We are in the mood to be leavin'

We are now waiting on a weather window to head up-coast to Jacksonville!  The weather is great here right now, but just offshore on the weather side of the reef, the seas are building at 4-6' and winds for the next week will be off our nose at 15-20.  Individually, those are not a problem, but together, they make for a wet and wooly ride.  So at this moment, and taking into consideration the up-north-coast, from Georgia to Maine, has had bad weather this past week, it looks like we will hold tight here in Boca Chica for another week.  We keep looking at the extended forecast and it is not improving.

Recent Picture of Renne'

While driving cross country heading East, Renne' and I enjoy stopping by Perdido Beach, Florida to see our friends Loretta Revis and Charlie Baucom.  Charlie is involved with the Frank Brown Songwriter's Festival every year, bringing in 200 or so nationally-ranked and local songwriters from around the country to share their latest and greatest songs either available for recording or recorded by country artists.  Two of those songwriters, Alan Rhody and CW Colt, were at Cowboy Bill's on Duvall street last night.  Renne' had met Alan in Perdido Beach a few months ago while out with Charlie and Loretta at Silver Moon Cafe' across from the Florabama on the Florida/Alabama border.  Alan's songs have been recorded by:  The Oakridge Boys (their first #1 hit of their career was Alan Rhody's, I'll Be True To You), Tanya Tucker, Lorrie Morgan, Billie "Crash" Craddick, Ricky Van Shelton (his first #1 hit and also the name of his first album were Alan's song) and a host of others out there.  CW is a local KW'er who has his own following here and has some incredible songs of his own.  We thoroughly enjoyed the intimate environment last night with only 20-30 people attending the Gunslinger Songwriter's festival here.  It is new this year and I am sure will begin to draw a large number of songwriters soon.

Alan Rhody at Cowboy Bill's

Today, Memorial Day, we have been lazin' around the boat.  I finished putting in the rough coordinates for the trip up-coast.  Jacksonville is our first destination, then heading for North Carolina and the Beaufort Inlet.  Co-incidentally, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeards ship that sunk in the main channel and was only just recently discovered, sits within yards of where we will pass entering the channel.  Ya'll might have seen the articles lately of raising her anchor.  Pretty exciting history from a wannabe Pirate's point of view. In a few minutes we will head over to the Key West Harbor Yacht Club for a couple of hours in the pool, then off to our favorite sand bar for sundowners, Cowboy Bill's this evening for Alan and CW again, then over to watch the sun set at a secluded bar with our friends, Rebecca and Lou (Lou is captain aboard the Glass Bottom Boat of Key West.

We stay pretty busy, but we are antsy to be leaving.  You might check out the following internet sites:

Alan Rhody - www.alanrhody.com
Frank Brown Songwriter's Festival at the Florabama - www.florabama.com
CW Colt - www.piratetreasures.com
Lorrie Morgan/Alan Rhodys Trainwreck of Emotion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2wrfU3xj2o

All for now, see you at Cowboy Bill's tonite for sundowners,

JonNe'