Don't worry...it's just explosions

We stayed in Bluewater Bay for 3 nights, waiting for the north winds to break a bit.  While there, we met up with Gay and Mike (from Irish Attitude), who are beached in Destin, not far away, while they have a new engine put in.  We had a great BBQ dinner at Woody's Hog Heaven...delicious food, and lots of it.

Bluewater Bay is in the town of Niceville, Florida.  We couldn't decide if it sounded more like something from Dr. Seuss or Stephen King!!  It is surrounded by Air Force Bases, as well as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, which does exactly what you're thinking...they blow things up with amazing regularity.  I was doing breakfast dishes one morning (I still miss my dishwasher!) and suddenly heard and felt a great thumping.  I was convinced something had been blown into the harbor and was banging against the side of the boat.  Michael rushed onto the deck, and came back in smiling.  "Don't worry" he said, "it's just explosions".  I never thought I'd hear those five words together in one sentence!

We have been treated to lots of wildlife here, too.  Lots of loons and pelicans, as well as a few dolphin sightings.  We watched this osprey swooping over some small ducks which would dive frantically below the surface every time.  It was unclear to us whether the bird was really hunting ducks, or just having some fun.

We filled our time following up on all those little jobs that still need doing.  There is a never ending list, and as we check off 3 from the top, we add 5 more on the bottom.  But this is all part of living on a boat.

This morning we cast off under partly sunny skies to continue heading east.  Those north winds are veering east, but still quite cold.  We crossed the rest of Choctawhatchee Bay with a light chop, and entered another 'ditch' where it was much more protected.  High sandy walls blocked the wind for several miles, until we entered West Bay, where we dealt with some more choppy waters, but nothing serious.

We caught up to and passed Bill and Chris on Catmandu, who we had met during our stay in Mobile, then headed through St. Andrews Bay to Panama City Marina, where we will stay for a day or two.  The nights are still quite cool (into the low 40's), and it's nice to be plugged in.

The Christmas decorations are all up, and there is some sort of public party in the square on Friday night, so we will no doubt enjoy the festivities.

Today's miles:   55

Total miles:  830.6