Orlando Visit

This past week Keith and I had a real treat.  We were invited by good friends Peter and Rachel Ferrara to visit them at their home in Orlando.  They are fellow boaters and Peter is also a golfer.  So, Keith and I rented a car and off we went to Orlando.  The 4 of us had a great dinner Thursday evening at an authentic Italian restaurant.  My octopus salad was wonderful.  I had never had octopus before, but it was a special, and when in Rome you just have to go for it.  So glad that I did.  The salmon I had was also phenomenal and the flowerless chocolate dessert was incredible.  I just cannot even begin to describe how good it was.

Peter and Rachel have a lovely condo overlooking a lake in the development of Vizcaya.    They also belong to Bay Hill Club and Lodge, and Peter and Keith played a round of golf at Bay Hill.  This was a highlight for Keith to play golf at this well-known and challenging course.  

                                             The view from Pete and Rachel's balcony

Bay Hill Club and Lodge is a beautiful and very esteemed golf course and resort.  The first 18 holes of the golf course was designed by Dick Wilson and built by Bob Simmons in 1961.  Bob built an additional 9 holes after Dick’s death.  The course plays 7,381 yards from the championship tees.  It has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1974 and over the years Mr. Palmer made changes to ensure the ongoing quality of the course.  Mr. Palmer was a resident at Bay Hill and regularly played the course during his winter residence there.  The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA tour that is played at Bay Hill every March. 

  While the boys were golfing Rachel and I did some damage shopping.  I was tickled to find a nice summer sweater for evenings, but also found some linen pants and shorts I was not expecting.  Rachel took me to lunch at the club.  We had a great meal sitting by the pool.  You just cannot beat that kind of a day.  Thank you, Pete and Rachel, for a very special visit.  We cannot wait to catch up with them again in May on the Chesapeake Bay.

It will hopefully not be much longer before we are leaving FL and heading north for our year on “The Loop”.  As soon as some engine work is completed we will be wheels up (maybe another 7-10 days).  We hope to go to St Augustine and then, weather permitting, cruise outside to Charleston.  Now that the newlyweds are back we hope to have dinner with Lacey and Davis when passing through Charleston.  I can also now safely post a picture of the first quilt that I have done on Southern Style as it was made specially for Lacey and Davis for their wedding.  It certainly was a learning experience trying to put together a reasonably sized quilt on board, but I got it done.  It may be a bit unique due to the circumstances, but hopefully that will make it more special for Lacey and Davis.  I have a few more projects on the go and will show some of them as they progress.

                                                             This is how the quilt started

Getting the quilting started

Adding the binding

                                                            Ta Da!  Finished double wedding ring

Tar Heel Fan Visit

After returning from Charleston last weekend,  Keith and I looked forward to a visit from good friend and Tar Heel fan Brad Hanks.  Brad arrived on Thursday afternoon, the day the NCAA tournament started.  We were lucky to be able to have Southern Style out on a face dock for several days so Brad had a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway. 

                                                   View from the cockpit of Southern Style

The weather for the weekend was pretty good.  It started out a bit chilly, especially at night, but by Saturday and Sunday it was marvelous with temps in the upper 70s and bright sun.  This gave Keith and Brad some well needed dock lounging time. 

                                                           Brad and Keith relaxing

                                             Brad and Keith discussing zone defense

Keith and I also introduced Brad to some of the best barbecued ribs we have found anywhere.  The hickory smoked ribs at Captain's BBQ, just a few miles north on A1A, are the best we have ever had.  Our mascot, Pengi, even got to go along.

                                                 Pengi with a rack of ribs at Captain's BBQ

The weather was so nice that Keith and Brad hit golf balls at the resort driving range one day and also spent some time at the pool.

                                                      Hammock Beach Resort

    View of the 18th hole on the "Ocean Course" at the Resort.

                                                One of the pools and lazy river at the resort

Are you relaxed yet?

