860 November 26, 2022 Last Day In The Keys

Today, just like every other day, we got our morning exercise done. 

We are moving on tomorrow and so much of today was spent organizing, cleaning, doing laundry, emptying tanks, filling with fresh water, and packing.  When we spend a month in one place, we can get pretty comfortable and it takes us a little longer to get everything put away.

We did ride bikes around the campground this afternoon.

This evening, we picked up some sushi and took it to Veteran’s Beach.  One last picnic while watching the sun go down.

We have had a wonderful time here.  Warm weather, palm trees, lots of sunshine, beach time, pool time, seafood, Key West, exercise classes, bike rides, a visit with friends…this has been a month of paradise. 

It would be hard to leave but we are on our way to Atlanta and you know that the boys are there!

859 November 25, 2022 Pleasant Day

I got a good walk in and then headed to the Total Body Stretch Class.  I have really enjoyed these classes and need to find a way to continue this momentum as we begin to head north on Sunday.

Later, we biked to Long Key State Park.  Unfortunately, there has been no progress toward opening more of the park.

We stopped at the post office to get stamps.  The postmaster there had sea grape leaves in a basket on the counter.  Did you know that you can mail almost anything in the US Mail with proper postage?  She had me write a note to the boys and address it on the other side.  She put a 99-cent stamp on it and hand canceled it.  We shall see if it arrives in Atlanta!

We got showers and drove to Islamorada for a late lunch at Lazy Days.  I had a really good blackened mahi sandwich.  Tim had hogfish prepared with horseradish and capers…yum!

We stopped for a few groceries. 

The sunset was gorgeous this evening.  There was a nice breeze and the water was so still.

858 November 24, 2022 Happy Thanksgiving!

We got our morning routines complete and got to talk with Kyle and Allison and Mom and we were able to have FaceTime with David and the boys.  Even though we were not with everyone for the holiday, we certainly felt connected and loved!

We enjoyed some pumpkin overnight oats for breakfast.

We had a simple Thanksgiving meal this evening.  We grilled chicken and grilled a cranberry chocolate ciabatta roll.   We steamed green beans with spicy pecans and had cranberry relish.  It was tasty and it was enough.

Today is a day for remembering our blessings.  We are grateful every day for our wonderful family and friends and we are thankful for the opportunity to be living our dream. 

857 November 23, 2022 Another Beach Day

Morning exercises complete, we packed the cooler with dinner and took the Jeep to Bahia Honda.

We began by riding our bikes through the park.

We walked the bridge trail and saw a shark or two.

By the time we changed and got to the beach, we were hot and sweaty and ready to be in the water.

We passed the rest of the afternoon in the water and then sitting on the beach. 

We saw a large sea turtle swimming about 50 feet away.

Because Bahia Honda closes at dusk, we left and drove to Veteran’s Beach.  We ate lettuce wraps and papaya and enjoyed the end of the day.

856 November 22, 2022 Sunshine!

When I opened my eyes this morning, the sun was out!  It wasn’t windy at all.  It was a beautiful beginning to the day!

I walked loops in the campground and the time passed quickly as I talked to Mom, Dana, and Vicki. 

It felt so nice to be outside that I hopped on my bike and did more loops.

This afternoon, we went to Duck Key to the Open Market.  We picked up some empanadas and papaya.

We drove to Old Seven Mile Bridge and biked two miles to the end and then back and then along the shore.  I will never get tired of this ride!

We saw a 4-foot shark and a very large sea turtle.

We went to Sunset Grill for a late lunch.  We had Aloha Tuna Poke bowls with raw and tender tuna, papaya, mango, avocado, and sticky rice.  The food was delicious.

We rested a short while and then it was time to watch the sunset.  What a joy to have such gorgeous weather!  We are so very grateful!

855 November 21, 2022 Rainy Days And Mondays

It rained on and off all night and then again, all day today.  I took clothes to the laundry room with the intention of walking while the washer ran but the rain came down in torrents. 

I was able to get stuff into dryers and headed to the Resistance Band Class.  It was pouring and I got wet!  No one else showed up so it was just the activities director and myself.  In the end, I was glad I went. 

