Good morning Weather Watchers!!

It looks like a good weather window is opening in the next few days.  We are getting ready to cruise across the Gulf of Mexico.

We have enjoyed our stay here in Panama City.  We have taken advantage of their benches along the city dock to enjoy watching the water, waves, birds, and boats along the North Bay.  We watched fishermen almost everyday cast lines out.

Heron in the morning light – Panama City Marina

We have noticed the large pilings actually had numbers on them.  Which would indicate that someone uses them?  Then, during a windy rain storm, a tow did come for a few hours.  The next couple of days, other tows dropped by to change crew, take on groceries, or just rest for a few hours.  Fascinating!

Numbered Dolphins or Pilings along the Pier

A tow at the Pier waiting out stormy weather

Along the pier we saw these large metal cleats.  Thoroughly rusted yet seem to be still holding their own.  The large wooden ‘dolphins’ the tows tie up to and these cleats, affords a rather safe harbor during that windy rainstorm we experienced.  The rust is almost pretty.  Can you image the stories this cleat could tell.

Rusty cleat along the pier

We rented a car and did all the errands normal folks do.  Visit the grocery, auto, marine  and hardware stores in the city.  Getting all the junk food that anyone would need for a 24 hour road trip…on the water!

The Panama City Marina is one of the top 5 places to visit by Trip Advisor.  We can understand why.  There is a beautiful monument for September 11th.  Each of the black benches is dedicated to one of the planes that went down that day.  Very well done.

Sept 11th Monument

Closeup of the writing in the black marble

Nearby the city office building is an Eternal Flame…

Engraving on the Flame of Freedom

Lastly, here is Always Home on the transient dock at the Panama City Marina, Panama City, Florida.

Always Home – November 2015

Pananorama View of a Sunset at Panama City Marina