Where is Snookie?

The end of my month-long journey on The Indian River Lagoon

snookiemdc — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:19:21 +0000

Yesterday, May 30th, marked the end of an awesome journey. A journey that, because of all of you, I will never forget. And an organization The Marine Discovery Center, that was for me, an honor to represent. At 10AM, local members of The Mosquito Lagoon Paddlers Club met me at Menard-May Park to join me in the last 3 miles of the paddle. The wind was at our backs the whole way, and indeed we were asked by Diane Yeaton (in her and Paul’s support boat) to please SLOW down! I was so excited, I could hardly stand it! (Secretly, I’ve always wanted my own parade!!) When we reached the Yacht Club, there was Bobbi Thomas (one of my PEO sisters, waiting on the dock to hand me an Ice Cold COKE! (As if taking me out to lunch at Dixie Crossroads on a Titusville stop-over with her and Joan Barrett were not enough!) On the final leg into the MDC, here comes the Water Taxi, filled with friends, whistles blowing, and ready to escort me to the finish! When I landed my little SS Minnow for the last time, on the beach at the MDC, I was overwhelmed by so many who had come to welcome me home. A champagne toast from our dear director Dr Cooling, and then an endless number of hugs & kisses, plus the news of raising over $4,000 on my journey humbled me and literally filled my heart with pure joy. Without the help and loving kindness from my River Angels along the way, this trip would have been a lot more difficult. To Kathy and Gregory Fredricks in Ft Pierce,Will & Nancy Brown in Hobe Sound, a great gal Marylin Mazzoil and her dear husband Byron on Orchid Island, and David & Beverly Conley in Melbourne for taking a “stray” into your homes, and Hiedi Cambata for treating me to 3 nights of rest at Capt Hiram’s in Sebastion, and Kim Long for a night at the Dixie Motel in Cocoa, I thank you, my back thanks you, and most of allmy Father thanks you. (Dad called me every single night of my trip!) To my neighbor, Alice, who helped me out in the very beginning (by lving her home at 0330 and driving the 160 miles to Jupiter to hand me an Egg McMuffin that first morming, AND the 2 bottles of my favorite Bourbon Maker’s Mark!) To Diane Yeaton and Brenda Litt for their constant support, concern for my safety, and encouragement. To Chad Truxell,our Educator at the MDC, (and now my ”little brother”) who became my “lifeline” to you all through this blog. To each and every one of you River Angels, who opened up your hearts to a complete stranger and blessed me with your kindness….I thank you and I’ll never, ever forget you. My Paddle up the Indian River filled my days and my nights with one magic moment after another; and I will forever cherish the opportunies I was given to experience her wildlife up close, her many contrary moods (whether they were breath-taking sunsets or deadly winds on the water!), and I shall always remember this: that, in spite of what we see on that Evening News every night, our world really is FILLED to over-flowing with good,and decent, and loving human beings. All we have to do is to get out there and open our eyes and our hearts and reach out to each other. It was only 8 months ago that I had surgery for a broken back. Today, I am tickled PINK that I was able to paddle the SS Minnow on this unforgetable Journey. To ALL of you , who were there when I needed you, BLESS YOUR HEARTS!

Details about Snookie’s return home on Sunday, May 30th

snookiemdc — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:30:48 +0000

Join Snookie’s Welcome Home Flotilla!

For the last few weeks, we have all been asking “Where in the World is Snookie?” and
while the answer may have changed often we know for sure where she will be on May
30th- SHE IS COMING HOME!!! “Thank You” to all of you who have contributed to her
Paddle for Discovery and the donations are still coming in.

Snookie plans to be paddling to the Marine Discovery Center dock during the late
morning of Sunday May 30th .and we would like to make her arrival a special
occasion.

We invite those of you who have kayaks to join her in the final few miles. There
are suggested locations: :

1.. She will be leaving Menard-May Park, Riverside Drive, Edgewater at 10 a.m.
There is space there to launch kayaks. This is approximately a 1 hour and 15
minute paddle to the MDC. Please be there at least 15 minutes beforehand.
2.. If the above is more strenuous than you care to do, then come to the Marine
Discovery Center at 162 North Causeway and paddle out to meet up with her as she
reaches the final stretch. I would suggest you be here by 10:30 am.
3.. As she comes in sight of MDC the Water Taxi will go out to lead and her
“flotilla” home. There will probably be a few empty seats available on the
taxi.
4.. If you prefer to stay land based, please feel free to join us at the MDC dock
to cheer her in as she nears the end of her adventure.
Please join us it should be fun.

Brenda Litt

Marine Discovery Center

386-428-4828

Weds May 26th. 2010

snookiemdc — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:31:33 +0000

Resting up in Titusville after a grueling day yesterday. That was no picnic in the park as I battled North winds and strong currents all day. Every stroke of the paddle was a fight with Mother River and nothing like some of the idyllic days I enjoyed at the beginning. As always I came across some more River Angels this time in the form of two prisoners in their jail striped jump suits no less! They were working on clean up at John F Kennedy Park but ran over immediately when they saw me struggling to pull the kayak in, lifted all of my gear safely onto the shore- and wouldn’t leave me until they knew I was good to go. I never got their names but another entry in my random act of kindness memory file.

