The home of Dave& Dawn Campo, Englewood, Florida
 
I sit here at the large kitchen bar hearing the comforting voices of friends and the delightful scents during the preparation of breaking our morning fast: bacon, eggs, toast, as they prepare yet another sumptuous meal for the four of us.  Dave and Dawn have taken us into their new, warm and cozy home giving us shelter and the warmth of friendship.  This house is indeed a home despite the fact it is large enough to have its own zip code.  It is comforting.  It embraces and cradles us much like our boat.  The Campos have built, truly built themselves a roomy comfortable nest for themselves that is capable of being shared with their many friends when entertaining.
 
It has been a week of contrasts.   It is the hurly-burly of making doctor appointments and the rushing to and fro in an effort to see all our Englewood friends.  This held up against a lazy day of enjoying the Fine Arts Show or the relaxed casual afternoon snack over looking the breath taking scenery of Lemon Bay from the Captain’s Club.  But the best is the evening gathering at homes of different friends where we emerge ourselves with the contentment of their company.
 
Life goes on in Englewood.  We hear of the changes, we catch up on the gossip and we renew common bonds of friendship and we choke on the price of housing.  Yet while this village may never be our place of residence again, Englewood and its family of closeness is endearing and an integral part of our life and feels like home.
 
My medical appointments became very confused in attempting to convert from the prohibitive cost of insurance premiums for someone that has once had cancer and our efforts to engage in a VA medical program.  It will all happen, but require more trips to St. Petersburg again next month or in early January.  Patience is not only a virtue but a Veterans Administration requirement.  Learning patience in and of itself will likely do more to prolong my life than any insurance program.  Nevertheless, we balance ineptly, cruising, purchasing property, and physicals coupled with VA orientations.  Despite these minor trials life is darn good.
 
It will be nice when we can get back to our real world, that of cruising at a leisurely pace and once again dialing down worldly concerns,
 
I am getting rather excited because it looks like Capt’n Lynnie is ready to try the Bahamas.  She is slower to make some decisions that invoke elements of the unknown into her daily life than I am.  But her thirst for adventure and curiosity is starting to over take her settled ways.  It is something that gets into your blood and infects your body with the wanderlust symptoms that start an itch that must be scratched with bold and adventuresome movement of boat, body and soul.  Capt’n Lynnie is developing the itch and starting to squirm.  I intend to ensure her itch is attended to with the greatest vigor in a safe, slow oozing forward into the adventure of her young life.
 
From the Campos quarterdeck we move forward with methodical pleasantries into the world of exploration one small baby step at a time.   
 
Good God, I love our life.
 
Capt'n Lynnie and Skinwalker