mvalwayshome

For our last days at Cocoa Village Marina we decided to take another walk-about around the marina.  We do walk about a mile almost every day.  Sometimes to the library.  Sometimes to the Historical Cocoa Village for ice-cream.  Nothing is better than a cone of ice-cream.  I was given a bowl since the chocolate was a bit soft.  Delicious in any weather!

Chocolate and Strawberry IceCream for me, Please!

Wayne got “old people flavor”.  You all know which one I mean.  Butter Pecan!!  hahaha  Right?!?!  I don’t believe it when experts tell me vanilla is the most favorite flavor of ice-cream.  Chocolate and Strawberry has to be number one and two.

We walked along the waterway and found a delightful little park.  Actually, what we saw would be considered minuscule unless there was more up by the parking lot.  A stone tablet, two benches, a small walkway, and several trees.  Come to think of it, overlooking the marina, this a probably a pretty good park!!

Constitution Park

Constitution park, Cocoa, FL

Cocoa, Fl is known to have a pretty patriotic water tower.  All we saw is this:

Cocoa, Fl Water Tower

I heard on some mornings a buzzing sound.  A marina resident told me that the buzzing sound was from the folks sandblasting under the canopy.  Someone was working under all that tarp??  Can you imagine?  He said it was quite the sight when workers were trying to cover the tower on a windy day.  They almost gave up.  The city decided the tower needed a fresh coat of paint.  Here is what it should look like when the work gets finished – just fresher, cleaner, and just as awesome:

City of Cocoa Water Tower with American Flag

I bet it will look great!

As I have posted before, the wind has been a bit fierce from time to time.  Along the wooden boardwalk near the Cocoa Village Marina is a small sandy area.  Almost a beach but you really can’t get to it.  Well, humans can’t.  There is a concrete water barrier and the wood fence to keep humans off the sand.  I really was taken by the color and texture of the seaweed being washed ashore.

Seaweed collecting on the sand – color and texture

It looked like Horse Shoe crabs got washed ashore as well.  Several of them.  They were on the sand for several days and then disappeared.  Do you see them?

Horse shoe crabs amongst the seaweed

Either they crawled back into the water OR became food for this Blue Heron.

Blue Heron nibbling along the water’s edge

Blue Heron – sunning in the afternoon

You looking at me?

Yes, YOU!!  What?  Someone calling you?

Blue Heron – Looking for more food?

So strange to see their neck all stretched out.  Normally, they walk and fly with their neck tucked in.  With the coloration, it looks all twisted up.  Maybe she is looking over there on the other side of the river….

Great Heron – up to her knees in the water

Brrr… it just looks cold standing there in cold water waiting for a fish to swim by.  These are very patient birds.  They quiet for long periods of time, strike, swallow a small fish, wash off their beak and stand still again.  Yes, I have stood looking at them looking…just looking.  I am not as patient.  I move on before they do.

At the end of the walk-about….

Sunset.

Sunrise!! Time to wake up!!

What a beautiful windy day to visit Cocoa Beach!!  On the way to Cocoa Beach, I saw some Kite Surfers in the air.  Photos taken from through the car window….

Kite Rental

Wind is good!

What a great day to be surfing the wind and water!!

We found drove eastward to the end of 520 and south to Lori Wilson Park.  There it is!!

“I Dream of Jeannie” Lane

You old folks remember that sitcom.  Funny.  Bewitched had it easier.  All she had to do was twitch her nose.  Jeannie had to cross her arms and nod to make things happen.  Boy, were those the days of simplicity?!

Lori Wilson park looks like a parking lot.  Until we saw the wooden walkway to the beach.  Ahhhh the Atlantic Ocean!!  We walked briskly to the waters edge…

Wayne’s footprints in the sand

Maybe not briskly.  Obviously not in a straight line either.  You can see the wind causing wavelets on the surface.  It was a brisk day.

We waited for this fellow to finish his nibbling.

Beach Bird – Cocoa Beach, FL

Then we saw this fellow.  You can barely see him in the waves.

Kite Surfer – Cocoa Beach, FL

Maybe this little video will help find him.

