Southern Florida

     We have been continuing down the ICW for the past few days. No real excitement, the Intracoastal in Florida isn't especially scenic or awe-inspiring. It's basically like going through a ditch lined with generic-looking mansions all day. However, we have seen a surprising number of derelict boats as we continue south. Anchored close behind a row of extravagant mansions you will often see a small armada of battered boats that are barely floating. It's weird to see people living in such poverty right next to highly exclusive neighborhoods inhabited solely by millionaires. It sort of makes you want to perform some Robin Hood like miracle or something.
     We stopped in Vero Beach for a night to pick up mail and do some errands. We had very nice showers at the marina there. I have learned to be very grateful when you get to shower someplace that is bug-free, mold-free, and relatively odor-free. Such opportunities are few and far between.
    I'm in Palm Beach right now. You're probably imagining that I am wearing shorts and T-shirts and frolicking in the warm ocean, right? Wrong. I'm actually wearing a parka right now, hunkered down in the frigid cabin of our boat and debating on whether or not to make another cup of hot chocolate. Southern Florida has been ravaged by a cold front imported directly from Canada, thus making for a few very chilly nights for the Langworthy family. Temperatures got down into the twenties last night, with the bitter northerly wind making it feel like it was 15 degrees.

     This was especially unfortunate because last night I became violently ill around midnight and had to crawl up onto the deck and hang my head over the side and empty my churning stomach. I won't get into much detail regarding that... but after being on deck for a few minutes I became utterly frozen. I shivered ALL night. But enough of this belly-aching...
    Within the next few days, the weather is supposed to become more tolerable. Back into the seventies, YAY! We will be going down to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow night, then to Miami after that. From Miami we will at last be crossing to the Bahamas. (I AM SO, SO EXCITED!!) You often have to wait for a number of days in the States before you cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas due to weather, so we may be here a while yet. But once we do get to the Bahamas, we won't have wifi often so I won't often post new blogs regularly. I will try my hardest though!

P.S. Here is a picture of my dad, my great aunt, and I at the Kennedy Space Center back in Titusville... my mother insisted that we pose for this touristy photo. Oh, mothers...