Tony,

My next outdoor job will likely be in the Florida Keys, possibly sometime in November or December. I'll try to post some photos then.

Cheers,

Gary

isn't that your busy gig season here........taking time off ?

Gary has been saying for a while now that he wants to sail to the Keys ... he's 'pulling the plug' on the KB and untying the ropes on the sail boat ...

With any kind of luck, the keyboard and gear will be going with me on the boat. And, I just purchased a 400-watt inverter for the boat, which can easily power the keyboard, laptop, etc... I've been planning this trip for more than 4 decades, and I figure if I don't do it now I might not be able to physically make a voyage of this nature a couple years from now.

Donny, winter is busy everywhere - even in the Florida Keys. Winter there is "Snowbird" season, when all those cold yankees head south to where the daytime air temperature and their age is about equal. In reality, I don't have a slow season. I could play 6 to 7 days a week in Maryland, or head south and play as much, or little, as I wish. The big benefit is that I'll be living on the boat, catching dinner when I want to dine on fresh snapper, grouper, lobster, shrimp, yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, or any other form of seafood. When I get tired of seafood, I'll be dining at one of the many incredible restaurants in the keys. Yep, they serve steak and chicken down there too.

The boat is ready to go - just have to load some of the essential gear aboard, fill the water and fuel tanks, and hope for cooperative weather. Keep in mind that it's a sailboat - they're not fast. If I wanted fast, I would have bought an airplane. It should take me about a month or so to get there, which is just fine with me. I intend to make some stops along the way, see my brother in Palm Coast, Florida, then head for Eddie (btweengigs) Shoemaker's neighborhood, which is about a week-long trip farther south. From Stuart, Florida (Eddies home) it's another week of sailing to reach Marathon Key. I figure on spending a couple months there, then traveling west to the Dry Tortugas, where I plan on spending another week enjoying the fantastic snorkeling.

From the Dry Tortugas, I'll sail east to Key West, then back to Marathon, Jupiter, Palm Coast, Jacksonville, then head offshore about 30 to 50 miles and jump into the Gulf Stream and ride it to Charleston, SC. From Charleston to home will take another two or more weeks, which will put me back at the headwaters of Chesapeake Bay sometime around the first week in April.

Now, all of this might sound like a crazy trip for a 72-year-old codger that has experienced a couple heart attacks, but the way I look at this voyage is you only get one shot in this life and I hope to make the best of what I have left. Below is a photo of the boat - my home away from home, on the water.



Cheers,

Gary

Sounds great Gary good voyage.....I assume Carol is going along also on this wonderful voyage?....enjoy!!

There you go Gary, market the idea and you would have at least one sale "The musician flat pack sun shade " make them in your shed between gigs and sailing, a breeze to you, couldn't you just have one of those umbrellas that sit on you head, just an idea from another entrepreneur..

I DID THIS EXACT THING 4 YEARS AGO PLAYING 9 TO 1 IN THE MORNING FOR THE FRAMERS MARKET. IT'S STILL NOT GREAT WITH MY I30, BUT IT HELPED A BIT. I PAINTED MY CARDBOARD BLACK TOO. I MADE THE SAME SCOOP TYPE SHAPE AS GARY AND VELCRO-ED IT AROUND THE SCREEN. I WAS EVEN UNDER ONE OF THOSE TENTS I THOUGHT IT DIDN'T DO THAT GREAT FOR THE SCREEN BUT IT KEPT ME IN THE SHADE.

TBH, having a 'songbook' or one song per Performance approach to playing can help a LOT if playing outdoors. If you can't see the LED's too well, at least knowing that if you call up the Performance, everything you need WILL be there ready to go helps your confidence enormously.