Yesterday was a picture-perfect boating day........4 new photos taken on and around Atsena Otie have been added to my photo gallery.  The water was like glass, the blue sky was dotted with white puffy clouds and the sun was strong enough to deepen my tan another shade darker.

We rode around the entire island and it was like being in another world.  Total silence except for the gulls swooping and soaring, along with Ibis.  As we approached the beach area, two racoons were forgaging for food along the shore.  Wildlife was abundant everywhere.  We got the boat up on the beach (pontoons sure are great for this!) set out our grill and Chef Ray prepared hotdogs to go with the potato salad I'd made.  Holly couldn't wait to get into the water.........she had a ball swimming along the edge of the beach and I enjoyed walking in the water.  Not a soul around......and we sat on the boat enjoying the unspoiled atmosphere having lunch.  Then we just rode around enjoying the beauty of the area.  This was much more pleasant than my first time out there.  We spent about 2 hours on the water and it's sure easy to get addicted to boating.  I'm ready to go back out today, except that thunder storms are predicted for this afternoon.

Atsena Otie was the original Cedar Key.......a devastating hurricane in 1896 forced residents to leave and they relocated to this island which was then called Way Key.  The cedar company that made the pencils for Eagle Pencil was located out there in the 1800's, until they closed due to the depletion of cedar trees.  (I have two cedar trees in my back yard, which I treasure) There's a Civil War cemetery on Atsena Otie and it's filled with wildlife.  The next time we go, we'll pull the boat to the dock and walk the paths on the island. 

Construction is progressing well.......the block work is finished and a huge truck load of fill was just delivered.  The only snag is that our Building Inspector for Cedar Key has resigned........suffice it to say that anything you've ever heard about small town politics is true.  He was a great guy, did things the right way and got nothing but headaches for his competency.  Apparently, the building inspector he replaced is on retainer and will be the one we're now dealing with.  Should be interesting.............ah, the joys of doing construction in a small town. 

Miss Dora has been screaming at me for two days so it's time to sign off here and get to work on my mystery.  Enjoy your Friday and I'll see you tomorrow..............

It was an interesting afternoon yesterday for our first excursion out on our boat.  It started off great.....Holly walked on board like the island doggie she is and rightfully earned the title of  "sea dog."  She seemed to love it, looking over the railing and then just laid down and enjoyed the breezes.  Ray went to the marina (they had it in the water for him when he arrived) and then came around to the City Dock to pick up Holly and I......and off we went.  The sun was blazing, there was a nice breeze and we cruised around the waters off Cedar Key.  The fishing village looks so different from the water......I'm amazed at how many homes are located right near the shore.  We rode past Piney Point, Cedar Key airstrip and were heading over to Rye Key.....I could see my girlfriend's lighthouse from the water.....when I looked up and saw storm clouds in the north.  Yeah, the weather had said a chance of thunderstorms.   Long story short, we turned around and headed back to the dock.....believe me, I was real happy for the 80 horsepower motor..........the clouds got darker, the wind was really picking up and I could feel sprinkles of rain.  Holly and I made it okay to the dock before the skies opened up.........but Ray still had to get the boat back to the marina.  By now the wind and rain had increased, but he managed to get it back.......guess it was a bit tricky backing the pontoon into the slip at the marina with the strong wind, but he did it.....old Navy guy that he is.  The employee there told him he did a very good job, as some other boaters had just left their's tied to the dock.  He also told Ray we need to have a radio......locals had told us we should have one, but they didn't stress the importance enough.   Novices that we are, we didn't think we needed it right now.  After yesterday's experience......I feel a radio for weather is mandatory and we're getting one immediately.  The marina guy said you put it on channel 1 and it gives constant updated weather info just for the Cedar Key area..........they heard earlier that a storm was heading toward Cedar Key between 3:30 and 4:00....so it sure was accurate.  Ray arrived home drenched and we learned our first boating lesson.  I took a couple photos out there yesterday and I've added them to my gallery here, under the Boating category.

Construction is moving along at a great clip.....footings are completed and Mickey, our City Building Inspector, is coming out later this morning to inspect that.  However, concrete was due to be delivered this afternoon and poured but that's been postponed to Monday.  Mother Nature is intervening.....that tropical depression out there is going to give us very heavy rain today and tomorrow.   My boating party tomorrow with our friends is also being canceled.  Not much ya can do when Mother Nature takes over.

Book department.........Read an interesting article yesterday......about Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel, "The Historian".  It's about Dracula.........Little, Brown paid $2 million for the manuscript, the rights have been sold in 28 languages and Sony Pictures bought film rights for $1.5 million.  I'd say this 40 yr. old new author is set for life.........what a great success story!

Well, folks, that's it from my island for today.  Wishing you a great Friday and I'll see you tomorrow..........

If the weather cooperates, Ray and I will be taking the boat out for the first time later this afternoon.  I think we'll take Holly to see how she does.  We have an outing planned for Saturday afternoon with three friends, so I'd like to get on it today and clean it up a bit.

