So in the last post I said I wanted to go back to St Augustine. Well today is August 25, 2019 and we’ve already been back 3 times! We left Jacksonville in early May to go home for a family vacation. I took pictures of my freezer and refrigerator so I would remember what I had….a whole chicken, hamburger, grouper, tomatoes, spinach, turnips, etc. etc. etc. this picture is the top and bottom drawers of our freezer as I left it in May.
When we got home we were busy getting ready for hosting 16 people on family vacation to Orlando. Then John got the terrible phone call that the farm had been burglarized. The thieves had been there for days making multiple trips and had even used the farm equipment to torch the safe. So much was stolen and those guys and girls made a huge mess! The “mule” was loaded up for the next load and I guess if some of our friends hadn’t seen some of my clothes strewn in the woods as they drove by, the thieves would have stolen much more. Three months later we are still dealing with issues and will for many months.
Then my son Brandon had an emergency appendectomy, family vacation, etc. etc. so it was July 1, before we returned to the boat in Jacksonville.
When we returned it was nighttime and the boat was so dark….bad sign. I flipped on an outside light to see the keyhole….nothing happened. John went to the power station and saw that the breaker had been tripped. So he reset the breaker and I happily started to put things on the boat not realizing the possibilities until we opened the door. Well knock me down with the stench! Remember we had the toilet replaced while we were gone? Could that be the source of stink? I found a beautiful porcelain throne that worked like a charm. So we discussed how long the power might have been off and I knew better…..but just had to check the freezer…..because doesn’t food stay frozen a couple of days??? Pandora’s Box
I couldn’t deal with it that night so we turned the AC on high and slept dreaming of how to approach this toxic dump! As we were cleaning the freezer full of bloody warm soup covered in green slime, people complained about the smell just walking by our boat! As I write this months later, I still want to gag. I bleached that freezer until my hands were raw but it still smelled. Now I know it was a blessing but then I thought we were just cursed, because the freezer would not get below around 50 degrees. Another concern was that 4 of the 7 boat batteries would not recharge. So we had the boat pulled out for that and other reasons and we ordered a new freezer. It would be delivered to St. Augustine! It was the Fourth of July but we were able to find the nicest mechanic at the boat yard who helped us install the freezer. Yes it was so clean and pretty and I was prouder of it than a new car! I noticed that night it was not freezing….what? Already broken? John pulled it out and the serial number indicated that the factory had sent us a refrigerator! Our units are separate and identical except for their function. So, we ordered the freezer again and they discounted it but I promise that one could buy a car with the cost of both. We left for St Augustine from Jacksonville again to pick up our freezer. But alas, they had shipped it to Jacksonville and were required to send it to St Augustine. Remember that I said, “Be careful wha,t you wish for.” The next day we made our third trip back to St. Augustine to get the real freezer. We did make some more sightseeing stops….Memorial Presbyterian Church built by Henry Flagler was one beautiful place.
So we stayed in Jacksonville for about 10 days repairing, cleaning and avoiding severe afternoon thunderstorms. one clocked gusts of 60 knots and turned over a house boat that was anchored near us.
