“My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean
sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When the evening is done, I will have completed 7/10 of my allotted shifts in the emergency department. The time nears when we will return to the sea. I truly miss it… and that, I suppose, is a good thing. Our time in Lakeland is flying by (which is also a good thing). Between my time studying for the boards and caring for patients in the E.D., there’s been little time for much else.
Cindy and I were able to squeeze in a couple of walks around Lake Hollingsworth while here. There was a time, before we moved aboard Beatitude, that we would cover the 2.9 miles around the lake daily. Since my E.D. shifts are usually 4p-1a, we walk in the heat of the day. It is great exercise and truly a beautiful walk. We love seeing all the waterfowl playing and feeding along the edge of the lake.

Three birds in one shot: Ibises in foreground, blue heron hiding in mid ground, and limpkin in background
Monday, we’ll leave Lakeland and drive to Port Charlotte, which is where I will be taking my board recertification exam on Tuesday. After eight hours of mental torture, we will drive the remaining distance on to Marco Island to be reunited with Beatitude. We have several packages awaiting us when we return, including a new freezer and some new deck chairs.
I am so excited to have forty-five days off for the next leg of our cruising adventures. This is the most time off I’ve had, oh… in about, ever! However, our near-term cruising plans are now in a state of flux. Cindy’s father is going to be having surgery next week, and Cindy wants to go be with him and help in caring for him. She will probably leave the end of next week, a few short days after returning to Marco. We are not sure how long she will be gone, or how much cruising we’ll be able to do over the next six and a half weeks. If possible, we may do an overnight to Key West prior to her departure. If I’m going to be stuck without her for an extended period, Key West sounds like as good a spot as any! I could perhaps do a little snorkeling and scuba diving. We’ll see. Our initial plans were to be in the Miami area at the end of this leg of our journey, which is still feasible and remains our goal. Of course, we will still be contending with the possibility of a tropical storm or hurricane for the next two months. Our plans will need to be altered if Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, or any of their friends decide to pay us a visit.
Next post should be from aboard Beatitude in Marco Island in a few days…
Love this….. why do you have to take.boards/??/thought you were all done with that?/// why is Mr. harris having surgery?
I have to do yearly continuing education and recertify every 10 years. Fun! Fun!
Glad to read your update and learn you’re almost through with this set of shifts and ready to take your recert, Barry!!! This will be your last recert, right?!?! (lol)
I think you both have just hit upon the hardest part of a cruiser’s life… family responsibilities. It’s great to have a phone, Skype and all the connections of modern life but when a love one is ill we still want/need to go and be with them. I’m so glad Cindy’s able to be with her father and mom during his upcoming surgical period and recovery.
Always remember (I know you will) a cruiser’s life is always in flux. If it isn’t one thing… It’s another. Will be praying for you all….
Blessings,
Hope & Carson (SV CARSON G II)
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I”m glad she can go and be with him at this time. We’ll adapt and still have plenty of fun on the water.
I’m glad your time in ER has gone fast..I know it can get stressful! Hope your test goes great (I’m sure it will knowing you!). Thanks for being so understanding with Cindy coming home. I know I’ll feel better working knowing she’s with them (since I can’t get off work) and she’ll feel better being with them 🙂 you’re the best! Love you both!!