Thanksgiving in Brunswick

We're still in Brunswick, Georgia on this sunny but cool Black Friday. We discovered that after we paid for five nights of dockage while waiting for our packages to arrive, we could stay another 25 nights for another $35 total. The marina had converted us from a daily dockage rate of $70 per night--$350 so far--to a monthly rate of $11 per foot (35 ft min) of $385. We paid the $35 extra and are now staying here for free. We don't plan to stay the entire 30 days but we will take advantage of the savings by splurging on a few things.

We plan to rent a car for a couple days next week and spend a night shore side in a motel. We will do some shopping and travel to some of the adjoining islands such as St Simon where beaches and restaurants abound. Nearby Cumberland Island has wild horses roaming by the beach.

We also have a few chores to do on the boat and this marina is the perfect place to get them all done.

We spent Thanksgiving here at the marina. About 70 people live aboard their boats here and each couple brought a covered dish to the party house. The marina provided turkey, ham, and prime rib for a $5 cover. What a feast!! We sampled four different types of stuffing, three different preparations of potatoes, and four different types of dressing. We had about 30 different side dishes and desserts to chose from. It was worthy of the prayer that we all bowed our heads to say.

We met quit a few fellow cruisers who gave us more advice about where to cruise and how to best get there. We ate dinner with Dick and Mary who sailed from San Francisco to the Panama Canal where they transited to the Western Caribbean. We are thankful to have their advice.

We also met Joshua who is a vet of Desert Storm. I welcomed him home as I always do when I meet a veteran of foreign war. I don't care how long he has been home. He deserves a handshake no matter how long he's been home. We are thankful to have Americans like Josh in our company.

We also met a cab driver who drove us home from the grocery store. He fell from a dump truck a few years ago and had to have a hip replacement. Since then another accident caused him to have a knee replacement. He could take the disability paycheck but he wants to keep working despite the pain he suffers. He wants to earn his own way for as long as he can. We commended him for doing the right thing for all of us rather than taking the free ride. We're thankful for Americans like him too.

The Christmas Tree lightning ceremony begins at 5:30 today in one of the many parks in the Historic District. I'm sure we will see many of the friends that we have made here in Brunswick. Later, a local restaurant/bar/deli will have live music. Thank God for the friends we make along the way. They brighten our lives. We hope to have the stamina to go and listen for a while and see them.

Last Friday, we went to the same place to hear four old (my age) rockers play two sets of blues and rock music (sorry Sharon Crane. No stompin' country music). Mandy got chummy with the wives and girlfriends of the band and danced the night away with them. Thank God for good music.

Miss you all.