I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW...

I Can See Clearly Now

Johnny Nash

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

We have spent the last few weeks trying to overcome the obstacles and dark clouds in our way to leave Newport and start our long talked about and dreamed of Retirement Trip down the ICW. Most of you have been on this journey with us. This song pretty much sums up our feelings at this point. 

While the storms have passed, they hace dramatically affected our plans.  Recent reports from Marinas.and other boaters traveling the ICW say that some of the inlets have shoaled over and many areas have yet to recover from last year’s hurricane Matthew never mind the effects of Irma, Jose and Maria.  We worry that the trip may be ”muddied” with hazards and it might be hard to find dock space etc.   

Sunset from the Mainstay Hotel where we 

waited for Jose to pass

Our renter will be leaving on November 1.  We (and he) had hoped he would be able to stay on through the winter, but his company is transferring him back to NJ. 

With the weather delay, the uncertainty of a winter rental, coupled with the fact that Obsession could use a good bottom and hull cleaning, we have been thinking that it might be best to wait until next year. We will make our final decision on October 15. We can be ready to go with two days notice, so it's not a done deal…yet. 

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

But like the song says-we can see clearly now, we can think it through with less emotion and heartache. Those rainy days and clouds are gone. We are even starting to talk about how we would use/spend our time at home over the winter.

A sunset picture from our condo deck. 

Our time in Newport for the past two weeks was spent preparing for Jose and possibly Maria. We stayed ashore for the worst of the Jose, returning to Obsession to enjoy a beautiful evening of cocktails on the bow. 

The next morning we woke up to fog horns, and an eerie looking harbor. 

We stayed up long after our bedtime to attend Newport After Dark at 41North, another one of those “places to be” events in Newport.  It was a fun night, filled with laughter, good food and interesting people. 

We are still treated to beautiful sunsets, albeit a bit on the early side-before 7pm. As the temperatures drop we pull on our jeans and sweatshirts, hoping that it won't get much colder in the next few weeks. 

No matter what our decision is on October 15 we “can make it now”. “The pain is gone, the bad (and sad) feelings have disappeared” we “see nothing but blue skies” and it will be a “bright, bright sun-shiny day.”

Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies

Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies