Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Thursday, February 25.
Weather has been a dominent conversation topic all over the U.S., and the Keys are no exception. This winter has been a record-breaker for sustained cold in Florida, punctuated by those occasional blue-sky days that we live for. Monday was rainy, gloomy, and cold -- perfect for getting work done on the boat. With help and coaching from Larry, Bob replaced the starboard dripless shaft seal, and in the process discovered that the bilge pump had pooped out. He replaced that too. This job involved Bob folding himself up like a pretzel to fit into the engine area. (See the first photo.)Both of these repairs were routine, considering the number of hours we’ve spent on Second Wind. We are still thrilled with how few repairs have been necessary. Meanwhile I caught up on mail and served as a go-fer.

Tuesday was the perfect reminder of why we are down here. The sky was blue, and the temps were in the high 70s, so everyone jumped into dinghys for another joy ride. The next photos show the Staggs, Wades (with guests Reba and Jim), and Creeches having a blast scooting around the harbor and exploring Sister Creek again. This worked up an appetite, so we all headed to Bodines for a Reuben lunch. By the time we returned back to our boats, I sported a sunburn --imagine that! Taking full advantage of a gorgeous day, we had a One Palm Court grill-out that evening. There were two dozen Loopers joining us. Ahhhh, this day is what it’s all about.

Then came Wednesday—another cold, dreary, rainy day. Bob and Larry replaced the dripless shaft seal on the port side, while I did laundry. Meanwhile the wind built and built. By afternoon, while I was out getting a haircut, rain began pouring down. By nightfall winds of 30+ miles an hour were a-blowin', and we started rocking and rolling. Then around 10 p.m. we heard and felt a big bump. Lo and behold, a smallish sailboat had dragged anchor and blown into our bow. Bob went out to help secure the boat and offer assistance. I’m sure the man and wife had a long night, but they were ok. (In daylight we learned that these sailors are planning to cruise on this little boat to South America! More power to them.) The last photo shows their boat, looking down from Second Wind's flybridge this morning. Today the winds are still howling and it’s cold, but the sun is shining. We remind ourselves that the Northeast is getting two feet of snow today. Though the weather here is fickle, the temperatures are again in the low 60s. We have no complaints; that is, unless it stays cold and windy when daughter Susan is here this weekend.

Monday, February 22
On Sunday the sky was blue and the temps were warm, so we hopped into our dinghys for a joy ride. The first photo shows Larry and Marge in front of several Looper boats as we headed out for lunch at Lazy Days, near the entrance to Boot Key Harbor. Because we had only recently stuffed ourselves at Louis's pancake breakfast, the Rosses and Staggs took a detour into the outer harbor. When we spotted an abandoned boat, we followed Larry and Marge into a shallow channel marked by sticks and plastic pipes.

Soon after entering the mangroves, the channel narrowed and deepened. Abandoned boats and machinery, litter, and dilapidated crab shacks told us we were in quite a different world. This could be the setting for any number of crime novels I've read. I stopped taking pictures, not wanting to alarm any inhabitants in hiding. We saw the hull of a home-made, half-submerged yellow submarine, with fans blowing in air. What the heck was that?!! Down another turn we saw some fishermen unloading a catch. I was relieved that they gave us a not-unfriendly wave. Of course I had on my brightest smile to show that we were just friendly people out for a Sunday ride. La la la la la! A dog started barking furiously, as two rough-looking guys spotted us and STOPPED opening the door to a shack. Whew, we finally turned around, and I was mighty glad to get out of there. All of this is, of course, woven into the colorful fabric that makes up the Florida Keys. Later, having survived our adventure into Deliverance-land, our Lobster Reuben lunch was even more delicious. In retrospect, those very fishermen could have caught the lobster we so relished for lunch. What a prima donna I am!

Sunday, February 21.`
On any given day, if it is near five o'clock p.m. and the weather is reasonable, you will find a group of folks gathered along the boardwalk at "One Palm Court." This spot is actually a collection of furnishings scavenged by our Looper friends, all of whom are spending the winter at Sombrero Dockside Marina. Sometimes we simply snack and sip various beverages (what IS that clear liquid?) and catch up on the day's events. At other times, we've shared delicious dinners. Louis Wade, with help from the other guys, is the primo grill chef. The girls contribute various appetizers, sides, and desserts. Each of us has had visitors who have also shared the camaraderie. This morning we feasted on grilled pancakes and sausage. Fine dining! I keep forgetting to take pictures, but a few are shown here. Life is good!

Sunday, February 21.
We are definitely on "island time," so keeping up blog postings usually falls among the list of things that should be done -- maybe later. Since it is now raining again, tonight seems like a good time to post some pictures and reflect on one particularly nice day.

For the entire week that Jim and Martha were with us, we had cool, cloudy, and windy weather. Exploration was done by car, not by boat. We had great fun anyway and were able to see things we would have otherwise missed. However, when we bade them a fond farewell last Monday, we noticed that the sky was finally blue. By early afternoon, the temperature was actually in the low 70s, so Bob and I decided to hop in the dinghy and explore nearby Sister Creek. Sister Creek flows from Boot Key Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. Along the creek a maze of canals provides boating access to the many beautiful homes on the island. This is a literally a water maze lined with mangroves. We were amazed that every time we got to the end of one canal, we could turn right or left and head down another, thoroughly enjoying the sights. I was especially thrilled to see a bunch o' pelicans being fed by some owners of one of the lovely houses. We turned off the engine and just watched, with camera clicking!

