Getting our sea legs

Having spent the past couple of months doing football related things, we had a bit of a break where the Seminoles were going to play on a Thursday in NC and then had a week off.

We've had plans in place for a few weeks to pack up the Nauti Nole and head to the Fish Camp.   Well, best laid plans...(you know the rest).  Early in the week, Frank took the trailer in to be serviced as it had been sitting for 4 months and he always has it checked before putting a 10,000 lb boat on it and towing it across the state.  Turns out it needed new brakes.  Of course the parts had to be ordered, and then they didn't come in when promised, therefore pushing our departure back yet a few more days.  Finally Frank was able to pick it up, pull the boat and get all the 'stuff' we use for fishing back on the boat.  And wouldn't you know, the seas had been flat, dead calm while we were stuck in Tampa. 

Today was the only day we could get out, thanks to the tropical storms that are brewing, causing the seas to build.  (The other factor going against us what last night was a huge full moon in a cloudless sky.  Which means the fish aren't hungry in the morning.)

A beautiful sunrise on the St. Lucie River greeted us as we headed toward the inlet. 

 We made our way down the river, under the bridges (which thankfully the railroad bridge was open) and out the inlet.  We were going to try for bait and headed to the bait spot to the north.  There was a pretty fast drift so we had to circle back quite a few times.  There wasn't anything showing up on the fish finder, but I dropped the line in the the water anyway. 

It didn't take very long and the rod was bent over.  In fact it bent over so far it SNAPPED!  It all happened so quickly I wasn't sure what went on, but there was something on the end of that line - broken rod and all.  Of course my mind was racing.....what could it be?

 A great white shark?

From elasmodiver dot com.

 A marlin?

From venezuelareport dot com. 

 A Goliath grouper?



From floridasportsman dot com.



 Nope.  It was a big fat blue runner!

 So that was it for our live bait.  We did have another rod we could have changed to, but we didn't see anyone else catching bait.  We were prepared and decided to troll for a while. 

There were lots of flotsam (floating crap) but this palette is a fisherman's dream!  We were sure we were going to hit the motherlode!   Unfortunately, it was too new to have anything growing on it and therefore didn't attract any fish.

 There were lots of scattered weeds that kept us busy, cleaning the lines, etc.  Then we saw these floats!  And since they looked like they had been around for a while, maybe there would be something (like a big fat dolphin) underneath. 

At this point, we decided to put our big fat bait out and drift around these floats and weeds.  (The white balloon is our bait.)

 All of a sudden, the bait comes to the surface and we could see something chasing it.  A sailfish maybe?  Frank picks up the rod and starts to fight.

 By the time he got the line back to the boat, this is all that was left.  Something was pretty sneaky!

 While we were drifting, we left the trolling baits dangling in the water.  All of a sudden a shark was going after one of them. 

 Not what we were hoping for but we got it close enough to take a few pictures and then cut it loose.

We are considering today's outing a practice round and a way to get our sea legs back after having been away for 4 months.

If you find you aren't getting enough updates on what the CrazyTravelers are doing or thinking, (or they aren't as timely as you want), you might consider looking me up on Facebook.  ;o)

From the South to the North

The Wining, Dining and Chatting/Laughing Society had dinner in NC, even though were weren't able to participate. 

We attempted communication, but perhaps they were doing too much laughing to get our messages.  :o)

We miss all our friends up there and look forward to getting together when everyone is in Florida.

Wasn't pretty or painless...

We decided a couple of weeks ago we weren't going to tailgate, when 2/3 of our group wasn't going to be around, and it was announced the game was at noon.  Plus, we received a very generous invitation from our friends Flash and Bette to joining them in their box. 

Inspite of it being Parents' Weekend, we had an easy drive and entrance into the parking lot.  Not being responsible for tailgating freed us up to do some pre-game socializing.  We fixed up a batch of 'garnet and gold' beverages and traipsed around the parking lot. 

 We visited the Browns who we met at the Miami game. And then spent some time with the Goodens and a few other folks in our parking lot. Off to meet up with the Spragues at their coach before heading into the stadium.

Player parents.

 Game ritual - Chief Osceola and Renegade planting the spear.

 The Marching Chiefs all dressed in 60's attire and looked like they had a lot of fun during half-time.

 As the title of this blog says, it wasn't pretty and it wasn't painless, but it was a win.  (I can't even begin to document the number of mistakes and errors that were made.  But I can guarantee there were some "CTJ"* conversations during halftime and after the game.)    *Come To Jimbo

 Thanks, Flash and Bette!

After the game we headed out the opposite side of the stadium to find friends from Tampa.  Lo and behold, Frank spies the Blackwells on the other side of the hedges!  Great to see Duey and Janie!