Sunday morning we all went for a cruise aboard Southern Style and in the afternoon Brad even did some kayaking.

Brad brought along some blueberry moonshine to celebrate the weekend.  It didn't stand a chance after the Tar Heels lost on Sunday night.  They needed something to drown their sorrows.

                                                  Pengi hoping to sample the moonshine

 

All in all a pretty good weekend (aside from the Tar heels loosing to Texas A&M, which shall not be mentioned again). 

Our time here in Florida is getting short.  It will not be long before Keith and I will be heading north, hoping to spend some time back on Ocracoke in April.  We are excited to get moving again and hope for good weather to start our northern run for the Outer Banks.

Wedding Celebration

What a weekend!  Keith and I were in beautiful Charleston, SC for the wedding of Lacey Terry.  She is the daughter of our dearest friends Ron and Robin Terry, and the closest thing to a daughter that we will ever have.  We rented a car and drove there from Palm Coast, FL on Friday.

The rehearsal dinner on Friday night at Leon’s Oyster Shed was wonderful.  Hosted by Scott and Carla Toney, the groom’s parents, we were welcomed into the festivities as always.  Not enough nice things can be said about the Toney’s as they are the kindest people and we are so fortunate to have met them and become friends.

                                                               Leon's outdoor venue

Grilled fish at Leon's

We had fish, fried chicken and all the fixin's

      

Early on Saturday Keith and I walked around downtown Charleston and then had lunch with Mr. Ron.  Charleston is a city full of history and culture.

                                                                   The Battery

"The Battery" is a historic landmark, defensive seawall and promenade that stretches along the lower shores of the Charleston peninsula.  It is bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers which meet here to form the Charleston Harbor.

Rainbow Row

This is a series of some 13 colorful, historic houses.  It is the longest cluster of Georgian style row houses in the US.

Example of Charleston ironwork

Breads in pastry shop window

Cobblestone streets downtown Charleston

Cobblestones, now a novelty, were once common and used in most of the streets in port cities such as Charleston.  These stones were used on colonial ships for ballast to weigh them down and stabilize them.  They were removed upon arrival into port to make room for taking on cargo.  Those stones removed were used for sandy/mudddy streets to  make them more navigable for carriages and horses.

Keith and I have visited Charleston many times over the years and always enjoy our adventures.  One thing we never did was to purchase a sweetgrass basket, so this time I picked one out to have as a remembrance of the city and our special visit this spring.
                                                       
                                                               My sweetgrass basket

The coiled sweetgrass basket is a historically significant example of African cultural heritage transported across the Atlantic with enslaved African people.  These coiled baskets appeared in the Low country of South Carolina in the late 1600s.  They were originally designed as a tool for rice production and processing but also were a means to kept the African people close to their beloved homeland and culture.  The craft was handed down from generation to generation with each basket maker developing their own unique style.  As the late 1800s arrived the baskets evolved from agricultural implements into household items and eventually woks of art.  In 1997, a marker was erected in the South Carolina Low Country along Highway 17 to commemorate the legacy and history of sweetgrass baskets and their makers.  The sweetgrass basket is the official state handcraft of South Carolina.

Now onto the real reason for our visit to Charleston; the wedding.  The wedding service and reception was at the historic Gadsden House in downtown Charleston.  Lacey and Davis are the sweetest couple.  The ceremony was simple and in keeping with their deep faith.  We know Davis is the right person for Lacey.   The reception afterward had some phenomenal food and it was great to visit with some people we have not seen since leaving NC last fall.  What a great celebration.  We wish Lacey and Davis all the best.

                                                    Gadsden courtyard set for wedding

Lacey and Davis Toney

Congratulations

Keith congratulating Capt. Ron

Lacey with her mother Robin, Cousins Taylor and Addison Grant

Forever daddy's little girl

Guests in the courtyard

What a wonderful celebration.  Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Davis Toney.