The frustration of being pent up in Fort Lauderdale is telling, the wind is still from the North but seems to coming around. This is annoying as Norman visa expires on 4 June and there is no possibility of an extension unless he wants to wear those orange overalls and shackles. This means no time to sail to Chesapeake.

 

To relieve the boredom we went on a dinghy ride up the new river in the duck. It goes through the downtown area and out into the countryside on the other side.

 

Things were OK until the duck started spluttering on the way back. Then when we were half motoring half rowing we got picked up by the police and asked if we had a permit. A permit for what? I told the officer that the duck was our tender. After an exchange of details he thought he had better leave these two pommie pensioners alone.

 

One benefit of our forced rest is that RT has had a rub down and two coats of well needed varnish. Don’t ever take a varnished boat to the Caribbean unless you can pay someone as a full time rubber downer and varnisher.

 

Mallory Square Key West approaching sunset

 

Alligator in the Everglades

 

What do you do when the Gator is lying across the path

 

Answer: wait for it to get up and go into the water

 

A turtle

 

Locust I think

 

The Lough where the gator congregate in the dry season

 

In the Hammock (forest)

 

Vulture at a water hole

 

New River

 

New River

 

In the Bar Duck in Foreground

 

Norm doesn’t always have burger and chips

 

The Pirate Republic Bar

 

A Water Chicken, at least what the waitress called it at the bar, Looks more like a coot to me