For the past few days, we've been corresponding with some of the other Seminoles in the Tampa neighborhood.  And we tracked them down after the game. 

Great to see the Kieffers and the Mays!

After making our post-game rounds, we trekked back over to the motorhome lot to see the Glazers and spend a few minutes with them.

All in all, it was a good game day and we had fun visiting with so many Seminoles! 

(Who, as of this posting are the HIGHEST RANKED TEAM in the state of Florida!)

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A few years ago, I happened upon a website called Catalog Choice. Catalog Choice makes it simple and secure to opt-out of unwanted advertising material, catalogs, etc. and protect your privacy.


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I would do a whole blog entry on this, but I'm going to conserve and point you to someone else who has done a fabulous job: http://greenlagirl.com/stop-junk-mail-before-it-starts-catalog-choices-unlisted-service/

Happy un-subscribing!

A weekend of debauchery, gluttony and fun in South Florida, all in the name of football! (2 of 2)

After a tasty and filling breakfast at the Gourmet Diner in Miami, we made our way back to DelRay Beach to relax for a little while before leaving for the FSU-UM game.

Everyone was looking forward to the big matchup and this long-standing rivalry.  Both teams were showing strong signs that it could go either way.

 

Weinstein Jones & Associates (along with several others) made arrangements for a skybox at the stadium and extended a generous invitation to join them.  

SunLife Stadium 

 Fortunately, the UM fans were nice and we didn't need an armed escort to get into the building. 

(Turns out both Ray, Frank and the guard knew several people in common.)

 The Seminoles getting warmed up. 

 The UM band is about 1/10 the size of the Marching Chiefs. 

We were very excited to see the Marching Chiefs were at the game! 

(Plus, we figured UM invited them so there would be a good half-time show.)

Bill, Ray and Frank

 (Yes, there is a big gap in the pictures.  

So much action and excitement on the field and in the box, I wasn't able to take pictures.)

 Note the vacant seats.....

The Seminoles traveled well and had a huge turnout!

 Final score - 45-17!

Happy 45th Birthday, Jimbo!!

This was the coolest sight (and from what I hear a first):

The players walking along the sidelines, high-fiving fans, showing their appreciate for the turnout.

We had a terrific fun-filled weekend in south Florida with family and friends, capped off with a winning game by the Seminoles!

A weekend of debauchery, gluttony and fun in South Florida, all in the name of football! (1 of 2)

Living up to our name Crazy Travelers this weekend in South Florida.  We left Tampa on Wednesday, heading for the condo in Stuart.  Thursday we took care of a few things there before we repacked, loaded the 'yota and hit the road - Delray Beach bound!

The fun was about to begin.

Ray, Bonnie, Frank and I were going to a Booster event at Hugh's Culinary in Ft. Lauderdale.  Yummy food, tasty wine and an opportunity to meet new people, all of whom had one thing in common - support of the Seminoles. 

Back to Delray Beach for the night with a stop at the Seagate Hotel for a beverage.  Another fun event was ahead for us on Friday! 

After a filling breakfast at The Green Owl in Delray Beach, we put the car in motion, with our interim destination being the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. 

From the yacht club, we were going by boat to the Biscayne Bay National Park and one of the Stiltsville houses.  (More Stiltsville info.)

The house we were going to is owned by the Miami Springs Power Boat Club.  Amy and Jamie Z were our hosts for the day.  A couple of boats (complete with Captain and mates) were loaded up and we were shuttled out to the house.

Six of the seven houses left in Stiltsville. 

This house is owned by the Miami Springs Power Boat Club.

 Ray, Bonnie, Leann, Frank

 The Crazy Travelers hanging out in Stiltsville.

 This is what a relaxin' Nole looks like. 

We were introduced to a new game - Flip Cup.  Was a fun mix of young and not-so-young Seminoles.  :o)

 Ray, Ronnie and Frank - strategizing.

Bonnie was a pro!

What a terrific day!  The weather was beautiful - sunny, breezy, perfect!
It was another opportunity to meet more Seminoles, enjoy a boat ride and time at a one-of-a kind place.

After a fun-filled day on the water, we needed to get ready for dinner.  Ray & Bonnie made arrangements with their son, Doug, for us to spend the night at his apartment in downtown Miami.  What a nice place with an amazing view!

(Not as perfect as I would like...Still trying to get the hang of the panoramic function on the camera.)

Dinner that evening was at Capital Grille.  While the food was good, we were very disappointed that it did not turn out to be the event we were anticipating.

Back to the apartment for a good night's sleep because Saturday was going to be a long day - the football game wasn't for kickoff until 8:00pm!