1221 February 25, 2025 Butterflies And Balconies

The sun was shining today!!!

I walked again in the neighborhood surrounding the campground.  It was less noisy there than along the main road.

We packed our lunch and then drove the Jeep into Key West.  We found free parking at Higgs Beach.  We took our bikes off and cycled to Duvall Street.  We bought tickets and went in to see the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy.  The antechamber has lots of information about the anatomy and biology of butterflies.  We browsed there, reading a few of the displays.  

We entered the conservancy through a set of double doors and there were butterflies flitting all around us.  I could hear the whisper of their wings.  I could feel a tickle as they grazed my arms as they fluttered by.

Tim asked “Do I have a butterfly on my hat?”  It stayed there for several minutes as he walked through the beautiful tropical garden.

The habitat is kept at 80 degrees with 80% humidity. The plants are lush and green with a dazzling array of blooming flowers. There must be an accomplished group of scientists that run this operation.

The conservancy gets 300-500 chrysalises from around the world each week.   Most of the butterflies were Blue Morphs.  They come from Costa Rica.  Brown and ordinary when their wings are together…

Stunning iridescent blue when their wings are open.

There are more than 50 varieties of butterflies here.

The butterflies emerge from their cocoons here in a butterfly nursery.  It may take 1-2 days for their wings to dry.  Once they are able to fly, they are released into the garden. 30 to 50 butterflies are released each day.

There were lots of lovely flowers including many varieties of orchids.

And butterflies love orchids.

There were lots of smaller birds.  It was like a scavenger hunt to spot them scattered among the thick emerald foliage.

There was a pair of flamingos, Scarlett and Rhett.  It is mating season and they were courting.

Rhett was making a terrific racket trying to get her attention but initially she ignored him.

I absolutely loved this most magical experience.  Adults were giggling with delight and wonder.  I felt giddy! Several people walked around with butterflies perched on their hats and in their hair.  We have been to Key West lots of times and I cannot believe that I never knew about this place before. I could have stayed all day! By the time we reached the end of the tour, the line to get in zigzagged down the sidewalk.

We hopped back on our bikes and rode through the streets of Key West. There was a cruise ship in town and there were people everywhere! We made our way back toward Higgs Beach and rode out onto the pier. We sat watching the water.

We put the bikes back on the Jeep and drove over to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. We found a nice shaded table near the water and had our picnic.

We went back to the campground to rest and shower.

This evening, we had reservations at Bagatelle’s. The very first time that we came to Key West, we went to Bagatelle’s for dinner. Now, its is part of our tradition to have dinner here. We always ask for a table on the second floor balcony. It is fun from there to watch Duval Street and all the happenings and people.

We had a delicious bottle of UNO Malbec, mussels to share and then Tim enjoyed Swordfish and I chose lobster fettuccini with spinach and grilled tomatoes…outstanding…all of it!

After dinner, Tim was on a mission. He led me directly to Baklava where we purchased two more pieces of that amazing baklava. We sat on the bench outside the shop and ate until there was nothing left…licking our sticky fingers. We were full and we needed to walk.

We wandered around Key West.

We stopped several times to stand on the sidewalk and listen to live music.

Just another day in paradise!

1220 February 24, 2025 Rainy Work Day

I woke up, saw that it was light outside and hurried to get out of bed.  I knew that the forecast for today was for wind and rain and I wanted to get my walk in first thing.  I was brushing my teeth when the rain began.  It was light at first and the weather app showed that there would be a break…but sometimes the weather app lies!  It poured all morning!

I had a list of things I was saving for a rainy day.  I did a bunch of stuff on the computer, sending emails, and making phone calls. Then, I started to work to gather everything I need to do our taxes.

Tim got a break in the rain at around 3:30 this afternoon. he was eager to get outside. He took his bike and went for a ride but only after I promised to rescue him if he got caught in a downpour.

I didn’t want to quit in the middle of getting taxes ready and so I worked until 4pm.

