Though
we were set to leave Vero Beach on Saturday, word
of a free concert kept us on the mooring ball for an extra night. I am a sucker for live
music, and we have caught some pretty good bands in these last couple
of years. Alas, the one in Vero was not one of them. It may have been
that they were just having an off night. It may have been that is was
just too cold for anyone to get in the mood. (The keyboard player
took every chance he had to rub his hands in front of the heat lamp
set up near his spot on the stage.) Maybe a drummer with wooden
hands, a back-up singer who didn't really have the voice for it, and
the aforementioned key board player were just doing the best they
could, though the lead singer / guitar player was better than
average. I think I'll stick with them just having an off night. Come
to think of it, I was having an off night of my own; distracted,
pensive, and feeling the bruises of these last couple of days. Maybe
it wasn't the band at all?
We
headed back to the boat after the first set, with a stop at the
marina for a long, hot shower. We also took a few minutes to chat
with friends staying in Vero until spring, and muse over the news. It
isn't every day that a Supreme Court judge as controversial as
Antonin Scalia departs this life unexpectedly, and in the midst of a
Presidential Campaign as weird as the current circus. Me thinks the land
dwellers are going to add another ring. Barnum & Bailey would be proud.
The
plan was to stop at the fuel dock in Vero for diesel, water, and a
pump-out before leaving this morning. But the dock has been mostly
blocked since yesterday by a big sport fishing boat. A call to the
marina office right at 0800 revealed that he was a seriously
malfunctioning big sport fishing boat and would not be going anywhere
soon. Hmm, happens to them too?
Instead
of testing the wind and current (and my boating skills) trying to
shoehorn Kintala into the bit of space that was left, we elected to
head south and stop at the Harbortown Marina in Ft. Pierce. It turned
out to be a good choice with easy access. With barely a half hour
lost, Kintala was back on the ICW, sailing (yes sailing) south once
again. We haven't found the Ditch to be very accommodating when it
comes to moving under canvas, but east winds had Kintala romping
along at 7 knots under just the jib for much of the day. Her crew is
still wearing multiple layers with hats, hoods, and gloves, but there
is a forecast of near 80 degrees in the not too distant distance.
But
not yet. Rain fell upon the deck monkey as the hook was prepped to go
into the mud along the east side of the St. Lucie river. Though we
have been sitting secure for nearly two and a half hours, with dinner
done and the dishes washed and put away, my fingers and toes are
still tingling a bit as they warm up.
South.
Must go south.
A couple interesting power boats seen on the ICW this afternoon
2 comments:
Mention of the "circus" makes me wonder if you folks have a legal home port and can therefore vote.
Jeffrey, our hailing port is St. Louis, MO. Our official residence is actually our daughter's house, who lives there as well. We vote via absentee ballots, which we have sent in for the primary in MO. By the time the November election comes around we may have changed our residency to FL for reasons unrelated to either family or voting, but would then cast our ballots in FL.
None of this means that I actually have much faith in what is currently called "democracy" in the US. How functional is a democracy where the only likely choices for POTUS are Trump or another Clinton? But decorum must be followed. If nothing else it will help keep the illusion alive that the US (in its current form) has a future. The show will generate billions of dollars in add revenues for the corporate media, people will be distracted by outrageous statements, bluster, lies, and arrogance; all the while missing that nothing of substance is being debated, discussed, or even acknowledged as existing. American will preen, strut, threaten, and declare itself the leader, savior, and best hope for a world. And, should anyone refuse to prostrate themselves before our greatness and give us anything we demand, we will take much delight in bombing them into oblivion. That will pretty much cover "foreign policy" regardless of who is in the White House.
Domestic policy will also continue apiece; disassemble anything that resembles a "society", sell off the pieces, and make sure most of the "profits" go to the rulers. Wages, benefits, and the general quality of life will continue to decline. Resources will be used up and thrown away, education and knowledge will sink ever lower in esteem, people will get ever more desperate and turn on other desperate people thinking they are the problem. Wisdom has already departed these shores, as has any pretense to compassion or empathy.
It is all rather sad and pointless but, like I said, decorum must be followed. Eventually this too shall pass, and something new will grow in its place.
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