We enjoyed our month-long stay in Cocoa and the time really flew by.  We got our important repairs completed as well as a few other projects and chores.  We never got the chance to tour the Kennedy Space Center this visit - by the time we got everything wrapped up and could take a day off to play Tropical Storm Debby was dumping torrential rain on us. 

We had fun spending lots of time with our friends Sunny and Jim, visiting Jim's Dad for Father's Day weekend, seeing Helen and Bob, and I had a ball hanging out at the Knit & Stitch shop a short walk from the marina. 

I've been an on-again, off-again knitter, but that shop was so incredibly friendly and fun that I ended up taking two classes and spending several afternoons a week at their big table knitting with the gals and the occasional guy.  It was just wonderful - I grew my skills and confidence and finished a few projects.  Now my needles are clicking away every evening, though I really miss the all lovely knitters at the shop very much.

Cocoa Village is a great town with interesting shops and little cafes and restaurants, a farmer's market on Wednesday mornings, and a big old-timey hardware store all within a short walk of the marina. 

The muddy Indian River is a big change of pace from the crystal clear water in the Bahamas, but there is plenty of nature and beauty in its own way.  Our daily sightings included manatee, dolphins, anhinga, cormorants, pelicans, ibis, herons, catfish, and even a diamond backed terrapin (turtle). 
The day we left Cocoa there was a Delta rocket scheduled to launch at the Space Center.  The launch was delayed for a few hours, but we ended up getting a front row seat as we passed directly abeam of the rocket just as it took off!  It's still an amazing feat no matter how many times humans have sent things into space.  The rocket goes out of sight quickly and all that's left is a little trail in the sky.

It feels good to be underway again - cruising!  We have some favorite radio shows we like to listen to underway like "Science Friday" and "Car Talk" and "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me".  The temperatures have been hot, but we make our own breeze and we have lots of shade so it's comfortable, until we anchor and the late afternoon heat catches up.  But then the sun gets low and the breeze picks up and the evenings are cool and nice.

Do you realize that if you're driving down I-95 in Florida the distance you can cover in 1 hour is about equal to the distance we cover on the boat in one day?  That is no exaggeration!