Mobile to Clearwater (Great Loop days 100 to 112, 1/6/2023-2/6/2023)

A good side-trip (by car ) from Mobile to New Orleans for an always entertaining visit.
A stop in Gulf Shores, AL and across the bottom of Alabama before we enter Florida, the first and final state in our “Great Loop”.
Welcome to Florida!
Sunset at Harbor Walk Village, Destin, FL
… and another view of from Destin, FL.
Watching the NFL playoffs on the big screen at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.
Out to lunch.
Guess what? A good sunset. Sandestin-style.
Out through the channel markers into Choctawhatchee Bay.
Stray kitty cats hiding in the seawall at Port St. Joe.
Walking the dog on Dog Island.
… and there are sunsets on Dog Island, too.
Playful manatees in Crystal River, FL.
… and a not-so playful dead one.
Meanwhile back at home… hope those pipes don’t freeze.
On anchor off Anclote Keys in Tarpon Springs, FL. Watched the NFL playoff game, and lots of walks on the beach for Lucy to chase down the many smells.

… and then things start to go off track a bit…

I got laid off (day before my birthday).
Then our neighbor from home emailed to let me know that some kids, apparently joy-riding through the freshly fallen snow, ran into my truck and damaged the bumper. So I flew home to check out the damage and check the mail.
On the way back, this happened…
… which gave me the opportunity to “hang out” at Manchester Airport for an additional 4 un-planned hours. But that’s not all…
I got COVID… yep, I caught this stupid virus after 2 virus-free years from someone caughing on a plane that had a bomb threat called in against it. And, because I’m in Florida now, my primary care doctor apparently cannot call a prescription into a pharmacy from New Hampshire. My insurance company doesn’t have Paxlovid, a common COVID treatment, on their list of drugs that they can prescribe (I wonder if they have heard about COVID).
… then Kristin got COVID.
Ugh!