It was fun to watch him.  There were only a couple of souls in full wet suits bravely going out into the surf.  We felt the water.  Yep… 65°F or so.  On my finger tips, it didn’t feel so bad.  But whole body?  brrrrr

What a great afternoon.  As evening approached, we found an excellent seafood restaurant that was very busy.  Always a good sign to see lots of cars.  Busy usually means good food.  Large portions of oysters and shrimp.  A beautiful sunset to close the day.

Sunset – Cocoa Beach, FL

It is beginning to get interesting.  Everyday is a different kind of day.  Sometimes the wind is nil and water flat.  Sometimes the wind is gusting and we are getting white caps again.  Fascinating…. this boating life.

Did you know there is actually a periodical to help us learn about the living on a boat?  This marina has several free periodicals in the Captain’s Lounge.  Yes, you have guessed it already.  Lots of adverts for marinas up and down the east coast of the USA.  Wonderful!

MarinaLife magazine

Getting back to new pictures around the marina:

This is an special event cruising boat.  It is berthed here on the east side of the marina.  Occasionally, we see it go out into the waterway.  Actually, we hear it on weekend nights when they come back into port.  Party time!

Indian River Queen

I really like the red paddle wheel.

Red Paddle Wheel

In the beautiful Cocoa Village there are two parks close to another.  At first I thought they were one and the same.  Signage tells us differently.  Lee Wenner Park and River Front Park.

Lee Wenner Park

Lee Wenner Park boasts a nice wooden walkway all along the water’s edge.  There is a parking area, picnic area, and boating ramp as well.  We have seen a couple of fishermen try their luck.  In fact, the park is closed at dusk unless you are fishing.  The walkway circumvents quite a bit of the water way.  It beats walking on the roadway and dodging autos.  There is a hazard warning found the walkway, however.

Maximum Occupancy Warning

How do you determine the people limit when it is a quarter of a mile long?  Do you start counting at the front or the back?  When do you count?   Dogs and other beasties are not counted?  hmmm  I am perplexed!

Wooden walkway – along the edge of the river to just beyond the flags

The other view of the wooden walkway – you can see it winding around to the boat ramp

Should you exceed the limit, are you thrown overboard??  Or do you punch your way off and escape?

Yellow Tape warning

I am not sure what happened here but my imagination……nevermind….

At the adjacent River Front Park you will find a children’s playground, benches, and pavilion.  We often see kids being pushed on swings to go higher and higher!  As we enjoy our ice-cream lunches and snacks.   People strolling about on a brick and concrete walkway.  There is a delightful water feature.  For kids and dogs to play in.  I can’t imagine cats wanting to play in the water.  I bet this shallow water feature is quite busy during warmer weather.

Water Feature

Did you catch the warning sign?

Water Feature

No Diving?!?!   How funny is that?  The sign is for a pool somewhere close by.  We haven’t found it, yet.  Still.  “No Diving” may be a requirement since someone may get confused.  Right?

From the River Front Park you get a great view of the mooring field.  Looks like mainly small sail boats and a small trawler or two, today.

Goodness gracious!! What is that in the water?

Boat turned on its side

It is an overturned boat.  Must have become a victim of some of the rough seas and high winds we have been having lately.  Or so I imagine….

A critter update:

The last post I mentioned 2 pigeons… oh, 3 pigeons …. well, now there are 4!!  I saw one of them doing the mating dance this morning.  I am sure you have seen the dance.  One goes up to the other and nuzzles.  Coos.  Nuzzles some more.  Then turns round and round in one direction.  Stops and goes around and around in the opposite direction.  Coos and nuzzles again.  A bit of a chase sequence follows, generally.  I have seen this dance before on the house rooftops in Arizona.  Soon there will be five!!

From the second story balcony I spied …

2 sail boats along the ICW

Most of the sail boats we have seen do not have their sails up preferring to motor instead.  OR because there isn’t wind enough.  Obviously there was plenty of wind to fill its sails.

This Sailboat doesn’t look like it is stopping for a visit.  When it is afternoon here at the Marina it is time for the “change”.  From 3 – 5 pm a handful of boats arrive for a night or two.  First thing in the morning, a handful of boats leave to go on their way.  Not necessarily the same boats.  Most of the boats go south.  A constant influx and out flux…  in and out… ingress and egress…. wax and wane…  of the marina.  Ahhhh new boats to ogle.  New people to give the nod and wave.  Marina Life.

Sunset – Moon rising – Cocoa, Florida

The beautiful Historic Cocoa Village……

City of Cocoa, FL.

