1227 March 3, 2025 Quiet Monday

Happy 38th Birthday, David!! We love you and you make us very proud.

I woke up to the news that we had ants…tiny itty-bitty ants running along the grout in the tile under the table.  Tim had cleaned them up but they were still coming.  Before he left for the gym, he put out ant powder by our wheels and power cord and hose and tires…anywhere that the ants might be climbing to access the inside of our RV.   While he was gone, I cleaned the floor with white vinegar and put out ant traps.  By later in the day, we were not seeing any more ant traffic…hopefully…crisis averted!

I went for my usual walk through the neighborhood.  I was about to turn around at my usual place when I saw a sign for a waterfront boardwalk.  There was public access through the resort.  I followed the signs to a channel.

It was nice to stumble upon something new today!

I got back and tried to plug my charger into my IPAD.  I could not make it work.  I found a place called Keys Technology just a couple pf miles away.  I called and they said they could help.  I drove the short distance ad the woman took my IPAD back.  I had taken my charger with me and she showed me how a piece of it had broken off and she suspected it was lodged in the port.  I waited just a few minutes and for $29.00 I was out the door with my IPAD fixed.  I was thankful because that is how I read my library books…I would have been very sad to lose it!

Tim wanted to go for a long bike ride.  My legs were tired.  I stayed back and read and did some writing.  Tim did the 13-mile loop around Key West.

This evening, I grilled chicken and put it on top of greens with kalamata olives and tomatoes and cucumbers and feta.  We put our dinner in the cooler and drove to the state park.  We had our picnic.  There were at least 14 party boats out in the water for their various versions of the sunset cruise.   We watched the sun go down.   Every night, a different show.  From the nearby naval station we could hear a bugle playing Taps…chills! 

1226 March 2, 2025 Sunday Musings

I took a morning walk along the side street.  I walked about a mile, chatting with my mom and then my sister, before turning back.  I knew we were riding bikes today and I wanted to save my legs.

We pedaled from Stock Island and made a left toward the beaches.  As we rounded the first big bend, the water came into view, variegated blues and greens.  The sight of the ocean never fails to take my breath away.  As we went along the water, my thoughts turned inward.  Today was a great day to be here and to be breathing in this salty air and to be feeling alive.  I thought that I always want to retain my sense of awe and wonder.  I was reminded to be grateful always for the time that I am granted and the life that I have.  Key West is all about excess; excess food and booze and money.  This party vibe is contagious and it would be really simple to lose track of values and gratitude.

Our destination was Higgs Beach.  We knew that there was an Artisan Market there.  We found some fresh tomatoes and mango.

We stopped at an Indian food vendor and sampled the butter chicken.  We got that and some pakoras for our dinner tonight.

There was live music.

We found a bakery with some whole grain sourdough and we grabbed the last loaf.

We wandered among the various craft and art stalls…such lovely things…but again, we don’t need things.

This guy was creating art with such wonderful and positive messages.  I was going to take a picture of one of his paintings…he asked me not to.  He said that people will take a picture of his work and then create a photo and then sell them online…oh so very wrong!  I apologized at once.  I told him that I loved the positive messages that he was conveying in his work.  He called me back and said “Please come and take a picture!”  I replied “Only if I might take your picture as well.”  With a huge smile, he flipped over the art that he was working on to show to my camera…yes…life is a beautiful adventure!

We stuffed our bike bags with all of our purchases and rode out onto the pier.

We continued along the water, back the way we had come.

We stopped to watch this woman on a standup paddleboard with her dog.  I zoomed in to snap a picture and I swear that I could see that dog smiling.

As we made our way back to Stock Island, we saw a fenced in grassy area where at least 5 iguanas were sunning themselves.

Rest time this afternoon.

We enjoyed our Indian dinner and then we drove the Jeep to Key West. We found parking and walked to Mallory Square. This street performer was just beginning his act. He was smart and very funny and quite entertaining. I was taking his picture and he caught me…”Hey lady, are you taking my picture?” and then “Let me pose for you.”

When the show was over we stood with the throng along the seawall and we watched the sun go down. This shared sunset experience made me feel warm and connected in a way that I haven’t in some time.

We walked toward Captain Tony’s Saloon and we could hear good music and so we entered the dark and gritty bar and we each had a drink and we listened to a really accomplished musician. He could really play the guitar, he had a great voice and he played lots of old stuff.

The bar stools had names engraved in the top.

