New photos from Florida to start the day!

Here are a few new photos to start the day from Florida.  Sorry about all the snow up there!

Lunchtime View

Afternoon Drinks View

Victory Kiss

Dinner with the Admiral

Ugliest Boat Award

Something that I forgot to tell my son what it was, so he'll make something up and say this is where Scarface was filmed!

Hey Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Pictures!

No we did not take a wrong turn nor did I forget how to navigate.  We decided to fly home for 3 very short days to see the kids and do a bit of business, like TAXES!!!  So the boat remains in FLA and while I did not get away from the ocean it sure looks little different here in RI at 10 degrees.  These were all taken on 2-8-14 and are courtesy of USCG Petty Officer Christopher DiGiovanni, my son in law. They are taken just a couple of miles down the street from my home at Coast Guard Station Point Judith


You don't know cold until you feel the 10 degree wind whipping off the ocean

Fall in this water, temp in the mid 30's, and in 3 minutes you're dead

Here is one of the toughest jobs on the planet: Commercial Offshore Fishing

And here is one to warm you back up.  This is the unmarked harbor entrance to Man-O-War Cay In the Abacos on our last visit.  Notice the reef just under the surface on the right, in front of the boat and left off the point

Some additional photos as well.

And now for something completely different.

This FAMILY TIES update is a little different than normal but the video at the end is worth the short read.  

Greetings from a cold and rainy Sarasota.  Lousy day out today but it is suppose to be beautiful starting Saturday.  We will spend 2 more weeks here and then head towards the Keys followed by the Bahamas on or about March 15.  Things are going very well.  My doc tweaked my meds and that made all the difference in the world.  In fact today I went for a 3 mile walk at a fast clip with zero problems.  That hasn't happened in a long time.  Feeling gooooooood!

Becky and I were just interviewed by Soundings Magazine for a feature article outlining our adventures.  Soundings is one of the largest publications in world dedicated to educating and entertaining the boater and I will share the article once it is published. This all part of my mission to spread awareness of Parkinson's Disease.  With awareness comes public funding and a cure.  

The boat is running great and turning heads.  There is a small (20) boat show on the same dock I am on. People think I am part of the show and are put-off when I won't let them board.  But a group of them announced FAMILY TIES as Best in Show.  

Now the fun part.

I've been boating a very long time and I have seen people do really dumb things on the water. Like the time  guy drove his 65' yacht up ONTO a dock followed by crashing into 2 other similar size yachts, all while trying to impress his much younger girlfriend. 

Or during the Jazz Fest one year, windy as hell, the harbor is jammed with boats and some idiot decides to sail thru the overcrowded anchorage.  He did fine until his boat got caught on someone's anchor line, boat flipped and he broke his back.  Or the time...... never mind....  

That brings me to the 2.5 seconds video below.  I am of the belief that you can help people in many ways.  You can provide aid, support, guidance, etc..  But there is one thing you can't get done, YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID.  

These nit-wits decided to try fishing with a hand grenade.  But it never occurred to these geniuses that you're suppose to THROW said grenade AWAY from the boat?  

Enjoy

Scraping the bottom in our boat... It happens...

     We've scraped bottom now times or should I say we bumped or were within an inch of the bottom, but today I'm pretty sure we turned up a lot of bottom as we were down to about 3.6 feet. and for the record that was center channel at high tide.

(Click to view video)

Sunset tonight as we float at anchor

Even with Parkinson's disease, I don't don't sit around at all during the day. Always something to do!

Some more pictures from sunny Florida, as we make our way further south raising awareness for Parkinson's disease.  To date, we have raised over $250,000, 100% of which goes to the American Parkinson's Disease Association and it's RI Chapter for Patient Care Services.  All expenses for our trip are paid out of pocket!

The Admiral wanted to go the Botanical Garden, with a one mile walk each way.

The structures of the flowers, like these orchids, were incredible!

Sunsets never get old!  This is from the back of our boat each night.

I'm not sure my vote would be to put flames on the side of my Sabre!

Me in front of the dolphin statues in Sarasota, freezing my butt off in 50 degree weather!

This is one of the more interesting lighthouses of our journey.

This is why we like to anchor...

I'm sorry about all the snow up north!

(Click to enable video)

Parkinson's disease or not... Florida is treating us well! (pictures)

A picture is worth a thousand words!  Here are just a few on our trip from Rhode Island to Turks and Caicos, and back up.  Right now we are near Sarasota, Fl. and are slowly making our way down the coast.

Thank you to all that follow and have donated!  We have raised over $250,000 for Parkinson's disease research, with 100% going directly to the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA)!



Becky off for groceries



On the Venice Pier



I found Paradise!  It's on a beach in Sarasota.



St. Armand's Square in Sarasota



Nobody is on the beach on Longboat Key.



Bike weekend - 5,000 of them!  Sarasota last weekend.



Bike weekend - 5,000 of them!  Sarasota last weekend.



Bike weekend - 5,000 of them!  Sarasota last weekend.



Here is our intended route.



Yes, I drove the boat down this sliver of a canal.  Why?  To get to the other end.