Another 2 mile walk in the campground this morning.
We are starting to make some plans for next winter here in Florida. We are also planning our trip north. We spent some time making phone calls and reservations.
This afternoon, we went to Crane point Hammock. Tim decided that he wanted to ride his bike the 9 miles to the park. It was very windy but the winds were coming from the east and so he had the wind at his back. I drove the Jeep and met him there.
We walked the gravel path.
A desert tortoise.
Cactus blooming.
We stopped to rest at Crane House and I saw this beautiful golden orb spider.
Tim taking a rest.
We sat for a while with our feet in a tidal pool, getting our fish pedicure.
We spotted a large iguana in the mangroves.
We walked to the Wild Bird Sanctuary. It is brand new and gorgeous. The gardens surrounding the enclosures are beautiful. There were pelicans and wading birds and raptors and songbirds and a bald eagle. All the birds were injured and are here at the sanctuary to either recover for release or in many cases to live out their remaining years. The fencing was so dense that good pictures were impossible.
We treated ourselves to fruity popsicles at the Visitor Center and then browsed in the museum.
This evening, we took our dinner to the pavilion by the water in the campground. Then later, we wandered down to watch the sunset. The clouds were very dense and so there was no great setting of the sun however, the clouds were lavender and peachy and very pretty.
I got a few pictures from Allison today and I wanted to post them since this is where I save all of my memories!
And my favorite pictures of me and Wade from our week together!
And I have this song stuck in my head…maybe if I type it…I can let it go! I know that I sang this song to Wade more than one hundred times last week.
One little blue fish swimming in the water One little blue fish swimming in the water One little blue fish swimming in the water Bubble bubble bubble bubble POP!
I walked about a mile in the campground this morning. I spent a lot of the day cleaning and reorganizing and washing beach towels and beach blankets and bath towels and sheets and stuff.
I was finished with my chores by lunchtime. We ate and then drove the Jeep to the Old Seven Mile Bridge. We walked a couple of miles. It was very windy and the water was more green than blue today. The water was churning and rough. Bike riding would have been hard but it was a pleasant day to walk.
We had some rest time in the afternoon and then packed our dinner and took it to Long Key State Park. It was even more windy this evening.
We are missing our family…it is very quiet here! I did get a nice phone call from David. We will get to see him in a couple more weeks!
On Wednesday, March 19th, we drove to Miami International Airport to get Kyle and his family. There had been a terrible wildfire that had blocked the road in and out of the Keys. Fortunately, the road was open as we traveled north. The traffic was heavy and very slow. There were huge plumes of black smoke and large areas of burnt grass and trees.
Meanwhile, at BWI, everything was on schedule and there was even time for breakfast!
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We arrived on time and met Kyle and Allison and Wade at Door #20. We were all so happy to be together. We were laughing and chatting. We had a little more than 2-hour ride to the campground. We had directions in GPS. Suddenly, there were no instructions. Tim was at an intersection and he had no idea which way to go…there were no available directions because of current road conditions. The road to the Keys was closed again and we could not get back. Tim had the idea to go to Biscayne National Park. I had packed a picnic and we enjoyed our meal by the water. Wade was able to get down and play. I was so grateful that we were able to get to the airport and that we were all together and that we had such a nice afternoon…always finding a way to make the best of things!
We hadn’t planned to be gone all evening and so we needed to stop and buy extra diapers and milk and food for the baby. By the time we had everything we needed, the road was reopened! The fire was still active and burning alongside the road.
It took another three hours to get back but we made it. We even stopped in Islamorada for beer and cider and tacos. We listened to live music and started to relax.
On Thursday, everyone was content to spend time here at the small beach and the day passed quickly. We let Wade play in the sand for the first time and though he had sand in every little crease, he had fun.
That evening was the Islamorada Art Walk. We started with dinner at Islamorada Fish Company where Wade charmed all the other guests and waitstaff.
At Art Walk there were lots of vendors. We walked the streets and the guys had some craft beer and we listened to music. Kyle and Allison and Wade enjoyed some chocolate covered frozen key lime pie on a stick.