I went back to get clothes and got wet yet again.  I borrowed a trash bag and hauled the dry things to the Jeep and back home.

Tim went out to walk and it began to rain when he was on his way back.  He declined a rescue.  I never got a walk in but I did take a long nap.

We had hoped to go see live music at Florida Keys Brewing Company this evening but it was canceled because of weather.

We decided to take dinner to Annie’s Beach.  We knew we could eat in a pavilion.  It was nice to get out for a while.

The weather is supposed to improve tomorrow.  It is forecasted to be cloudy but without wind warnings and rain…we shall see what the new day brings!

854 November 19-20, 2022 Quiet Weekend

There were sustained winds of about 15-18mph with lots of clouds and intermittent rain all weekend.  I walked out to the bridge in the morning. 

I saw this little boy catch two fish, one on each of his two hooks.  He and his dad were so excited.  It was fun to watch.

All afternoon, we walked and biked loops in the campground between raindrops. 

On Saturday, it was not nice enough to go anywhere.  It was a good day to start online Christmas shopping.  We talked about taking dinner out to the beach but it was just too windy! 

On Sunday, we got our exercise done and cleaned and watched football and did a few errands.  We made reservations for Castaways and enjoyed another good seafood dinner. 

853 November 18, 2022 Beach Time

Happy happy birthday to our brilliant and beautiful Dre!

I got a late start this morning and had to cut my walk short in order to get to the Dumbbell Workout.  I am enjoying these exercise classes.  It is fun to try new things!  The workout was not hard but this evening as I write the blog, I know that I have used my muscles in new ways!

This afternoon, we packed the Jeep with dinner and our beach things and drove to Bahia Honda.

It was windy and cooler today but it still felt great to be in the water.

We took a nice walk along the shore.

We drove to Veteran’s Beach and cooked our chicken feta burgers and ate again by the sea. 

852 November 17, 2022 Florida City

Our morning routine complete, we got in the Jeep and drove out of the Keys all the way to Florida City.  Yesterday, while in the pool, my Apple Watch started making a shrill beeping noise.  It was trying to make an SOS Emergency Medical Call.  I got out of the pool and was finally able to stop it but things deteriorated further from there.  By late afternoon, the watch had the black screen of death and every fix that I could find yielded NO results.  I have been faithfully using the watch to track my exercise and I was bummed!  The closest place to go and replace the watch was back in Florida City at the Best Buy.  And so, we found ourselves making the drive. 

The watch was successfully replaced.

We decided to get BBQ carryout and take it to Biscayne National Park.

We enjoyed a nice walk after lunch.

We shopped at Walmart, getting things that are harder to find down in the Keys.  The store felt loud and crowded and chaotic after so many weeks in the lower, slower part of Florida.  The lines were crazy long but we made it!

It was a foregone conclusion that we would go to Robert’s for papaya and mangoes and avocadoes.  Tim got a mango milkshake for us to share.

It was dinner hour by the time we were on our way back.  We stopped at Square Grouper and got some stone crab claws, which I liked and Tim did not! 

The rest of the evening was dedicated to getting the watch working so that I can get credit for my hard work tomorrow!

851 November 16, 2022 Dinner By The Sea

I walked about two miles and decided to stop and have breakfast.  This iguana was on the pier as I was walking.  It dove into the water as it felt threatened by my presence.

I was feeling good and strong and so I went back out and did the bridge which added another 3 miles.

 There was not a breath of a breeze and I was hot when I finished.  I put on my swimsuit and hopped into the pool.  I sat out for a while, enjoying the shade of a palm tree.

This afternoon, we packed our cookstove and all the fixings for omelets and headed to Veteran’s Beach.

We waded out into the water. 

I saw these jellyfish that invert themselves and lay on the sandy bottom.

I also saw these pink jellyfish. 

This fish was using the jellyfish as protection from predators.

Little lizard.

Such utter joy!

Just watching.

I cooked our eggs with spinach and cheese and ham and we had our dinner by the sea.

After eating, Tim noticed rats running around in the roots of the trees.  We moved back to the beach and had some wine while the sun went down.