and with chairs on our backs, peddled over to Manatee Avenue (the main thoroughfare) to watch the Desoto Parade.  A great number of runners came by for the first hour.  There was lots of security (police and sheriff) presence.  There were officers on motorcycles, bikes,  on foot, ATV’s and a group of young  folks from the Bradenton Police Explorers unit.  The whole parade unit was lined with metal barricades.  For one who thinks a parade is the ones we see in Pennsylvania at Halloween it was a bit of a disappointment.  The main focus seemed to be fire engines, rescue trucks, Mustang convertibles with various queens and dignitaries from the sister city in Spain.  It was a bead throwing contest, no candy at this parade; I walked away with 24 strands of beads.  I do respect the bands and people who walked almost 50 blocks.  We gave up before it was over.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Both of us got off to an early start preparing for our departure to Caladesi  Island State Park.  Dave washed the boat and took down the screens.  Mike and Neila helped us out of the slip at 9 AM.  Sorry  to people in the boat by the entrance to the breakwater as Dave gave two blasts on the air horns as required. 

We proceeded down the Manatee River, no problem with the wind behind us, and then across the entrance of Tampa Bay.  The wind was out of the Southeast and swells two to three feet with the occasional white caps.  We needed to go under the Causeway and find the ICW channel.   I would compare it to crossing the Potomac River on the Chesapeake Bay, not fun and very wet!  The ICW goes between St Petersburg and the outer islands and up to Clearwater.  There doesn’t seem to be a square foot of land along the waterway that does not have homes, condos or hotels.  We only saw one for sale sign the whole way.  But then you come to the north end of Clearwater Beach and there is Caladesi State Park just before Honeymoon Island.  $1 a foot but if we were FL residents and over 65 it would have been $ .50.

Our docking was difficult with the wind but fellow boaters took our lines on the T-pier and then we walked the boat around into the slip.  We got settled, a brief wash down, screens up and AC on.  The women in the next boat warned us that the no-see-ums were bad if the wind stopped or at dusk.  How right they were!  We walked to the beach, the shells are small.  Tomorrow we will get to the beach before the ferry arrives and hope for better finds.  The ranger told us there will be areas roped off for nesting birds and turtles.  There are only two other boats in the marina tonight.

Monday

We got out on the beach early.  The shelling was not special.  I was rethinking my crafts as I picked out shells to save.  The walk north to the end of the island was 1.8 miles.  We approached the area where Royal Terns were nesting.  (Hopefully, I have that identification right.) That made a long stretch for me but I fared well.  Back at the boat we rested and then took our chairs, umbrella and our books to the beach for the rest of the afternoon.  The water is warm and wonderful.  Temperatures have been 10 degrees above normal the last several weeks. 

Tuesday

Weather forecast for Wednesday did not look good for boat travel.  Our plan was to get out to the beach early before the high sun.  This time, we started down the beach and saw no shells so turned around and walked north nothing.  The ranger stopped on his patrol of the beach and collected trash I had piled for pick up on our way back.  He told us he had not found turtle crawls on the beach this morning but yesterday they had had a Kemp’s Ridley turtle nest near the end of the beach entrance.  They nest during the day and are usually only seen in Mexico but this is the second year they have had a nest on their beach.

A disappointment for the morning  plan  change.  The other great place to shell is Rooker Bar north of Honeymoon Island.  Not knowing what the weather would be for Wednesday we decided to go north, shell, and then head back to Bradenton.  Upon our arrival there the bar was posted due to bird nesting.  It is a rookery thus the name Rooker Bar. Our trip across the Tampa Bay was much calmer with winds southwest.  We refueled and were back in our slip by 2 PM.  A beeline to the pool to cool down, one of the days that starts with the weather man saying the temperature is 72 and feels like 82.  I am sure you get the picture.

Dave’s stylist gave him a haircut and he cleaned the cockpit as well as the whole boat wash down.   You folks are lucky you aren’t getting original sea salt for Christmas gifts.

Two pictures I have included have made my trip so much easier and comfortable.  The bike seat has been great, Walmart.  Dave constructed the shell scoop for me.  Again from Walmart, a frying utensil and a dowel.  It sure beats all the bending over.  Feel free to copy the ideas.

Bradenton, FL  Part 2

Friday, April 22 thru Friday, April 29, 2016

We are still in Bradenton and work on the bimini and sun screens has begun.  More about that later.

Friday

Bringing you up to date:  We attended the open air concert last Friday and the Alternative music was a real  bust.  The crowd was leaving after the first four numbers. However, we sat next to a very gracious couple, whose home is Chester, England.   They spend 6 months here, coming for 3 months segments.  They own a condo in Bradenton and a home on Anna-Maria Island.  Dave had made gin and tonics to drink during the concert.   Unfortunately, the bottle overturned, leaked and snacks were soggy.  They insisted on buying us a beer and a soda.  (We had come with empty pockets.)

Saturday

Dave fastened the struts for the canvas work and Don arrived with the ridge pole for the bimini.  Structural components are complete.

After lunch, we drove down to the Red Barn Flea Market.  It is mostly indoors and air conditioned but the booths sell the same things as Daytona, Tampa, and other flea markets.  We went on down the road to the Good Will.  We were looking for used beach chairs but no luck.  I did find a gauze shirt in the men’s department.  As much as I use sun screen I still can’t seem to not get brown.  Of course not the even tan I used to get with all the sun damage I have.  I have already made my appointment with the dermatologist.  I wonder if he can write me a prescription that will give us a medical break for the sun barriers we are putting on the boat. 