Friday, we had planned to walk on the Old Seven Mile Bridge but Wade’s stroller had not arrived. It was also very windy. I volunteered to watch the baby while the rest of the group went out to walk.
We went to Long Key with a picnic dinner. We brought bubbles and Wade loved watching them.
We watched the sunset from the beach at the campground.
PopPop and I had a great game of Peek-a-boo with Wade.
Saturday, we took Wade to the pool. He loved being in the water.
Another beautiful sunset.
Sunday, Tim and I got to watch the baby while Kyle and Allison did some shopping.
We went back to the pool for the afternoon.
For dinner we went to Veteran’s Beach.
Monday, Kyle and Allison went to Key West for the day. Tim and I kept Wade. I may have let Wade draw with markers!
The two of us took the baby back to the pool.
Tuesday, we all went back to the pool. Wade saw some children playing with a yellow ball. He kept saying “ball” each time he saw it. The dad let us play with it and Wade was a happy, happy boy. We got carryout form SS Wreck for dinner and took it to Sombrero Beach. We made it back to Jolly Roger for the sunset.
Today, we drove our family back to the airport. I missed them as soon as they stepped out of the car and onto the curb.
This week was so much fun. We had time for naps and beach time and pool time. We played and played and played. Wade is growing and changing so quickly. We noticed a change on his language after spending the whole week with him. He is particularly partial to “b” words. He knows ball and bird and bubbles. He of course says Mama and Dada and he even says PopPop. He says boo when playing peek-a-boo and pop at the end of a song. He claps delightedly when he is excited. He is a joy and a light. He loves music and it works to calm him when he is fussy…though he rarely is. He loves watching dogs and I took him to stand outside the dog park so that he could watch them play. He loves to be outside and he loves to ride in the stroller. He is a huge flirt. I had time with Kyle and Time with Allison and we all had lots of together time as well. We tried to give Kyle and Allison some mornings to sleep in and some date time too.
It won’t be too much longer before we are home and we get to see them all again.
I skipped my morning walk…I had way too much on my list for today.
I did lots of meal prep and cleaning and laundry. I finally sat down at 3:30. I am as ready as I can be.
Tim went to sit by the water this afternoon.
This evening, we drove to Islamorada. We went to Florida Keys Brewing Company. Tim had delicious coffee stout and I had pineapple cider…crisp and tasty.
We ordered food from the adjacent food truck, Tacos Jalisco 2…so yummy.
As we were finishing our dinner, we saw a guy setting up to play his acoustic guitar. We ordered a second drink and sat to listen. The music was excellent!
We had heard that the road leading in to the Keys was shut down because of a brush fire near Homestead at Card Sound Road. As we left Islamorada, we could see great trails of smoke in the sky.
We stopped at a roadside pullout to watch the sunset.
Portuguese man o’ war along the seawall.
We are hoping that the fire is quickly brought under control. There is only one road out of the Keys and the same road brings us back. We have company coming and we need to get to Miami.
I am not sure how often I will post in the week ahead. If I have some quiet time and I am able, I will post. Otherwise, I will wait until Kyle and Allison and Wade are on their way home.
I did a combination of walking and biking in the campground this morning. The winds were stiff with gusts to 35mph. The sea was choppy and the water was splashing up onto the seawall.
I had plenty to keep me busy! We have company coming on Wednesday. Kyle and Allison and Wade are flying into Miami. Today we did lots of shopping for lots of meals and baby supplies.
I did some reshuffling and organizing.
It was a good day to be indoors and I finished a really good book.
This evening, we took dinner to Long Key. The winds are still whipping with gusts to 29mph. The winds are coming from the north. We thought that if we had our picnic on a south facing beach, we would be protected. We ate in the shade of a gnarled old buttonwood tree and it was very pleasant.
I drove to Morton Road and parked at the community park. I took my walk from there. There were many people out biking and walking.
Tim had arranged for an RV Mobile Wash guy to come and bathe the big baby.
When I got back, they also washed the Jeep.
I was so happy to have a shiny clean car that I decided to clean out the inside as well.
I rested and read this afternoon.
We made eggs for dinner.
