Saying Goodbye to Key Largo

 It's always a little sad to wrap up our winter stay and head north again but this year is particularly difficult. It is the last time we will be snowbirding in Key Largo after twelve years of enjoying our winter stays. Let me explain.

The weather is only half the reason for coming to Florida in the winter. The other half is being closer to our Florida son and his family for a few weeks of the year. It was very convenient to stay in Key Largo as it was only about 35 minutes from where they lived in Cutler Bay. This year they have moved from their home on the east coast of Florida to one on the Gulf Coast of Florida--a good four hour drive from Key Largo. Needless to say it is too far to see them often.

Because of their move, we spent a good deal of time online looking for a place to rent near Venice which is much closer to where they are now. It's a nice place but there will not be a view like we have enjoyed here in Key Largo and we can only hope that the owners of the villa will be as gracious as the owners in KL who have allowed us to rent their condo for six winter seasons. 

And then there are the friends we have made here, some new and some we have kept over the years. Friends who played cards with us, drank in the beautiful sunsets each evening, shared community programs and concerts with us and of course played Pickleball with us. We were with the Pickleball group when it first started and have watched it grow to where they are in need of building permanent courts. We may have to come back and visit to see those.

Our morning view in Key Largo

Our last time to attend our "home church away from home" was yesterday. Thankfully we can still connect through the live stream they have each Sunday.

We will miss the sunsets especially not only for their beauty but the gathering together to celebrate the end of each day and look forward to the next day to come. I will miss the mornings full of pink and soft purple skies (Bob rarely made it out of bed for those), the call of the osprey as he hunts breakfast and the "boys in the hood", the osprey flock. Also missed will be the local manatees, the dolphins and the glowworms.

While it is sad, it is also exciting as we look forward to a whole new area of Florida to explore, being near friends from the north and of course our grandkids. Nature will provide entertainment there as well with sandhill cranes and the like. It will just be different and we will find much to make our next winter season wonderful.

Birds, Birds, Birds

 Whenever we have the Florida grands stay with us a few days we make a visit to the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary just down the road a bit from the condo. The younger girls especially like going there to see the birds that have been rescued. 

There are lots of owls, some hawks, a couple of turkey vultures, pelicans and some smaller birds as well.

The girls got excited when one of the crows seemed to mimic their "Hi!" They tried "Bye" as well and it sounded quite the same.

One of my favorite birds is the black necked stilt. The bird is black and white and walks on legs that are as thin as toothpicks. I say it is a favorite because in looking at pictures of previous visits, I always have one of the same bird. I can tell it's the same because he has a broken wing that apparently cannot be fixed.

We stood and watched a new addition we hadn't seen before or else it never poked its head out. It was a screech owl, a very small one so we weren't sure if maybe it wasn't a young one. It stared at us and just kept blinking. Once in a while it made a funny noise that was kind of a hoarse throaty sound. Not exactly a screech. It almost looked unreal though, as if it were a mechanical owl.

At the empty broad winged hawk cage that had a sign "Away on Vacation" posted on the door, we pondered where a broad winged hawk would to on vacation. Certainly not north, I hope.

The Shipwreck: Sara G

 What has been one of our favorite places to go for dinner in Key Largo is a place called Shipwrecks Bar and Grill. It's kind of out of the way and not fancy (far from it) but we always enjoyed the coconut onion rings and the Mahi dinners. On one side of the patio is an open ocean rowing boat that has always been a curiosity. Where did it come from? What's its history? Why is it here?

Sometime in January (I think), an article was written about the boat by someone else who was curious, Ric Johnson. He is the author of an article, Sara G: From Australia to Key Largo. It was cut out from whatever newspaper published it (I suspect one of the Keys newspapers) and framed. The framed article hangs on the bow of the rowboat and tells the story of the Sara G.

The boat was built in Australia of balsa wood and fiberglass and holds several world rowing records. The last owner and skipper was Matt Craughwell who with five others in his crew set out in January of 2012 to row from Morocco to Barbados, a total of 3,000 miles. They made it 2500 miles when the boat was hit by several waves it was unable to handle and was overturned. The crew managed to retrieve the lifeboat from the rowboat and inflate it. They were rescued by a cargo ship responding to their emergency call. 