Tim still wasn’t back and so I did some cleaning as well.

It was apparently very wet out there! Tim sent several texts while he was out riding.

Tim biked around the entire island of Key West…13 miles. In many places, the water was higher than his bike pedals and it was hard for him to discern where the curbs and sidewalks were. There were several cars and golf carts stalled put and abandoned. Tim stopped once at Truman Waterfront Park to wring the water out of his socks. He got back home and his shoes and socks were sopping wet. He didn’t think that I would have enjoyed this little adventure…thank goodness I was working on taxes…never thought I would actually sat that!

I made a salad with beets and oranges and greens and I used the special orange olive oil and orange balsamic vinegar. I added some fresh mozzarella and some nuts and chicken. It was pretty tasty!

I was glad to have a rainy day and so much to occupy my time. It was very productive! No one wants to do taxes on a bright and sunny day!

1219 February 23, 2025 Mallory Square

I walked in the nearby neighborhood this morning; through the streets with the chickens and the roosters.  The houses were packed tightly together but everything was neat and tidy.

This campground had been renovated and we like it here so much better than we did years ago!

We spent the day waiting for Tim’s bike to be repaired.  He had his cables and gears messed up.  He has been riding this way for weeks now.  There is a bike rental and repair shop adjacent to the campground and so this was a good opportunity to get things fixed.  He took the bike on Saturday and we were hoping it would be ready so that we could ride today.  We waited until lunchtime and then decided to walk across the campground to a little hole-in-the wall food truck.  We had access via a small alley.  One Love, serves Jamaican cuisine.  I ordered mahi tacos and Tim had a tuna poke bowl.  We listened to Jamaican music as we waited.  The food was perfectly seasoned and flavorful.  We had a delicious meal!

Tim went to check on his bike after lunch…still no progress…except for the promise that it would be ready before 5pm.  We relaxed and read and sat outside.

Tim finally got his bike back and it rides like a dream…like a new bike!

This evening, we drove to Key West.  We found parking in a public lot for $30.00.  We had to return by 9am Monday to get our car or have it towed.  We were fairly certain we would be back by then! 

We walked up Duval Street. 

We went to one of our old favorites, Smokin’ Tuna, but when we got there, it was The Alamo.  They still had a cool outdoor seating area and live music and so we sat and had a drink.  We didn’t get food because the reviews were not that favorable and because we had been wanting Smokin’ Tuna!

We walked to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration.  We watched the street performers and the rest of the spectacle that is Key West.

Cruise ship departing at sunset.

We walked to the old Custom’s Building.  The masonry work here is outstanding and we always come to take a look.

We strolled further along the docks and actually saw the sun go down from another quieter place.  I took a few pictures and then put my camera away and just watched.

We were hungry and so we left Mallory Square with the throng of other hungry people also leaving.  We tried Salty Frog’s.  We found a table and waited for a while.  We looked at the menu, ready to order when a server happened by, and listened to the live music.  The restaurant was quite obviously slammed and we finally decided to find another place to eat.  We went to a Cuban place where we had eaten before but there was a line of people waiting.  We passed a bunch of ice cream places, ice cream is Tim’s kryptonite, and when we passed a guy holding a huge banana split, there was a moment when Tim almost opted for ice cream for dinner. 

Around the corner, we found Bruschetta’s, an authentic Italian restaurant.  We got the last table on the sidewalk.  It was a fun place to sit.  We were right at the maître d’ stand.  The guy in charge of seating, who may have been the owner, did not speak any English.  He held up his phone and he had us speak into it and then he used Google translate.  It was kind of comical to watch him interact with patrons.  Frank Sinatra sang to us through the speakers.  Tim had chicken marsala with homemade pasta and I had mussels in the most lemony and garlicy sauce. 

Our young, Italian server, asked us where we were traveling from.  We told her how we lived in our RV and traveled and how we considered ourselves very lucky to be doing what we do.  Her reply surprised us.  She said: “Yes, you are lucky and good for you for using your luck.  So many people are lucky and they don’t use it!”  It made us think and yes, we know people who are lucky and don’t use it.  We have never heard it put quite this way…perspective!

