1238 March 14, 2025 Word Of The Day:  Gratitude

I set my alarm for 2:30am and got up to watch the lunar eclipse.  When I saw that the moon was red and that the eclipse was approaching totality, I went inside to wake Tim.  He came out, saw it, and said it was cool and he stumbled back to bed.  I stayed out watching and taking pictures.  My new camera has a terrific zoom but is not good for night photos. I used Tim’s iPhone and got a decent shot.

I had a very hard time going back to sleep and I ended up reading for a while at 3:30 in the morning.  It was still worth it and I would do it again!

I walked in the campground so that I could simultaneously do laundry…fun times!  Really…it gets done quickly when you have other things to do as well!

Can you see the crocodile warning right in front of the swimming area…YIKES!!!  I just saw this for the first time today!

Lots of bigger fish by the seawall this morning.

We packed lunch and drove the Jeep to Bahia Honda State Park.  On the way, we passed Fred the tree. This tree started to grow on this old abandoned bridge about thirty years ago. It was thought to have been “planted” by a bird. At Christmastime, locals decorate Fred. The tree is a symbol of resilience. This tree has weathered all the best sunshine and warm temperatures as well as lots of hurricanes and terrific winds. The smaller tree is called Fred Jr. by some people while others have dubbed it Wilma.

At Bahia Honda, we walked the old bridge.

We biked through the whole park. 

We saw a huge manatee in the marina.

I was just saying this yesterday.  We were watching the fishermen here, at Jolly Roger, cleaning their fish and tossing the remains to the squadron of brown pelicans.  We watched as the birds caught the fish in their pouches and then we could see the great lump in their throats as the fish carcasses were swallowed.  All the squishy guts and sharp bones.  I was worried that the pelicans would be injured.  I was right to be concerned.  It is also illegal…There is a wonderful bird sanctuary in Key Largo. They care for about 1,000 injured birds a year. The vets there are on call 24/7. It is a very cool place to visit.

We found a shady spot and had our lunch.

We stopped at the Marathon Farmers Market on the way back to the RV.  We found some pretty strawberries and a nice ripe papaya.

We got back around 3pm and we both fell asleep.

The other day, when I got my hair cut, I asked the hairdresser where she likes to go for dinner.  She recommended Hideaway Café.  We had a 5pm reservation.  We sat on the deck with a terrific view of the ocean.  We had great pinot noir and delicious food.  Tim chose seafood crepes and I had filet and shrimp with a cognac and garlic glaze.  The ambience, the food, and the service were amazing!

Another day in the Keys.  I always say to Tim “Thanks for bringing me here.”  He often says “Thanks for living this life with me.”  We have so much to be grateful for and we try vey hard to remember each and every day how very lucky we are.