Aahhhh, Bimini!!

Wait a minute, though - this is not the Bahamas.  We're still in Florida, and needing to wait out a few days until we can pick up Michael's daughter Sam from the airport.  This little spot is very protected from winds of just about any direction, close to groceries and a West Marine, and temporary home right now to 15 other boats.

We came here yesterday, after spending a couple more days in and around Cayo Costa.  Thanks to directions from a friendly kayaker, we eventually found another route to the other side of the island, well away from the park docks.  After wading ashore, we ventured into a mangrove forest, which gave way to desert-like scrub with palms and cacti, then across a small dune to a completely deserted stretch of beach.

 It was interesting to see that the surf action here was actually cutting a small wall in the beach, revealing layers of shells and sand.  It's about a foot high, and we could clearly see shells poking out from the face, some of them so polished by sand and water that they shone.  We have no idea how old these deposits might be...a month, a year, decades, or more.

Back in the dinghy, we wound our way around several smaller islands, scaring flocks of gulls and pelicans into frantic flight as we zoomed past.

Bev & Bruce on Paddywagon had arrived in Pelican Bay by the time we returned, and we spent a good part of the afternoon sitting on the beach chatting with them.

After topping up our water tanks, dinghy fuel and groceries on Tuesday in Gasparilla, we returned to Pelican Bay for the night. The next morning after waiting for the fog to lift we then made the 3 hour trip to Bimini Basin.  For all of our Georgian Bay friends, here's a picture of another Picnic Island!! White sand - no granite :)

Tourists packed this paddle wheeler to get a taste of life on the water.

Bimini Basin is in another of those canal communities, where everyone has water access.  There are some huge homes here as well as some small condo or apartment buildings.  It's a good place to spend a few days without the expense of staying at a marina, and Paddywagon arrived not long after we had settled in.

Today is rainy for the first time in several weeks...which means chores on board, I guess.