Kyle called to Facetime as we were paying for dinner and then we walked across the street to chat.  As I was talking, Tim wandered away.  He soon came back with a container with two pieces of baklava nestled inside.  He had gone into Baklava, The Art of Dessert.  Inside there were about one hundred different kinds of beautiful desserts.  He selected the baklava and brought it to me.  It was the most amazing baklava I have ever had.  Flaky and nutty and dripping with honey.  Our fingers were sticky when we finished and we were full!

We walked around Key West and then to the Jeep. Always classic rock at Hog’s Breath Saloon.

We had a wonderful evening!

1218 February 22, 2025 Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

74 degrees yesterday and 71 degrees overnight.  It is so nice to have the windows open! Long before dawn, I could here a rooster crowing from far away.

My walk today took me on a nice paved walking path from Stock Island, over the bridge onto Key West.  I walked along the seawall. 

Flowers from an exotic red silk cotton tree.

I finished 2.5 miles. 

We packed lunch in our bike bags and drove the Jeep to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. 

We walked along the shore.  We saw an older guy sitting in a chair by the water.  It was the same guy that we met a couple of years ago who back then offered to take our picture.  It is a picture of both of us with our bikes and it is one of our very favorites.  We remembered the guy because he reminded us very much of a dear friend, Tom Franklin.  We approached the man and spoke with him and shared our memories.  He offered to take our picture again today.

We ate our lunch while watching the water.

We were not allowed to leave the park on our bikes without also taking our car and so we took the Jeep and drove the very short way to Truman Park.  There was a huge Art Festival along the waterfront.  There were all kinds of artists with metal and wood sculptures and pottery and woven goods and paintings and jewelry and lots more.  It was all high end and gorgeous.  We have no need or place for things but it was fun to look.

This guy painted all of his paintings with drumsticks!

We wandered beyond the festival and found a bench.  The Celebrity Silhouette was in port.  This cruise ship is more than 1,000 feet long and can host 2,800 passengers.  It is not the way we like to travel.  In this picture, Tim is actually shaking his head no…no thank you…no cruises for us.

We have found what we consider to be the perfect way to travel…for us!

This evening, we packed a rotisserie chicken, tomato, cucumber, and mozzarella salad with kalamata olives and balsamic vinegar, and some fresh sourdough bread with some fresh blackberries. We drove into Key West to Higgs Beach. We found a picnic table and had our supper on the beach.

We walked afterward. It was mild albeit breezy.

There was live music in a pavilion on the sand outside a busy restaurant.

We walked down to the pier and from there we could see the whole scene.

Goodbye cruise ship!

We walked back up the beach to the African Cemetery.

Then, we walked to the AIDS Memorial.

We walked out onto this long pier as well.

Quintessentially Key West!

So many roosters and chickens! Today a Publix we watched a chicken lead 5 chicks across the parking lot. The chicks were very fluffy and tiny and cute…and in a dangerous place!

1217 February 21, 2025 Leo’s On Stock Island

Overnight, we were able to leave the windows open.  There was a wonderful breeze and it felt deliciously cool.

We got up early and worked to get our packing and exercising done.

I put on a sweatshirt and I walked before we left with one last look at the Florida Bay. 

We have had a great time here but it is time for new adventures!

We dumped tanks and we were on our way by 9am.  It took almost an hour to get to Homestead.  We hopped on Route 1, Overseas Highway and drove another 113 miles crossing 44 islands and driving over 42 bridges to Stock Island.  This is one of the most beautiful drives in America and is one of the longest overwater roads in the world.  The turquoise waters were gorgeous despite the cloudy and windy day. 

It was Friday and the traffic in the Keys was heavy.  We finally arrived at about 2pm.

Our site is plenty big enough but backing in was tight.  The neighbor across the way moved his truck and Tim was able to expertly swing the RV right into place. 