There were also stools for John Candy, Tom Walker, John Prine and others. We aren’t clear if those famous people actually sat here or if they were being remembered.

Andrea ran today in the Atlanta Publix Marathon. She placed 2nd for female in her age group. She is amazing!

I didn’t run a marathon but I did walk 11,733 steps and we did about 9 miles on our bikes…a good and active day!

1225 March 1, 2025 Beach And Baseball

I walked past the bike shop that fixed another flat tire yesterday…on my bike…so handy to have it right next door!

Then, I walked around to the left along that seawall. 

People were wheeling their suitcases down the sidewalk to Key West International Airport.  A jet was coming in to land.

We packed lunch and drove to Fort Zachary Taylor.  We sat by the water watching all of the boat traffic and the people and the birds and the lizard.  I brought a book and did some reading. We had our lunch.

A pilot boat went out and returned with a large barge that was being pushed by a tug.  They moved toward the harbor of Key West or perhaps one of the military bases on the island.

It was a very pleasant day to be out on the beach.  We enjoyed some shade and then some sun.

We returned to the RV late this afternoon. 

We walked across the street to One Love for another Jamaican feast.  Tim had jerk chicken with rice and beans and plantains.  I had jerk shrimp with sweet potato fires and sauteed cabbage.  The food was spicy and yummy!

Earlier in the day, we had seen a sign that the high school baseball team, the Conchs, were playing this evening at 7:30.  We dressed in jeans and long sleeves and went out to enjoy the game. The baseball facility was the most gorgeous high school field I have ever seen. There was an amazing concession and the sound system and the music and the announcer and the lights and the electronic scoreboard and the stands and the artificial turf and the way it was all put together…this community clearly loves their baseball team! The Conchs played the Sharks from a private college prep school in Fort Lauderdale. They had a long way to come! I guess the Conchs have to travel a long way to find any opponents as well!

Portraits of the team and the seniors.

A sobering memorial.

We left after the fourth inning. The players were skilled and there was no sloppiness. The kids hustled and demonstrated really positive sportsmanship. We could tell that both teams were well coached and disciplined. The score was Sharks 1 – Conchs 0. We found out this morning that the Key West team lost 4-2.

We love to watch baseball. We love the smell of the hot dogs, the slap of the ball in the glove, and the ping of the ball meeting the bat. When we see a local game, we will often stop to watch. As we do, we are reminded with a pang of lots of years spent watching David play travel ball. He was a wonderful catcher and it was always so fun to go and see him play. We have seen games from Fairbanks, Alaska to Key West, Florida. Love of baseball is something that Tim and David share and now Oliver and Austin are learning the game…the circle of life!

1224 February 28, 2025 National Key Deer Refuge

It was a nice morning for a good long walk.

We waited for the last load of laundry to finish and then we packed our lunch and drove the Jeep about 25 miles to Big Pine Key.  We left our Jeep in the Winn Dixie parking lot and took our bikes for a ride on Key Deer Blvd.  The Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 for the protection of the endangered Key deer.  These are the smallest variety of white-tailed deer and they are found only in the Florida Keys.  We have visited here several times.  It is a nice change from the hustle and circus that is Key West.  It was nice to have a quiet day surrounded by nature. We had a headwind as we went.  We pedaled a little more than 4 miles to the end of the pavement.

On the way back, we stopped at Blue Hole.  This was a quarry.  Limestone was harvested here to build the area roads.  When the roads were completed, there was a gaping hole.  Vegetation was replanted and nature was allowed to reclaim the property.  Today, there was an alligator in the water.

We got back on our bikes and rode to Watson Field.  We sat in the dugout and had our picnic.

After lunch, Tim decided to run the bases…rounding second…

And safe at home!

We saw a Key deer run across the road in front of a barreling garbage truck. The deer was safe and I know the truck driver got a close look at that deer!

We got back to the RV and rested a short while before dinner.

This evening, we drove into Key West and parked along the seawall at Smathers Beach. We rode our bikes to an access point and went out into the sand and along a rock jetty. The water was so calm. We watched the sunset.

We cycled to the end of the beach and then back to the Jeep.

We waited for the sky to darken. We wanted to see the planetary alignment. The sky was clear but for a few clouds at the horizon. We had a large open expanse of heaven to look at. We faced the southwest. We were able to see Mars and Jupiter and Venus. There was too much ambient light to see Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn but I am fairly certain that they were up there somewhere!