The Sara G was abandoned and drifted from waters near Barbados to the shore of Key Largo where Mike Hutching, the son of Shipwrecks owner found it and salvaged it. The boat has graced the patio of the restaurant since January of 2013.

And now we know.

A Day In The Glades

The Florida Everglades is an amazing treasure of natural beauty. When our Ohio son and daughter-in-law invited us to join them in exploring we jumped at the chance not only to be with them but to hopefully enjoy a day full of discovery together. We met them at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center just before the entrance to the park. Being Martin Luther King day, the park entrance was free although we have a senior pass which would have allowed our car entry.

The weather was perfect and there was not a mosquito to be found, thank goodness. Not long into our journey we saw a couple of cars pulled to the side of the road. Sure enough there was an alligator out enjoying the sunny weather. It had been quite chilly, downright cold if you asked a Floridian, for several days and we expected that the reptile population would be taking advantage of the warm sun. This large guy was no exception.

After commenting how close those people were standing to the alligator and how that really wasn't safe, Bob and our son got out of the car and walked closer to it. Meanwhile, the girls stayed in the car and had our phones at the ready should we get a good video of the two of them running. Alligators may look sleepy and calm and too heavy to move fast but they are not. The four legged critters with the sly smile can run up to 35 MPH on land. This one just wanted to sleep and didn't seem bothered by the attention.

We were a little disappointed in the number of birds we saw. Usually there are a lot more and close enough to observe. We did get a close view of a large blue heron fishing and an anhinga but even the anhingas which used to be plentiful near the trails were scarce. Maybe there were too many people although it didn't seem that crowded except for the Anhinga Trail we walked later in the day.

At several places along the way out to the Flamingo Visitor Center at the other end of the main road, we stopped and walked the trails. While we didn't see a whole lot, it was very pleasant walking on the shaded paths. Looking up into a tree full of red berries, we found we weren't the only robins coming south for the winter.

At the Flamingo Visitor Center, there is a marina, a gift shop with sundries for campers, and a food truck! We've eaten there before and it's always been good. This day was no exception. A hamburger, sweet Italian sausage on hoagies with grilled onions and even the grilled cheese sandwich was wonderful. 

After we satisfied the appetite we'd built up with all that exploring, we walked around the marina area and watched several manatees. One of them was a momma with a very young baby on her back. I'm wondering how young the baby was. Baby manatees can't swim when first born so momma has to help them to the surface to breath. She carried the baby quite a ways and we never saw her submerge.

We drove back to the area closer to the entrance to the park which is called the Royal Palm Visitor Center. There is where the popular Anhinga Trail is and where you can almost always encounter an alligator. It was a popular place this day but it didn't seem to bother the alligators who were out sunning themselves. A couple were very close to the trail or right on it and certainly made several of us very nervous as we watched people getting closer and closer to them to get selfies. Warning: the alligators are not tame or domesticated. 

It was a full day at the Glades and we headed back to the condo in Key Largo where our son and his wife joined us for the sunset and dinner after. So much fun being able to spend a day enjoying life with them.

Key Largo 2023

 There are so many things I love about being in Florida for the winter besides not having snow. I love getting up just a little early and watching the sunrise. Now I don't look east for that. The condo faces west but the sky brightens gradually with soft purples and pinks and changes to a pale yellow until finally, if there are any clouds they turn a brilliant white. No clouds? The sky is a deep blue. Of course all of that is reflected in the waters of Florida Bay.

A few days after our arrival the moon was full which meant that there would be the little bioluminescent worms swimming around a couple of nights later.(See Fireworms of Florida Bay).  We found them but there were not as many as in the past. 

A lot of the plentiful marine animals we used to find seemed to be scarce since Irma hit the keys in 2017. There used to be hundreds of upside down jellyfish around the dock and a lot of colorful tropical fish, a few lobster and horseshoe crabs. We did manage to find quite a large sea snail one day.

