May 16, 2023 3:00 AM - Bleu stands in front of his water dish, his back legs wobbly. He pierces the air with a short but mournful howl. He does not drink. I cannot sleep. At 1:45 PM today, he will visit the vet one last time.
May 10, 2023 - Bleu has stopped eating. The vet suggested that doubling his dose of Prednisone and adding a appetite simulant might bring him around. Joanne purchased a few packets of Puree Salmon paste and Delectables Lickable Treat Stew to try. When he licked the paste and the broth of the stew off a plate, I got excited and brought $60 more of the paste and stew packets at Walmart for our boat trip to Sarasota. Bleu would be cruising too.
When Joanne and I went down to the Lickity Split together to check our inventory, Blue howled as he has done before. He didn't want to be left behind.
Bleu patrolled the lanai and caught his last gecko, one of his favorite things to do. He spent a lot of time at the far end of the lanai looking for bugs, birds and the occasional rabbit passing by outside.
May 11, 2023 - The three of us departed on a fine cloudless morning for Venice Yacht Club, our first stop on this PGIslanders' cruise to Sarasota. Given the fine weather we went outside through the Boca Grande Swash Channel and a mess of close packed sport fishing boats each hoping to land a Tarpon. We learned later that one of them smacked into Impulse, Yeoman's sail boat, when Yeomans passed through. Fortunately, there was not much damage since it hit the anchor.
Bleu licks a little of the salmon paste off our fingers but that is all. He drinks a lot of water. He is all over the boat looking out the windows and even sleeping on the pilot chair.
We had a drink at the yacht club's Tiki Hut with two other IYC/Islander couples, enjoyed time in the pool and dined outside. Some of the Islanders staying at the nearby Crows Nest Marina joined us.
May 12, 2023 - We followed the ICW North to the Field Club, our favorite yacht club to visit. The rest of the fleet went to Marina Jack's in Sarasota.
Lickity Split easily slips under all the bridges, the exception being the Blackburn swing bridge although we needed to lower the VHF antenna to pass under the Albee Creek bridge. John and Marylin in their new Merry Fisher 895 pulled right up behind us as we called the swing bridge for a opening.
Osprey with Chick on Channel Marker 12
We had lunch at the club and relaxed at the pool. Returning to the boat from the pool, we found a 20ft or so flats type boat along the fuel dock. Four teenage girls in thong bikinis who looked to be about fourteen were draped across the bow! A fifth one wouldn't fit. I suppose the older guy at the helm was the dad of one of them. I didn't see any life jackets!
We "ubered" to Marina Jack's for the PGIslanders' Happy Hour on the dock and then "ubered" back.
Bleu now refuses to lick the Salmon paste off our fingers buts still drinks water.
May 13, 2023 - Bleu went for a long and slow walk on his leash early in the morning and spent time in the cockpit looking out at the expansive grounds of the Field Club. We are by ourselves in this quiet and peaceful place.
At 11 AM, we motor the few miles up to Marina Jack's and back into Slip D19 along side the other Islander boats on this cruise. I know this is an exciting time for the Islander's making this their first time to this marina at the foot of downtown Sarasota. It was for our first time too. But for this time, the noise the band and crowds are making, the mega yachts, the valet parking and the young women in their heels and short skirts are out of sync with the way we feel.
We walked the few blocks to the Burns theater to watch Book Club Two, a nonsensical chick flick about four older women on a bachelorette trip to Italy. The scenery, however, of Tuscany, Rome and Venice was nice to see and I treated myself to popcorn.
After the movie, we joined the Islanders at Mattison's City Grille for an early dinner. Joanne and I shared a pizza. After dinner, thunder boomed and we rapidly departed for our boats. Joanne and I made it just before the rain came down.
May 14, 2023 - Bleu is getting weaker but still manages to jump up on the pilot's seat and other seats in the salon. He likes to go out in the cockpit and look around. He tried to walk up along the port side of the boat but I wouldn't let him as I was afraid he might fall overboard.
I walked around Bayfront Park in the cool morning air stopping to photograph the the famous statue of a sailor kissing a nurse in NYC on the day World War II ended. My mother-in-law, Marie, at 102 years old, is one of the few alive who can remember that day.
Transient Dock at Marina Jack's
Dolphins Leap in a Fountain along the Bay Side of the Park
We headed over to Sarasota Yacht Club at 11 AM, about 1/2 hour away. Our assigned slip, A19, was still occupied so we were reassigned E11 with a full length finger pier. E Dock is right by the pool! A cruiser from Clearwater pulled in next to us with two dogs. Bleu enjoyed watching them from the salon table.
We enjoyed an expensive but wonderful Mother's Day buffet at the club.
The pool was crowded with young families and no shade so we waited until 6:30 PM to swim.
Bleu is not drinking water. He looks at his water dish but does not drink.
May 15, 2023 - We motored out at 8:30 AM planning to go out Sarasota Big Pass but the waypoints I copied from the club website looked all wrong as we headed for the pass so we took the scenic route home taking the opportunity to snap photos of the ospreys nesting on the channel markers.
May 16, 2023 9:30 AM - Bleu's appointment with the vet has been moved up to 11 AM. He sits by the pool but does attempt to drink - One of his favorite things to do. He wobbles to the far end of the lanai to look for wildlife and comes back to the pool. He is as light as a feather.
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