One of the first buildings you will see entering the historical village from the marina is the S. F. Travis Hardware store.  The company has been at that location since 1885 for all of your hardware needs.  We did go inside and look around.  Not expansive like a HomeDepot but it had some unique gadgets and doodads that you don’t normally see in a larger hardware store.

S. F. Travis Hardware Store

Murals are on many of the building walls.  Some were quite nice.

The Black Tulip Restaurant

This restaurant had a nice courtyard in front of the mural.  A vegetable garden as well.  We saw cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, brussels sprouts, peas, and herbs.  Too small a garden to really supply the restaurant with all their needs.  But nice to see.  The only vegetable missing was broccoli.  Broccoli is a good cold weather vegetable to grow.

On the front side of the Brevard County Tourism Development office you can find:

Tourism Mural

Mural outside of the Tourism office

Mural – Tourism office

Very nicely done!  Very crafty, don’t you think?  How’s this to advertise your Artist Co-op?!  Love the colors.

Craft Co-op

And down the road next to the ice cream place you will find a stair case…

Stairway to Crafts

OR if you want to know more..

What to find upstairs

All very tastefully done.  Delightful since it is right next to the double scoop in a waffle cone place!

Have you figured out that there is an ice-cream place right next door?  Well, our freezer is really small on the boat.  No room for decadance or sweet tooth satisfying treats.  You take advantage of an ice-cream place when you see it!

Sunrise – Cocoa, FL

The winter weather has arrived here in sunny Florida in short bursts.  We go from 45 – 65°F temperatures to something more moderate like 55 – 75°F.  Very calm days to windy and cold.  As you probably know from all the press, these winters storms bring rain and wind.  Not so much rain as forecasted.  Where we are located right off the Indian River, we get to experience 30 mph winds straight on.  How fun!  The best part of these recent storms is the high winds have occurred during the day.  It seems less scary when you can see why the boat is moving so.  We haven’t gotten sea sick from the movement, thankfully.

We can go from this calm morning….

Sunrise – Cocoa, FL

to higher winds and rougher waters….  3 – 5 ft seas…

Are those white caps??

Winds coming from the north- Cocoa, FL

Morning waters –

Too small for surfing.  But the waves were splashing up on the dock.  Remember those high winds and waves from Sarasota?  Yep.  Just like that.  Except we felt the brunt of the wind.  Very fascinating experience.  The wind whistling through the sail boat lines next door.  The canvas covering the boat windows on the other side flapping so aggressively Wayne thought I was knocking on the side of our boat.  Winds!

Wayne looked down the side of the boat and saw only one round fender.  Where’d the other one go?  It had rolled to the other side.  Oh no!!  We tied them up to the side of the boat railing.  We were afraid with the rock-n-rolling we were doing, they would roll off the boat and be gone forever!

2 Round fenders

We have only seen gulls and ducks paddling around.  There is a break water – or wall out in the marina that the birds stay on.  That is where almost all the birds hang out.  Maybe that is why the docks are so clean…no bird poo!

Birds on the Breakwater Wall – Cocoa, FL

THEN I see this:  this bird footprint looks like it could be a pterodactyl?   Whatever could this print be from?  Obviously, the bird trekked through a puddle of poo.

Footprint –

Ah ha!!  New Neighbors!!  Is it not gorgeous!!

Great Blue Heron

This one I will call “Helen”.  It has been seen on more than one occasion standing on the edge of the dock or near the water’s edge around the marina.  It seems to be all by itself.  I have heard it croaking ( it is definitely not a ka-kaw ) as if it were clearing its phlegm coated throat at night flying from one place to another around the marina.  I don’t hear two calls.  Just the one letting others know it is coming through!

This is one of 3 pigeons hanging around the dock.  I find it fascinating that it is on the dock and not in the Village where all the people dropping food is located.  Maybe it is lost?  I wonder where it is roosting.

Pigeon – Cocoa, FL

On the side of the road a group of hungry Ibis.

Ibis on the side of the road

Although, there are Manatee signs everywhere we have not seen any manatees.  I think the water is too cold.  A brisk 64°F by the Cape Canaveral Buoy.  Too cold for me to go swimming so I can understand if the Manatee are in warmer waters near the power plant we passed the other day.

Sunset – Cocoa, FL