Later, we drove the short distance into Key West.  Tim found a gym, the Body Zone, just a couple of miles away.  He was able to but a membership for the twelve days that we will be here.

We drove the perimeter of the island along the beaches and then to Duval Street. 

We circled back and returned to the campground.  We will have lots of time to explore!

For dinner, we grilled shrimp and asparagus and tiny grape tomatoes.  We made bowls with jasmine rice and avocado crema…so yummy!

1216 February 20, 2025 Last Day In The Everglades

I was taking my morning walk when Oliver and Austin called to FaceTime with me.  We stayed on the phone for a long time, chatting about school and their February winter break.  They asked where we were and what we had seen.  I told them about the crocodiles in the marina and they wanted to see!  I told them I would walk there and check.  We stayed on the phone for the whole 2 ¼ mile walk.  When I got to the marina, there was NO crocodile.  The boys were disappointed.  They asked me to keep checking and to call them back if the croc was out.

There was a dead diamondback rattlesnake along the road!

By the time I got back to the RV, I had walked more than 3 ½ miles.  If your grandchildren ask to see the crocodiles…there is not much that I would not be willing to do!

We packed our lunch and on our way to West Lake, we stopped in at the marina to look for the croc…no show.

We drove to West Lake and enjoyed our noontime meal.  There requisite crows were present…screeching and begging to be fed.

On our way back to the campsite we stopped at the marina again…no croc.

This afternoon, Tim went for a bike ride.  He said he was going tot eh marina.  He was gone a really long time.  I decided to bike out and find him.  He was at the marina standing with about 30 other people looking at a 12-foot croc that was lying on the pavement.  Unbeknownst to us, a battle in the marina began at 7am.  Fred is the biggest male croc in the marina.  He chased this crocodile, Half-jaw, around the marina all day.  Finally, Half-jaw was tired.  He walked up the boat ramp, across the parking lot, and parked himself on the dock to rest.  This croc is named Half-jaw because if you look closely, he is missing several inches of his bottom jaw!

The crowd of people gawked and took pictures.  Of course, I called the boys and we did FaceTime with the crocodile.  They thought it was very awesome to see the crocodile. They thought it looked like a statue. There was a ranger and lots of park employees in the parking lot to prevent stupid people from doing stupid things! 

Gradually, the croc began to move closer to the edge of the seawall.  All at once, he jumped down into the water! To witness that huge animal rising up and making his way into the water was tremendous. I only wish I had time to video it!

We biked back to the RV.

Another day in the Florida Everglades.  Today was actually our last day.  We have spent 10 really terrific days here.  The weather has been wonderful.  We have seen lots of birds and other wildlife.  A park ranger said this and I believe that it is true…If you just come to the Everglades and drive the main park road, you may not realize the real beauty of this place.  On any given day, you may or may not see cool birds or gators or turtles or manatees or crocs…you may see nothing at all.  Being here requires deeper exploration and the willingness to be patient.  This place thrums with life and to experience it, you must immerse yourself.  We love it here!

1215 February 19, 2025 Enjoy Life!

17 years ago, we lost a dear friend, Jim.  We spent our day enjoying life in honor of and in tribute to his memory.  He is remembered with love and admiration and respect.

First thing, I was out for my walk.  The osprey pair nesting by the Florida Bay has chicks in the nest.  Papa was squawking up a storm as I stood to take pictures.  These poor birds are under constant observation all day long.  I am sure it is stressful for them.

I saw this katydid crossing the road…we don’t see too many of them anywhere we go.

This mockingbird sat on the signpost.  He allowed me to get fairly close.

After breakfast, we got on our bikes and went to the marina.  It was such a pleasant morning and it was nice to be outside.

Laughing gull standing on one leg…not sure if he has two legs…

We sat on the bench on the breezeway watching the water.

We packed a picnic lunch and drove the Jeep to Nine Mile Pond.  We found a table in the shade. 