Looking forward to lunch with Diane and Paul today -two of my “Land Angel” friends. My pesky eye infection is playing up again so I plan to rest up a while here and try and get the problem resolved. This has been fun but I now can’t wait to get back into home waters and l am thrilled to hear that some of you will be joining me on the final paddle home on Sunday.

Snookie

Celebrate the return of Snookie on May 30th – 11AM at MDC

snookiemdc — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:34:47 +0000

Good evening,

I am lucky that I get to converse with Snookie on an almost nightly basis during her journey along the Indian River Lagoon. When I called Snookie 2 days ago, I was expecting to leave her a message as it was the middle of the day and surely she was paddling. I was eager to call her and share some good news. Well, to my delight she answered and was paddling the Minnow while we chatted away on the phone about her latest adventures. Granted she was probably losing more ground(water) than gaining but that didn’t matter to Snookie.

To date, Snookie has raised over $4,000 towards the Keep Our Kids Afloat Campaign! This money will go directly towards making the much needed repairs for our floating classroom Discovery.

I wanted to let everyone know that Snookie is planning on returning to the Marine Discovery Center on Sunday, May 30th at 11AM after paddling more than 156 miles of North America’s most diverse estuary. She will be escorted to our shores by a flotilla of kayaks paddled by supportive “Snookie Fans” and “River Angels”. As Snookie and the flotilla pass by Manatee Park, she will hear the cheers of the crowd attending the 2010 Fish Stock and shortly after arrive on our shores at the Marine Discovery Center.

You are all invited to participate in welcoming Snookie back home. We miss you Snookie and look forward to your return. Bless your heart.

Chad

Sunday, May 23rd

snookiemdc — Tue, 25 May 2010 04:38:49 +0000

My newest little River Angels today were Natalie and her King Charles puppy, Sophie. Thanks for the ice honey!

Soon after I landed Minnow yesterday near the boat ramp in Cocoa Village, Kim Long and Ken Cartisano both from Edgewater joined me. These River Angels extraordinaire brought me a bag of goodies full of food and supplies and then bought me dinner at the local Thai Thai restaurant. Afterward we had a ball exploring the fabulous shops and calories here in Cocoa Village. If anyone out there prefers Al Fresco dining to eating indoors, this place is for you, it’s fabulous!

That evening, Ken and Kim treating me to a much needed and greatly appreciated room at the adorable Dixie Motel. Twenty-two days exposed to this intense heat and bright sunshine have left me with an infection in my left eye. So today, Sunday, I’ve chosen to remain here at the motel and rest and treat this eye. It’s given me a chance to catch up on the news. I’ve been following CNN’s coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf. The situation is breaking my heart. After traveling more than 3 weeks now by kayak on this precious waterway, I see one moment of magic after another. When you’re literally sittinmg on the surface of the water as you do in a kayak, you can see the face of a dolphin smiling back at you and trusting you. You can watch the small head of a Cormorant break the surface, run across the river and take flight and trust you not to make chase. I’ve watched so many shorebirds along the way. Egrets. Ibis and Herons fishing and patietly waiting for a meal and not flying away when I paddle by because they trust me. Pelicans resting on the top of pilings in the water and trusting me not to reach up and grab them. And of course our manatees, who surface to take a breath of air trusting that we won’t run them over and cause a deep gash in their back. Tomorrow when I return to the waterway. I shall prayer that these wondrous creatures will continue to trust us and some how, some way they’ll learn to forgive us for this horrible man made disaster in the Gulf.

Prayer for winds out of the south for me for the next few days.

Signing off…..Snookie

Kim Long and Ken Cartisano - today's River Angels Extraoridinaire at Cocoa Village

Friday, May 21st

snookiemdc — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:17:51 +0000

Camping at Ballard Park. Major River Angel -Alice- brought me a Big Mac for dinner!

Minnow and me taking a break near the Melbourne Cswy Bridge

Thursday night had me camping in Ballard Park at the Eu Galli Harbor in Melbourne. It was nearly midnight when I finally gave 2 panhandlers $10 and they walked away. At 6:30AM the next morning, dear Alice, my River Angel from home, showed up with an Egg Mcmuffin and a small bottle of my favorite bourben-Maker’s Mark. And then she helped me clean up and retrieve what could be saved from my lunchbox that had been broken into the night before by……the Boys In the Hood – an Egret, an Ibis and a Great Blur Heron – working as a gang.

I paddled away from Ballard Park at 0930 and straight across to Merritt Island for 2 hours. I paddled north past one beautiful home after another. Beautiful docks with luxury boats tied up. One in particular reminded me of that new show on A &E called The Hoarders. The boat’s name was Never Enough.

The 88 degree heat was really taken a toll on me since I’d gone 2 nights without enough sleep and laid in my tent with my loaded flare gun across my stomach. With no place to camp in sight, I decided at 5PM to cross back over the river and paddle again up the west shore. Shortly after paddling along the Pineda Bridge and heading into the shoreline, I saw a man working aboard his sailboat. It was moored just past the new waterfront restaurant called Grille. I asked him if he had any idea where I could camp for the night and after I told him the purpose of my journey he immediately offered me a shower, a bed and dinner at his home in Melbourne.

