12/17- 12/26/2016. 8 Nights on a Mooring Ball in St. Pete.

Osprey and her crew joined us in the mooring field at St. Pete Municipal Marina for 8 nights.  We  needed to go to St. Pete to pick up packages from Dorothy’s Aunt Barbara and we were so glad Osprey decided to join us.  We decided that we would serve as each other’s  family for Christmas.  Tim and I stayed in a slip at the Municipal Marina on our way to and from Cuba with John and Dorothy, so we knew the location couldn’t be beat.  The marina is right in the downtown area with tons of restaurants, bars and shops to occupy one’s time.

Seeing Aunt Barbara was like seeing Santa.  After all of our delays in Carrabelle, the packages started to stack up.  Both Tim and I had been ordering parts and other goodies that we “needed” .  Barbara also generously loaned us the use of her car so we could stock up on groceries.

It was also wonderful to have dinner with Belinda and Jim Wolfe.  Belinda and Jim just sold their 44′ DeFever, Rickshaw, and have a condo on the beach side of St. Pete.  Tim and I originally met them at the DeFever Rendezvous last year and we had been aware of them through the DeFever Forum.  This fall, while readying Subject to Change for this trip, we saw them with some boat neighbors on our dock in Seabrook.  I knew immediately that they were Rickshaw’s people.  It’s amazing how social media has opened up the circle of people we know.  Tom and Doris Sanders know all about that.  Steve and Deidra joined us for drinks and dinner while jim and Belinda generously allowed us to pick their brains about cruising.  It was a great night.

Tim’s cousin, Andy, drove over from Lake Wales to visit.  Joe Taylor, our esteemed home builder, had been telling Tim that we HAD to go to Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, the old part of Tampa.  It was a MUST do.   Andy was up for the trip and so off we went.  Joe had also instructed that we HAD to have the 1905 salad.  From here on out, if Joe Taylor tells us to go someplace to eat, I’m going.  He was right on.  First, the restaurant itself was really cool.  The original section was built in 1905 by a Cuban.  Four generations of his family have expanded and continued to operate it.  All of us had the 1905 salad.  It’s made with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, olives, julienne ham and Swiss cheese and a dressing that included Worcester sauce.  A combo of Cuban, Spanish and Italian cuisines.

Every Saturday there is a market in the park downtown.  Deidra and I were up for some fun shopping.  Lots of fun jewelry, clothes, and food.  We were happy the boys agreed to do the final grocery shopping and leave us girls to the important stuff.   That afternoon,  Deidra and Steve introduced us to their friends, Amanda and Gabrielle.  We had lunch together at The Hanger, a cool little restaurant with a deck overlooking  a small, private airport.  Maggie and Trouble were even able to join us.

Christmas dinner aboard Subject to Change was a joint effort.  Tim grilled some pork shishcabobs he bought in Tarpon Springs, salad,baked potatoes and key lime cake rounded out our onboard meal.  It was an early dinner because Monday the 26th was moving day.  Off to Sarasota as we work our way to Key West.

i’m writing this as we cruise off shore and we’re about to loose cell service so I’ll publish this post as is.  Pictures will come later.