On return to the marina we showered and dressed.  Nancy and Jess Shrom arrived from Sun City Center and we had a long cocktail hour by the pool and then over to Edelweiss Restaurant.  (A nice meal but not the tastiest.)  They brought Dave a gift.  On our last visit with them, we had tomato sauce that found its way to Dave’s shirt.  He mentioned he thought he should have a bib.  They found one at a craft sale……

Sunday

Dave was up early as usual and online found an event in East Sarasota.  The Sarasota Remote Control Flying Club was holding a flying event.  The club is the largest on the east Coast with 270 members.  We arrived with our new, cheap, chairs from Walmart.  What an array of planes!  One member from Tarpon Springs is into flying jet RC craft.  They sounded and smelled like the real thing; from a distance, you would not have told the difference.  Donuts and coffee were free, later they sold burgers and hot dogs.  The county paved their airfield on the top of a landfill.  They maintain the grounds they use, buildings and shelters.  They passed out balsa gliders to all the kids and encouraged folks to become interested in the sport.  Their members range from 14 to 95 years.  The starter planes, referred to as ‘foamies’, begin at $200.  Your will see in my pictures how serious these folks are.  (Do they spend more than boaters on their hobby, we won’t go there.)  There was an opportunity to walk around and speak with the hobbyist and learn how the controls worked.  Most all the planes were replicas of military aircraft.  The commentator was very well versed in military history; making it very interesting and informative.

Food shopping and liquor run on the way home before pool time.  Cocktails in the cockpit and leftovers made for a relaxing evening.

Monday

Don arrived and made patterns for the bimini and the side curtains.  To allow the starboard curtain to be tight Dave will need to reroute the VHF antenna cable and the VHF radio will need to be relocated for us to store the side curtains by lifting them underneath the hard top.  A shopping run, this one to Harbor Freight and West Marine for parts. 

Next stop, Bradenton Beach; now we have been to three local beaches.  Our trip to Anna-Maria Island earned us a parking ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street.  I think Anna-Maria was our favorite.  The water has warmed considerably but shells are virtually nonexistent here.

Tuesday

I think Dave has spent as much time working on the boat as he does when it is in NMB.  Relocating the VHF radio and cable, painting the welds on the bimini framework and adhering the new  Chris Craft logo on the sides of the boat.  Yes, he couldn’t resist going to the Chris Craft plant and making his request.  Now when folks go by they don’t have to ask, "What kind of boat is it?"

I got to go with him to the Hope Thrift Shop where I found a pair of TEVA’s for $4 and a $1 gauze cover up.  Do I care whether Dave thinks it is gaudy?  He on the other hand, is so pleased with his find, a Cuisinart  Espresso machine for a fifth of the new price.  He can’t stop playing with it and the only place to store it is on the floor.  Maybe he can get a job at Starbuck’s when we get home.

Wednesday

The dreaded laundry day; lucky for me all three machines were open.

Don came by for a fitting of the bimini, what a difference it will make. 

An easy day, reading by the pool.  I have read 12 books since our trip began and have started the next. I have no count for Dave, his reading is more in depth so he needs more concentration.  Our boat neighbors Mike and Neila exchange books with us and we find others in the book exchanges in different marinas.  I did not finish Girl on the Train.

Thursday

We took a long bike ride through the neighborhood along the river.  There is a mixture of new and older homes.  There is also a Westminster Senior Living Apartment along the water and another on Old Main Street.  We have seen them in several of the cities we have explored.  If you are looking to relocate, check Sotheby’s waterfront listings.

Don came by with the bimini.  We are very pleased! The air seems to funnel through the cockpit now.  Don took more patterns for the screens and will bring them tomorrow.  Then we will head to Caladesi  State Park, claimed to be the “best beach” in Florida.   Hopefully, I will find some good shelling. When we return the side curtains should be finished and  we will start the journey home.

Friday

Dave returned the rental car this morning and our neighbor brought him back.  Now he is doing some polishing on the boat.

Don and Ramona surprised us with the sun screen shades this afternoon.  What a difference!  The boat looks so much larger.  We will be getting one for the windshield next week.  Unfortunately, I forgot to get pictures  before dark.

Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful concert at the amphitheater, Latin and Jazz.  Dave bought an album from the group, La Lucha.

Tomorrow will be busy;  Farmers’ Market in the morning for our produce.  From 1 to 3 PM the marina is treating the boaters to lunch at Pier 22.  Then in the evening there will be the Hernando  De Soto Heritage Festival Grand Parade  at 6:30 pm.  It is billed as the largest parade in SW Florida.  Be that as it may, chairs have lined the street since Wednesday.  (Reminds me of the residents of Hamburg preparing for the King Frost Parade.)  Look for pictures in the next blog.

Dave's new bib

Nancy and Jesse Shrom

Jet powered, I think this is a Eurofighter Typhoon.

They flew 500 feet, the jets at 800 feet

The plane in the foreground is referred to as a foamy, because it is made of styrofoam.

The back of one of the trucks, sorry it is not upright.

Cappuccino 

Don and Ramona installing the sun screen

New logo

New bimini

Sunset after the concert.