First David had to call his wife Beverly for the AOK. And Beverly, just like Kathy Frederick when her husband called and said ” Honey can I bring home a stray?” she was AOK with the idea. David rode his little dingy back to shore where we met again at the boat ramp. What a sight to see Minnow wedged on top of that dingy in his little pick up truck.

After meeting dear Beverly, I took a shower, gave some loving to their Siamese cat and sat down with the Conaly’s to a beautiful home cooked meal. Although I could have visited with this fascinating couple for hours, by 9PM I was in a comfy bed with fresh sheets and a wonderful ceiling fan to cool my sweet dreams.

Again……River Angels have made my day!

Amazing Melbourne River Angels - David and Beverly Conaly. A bed, a great dinner and AC!!!

Minnow on top of skiff in David's truck

Monday morning, May 17th from Captain Hiram’s Resort in Sebastian

snookiemdc — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:26:09 +0000

Snookie and Kim

Kim, Winnie, Holly, and Karen pay me a visit at Captain Hirams

I’m leaving this morning after 3 nights, 2.5 days here at Capt. Hirams. Rejuvenated and rested thanks to the kindness of River Angel extraordinaire, Heidi Cambata. The staff here at Capt. Hirams couldn’t have been more helpful and kind. Kim Long, Winnie, Holly and Karen B. came down for a great visit and to help me resupply the S.S Minnow.

Snookie, Kim, and River Angels Kathy and Greg Frederick

If you ever treat yourself to a visit to Capt. Hirams, check out a cruise on the River Queen or one of Kristen’s guided paddles at kayaks etc.

Heidi Cambata….I love you!

That’s all for now.

Bye Bye
Snookie

Local Kayakers from Sebastian lead by Kristen from Kayaks etc. paddled a half mile with me this AM

Kristen's little dog Hunchen, loves the kayak!!!

A message from Brenda Litt – MDC Office Manager

snookiemdc — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:22:07 +0000

I spoke to Snookie on Friday(15th) evening. She had just arrived at Captain Hiram’s at Marker 66 in Sebastian, FL. Thanks to the generosity of two of her staunch supporters in New Smryna Beach it was pre-arranged for her to enjoy a long weekend of R & R at this lovely resort. She said she had enjoyed a delightful day with the wind at her back and the sun on her face. We agreed that this is surely a pretty time of year in FL. She is happy with her progress and assured me that she will be on time to paddle the final leg of her journey on May 30th.

Meanwhile it gave me great pleasure to tell her that as of Friday she had raised $3400 for Discovery boat repairs which is an amazing amount for one person – but then we all know that Snookie is an amazing person don’t we?

We are accepting donations so thank you to those of you who have already donated and thank you in advance to those of you who plan to do so. Visit www.marinediscoverycenter.org for more info.

Closer to the date I will share with you all the plans for her local friends to join the flotilla which will escort her to the Marine Discovery Center on the morning of Sunday, May 30th. So circle your calendar now and watch the blog.

Brenda

MDC Office Manager

May 11th 12th and 13th

snookiemdc — Sat, 15 May 2010 03:11:58 +0000

Marilyn Elizabeth

These past 3 days have been amazing! Paddled 7 miles on Tuesday with the wind again from the NNE but paddling on the leeward side of the island makes it much easier. Stopped off at the Jones Pier and met a colorful character, Richard Jones born 91 years ago in the cracker style old FL home behind his famous fruit stand. Have stayed on Orchid Island off Jungle Trail Rd. for the past 3 nights in a darling cottage on the river. Marilyn Mazzoil, dolphin expert at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has invited me to stay as a guest of her and her husband Byron. Their hospitality and kindness, great meals and friendship will never be forgotten.

Yesterday, May 13th Marilyn let me join her and fellow dolphin researcher, Elizabeth Titcomb, on their monthly dolphin survey of the Banana River. These 2 women are absolutely incredible! While Marilyn drives the boat, Elizabeth holds the camera with a lense at least 2 feet long and balances herself on the bow of the boat. Each time a dolphin surfaces, she clicks away and takes pictures with the camera as Marilyn maneuvers the boat to get the perfect angle with light, ect. Then the data is entered into an onboard computer to be cataloged and later studied. You’ll never see 2 human beings more dedicated to the protection and study of dolphins. What an honor it was to witness their work.

Tomorrow, Friday May 14th, time to say goodbye to Orchid Island and continue north. Next stop, Captain Hiram’s at Sebastian. Looking forward tonight to seeing the last and final launch of the Shuttle – Atlantis. Signing off for now.

Bye Bye

Snookie

Snookie with Elizabeth and the HBOI Dolphin Research vessel

Thoughts on the River

snookiemdc — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:47:51 +0000

Some days out here on the river I get lost in my thoughts as I paddle along. Today I was remembering my 32-year career with Delta Airlines. How my work day had me traveling at an average speed of 500 mph and now here I am, in a kayak, on the Indian River and thankful when I can make 2 to 3 miles an hour. Such is life.

Snookie