As we sat down, we saw an alligator in the shallow water.  We ate and he laid in the water. 

Soon, another gator swam in and found a comfy spot among the high grasses.

We drove to Parotis Pond to see the roseate spoonbills.  There was one sitting in a tree across the water. 

We saw groups of the big pink birds flying.

There was an off-duty ranger there and she was taking pictures.  She pointed out a pair of skimmers.  The female was laying eggs and the male was guarding his mate. These are Eastern amberwings.

When we got back Tim had the duty of performing the most unglamorous task of RV living…tank draining.  He drove to the dump station and took care of business.

We rested this afternoon.

I made quinoa bowls for dinner and we took them to sit beside the bay.

A little sangria, the lapping of the waves, the warm breeze, windswept clouds, and the soft colors of sunset…what a nice ending to this day in the Everglades and in each other’s company.

1214 February 18, 2025 Florida Bay Boat Tour

Last evening after posting the blog, we went up to sit in the breezeway. 

I took a short walk this morning because after sleeping in and talking to Kyle, I was running very late!

Tim took this video of the Florida Bay while he was out for his morning walk.

Today, we had reservations for the Florida Bay Boat Tour and ecotour.  We met the captain of the Seahorse at the Everglades Marina.  The wind was still and it was a gorgeous day to be out on the water. 

The naturalist, Jennifer, was an avid birdwatcher.  She knew a lot about the history of this area and she knew even more about the ecosystems and the animals that make the Everglades their home.  This woman also had great energy.  She was enjoying our cruise as much as we were!   It was obvious that she loves what she does.

We made our way slowly out of the basin.  We saw this great blue heron.

A little blue hiding among the mangrove roots.

Brown pelicans on a sand bar.

An egret resting in storm debris.

An osprey nest.  One of the adults is sitting with two chicks.  The other, was out hunting and we saw it fly in with a fish.  After the eggs hatch, it takes only about two weeks for the chicks to be nearly adult size.

Another great blue.

A royal tern.

Circling vultures.

Solitary brown pelican.

Tricolored heron.

Birds in the mud flats.

Brown pelican perched in a treetop.

Migrating white pelicans…here for the winter…true snowbirds.

All at once, someone spotted Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.  This mother and baby pair were hunting together.  We watched them for a long time and then we began to see another group of four as well.  I was taking a lot of pictures but then decided just to watch. It was thrilling to see the dolphins and it made my whole day happy!

The captain made a giant circle with the catamaran and a couple of the dolphins followed along in the wake.

White heron.

It is so pretty here!

I was the last person to get off of the boat.  There were manatees in the marina and I really wanted pictures!

We went back to the campground for lunch and quiet time.  I couldn’t wait to download the images from my camera.

Later this afternoon, I went over to sit by the dumpsters and start on the blog.

We went tot he Flamingo Lodge Restaurant for dinner and we had really good mahi.

Afterward, we went to the edge of the bay to see sunset.

1213 February 17, 2025 “Adventure” In Homestead

While Tim was finishing his exercise regimen I walked.  It was in the low 70’s and there was a nice breeze.  It was cloudy and it was a perfect morning for walking.  I did 2 ½ miles.

When I got back, I took my yogurt and muesli and my second cup of coffee and went outside to enjoy my breakfast.

We are leaving Flamingo on Friday.  We have a long drive that day all the way to Stock Island.  WE needed to wash clothes and decided to use today to do all of our errands so that Friday wouldn’t be an even longer day.   We packed the car with laundry and detergent and quarters.  We took coolers and a long list and we drove the 50 miles into Homestead.  Working together, we got all of the laundry done in about an hour.  We went to Walmart for supplies and then to the mailbox and then to Publix for groceries.  We got fresh drinking water at a water fill kiosk.  We got gas for the Jeep and drove back toward the Everglades. 

We stopped at a park along the way to have a picnic lunch.

Lunch companion.

It was a picture postcard kind of day! Blue skies with windswept clouds…it is so beautiful here!