We were afraid there were fewer manatees but eventually they appeared and while my manatee picture looks more like a crocodile in the water I assure you, it is a manatee. 

Speaking of crocodiles, the word is out that we have one roaming the area. We've seen some in the little lagoon where we've kayaked but never around the shore by the condos. Word is that a little dog got snatched. Bob says it's an urban legend. Whatever the case, there are signs posted to be aware of your surroundings because of alligators. Alligators however are more fresh water animals so I think they mean crocodiles since Florida Bay is brackish water--a mix of salt water and the fresh water flowing down from the Everglades.

We'll continue to look for our lobster around the rocks (hope no one ate him) and keep an eye out for the occasional dolphins that pass by. The osprey is still here and fishing everyday by our dock. He's pretty good and we see him fly by the window with his catch in his claws mornings and afternoons. Yummy.

Road Trip--Cruise--Key Largo

The Zuiderdam arrived January 3 in Fort Lauderdale. We ate breakfast in the Main Dining Room and grabbed our suitcase from the room to disembark. We just missed the first sweep of the parking shuttle from Park By The Ports where we had left our car. The shuttles came around every 20 minutes from 7-9 am so we waited for the next one which was right on time. 

Our car was just where we left it and untouched. It always makes me a little nervous when it's obviously packed for a long Florida stay and we have to leave it for a cruise. Add to that the location of the lot which was behind the Dania Beach Casino. All went well however and we were soon on our way to Key Largo.

The owner of the condo graciously said it was ready for us and we could arrive early. It was a beautiful sunny day and we found most everything in Key Largo to be as we had left it two years before. A few new restaurants but our favorite store for extras, K Mart was gone and half demolished. 

The condo complex was as lovely as ever and our condo sported new appliances and flooring. What a treat! We were soon unpacked and headed out for a late lunch. Groceries stocked after lunch, a meet and greet at sunset with friends and we were off to get dinner at our favorite restaurant for French onion soup and Mahi sandwiches--Skipper's.  

We slipped into bed and fell asleep quickly. Home at last--well at home away from home.

Gotta Get The Stone Crab

 

Our second of three "precruise" days found us making a trip to Key Largo where we usually spend our winter months. Our first stop was to see our friends at the Pickleball court. We masked up and stayed behind the fence as we visited briefly while everyone wished us well on our cruise.

A few laps around the Key Largo park to get some exercise and we set off to briefly stop at the condo complex where we usually stay. It was pretty quiet and we only saw a couple of people out and about. We walked around and moved on to the Harry Harris park in Tavernier to take another short walk around and enjoy the sun and breeze and the water.

Finally it was time for the treat of the day--Stone Crab. 'Tis the season and we didn't want to miss out on one of our favorite Florida meals. We stopped at the Key Largo Fisheries Backyard Cafe. It's outdoor dining and you can get the stone crab in the market where they will crack it for you and then you can get your cole slaw, mustard sauce and drinks at the cafe window outside. Now the last couple of years we discovered that there is a class of crab called Uglies. Usually the stone crab comes in three sizes--jumbo, large and medium. So are the prices for these ranging from $61 to $34/ lb. If you ask for the Uglies, which are just not quite the quality in looks as the regular claws, you can get a delicious meal for a lot less. We got a mixture of claws (about 8) for under $20. They taste just as good as the expensive ones and the wallet feels a lot better. Be aware that they are not always available.

Satisfied, we drove back to our Homestead hotel and sat by the pool researching more about our cruise and the latest news which was good and bad. More outbreaks among crew, future cruise credits for canceling, and encouragement from those who were going to board anyway. We are soldiering on. 

John Pennekamp State Park, Florida

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is in Key Largo at mile marker 102. If you come to the Keys, you will learn quickly that directions are always given by mile marker and bayside or oceanside. The state park is oceanside. The state park has all sorts of activities to offer on the water, or the beach or in the nature trails that are there.



