Polo

See the rain ahead

The black cloud over us

This is that rain ahead on radar.
Notice that the radar is set for a four mile radius.
Then notice that there is no rain on either side of us.
Just us in the middle of it with more ahead.

It felt like we were a Polo shirt on top of the agitator in a washing machine today.  This day on the Gulf of Mexico was worse than our crossing this time.  Not that it was bad, it was just a mixed up sea.  It started out nice until we got south of Marco Island.  With land farther away, we didn't have the protection from the northeast winds any more.  At first the waves were on the stern quarter, which wasn't terrible, just made the auto pilot work extra hard, so Linda decided to steer in order to make the ride better.  This helped tremendously.  Then we had to turn more to the southeast.  That put the waves directly on the beam, and they weren't getting any smaller.  Probably two to three foot waves.  Enough to make your sides ache from the rocking and rolling.  We had the radar on because it looked like there was a possibility of fog ahead, which we have experienced in this area before.  There was nothing to be seen on it except a sailboat behind us until we saw rain ahead.  It made me think of just recently telling Gary and Christelle that we have had a black cloud hanging over our heads for years.  Ray was recalling a sailboater just telling us that the rain knocks down the waves.  We found that to be true with the first squall.  The first squall also made the wind change direction to southeast, which probably also helped to lay the waves down.
The second squall was much more severe as far as wind, this time from the east.  It blew all the leaves off the Christmas pepper plant on the bow.  Now it looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas pepper.


Notice the rain on the enclosure, but the sun shining on the water in the distance.

We were right on the edge of the third squall.  Should have taken a picture of the radar again.  To our left was pouring rain.  To our right was sunshine.  It kind of startled us when a crab boat crossed about a mile in front of us coming out of that pouring rain and moving to better weather.


Once that third squall was past us, a double rainbow appeared to our left.

Once most of the squalls were gone, land was in sight, we just couldn't see it through the rain.  Ray thought for sure he was going to be out there setting the anchor just in time for another downpour of rain, but we finally missed the last one that passed to our left.  After getting to Little Shark River though, Ray wished it was the rain to make him miserable.  Instead it was the noseeums and mosquitos.  This was the worst we had ever seen them there.  Literally swarms of them.  Of course, this was also when we could not get the anchor set.  When pulling up the anchor the first time to attempt another try, a large sea turtle startled Ray right there beside the anchor.  By the third attempt we were both so aggravated that Ray just gave up worrying with it.  It was so calm and still, attributing to the incessant bugs, that we didn't figure we were going to drag anyway.  Ray did brave the swarm one more time just to throw out the Danforth anchor just for security.  Once that was accomplished we grabbed everything from the helm as quickly as possible and ran inside for the rest of the evening.
We so wish we could sit outside and enjoy the natural beauty of the Everglades and its wildlife.  In the time we were out there trying to get the anchor set we saw dolphins on the way in, a large sea turtle on several occasions, and some pink Roseate Spoonbill birds flying by.