It was almost 4pm when we got back to our campsite.

We had some quiet time and then Tim went out for a bike ride.  I took that opportunity to make the bed and put away our clothes.  I cleaned bathrooms and when he still wasn’t back, I cleaned the bedroom and living areas as well. 

I was just finishing when he got back.  We had a late sushi lunch and we were not that hungry.  We each just grabbed something small for dinner. 

1212 February 16, 2025 Sitting By The Bay

Last night after we posted the blog, we went and stood on the breezeway at the Visitor Center.  It was a warm wind but it was also a stiff and sustained wind at 14 mph.

We drove over to the bay side and got out to look at the stars.  The sky was glittering and lovely.  We could see the path of the Milky Way across the sky.

We began the day in our customary way.  Tim did his yoga and weights and took a short walk.  I walked the campground loops and then all the way to the Florida Bay.

We just never know what we are going to see. This guy has been camped here for several days.

These guys were all out with their big cameras and lenses to take pictures of what must be the most photographed pair of ospreys in Southern Florida!

We biked over to the Guy Bradley Visitor Center. 

There was a ranger program on pelicans that was starting in a couple of minutes and so we decided to stay and listen.  Th ranger, Angie, talked about how the brown pelican has been brought back from the brink of extinction after three significant stressors.  In the early 1900’s big wading birds were hunted here for their gorgeous feathers.  The fashion trend at the time was for women to wear hats with great plumes of bird feathers.

It was even considered fashionable to wear to whole bird perched on a hat.

Conservation efforts and game wardens like Guy Bradley, helped the bird population to recover.

Pesticides were introduced that included DDT.  The chemical caused the pelican eggs to have extremely thin shells.  When pelican mothers sat on their nests, the eggs were crushed by their weight. 

A large oil spill in 2010 caused more than 1 million birds of all species to lose their lives.  The brown pelican population dropped by 10%.  These birds are remarkably resilient.  Numbers of birds here are still down and worldwide, numbers of birds are decreasing.

We took our bikes over to the marina and saw some manatees.

We drifted over to the boat launch to look for Fred, the resident crocodile, but once again, he was not out.

We biked to Eco Pond and hiked the short trail around the water.  There are often a variety of birds here.  Today, it was quiet.  There are many factors that would explain the absence of birds here including the availability of food sources, the safety and security for the birds in the area, and the season.  Migratory birds also use this pond as a stopover.

We got back to the RV and had our lunch and rested.

Today is a very important day.  Today is the Dayton 500 or the beginning of the 2025 NASCAR season.  Tim has been looking forward to this race.  We are not in a good place for TV antenna reception.  He was able to find the broadcast on the radio but it was really glitchy.  He has NO service through Verizon on his phone.  I do have phone service through AT&T and so he was listening to the race on my phone.  The drivers had completed 10 laps and the race was stopped for rain…

We drove the Jeep on Bear Island Road.  This road was deeply rutted and we could imagine that if had rained this would be a muddy mess! 

No birds, no gators, no snakes.  Despite the canal being only a couple of feet from the road, the mangroves and vegetation was so thick and dense…we couldn’t see the water at all.

We drove to the boat launch but still no croc.

We parked at the end of the loop at Florida Bay and got out and walked along the “beach.”  There is no sand; only hard coral covered with dead sea grass.  The water and wind were calmer this afternoon.

This woman on a paddle board was definitely still struggling to paddle against the wind.

We went back to our campsite.  The NASCAR race was still delayed.  Tim packed some wine and a snack and we drove back over to the “beach.”  We took our chairs and sat by the water.  We saw some small silver fish jumping.  We saw a fin…a shark we think.  Tim saw the humped back of what he thought was a dolphin but we didn’t see him again.  Crows were waiting to be fed.  Buzzards waited nearby.  The sun got low in the sky and we headed back home. 

I grilled bison burgers and we had fresh avocado and mango. 

The race finally restarted…Tim is now fairly well occupied!