Outback Crab Shack

Sunday night we met Rick and LeAnne at Outback Crab shack for an early dinner.  We squeezed into Black Creek with its 3 foot depth at the entrance and tied up to the long dock at the restaurant.  There were a couple other boats there but no one aboard.  When we tried to head up to the restaurant--the ramp and entry way were flooded.  Eventually the restaurant had the water pumped out and we could get in without climbing over the rails and making our way through the parking lot.

The picture below shows us in water 3 feet deep (all the rain helped us as the depth sounder never saw below 8 feet)  

Looking out at the swamp from the salon.   I apologize for the pictures.  These are from my phone.  The SD card reader has stopped working on my computer and I am unable to post the best pictures.  


Joy

Green Cove Springs

I hope to be in Green Cove Springs on Monday so that I can have a look around the town.  
Green Cove Springs is in Clay County and as of 2010 had a population of about 7000.  The city is named after the perennially green trees which shelter the area of the St. Johns river upon which the city is built.  7000 years ago native Americans flocked to the area for its natural warm springs.  These springs are known locally as the Original Fountain of Youth.  

I hope to get a slip at the the Reynolds Park Yacht Center which is rich in history.  During WWII it was Lee Field Naval Air Station and served as an aviation training facility for the U.S.  In 1946 it was converted into a marine terminal to house the fleet of WWII ships no longer in use with over 600 ships here.  In 1965, the Navy gave up the facility which was purchased and developed by J. Louis Reynolds of Reynolds Metal Company.  The park is still owned by the family.  


Green Cove Springs in 1885

Reynolds Park with the Navy Ships prior after WWII

Joy

Black Creek to Six Mile Creek

We plan to meet Rick and Leanne for dinner or lunch at Outback Crab Shack on Sunday.  It is not far from our anchorage at Black Creek.  We will head out of Black Creek and scoot over the St. John's to that little cove between Elwood and Palmo.  Trout Creek runs north toward Elwood and the Six Mile Creek heads south toward Palmo.  

We may anchor at spots the spots indicated by green markers 6 & 4 or we may try to get into Red Marker 5. The entrance to the creek can get skinny with depths of 4 feet (we need 5)  Recent reviews have indicated that with the recent rains we will have no problem getting to Red Marker 5 on the map below which indicates the Six Mile Marina at which the Outback Crab Shack is located.  The dockage at the 150 foot dock is free with dinner--no amenities though.  

Joy

Jacksonville to Black Creek

Now that we have had our fill of turkey and dressing, buttermilk pie, pecan pie and sweet potatos it is time to take a quick trip to gear up for Christmas.  Meandering Joy is docked at Lamb's Yacht Center in Jacksonville.  We have a covered slip which is great for protection.  Lamb's is run by Peggy Sue and her three daughters.  Peggy Sue grew up at the marina when her father owned it.  It was sold years ago but now back in the hands of the Lamb family.  The service is great here and Peggy Sue and her girls are working on several updated features.  

The marina is on the Ortega River just south of the Roosevelt Blvd bridge.  We will head north under the bridge and under the smaller Ortega River bridge and then go south on the St. John's River. 

We will continue heading south on the St. Johns (upstream--the river flows north) passing Orange Park, Doctors Lake and Switzerland (we will keep an eye out for the Alps)  To the West of Switzerland is Black Creek.  We plan to anchor here Saturday night.  

The green markers indicate the many anchorages from which we may choose to drop the hook.  These pictures are from Active Captain--a great resource for anchorages, local knowledge and marinas.  

As O'Neill Williams says--we have a great unused Saturday to enjoy!  

Joy

Buttermilk Pie

Yes,  I said Buttermilk Pie.  It is delicious.  A tart, sweet, tangy concoction that is easy to make and satisfying on many levels.  

I made this pie for Thanksgiving and those who turned up their noses at the buttermilk were pleasantly surprised.


I used this recipe from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1& 1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS lemon juice
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1- 9 inch pie crust

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs until frothy; add butter, sugar, and flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice and nutmeg; pour into pie shell.  Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until center is firm.  

This is delicious served warm, cold or at room temperature.  


Let me know when you make one--I'll be right over!

Joy

Life In Pieces

Life in Pieces is a new sitcom on CBS this season.  It is on Thursday evenings at 8:30.  The show is broken into four short stories with each one dealing with one of the four branches of the Short family. James Brolin and Diane Weist play  the parents-Joan and John Short.  of three adult children:  Greg, Heather and Matt.  

I have not seen all of the episodes so I cannot vouch for the humor in these but the most recent Episode 9  inspired me to write about the show.  Lainey was watching it with me.  We both laughed out loud.  I laughed louder when I watched it a second time with Steve and will probably laugh even more when I watch it a third time when Caroline gets home.  

You should be able to see Episode 9 named: Hospital Boudoir Time Out Namaste by clicking on CBS.  

Joy

Thanksgiving Part 2

Soup, Salad, Sandwiches & Sweets were on the menu for our Saturday Thankgiving dinner.  This celebration was with my Mother's family (Davis).  My Aunt Shirley (Mom's sister) and her three children and grandchildren were all invited.  As usual, it is hard to get everyone in one place at a time, but we had a good showing.  

The soups were a hit--Chicken Enchilada, Chicken Taco, 15 or 16 Bean Soup, Potato  & 
Chicken with Rice.  No one brought salad but we didn't miss it.  The sandwiches disappeared within minutes.  

Joy