Our Florida kids were visiting us for the weekend and we decided to check out the aquarium that we heard the park had. After seeing the aquarium at Marathon, it was a bit underwhelming but still interesting. We sat for a while and watched some beautiful video of the coral reef that identified and explained the nature of much of the sea life that can be found in the coral reefs of south Florida.


There is a whole list of snorkeling opportunities, diving, kayaking etc. on the website for Pennekamp and you might want to make it a stop for a day of adventure. I wouldn't suggest doing it during spring break if you don't like crowds. This was a mid spring break weekend and the beaches were crowded and the boat trips packed with people. Our son had fun pointing out all the "spring breakers". He's lived in Florida now for about 20 years and picks the spring breakers out by their pink to red skin from trying to tan in a week.

We walked one of the trails that Bob and I had explored several years ago. I'd forgotten that it ended in a fruit orchard. There were several key lime trees and a couple of mango trees that were producing fruit but not yet ready for picking.

With the temperature and humidity climbing, we decided to head back to the condo and cool off in the A/C. Our tans were a little more seasoned and didn't need any more sun.

Florida Bay Mornings

It is 6 AM and I am wide awake. Try as I might I can't seem to get back to sleep. I give up and decide that I might as well get up and make a cup of coffee and have my devotions on the lanai as the sun comes up. Since we face west, I will not actually see the sun peek over the horizon but I know from past mornings that the sky will turn beautiful shades of pink, lavender and salmon before the sunshine finally fills the sky. This morning there are several puffy white clouds as well which remind me of pink cotton candy as they reflect the morning sun.

As beautiful as that scene is, it is only enhanced by the arrival of an osprey who is hunting for his best fishing spot to catch his breakfast. He has to share it with a white heron or crane who is delicately wading through the waters on shore on his long spindly legs, pausing now and then to wait for a passing fish.

The osprey perches on a springy palm branch on the tree in front of our condo. He sits quietly and watches for an easy catch. Not satisfied, after a few minutes he flies to a palm tree to the right of me almost out of sight. I can see him if I lean forward. He sits patiently. Waiting. Waiting.

Suddenly he swoops down to a spot in shallow water right in front of me and struggles in the water. I imagine claws wrapped around a nice juicy mullet in the water. The osprey flaps his wings and flounders in the water. They are not birds that land in the water and float as the pelicans, terns and cormorants do. Water sprays up in the struggle and finally the osprey takes off.

I look expectantly  to his claws but they are empty. Poor guy. The fish won this round. I know the feeling. Too often I am actually feeding fish rather than catching fish.

The osprey flies off, I assume, to another spot or to dry his wings or both. He certainly can't go back to the nest empty handed. I can only imagine the squawk of mate and offspring. Luckily no one depends upon me to put fish on the table.

Our Introduction To Cuban Coffee

In southern Florida, you can't go anywhere without seeing the signs, "Cuban Coffee". I always wanted to try it but was reluctant. Neither Bob or I like espresso and I assumed it was like an espresso. When my youngest son, a non-coffee drinker, returned from a visit with his older brother in Miami and said he had enjoyed having Cuban coffee--twice, I knew I had to try it.

Just south of where we are for the season, there is a cafe we pass on our way home from the grocery store that has a sign outside advertising the Cuban coffee. The other day we finally stopped and tried it. Bob got the plain Cuban coffee and I got the Cafe con leche. We sat down at one of the tables and blew across the hot liquids, then took a sip.

Bob kind of frowned. The Cuban was espresso-like but not exactly as strong and bitter tasting. While I understand that somehow in the process of brewing, there is a kind of sugar added but yet the coffee/espresso is not sweet-tasting. It wasn't bad but not our favorite.

My cafe con leche was a favorite though. It's a little like a latte but doesn't seem to have as much milk. It's nice and sweet and has a wonderfully mellow flavor. On our next pass, we stopped and ordered two of these and enjoyed them once again.

If you are in the Miami area, you need to try it. There is a large Cuban community in southern Florida and some great food to explore as well as the coffee.

Through My Lens -- The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center

Each year that we migrate to Florida for the winter we take at least one morning to visit the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. It's just down the road from us and is always an interesting visit. Here are some pictures from this year. If you'd like to know more about the Center and the work they do with local birds that are injured check out my original post from a few years ago.

