Happy New Year

If you are reading this blog due to interest, mistake or curiosity, I wish you the happiest of New Years and hope that it is a peaceful one for everyone no matter the colour of your skin or religion.
As you can see, we are back on the boat after spending a quick visit back home. We spent Christmas with our son who we wish the very best for 2014. He so deserves it.

                  I think David looks like a young Chuck Norris in this photo.
David has two parrots, Natty and Bo (named after beers!!!!). Imagine explaining their names to David's future children!!! Natty, the sun conure took a bath and ended up with a bad hair day or should I say bad feather day!!

She is a lovely bird but does not get on with Bo who is smaller but more protective of David as he has had him to himself for 4 years before Natty arrived on the scene.

                               Sorry, this photo is not phocused well!!
 Whilst at David's we went to a real nice light display in Vienna, Virginia. I tried out my new (cheap used) camera I bought on e-bay and it did a very good job of taking photos of the lights.

We also visited a golf driving range with a difference. Instead of aiming your golf ball for a post you aimed for big divided pit which gave you points if your ball landed in it. The nearer to the flag in the centre, the higher the score. The pit was about the size of a green.

 Each individual's balls had a RFID (radio frequency ID) so that the computer could keep track of who was up hitting. The computer also kept track of how close the ball came to the centre of the pit and the yardage. We had three games (20 balls each game) and I lost the first two badly until someone told me lowest score did not win!!!!. However, I came back on the 3rd game and came a close second to Gary. David started off with a bang and then fizzled. This certainly made practice more interesting than driving towards a distant flag.    
We had a great drive back to Alabama despite torrential rain. We met up with Gary's cousin and her family again. We got to meet both girls (Elaine and Rachel) and spent New Year's Eve with them and their friends. We had a smashing time.

                  Boats at the marina decorated for Christmas and New Year.
 When we got back to the boat, it seemed to be OK despite some cold temperatures whilst we were away. However, I noticed that we had had visitors in our absence - they left their calling card, if you get my meaning. We had been visited by rats. They ate half my citronella candle (must have been looking for a light meal - candle/light - get it!!!), the lid of my empty cashew container I was saving for future use, an empty bottle of water and my ant bait traps. Thank goodness they never got into the main living area of the boat. They would have had food to keep them going for weeks. We guess they got onto the boat by running up the boat lines as the boat was not near the dock. I was afraid that we would find a dead rat somewhere but so far we have not.
We are heading south for warmer weather. Today is in the 30s and tonight is to be in the teens - brrrrr. So goodbye old man winter-

Hello warm Florida sunshine!!!