Oddly, the HUCK FINN trip has had two beginnings: first off getting the boat to Panama City (see previous entries).....then getting the crew together in St. Pete and returning the rental car to Panama City and setting off for good to Mobile.

So here are Nial and capt. Brion outside Brion and Jo's apt. in St. Pete Monday morning. Nial's ma, Juli, had been drooped off at Tampa International the day before after a nice visit and a memorable stay at he Ponce De Leon hotel in downtown St. Pete. She and Nial got to watch a man get hauled away in handcuffs outside their hotel, not to mention the woman carried off on a stretcher by paramedics. Later, in the middle of the night they were awakened by a guy yelling at his girlfriend and begging her not to leave him. The only thing they missed was the ghost of Ponce De Leon who is rumored to still be haunting the hotel hallways.

We made the 400 mile drive to the boat in seven hours, making only one stop at the Flying J trucker's plaza. Nial was unimpressed by the awesome collection of trucker's paraphernalia. Instead of buying a Dolly Parton snow globe, he sprung for a bag of Gummy Worms and we hit the road. So here we are on HUCK's foredeck at the Panama City Marina waiting for a Tuesday morning launch. We had a great dinner at Bayou Jo's a few blocks away. We threw french fries into the water just a few feet from our table. It was a tossup whether the fries would get snatched by the eagerly awaiting catfish, or the gulls diving from the porch roof. Great entertainment!

Back at the marina, we indulged in warm showers and air conditioning on the boat. After a few chores in the morning we should be off by 10:00 AM headed West for Chotawatchee Bay and Pensacola. More later...........capt. Brion and First Mate Nial