Sparkling Holiday Gems of Florida Bay

According to the calendar, the full moon was on December 22 this year. We waited until Christmas Day evening to look for the little worms in the water that light up like green fluorescent dots in the water of the Florida Bay. There were a couple but not nearly as many as we'd seen in the past. The timing was supposedly right according to the research we'd done and the experience we'd had in years past but this year the waters of the bay didn't light up like a sparkling holiday light display until five days after the full moon instead of three. We were surprisingly rewarded on the 27th as we took our nightly walk down to the dock in front of our condo. They were dotting the waters as far as we could see.

Here is the post from a couple of years ago that explains the phenomena:

The first time we saw this phenomenon during our stay in Key Largo  was in January as we were walking in the evening after dark and I noticed something that looked shiny in the water. I thought it was a reflection of something or a piece of foil in the water. It went out and then returned a few minutes later and I realized that between a few strands of floating sea grass there was a small worm-like creature wiggling and glowing a bright green. 

Curiosity aroused, I began asking around about the glowing worm and no one seemed to know what it was. In the Bahamas some years back, we saw glowing jelly fish in the water but this was not a jelly fish. It was definitely a worm or very thin fish.

As time went on, we didn't see any more. Then someone else began asking about the glowing worms in the water. At least I knew now I wasn't the only who had seen them but when we returned to look again at dark we found nothing.

Finally one of our new friends found a link to a study about Bermuda fire worms. The description fit what we had seen. It said that the glowing, or bio luminescence, had to do with the mating that took place every month just after the full moon. When we discovered the date of the next full moon, there was quite a group of us gathered on the dock to see the fire worms.

The peek time is three days after the full moon and 57 minutes after the sun has set. The female rises to the surface and emits a bright green mucus that attracts the male who also emits a glowing mucus. The mucus apparently contains the cells necessary for reproduction. The phenomenon lasts only about thirty minutes and then the worms disappear again. 

On the peek night in March, the waters were calm and we could see little worms lighting up all over the place--sort of like the fireflies of summer at home.

Post Irma -- Snappers Is Back

Like so many others, we watched with great interest as Irma approached Florida early in September of 2017. There were several reasons it was important to us, the main one being our son and his family living near Miami. As they first boarded up their home and headed for Fort Meyers, we began to relax. And then Irma turned and headed straight for the west coast of Florida. We heaved a sigh of relief when our son returned to the Miami area and found shelter out of the evacuation zone with other friends there.

Then Irma headed directly for the Florida keys. More specifically right for the area where we spend our winters. The good news, I said to Bob, is that we don't own the condo. The bad news is that we may have to spend the winter up north.

Irma approached with a vengeance, hitting the area just south of Key Largo the hardest.As we watched people prepare, a CNN report featured our favorite restaurant for Sunday brunch which sits on the ocean side of Key Largo and right on the water's edge. The CNN reporter interviewed the owner and the people gathered at the Snappers outdoor bar as they awaited the storm and speculated about what its impact might be.

When we arrived in January of 2018, Irma had left her mark. Debris was still littering the median strip of the Overseas Highway especially as you drove further south into the keys. There was a large area near Marathon that appeared to have been cleared by a giant bulldozer. What happened to Snappers we wondered?

Our first Sunday we found that Snappers was indeed open but they were using a food truck to prepare food. With no kitchen, there was no dishwasher so all the silverware and dishes were disposable. The boardwalk in front of the restaurant where there was outdoor seating had survived but the inside of the restaurant itself had been totally destroyed. A waitress told us the inside had been filled with seaweed and debris from the ocean.

Fast forward to our first Sunday of this season. We came down a bit early--just before Christmas. To our surprise, the front door was open and we walked into a brand new interior. It's quite updated and a bit more modern looking than the rustic old interior but they had just started working out of their new kitchen a few days before and we ate off of real china and silverware. We still chose to eat outside. After all, that's what we come to Florida for in the winter--the weather.