We walked to the pier and sat to watch the sun go down. As we were sitting, small lizards emerged from the nearby bush and they were feasting on mayflies. They climbed on our flipflops to get a better vantage point.
One lizard actually ran across my toes making me gasp in surprise and delight. I could feel his tiny little feet on my toes.
Yesterday, Austin, our six-year-old grandson, ran his first 5K. His mom, Andrea, wrote about it and I wanted to include his story as part of tonight’s blog…inspiration from a very cool first grader!
I chose to take my walk in the campground this morning. There were lots of rigs packing up and pulling out. There were some empty spaces along the seawall and I inquired about moving but there are lots of new folks moving in today! This is just the best place to spend the winter.
We took a bike ride before lunch on the Morton Road loop. We passed a lemonade stand and had to stop and support the kids. The little boy is trying to earn enough money for a new baseball bat. It is $400.00. He is doing lots of extra chores and today he was selling ice cold lemonade.
This afternoon, we sat under a palm tree by the water; reading and watching the pelicans and a couple of sea turtles.
Yesterday, at the Farmers Market, we bought some chicken empanadas from Abu’s Argentinian Empanada stall. We had them for dinner with greens and fresh papaya. These empanadas did not pass muster. We have had amazing empanadas in Baja from a tiny roadside stand. An old woman and a little girl sold them to us and they were memorable. Ines and David make amazing empanadas as well…we have been spoiled!
This evening, we went to sit by the water. The sun was hiding behind clouds again this evening. We sat and watched people fishing on the pier. There were men cleaning fish at the station and there was a guy flying a drone. Other guys were playing cornhole. There were people drinking and chatting and we were relaxed and happy just to be present there in the midst of all of the busyness.
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.
I began walking in the campground. When Tim left for the gym, I went along. He dropped me off at Guava Avenue and I walked the Morton Road loop while he did his workout. Win-Win!
We packed our lunch and took it to Long Key State Park. As usual, a little lizard kept us company.
This evening, we went to the pavilion at Here at Jolly Roger. There was a hotdog dinner tonight which we skipped but they also had a guy singing. We sat near the water and listened to a fun mix of beach music, country, and old rock and roll.
We watched families fishing on the pier. This little boy had a stringer of fish.
Our squadron of pelicans.
The sunset was obscured by a huge bank of clouds but we did get a couple of dazzling moments.
Now, we are watching Forrest Gump…the Bubba shrimp scene…
For my walk this morning, I decided to access the walking path that runs alongside Overseas Highway. I had to walk ¾ mile in the gravel by the road before the path began. It was not relaxing and was rather nerve-wracking.
I made a right on Guava Avenue to escape the noise of the highway. It was quieter and peaceful and there was no traffic. I walked to the end and then made a right on Morton. I was really not looking forward to going back the way that I had come. I called Tim and asked him if he would meet me at the end of Kyle Road if I just kept on walking. He agreed and I walked on. I passed lots of very property on the water. Beautiful landscaping and entrances and gated drives with pools and tennis courts and houses tucked away from view.
Tim met me and I had walked 3.25 miles. This was so much better than walking in the campground or on the shoulder of the busy road.
I had a hair appointment in Islamorada and I left around noon. Each and every time that we have visited the Keys, Debra had done my hair. It was nice to see her and talk about her recent travels and upcoming adventures. I was sad to learn that she will be retiring at the end of March. I was also happy to hear that she will be retiring. She deserves every happiness.
I ran a couple of other errands while I was in Islamorada.
This evening, we had a reservation for dinner at Lazy Days South. We sat on the patio and had a nice meal.
After dinner, we drove to nearby Key Colony Beach to Sunset Point Park. We found a bench and did some people watching. There were more than 200 people gathered. We collectively celebrated the end of the day. The 1812 Overture was played over a loudspeaker. Then, the “mayor” (official or unofficial) of Key Colony welcomed us to the Sunset Point celebration. He invited us to sing the Marathon Anthem and he had laminated copies of the lyrics available in a basket. The music began and the community joined together in song. It was unique and sweet and a nice ending to this day.