Holly and I had a nice walk this morning.  There's a dock close to my house that juts out over the bayou and standing there watching the sun come up over the water is one of the best ways to start a day.  An osprey flew directly over me, swooped and soared and then landed in his nest in a tree.  I have to say that walking here is a whole different world than New Port Richey.

I managed to get another chapter finished yesterday on my mystery, so it's moving along.  For me writing is the most enjoyable part of this business but when the first draft is finished, the editing then begins followed by the time-consuming task of sending it out to agents. 

Seems I heard something on the news last evening about a possible tropical depression heading to the Gulf......since I promised not to moan about this, no further comment.

Looks like they'll be ready to pour the concrete for the footings tomorrow, so construction is moving right along. 

No other updates or news from the island, so make it a good Thursday and I'll see you tomorrow.......

Yesterday's trip to the boat store proved very successful.  We are now Coast Guard legal for the required gear.  I had fun getting extra accessories like stainless steel coffee cups (java person that I am, that's a must) plastic wine glasses (another must) and boating style hats for Ray and I.  We've invited a few friends and it looks like our maiden voyage will be Friday afternoon.  High tide is at 15:45, so this should work perfectly.  Although we're told that with a pontoon, if we stick to the channels we'll be just fine.

On our walk this morning Holly met her first turtle.  A medium-size one crossing the road.  She sniffed it, but didn't seem that impressed.  A car was coming but I knew the turtle was safe.  Another great thing about this island....the speed limit everywhere is 20 mph.  Driving around here one never knows when you might encounter egrets, turtles and assorted other wildlife and it's nice to know their life won't be cut short by speeding traffic.

Reading update......At the moment I'm reading a light mystery by Monica Ferris, Framed In Lace.  It's pretty good but as I said, very light.  I really need to get back to Lauren Bacall's book.......By Myself and Then Some.   This is an udated and expanded Silver Anniversary edition.   I got it more than half finished but put it aside to read some fiction.  I really enjoyed it especially all the info on the great love affair of Bogie and Bacall.  Since I was only 10 yr. old when he died the book has allowed me to learn more about him.  My favorite movie of all time is Casablanca.....nobody could play that part like Bogie did. 

Next on my to do list this morning is to call a local artist.....Travis is going to do the lettering on our golf cart (which we've named Hollymobile.....she adores riding around the island in there with us) and also the lettering on our boat.

So that's it for island news this morning.  See you tomorrow.......

All went smoothly yesterday with the purchase of our new pontoon boat.  We debated where to keep our new toy.  I have a very good friend that lives in a lighthouse here on the island at Rye Key (yup, an honest-to-goodness gorgeous lighthouse.  That's another story)  Anyway, sweet person that she is she insisted we keep it at her place...she has 2 docks with davits, etc.  However, when Ray went yesterday and got info from our local Marina they offer such a good deal this is what we chose.  I like the protection and safety plus the ammenities they offer.  They met us at the City Dock yesterday afternoon to assist us in getting the boat to their marina....We followed Robert in the rescue boat, Polar and Nick, a very personable and extremely knowledeable young man came with us, explaining the channel, the sandbars, etc.  The ride over to the Marina was delightful and Ray did a great job for his first time driving the boat.  At the Marina, you pull your boat up to the floating dock and that's it.......the employees there do the rest.  They clean your boat, flush it, etc.  Then it goes on the lift and is taken inside (terrific if there's a hurricane ) all safe and sound.  When you want to take your boat out, you give them a call a half before and when you arrive at the Marina the boat is in the water and even ice is in your cooler.  If we should get stuck or need assistance, you give them a call from your cell phone and they come out to help you.  Also, till we get to know the waterways, they'll escort us out the first 2 or 3 times.  I don't think you can beat this.  Now, like everything, the downside is that they close at 6 p.m.  Which means when we want to go out in the evening to watch the sun set, they're closed.  But this little problem was solved when my friend said, that's when you bring the boat over to my dock.  No problem.  So our boat now has a permanent residence and we're all set.  On Mon. Ray and I will go to Chiefland to get it registered and switch the Title and then on to Crystal River to the boat shop where we'll purchase all the gear required.  So depending on weather and tides, we'll probably take her out next week sometime.

Back yard construction made a lot of head-way yesterday.  I added a photo below yesterday's entry of the first step.  The entire area is now all cleared and they've begun to dig the footings.  Everything is measured off with string and I'm beginning to get a real sense visually of what it'll all look like.  Work has halted for the weekend, but they'll be back on Monday.

This evening I'll be at the Island Hotel covering a story for the Cedar Key News.  The Sherlock Club of Florida has booked the hotel for the weekend and they do a murder mystery party there.  This is their second year doing it.  Apparently, their theme is futuristic and from what I'm told they have a good size spaceship in the courtyard.  So I'll be writing the article and doing the photos.  When it appears in the paper, I'll provide the link here for you to read the article.

I hope you'll enjoy your weekend.  I won't be doing my blog on Sundays, so I'll see you Monday........