We look forward to visiting Snappers often especially as they expand to their full menu again. So glad to see how resilient people can be.

Key Largo Pineapples?

Right by the elevator in the condo building where we stay in the winter is a planter that is on the outer wall. On one end is a bougainvillea. One the other end is a pineapple plant. I don't know who lays claim to it but it is fascinating to watch it grow and mature into a pineapple fruit. This year we were able to see that it actually blooms with little bluish flowers before forming the fruit.

I was surprised to learn that back in the late 1800s, Key Largo was known for pineapple production. There were acres and acres of pineapples on fields that were cleared and burned. The pineapple slips for planting came from Cuba originally.

Unfortunately it was difficult to get them to market in the northern states before they would spoil. The pineapples had to be shipped by schooners and the wind and weather was not always cooperative. About 25% of the fruit would spoil before getting there.

Life was made a little easier when the railroad extended to Miami and pineapples could make a shorter schooner journey and a faster trip to their markets by rail.

In 1906 a devastating hurricane hit the keys and destroyed much of the pineapple fields. It was followed by a blight which did in the pineapple farming business.

The Floating Lighthouse

Today's Carysfort Reef Lighthouse

Reading along in the book about the early Florida Keys (The Florida Keys, A History of the Pioneers by John Viele) my interest was piqued by a place called Garden Cove just at the northern end of today's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and where the Overseas Highway (US 1) makes a sharp turn and heads south through Key Largo and on to Key West. The way Garden Cove got its name was very interesting.

The reefs along the east coast of the keys were disastrous to ships who were unfamiliar with the area. Lots of shipwrecks brought about the big business of wrecking, the term in those days for salvaging from shipwrecks. The government decided to commission a floating lighthouse, a ship that would anchor on the reef and warn ships away with two lanterns and a bell.

The first ship that was sent fell victim to "dry rot and fungus" and had to be replaced. The replacement was called the Florida and was made of rot resistant live oak. But that was not the only problem John Whalton, the captain of the ship would have to deal with.

Supplies were not only hard to come by, they were very expensive so he had the crew go ashore and establish a vegetable garden on the shore. This is where Garden Cove got its name. Unfortunately it would eventually be the end of Whalton and one of his crew.

There were several uprisings of the Seminole tribes in Florida in the mid 1800s and during the second Seminole War, Whalton and his men went ashore to find themselves ambushed by the natives who were armed with muskets. Whalton and another crewman were killed immediately and the others ran for the tender and rowed for their lives back to the ship.

The floating lighthouse, the Florida, served until 1852 when it was replaced by the present day Carysfort Reef Lighthouse.

The Keys Post Irma

A foot of sea grass carpeted the floor of the Snappers dining room
after Irma destroyed the windows and let the water in.

The hurricane season of 2017 devastated many. Texas. Florida. Puerto Rico. Several Caribbean islands. While we had heard reports of the damage in the keys, we didn't know quite what to expect when we arrived in early January. It was three months post Irma. How much would be recovered? How much lost?

Beginning restoration of the Turtle Club at Snappers.

While Key Largo where we rent a condo was touched by Irma, it was not as devastating as the swipe Irma took through Islamorada and Marathon to the south of us. The condo complex where we stay had not been severely damaged. The condo buildings were intact. The only structure sustaining damage was one of the boat storage units that lost its metal roof. A lot of the landscape had changed though. There were obvious spots where trees were missing and leaves were stripped from other trees and bushes.

Along the Overseas Highway there were still large piles of debris, mostly of large tree bottoms with huge roots but also couches, tires, pieces of wooden structures, etc. Some of which we would learn was being carted to the area from other places and dumped.

Snappers' temporary kitchen.

The saddest things we learned were of the hotels and restaurants that were still closed and needing repair. Along with the "No Dumping" signs were signs warning of the illegality of unlicensed contractors. We would also hear of the shortage of contractors and crews. They were stretched thin which made progress slow.

Our favorite restaurant, Snappers, was featured in a CNN story just before and after the hurricane hit. According to reports the restaurant was flooded with four feet of surge and battered by waves as high as ten feet. It sits right on the ocean side where the category 4 hurricane came ashore. The outdoor bar area known as the Turtle Club was completely wiped away.

