Off We Go!

Well, we are still in Indiantown.  The engine is kaput.  Captain Man took it out of the boat and the repair guy said the engine was done for.  Captain Man was not happy, as when he got this boat, the previous owners stated the engine had a little more than 500 hours on it.  In terms of diesel engines, this is supposed to be very low hours.   And we found out theses engines are not being made anymore, so we have been trying to find someone that could rebuild this one.  Not easy.  Finally, our friends, Jon and Heather, suggested a guy in Vero Beach that may be able to help.  Off we go to Vero Beach!  The guy there stated it would be at least 3 weeks before he could even take a look at the engine.  I thought Captain Man would faint.  But the guy stated we should try a place in Stuart.  So off we go to Stuart!  This place may be the place!  They have the engine now, completely disassembled, in boxes and bins, and hopefully will be able to piece it back together with new parts to replace the broken ones.  We are keeping our fingers crossed, but we are in a holding pattern now.  Waiting to see...so we are taking some time to explore this area by car.

Saturday, we spent the afternoon at the Jonathan Dickerson State Park in Hobe Sound.  The park features the Loxahatchee River, mangroves & river swamps - great  for kayaking, canoeing & hiking.  While we were there, we noticed much of the area had been burned, and found out that this park practices prescribed fires.  Apparently,  biologists recognize fire as a natural part of Florida's landscape.  Fire as a natural part of the landscape?   But wildfire, specifically fire that is started naturally from lightning strikes, is an unacceptable and unsafe way of managing our natural areas, so the Florida Park Service began its prescribed burn program.

According to the experts, many species benefit from prescribed fire, some of which would not survive without it, like the state threatened gopher tortoise and federally endangered Florida scrub-jay.  Their philosophy is to manage the land according to scientifically accepted fire intervals in a given ecosystem, and wildlife and plants thrive in response.

Don't ask...

While we enjoyed our hike, I have to say this was not one of the most beautiful parks we have been in.  We did not see any wildlife, and the vegetation was scrubby.  But we are told, there are lots of alligators!  To our dismay, we did not get to see one.  Although Captain Man was looking for them.

We also ventured into the historic section of Stuart for an afternoon of walking and later had a fantastic pizza from authentic pizza restaurant.  When we went inside, Captain Man wanted the lunch portion of one slice of pizza, a salad and drink...are you kidding me?  Authentic pizza and only one slice?...that would just make me mad.  I ordered the large house special.   Had two HUGE slices, and took the rest back to the boat for dinner.   Yep, I did!

Other than that, we are just waiting, and hoping for good news with the engine.  I have started baking bread again, and tried a new bread technique and must say for a quick loaf, it was good.  We are enjoying trying new ingredients and recipes local to this area.  We have learned to shop from the local Latino grocery store for items the locals use, as it is way cheaper!   Yesterday we purchased tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and 6 chicken thighs for $3.58.  But if we want butter or cereal, better take the car to Publix, as this is pricey in the local store.

Taco salad using local ingredients

We are hearing that our family and friends back in NC are having bitter cold weather.   Hope all of you guys are staying safe and warm!!!  Be careful and we are hoping this will be it as far as the winter blast goes.   In the meantime...to all....Enjoy!