Completion of Another Chapter

Day 279  |  Marathon    

Chris and Roger (Miss Utah) picked us up at 7:00 and we made the hour-long trip up to Islamorada for the Gigantic Nautical Flea Market. We arrived just as the gates opened. Vehicle and foot traffic were already heavy. Barry and Roger did most of the buying, although Chris and I did our fair share of looking at jewelry, clothing, and artwork. Some was interestingly tacky and others -- such as the underwater wildlife prints on metal -- were simply breathtaking. We completed our journey through the rows of vendors and were done in a couple of hours. Perfect timing for us as the traffic was backed up for a mile in both directions as we left. The roadside sign welcoming us back to Marathon signaled the impending arrival of the moment I had been dreading for the past few days.

I still couldn't muster the "G" word, but settled on "Farewell for Now," hoping to meet again, even if on land, after we both cross our wakes. Following the requisite photos, I returned to Crossroads and spent the afternoon reading in the sunshine up on Fiberglass Beach. I finished another book and have already pulled the next one out of my library. Barry walked the docks and ultimately ended up in the next slip over aboard Shangri-La. With the approach of sunset, I went to my favorite spot on the pilothouse roof and he snuck this photo of me on the top of our world.

So tomorrow we begin our trip north and east to the Bahamas. Today's news of the flooding of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers had us thinking of all the places we've been and developed a fondness for. One is Florence (AL) where, coincidentally, we first spent a few days with Miss Utah. We stayed at the town marina on two different occasions, and left Crossroads there for a week while we visited home. It is difficult to grasp the volume of water flowing through these dams right now -- billions of gallons an hour -- and the flooding that is occurring. Nine months ago, I would have had no connection to Florence (below, today on left, and on our visit in October), Cairo (IL) or Paducah (KY). This is just one example of how the Great Loop journey expands your horizons and changes your perspective.

Still another way is the blessing of folks who cross your path for a reason along the way as we Live The Dream. We begin our next chapter tomorrow with a little sadness, but with great anticipation of things to come -- visiting new places with familiar names, and reconnecting with very special people along the way.