An aerial shot of Snappers before Irma.

The restaurant was one of the first to begin serving the area again but did so by cooking on outdoor grills at what they could restore quickly of the bar just outside the main building. The restaurant itself  was a mess and its kitchen destroyed. The owner said he was mainly trying to provide a place of respite for the few who were just returning to their homes.

Eventually Snappers put their cook in a food truck and began serving from an "Irmageddon" menu. There is no dishwasher so everything is served on disposable wear. Tables are still set up on the outdoor boardwalk area and patrons are supporting the owners efforts. Still it is difficult as they cannot serve as many as before so staff has been reduced.

Carmelitano used to play from a floating platform dockside.

That is the case with many of the jobs in the area. The reduction in hotel space because of closings reduces the number of people coming to the keys which of course leads to a reduction in staff.

If there is one thing the Keys are though it's resilient and things will begin to take shape and hopefully be even better than before. Meanwhile, we will eat our Sunday brunch and Snappers and enjoy the music of Frank Carmelitano and the weather and the food that is still amazingly good despite the small portable kitchen it comes from.

Life on the Florida Bay - Pelicans

Key Largo has an Atlantic side and a Florida Bay side. While we are staying on the Bay side facing west, we could walk across Route 1 (which can be quite a challenge) if we want to watch a sunrise over the Atlantic. Since that would require getting up pretty early, we opt to enjoy the sunsets from our side of the Key. We also enjoy the wildlife although the most entertaining life is not really very wild.

There is a dock that is part of the condo complex where we are seasonal renters (another term for snowbirds) and we have four or five pelicans who are always in the area. Around the outer part of the dock are some large rocks that help to protect the dock and the boats inside the little harbor area created by the dock. The pelicans perch on the rocks and keep a watchful eye for any fishermen who may be cleaning fish or even for that matter catching fish from the dock.

We will walk on the dock past a pelican perched there and he will watch us with one eye. As we pass, he'll turn his head and watch with the other eye. I'm not sure he can actually see by looking straight ahead. If we happen to stop at the table set up where you can clean your fish you can be sure that the other pelican cohorts will zero in and immediately land or swim up to the table and watch for any fish tidbit you might throw into the water.

Fishing on the dock can be quite a challenge if you want to keep your catch. As you finish reeling in and turn to take your fish off the hook, you'll find yourself surrounded by the grey feathered long beaked web-footed beggars. If you want to catch and release, you have to be quick about it or it the fish will be pelican food before it hits the water.

Watching the landing and take off of a pelican brings a smile every time. They sort of scoot as they land, surfing along the surface of the water until their momentum stops. They are heavy and hardly look like they can actually fly. Their take off is a lot of flapping of wings and I keep watching to see if their feet are actually running along the surface of the water until they take flight. They are pretty expert at zeroing in on a food source though (other than the freebies a fisherman may offer) and they dive down out of the air making quite a splash when they are on the hunt.

I hate to call them clowns but they do bring a smile and a chuckle every time I watch them.

So What's New in Key Largo?

Not a whole lot was obvious to us as we drove into Key Largo on our way to the Rock Harbor Club where we rent a condo for the season. As we passed the place where our favorite BBQ stand was set up the year before our hearts fell. There was only an empty space where we had purchased some of the best brisket we have had anywhere. Disheartened, we began making other plans for future dinners.


As we spent the first couple of days getting settled in and buying groceries and a few other items we hadn't brought or couldn't fit into the car that was stuffed to the gills (thank goodness we didn't have a flat tire) we really didn't notice much else that was different. But suddenly as we were driving down Rte 1 from the Publix to our condo, Bob slowed a bit and pointed with a "Yahoo!" There in a different spot, and even closer to us, was the We Be Smokin' trailer. We'd be enjoying brisket by the weekend.

The most obvious change from the past year was the new resort next to the Rock Harbor Club. Last year we had lived through all the truck and construction noise. This year there was only the noise of excited guests as they stood on the newly renovated dock in front of the new Playa Largo and cheered the sunset.


