Miami then Off to LA with ESA

  The big replacement was the dinghy.
  Last year at the Miami International Boat Show we decided to replace our wonderful yellow Caribe dinghy.  I'd patched her a couple of times but when the valves started popping out unpredictably I decided I didn't want to be in a storm floating with 2 chambers deflated and a dog to save.  It is 15 years old.  It went onto reliable Craig's List.    
  We went to the Caribe area of the boat show to buy a new one but found the quality and rating of the company wasn't what it used to be.  : (
  We scouted around and found AB, another South American manufacturer, the dinghy manufacturer that has all of the items we're looking for:  several strong holding and pulling straps, a solid V hull, yellow for theft prevention and fun, 9', a middle seat, holding straps across the front,  and hypalon material.   We will definitely rename her Tweety.

 old Tweety - still good and I was able to sell her quickly on Craigs List to a person in Dinner Key Mooring Field.

Our other project, replacing the bow light that was planned but never executed at least not yet because Drew and I approach things differently.  It's a project I could do but when Drew starts talking herz and ohms I'm lost and feel incompetent.

The new light needs to be fed through metal tubes and screwed onto a metal plate on the bow.

 The old green and red light that is taped up at the moment did not survive the rains.  A while back we hit a canal wall and knocked it out.  (That's another story about an egocentric incompetent captain wanting to be first in line.)  You are also seeing a fender tied to the front so we don't hit the dock, 2 anchors, the electric yellow cable to plug into the dock for air conditioning, and the metal bowsprit.

Before Christmas we were able to go to the New World Symphony Christmas concert in Miami Beach (we have a car and could drive over.)  There is some talk about the difficulty of sailing over to the anchorage off Belle Isle and the ability to dinghy into the Publix dinghy dock.  Some say they are cracking down on dinghies attached to the canal wall with a new police ordinance.
   The concert was wonderful complete with Miami people bundled up for the 75 degree winter weather.  See man with fur hat and 2 fleece jackets.

 All the music was Christmas some new ones and old.  Very festive.  Restless kids running in and out with 3 wheel scooters watching the enormous screen.  It is a great venue.

The building was constructed to have this wall for free outdoor concerts.

When Christmas came I was NOT thrilled to be without family or friends.  We had a nice time with dinner on top of the Sonesta Hotel with a full moon view over Biscayne Bay and moored sailboats.

Christmas Eve we went to a snow flurry Christmas Eve at the First Presbyterian Church in Brickell.  Miami is very Latin so to enter a Protestant Church with Wasps was a new experience here.  An eclectic church with a young energetic red headed "pastor."  I loved it because it was the traditional reading of the Bible story of Jesus in the manger and the wonderful Christmas carols led by a woman with a beautiful voice accompanied by a 4 string quartet. As we walked out I could see through the 3 arches some white pieces blowing and coming down.  Flower petals?  No.  I stepped out and an ice crystal melted on my cheek.  It is snow!?  I looked up and saw 4 snow machines on ledges against the building.  How cool is that!  
  We had a cute little Rosemary Christmas tree on the boat with a few gifts.
  The new marina glowed at the end of Christmas day.

We headed home for snow in Exeter and to meet Dillon, AJ and family on the 27th.