After a while, we realized that our fuel needed replenishing, so we reluctantly left Sister Creek and made our way through Boot Key Harbor to Burdines to get gas. By the time we returned to Second Wind, we were chilly once again but happy about our day on the water.

Sunday, February 14.
We spent yesterday evening with YaYa Karen Williams and her family in their condo near our marina. Her husband Darryl proved to be a masterful chef, serving up a fabulous dinner of grilled lobster tail and steak. It was really cold and windy outside, but he prevailed; we were mighty glad he did. Now grilled lobster has moved to the top of my list of favorite foods. I loved having the two families together, because they have all heard about one another through the years. Needless to say, various tales were told, and we all laughed a lot as we stuffed ourselves. In keeping with the "stuff ourselves" theme, we met again for a delicious brunch at Key Colony restaurant this morning. Again the meal was delicious. The picture shows Jim, Darryl, Karen, their beautiful niece Chevelle, me, Bob, and Martha (and an unknown lady on another table).

After a laundry session this afternoon, Martha and I were treated to a glorious sunset. She and I took these photos. Wow! Happy Valentines Day to all of us.

Martha took this picture of a pelican, who perched on a piling right beside our boat. Nice pose. From our boat we have enjoyed watching them swoop and dive for fish.

A few nights ago we had gale force winds. This photo was taken from the boat just as the storm approached Boot Key Harbor. Some of the sailors tied up to mooring balls in the harbor clocked sustained winds of 45 mph during the night. We felt quite secure tied up in our marina slip, but we could hear the wind singing in the canvas.

 

We've had lots of wind. During the past week the highs have been in the low 60s. This is cooler than usual in the Keys, but you won't hear us complaining when we listen to reports of deep freezes and snow in much of the rest of the country.

February 12.
Now we fully understand the snowbird phenomenon. Freezing weather and heavy snows in the northern and mid-Atlantic states have made headline news for the past week. Even south Alabama had several inches of snow today (while we rode our bikes to the beach). Temperatures here have been in the 60s and occasional low 70s, which is a good bit cooler than normal. It has also been pretty windy, but how can we possibly complain!

Our days consist of morning walks, followed by excursions to various spots in the Keys. We went with a bunch of Loopers to a couple of art shows last weekend, and we’ve gone to the huge flea market on Big Pine Key several Saturdays. Row after row of open tents display everything from fresh produce to knives, clothing, jewelry, sunglasses, and marine supplies. Someone aptly called it the “dirt mall.” Pot luck dinner and watching the Super Bowl with good friends aboard Wandering L & M was great fun. Somehow they managed to hold 10 to 12 of us.

We have loved having Jim and Martha here on the boat with us this week. During a dinghy ride down nearby Sister Creek, we spotted a huge iguana among the mangroves. Iguanas are an exotic species to an Alabama girl. Jim has driven us to several state parks, where we have seen several Key deer, an endangered species found only in this area. They stand only about two feet high at the shoulder. At Blue Hole, the largest body of fresh water in the Keys, we spotted two iguanas in a distant tree. Martha took these excellent pictures. One was three or four feet long and displayed his orange neck flap with several flourishes. Today we meandered through the trails at Crane Point, fascinated by all the types of palm trees and the wild bird rescue center.

As always, we’ve eaten well. We had to take Jim and Martha back to No Name Pub – one place not to be missed. The pizza was again delicious. Pictures later--Keys Disease, you know.

Wednesday, February 3.
Life has slowed down. Tackling the list of To Do's has been postponed again.

It's always fun to be with a group of Loopers, and we've made some great new friends. But still we know that dear friends at home are having difficult medical issues. We miss being there to see for ourselves that they are OK. Cell phone and email aren't always enough.

"One Palm Court," a collection of salvaged tables and chairs on the boardwalk right in front of a bunch of Looper boats, is where we cook out every Tuesday night. Last night about 44 people showed up for hot dogs and pot luck. All this started with Lewis and Larry dragging out discarded tables and chairs. Cleaned up and decorated with plastic tablecloths and lights, the resulting spot is "Keys fancy."

Morning walks feel good. That's the only thing keeping us from gaining 5 pounds a week while we're here. So much good seafood. So many restaurants to explore. So little willpower. Tonight we ate soup on the boat -- feeling virtuous.

Dinghying around is great fun -- looking at INTERESTING boats in the harbor, going to meals with Loopers (notice the Fried Key Lime Pie at Burdines), and exploring nearby Sister Creek.

We will be glad when we can finally move to our regular slip with the rest of the group. The Dockside Restaurant/bar is located about one foot from our boat windows. Fortunately, some of the musicians are quite good (and also loud). They stop playing by 9 p.m. How can we complain though! We are in the Keys, where daytime temperatures lurk mostly in the mid-70s.