We couldn't resist taking a look at the finished product since we had watched it take shape for a couple of years. It was impressive. Beautiful grounds and a couple of promising places to go for a dinner out.


I'm sure there will be a few new friends to meet but it was nice to see the familiar faces of the other snowbirds we share the complex with. We even managed to find a place for our beloved pickleball. It's down the road a bit but that's okay. We're retired, as Bob says. We have all the time in the world.

Is A Cold Rainy Florida An Oxymoron?

Even the pelicans are hunkered down.

We have spent two weeks now in our snow bird stay in Key Largo. Out of those two weeks over half of them have been windy, chilly to cold, and rainy. I can hear the sympathy from the northerners. Yup. A collective moan followed by a sarcastic, "Gee, that's too bad."

When you're counting on good weather for your activity and entertainment, it is a bit depressing.  Since our condo did not come with a kayak for our use this year, we asked around and found a fellow who recommended buying an inflatable from Amazon. He showed us his and when Bob looked at the price, he found it reasonable--especially since he had Amazon gift cards that would almost cover the cost.




It arrived on a cold, windy and rainy day. We took it into the condo to inflate it and check it out. It looks pretty good. All we need to do now as someone commented on Facebook, is to add water.  Unfortunately because of the wind and waves due to a north wind, we haven't been able to add the water yet.

Morning walks have been successful with only a minimum of raindrops and once in a while we can whack a tennis ball around the court (we're not good enough to play a game) so life is good mostly and we have made some new friends. As they say, misery loves company.



So as soon as the weather breaks, we're off to find the manatees and hopefully not the nurse shark or the alligator some have reported seeing. After all, we're in an inflatable and the patch kit that came with it isn't very big.

Kayaking in Key Largo Bay

One of the things we like to do when we escape the winter up north and come south to Key Largo is to kayak. Last year was the first year we attempted the feat and let me tell you, the first try at getting in was not pretty. We were so glad there was no one around to see us. We both ended up in the water. But since then, we've learned balance and poise--well balance anyway.

This year it was a little too chilly to get out on the water the first week we were here. We made it out several times the second week and started checking out all the spots we'd paddled to last year. North of our complex is an arm of land that extends into Key Largo Bay or Bayside or Florida Bay. We've heard lots of different names for it. Just a little ways out there is a canal that runs along the arm and is a nice quiet place to paddle around in. The mouth of the canal is also the place where the local manatees are often spotted munching on the turtle grass below.

Our first foray out, we headed for the canal and as we paddled through the entrance, we watched for the large lizard we'd spotted last year sunning on one of the rocks. No lizard. No manatee. But we enjoyed paddling up and around--until we spotted the alligator.

On a large flat rock or piece of cement near the water's edge sat an alligator in the sun. He really didn't look to be laying on the rock like most we've seen when they sunbathe. He was a bit on his haunches and had his mouth wide open. He never flinched so we paddled a bit closer. He was as still as a statue. So much so that we laughed thinking perhaps the home owners had placed it there to ward trespassers.

We paddled home and thought little more of it until our second trip into the canal. This time we were armed with a waterproof camera to catch the statue of the alligator. Both of us just gaped at the spot where we'd seen it. There was no statue and surveying the spot where it had sat, we could see no way for anyone to get to the spot to place one there.

I laughed nervously and said, "Well, maybe they only put it out when they are home so no one will steal it."

"Sure, honey," came the response.

Not a good picture but the iguana is in the circle I drew.

"Well at least we're in a kayak and not on a paddle board like those people." Ahead of us were a group of paddle boarders who had turned around and were headed out again. We never got close enough to warn them. But warn them of what? A real alligator or a statue that disappears?

On our way out through what now seemed to be a very narrow entrance to the canal, I heard a rustling in the mangroves that line the channel. From the sound of it, I knew it was bigger than the little annoying lizards that scurry around down here. I looked up just in time to see a three foot iguana jump up into a tree. I don't want to think about what he may have been trying to get away from.