A front has moved in and we have wind, rain and some cool weather but I'll admit I know it is colder up north.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I received a box of Chocolate Turtles. My once a year treat. We had a Valentine Dinner at the Island Grill with neighbors from Sombrero Resort and Marina. Bill and Maypole are from Tennessee staying in a Condo and Frank and Eleanor are from Canada on their boat next to ours.
Bill and Mapo
Frank and Eleanor
Rik and Nancy
We are starting to think about the Bahamas and what needs to be on-board for the trip. We plan on meeting friends at Green Turtle Cay and Tim and Coach need a beer delivery. So....off Captain goes on his bicycle pulling a shopping cart for Bud Light. A true friend!
10 cases...really
This is hard work!
Marathon is made up of Grassy Key, Fat Deer Key, Vaca Key, Boot Key and several smaller Keys, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the Florida Keys. During the winter months Snowbirds descend on this area. The transient community in Boot Key Harbor alone has over 400 vessels. And the City of Marathon has control over anchoring rights, waste management and the fees. $$$$ There is a bike path so you can walk or bike the area and this is the way most get around town.
In 1860 this area was uninhabited. By 1926 total population was a whopping 17 residents. Now when you look around...all this development happened in only 80+ years. And remember there is one road in/out of the Florida Keys.
When the Seven Mile Bridge opened in 1912 it was the world's longest continuous bridge and hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The old Seven Mile Bridge became an overseas highway bridge in 1938. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane destroyed the railroad in the Islamorada area, shutting it down. For over 40 years this narrow highway was the only route along the Keys. The new bridge was completed in 1982 with a 65-foot clearance over Moser Channel. Guess who came over the "old" bridge.......
Old Seven Mile Bridge
The Turtle Hospital was opened in Marathon in 1986 and is the only state-certified veterinary hospital in the world for sea turtles. They treat a variety of ailments such as flipper amputations, intestinal impactions, boat collisions and the removal of the debilitating viral tumors called Fibropapilloma. This disease affects over half of the juvenile Green sea turtle population in the world and when a turtle comes to the hospital for removal they are kept a year to make sure the tumors are gone before releasing them into the wild. Of course we know man and trash causes the rest of the injuries.
Use to be a "Dive" known as Fanny's
Kept in tanks until problem is fixed
Boat Prop Got Me
Loggerhead Turtle
Saltwater pool where they live until they recover
Bubble Butt is available for adoption
Can't return to the wild so I live here
There are five permanent residents of The Turtle Hospital and they are available for adoption. These turtles injuries were severe enough to the point that they cannot be returned safely to the wild. So for $35 a year you can help provide food and medicine for your adopted turtle.
The "No Name Pub" has scads of local color. Built in 1936 this place was once a local general store with a brothel operating upstairs. In the 1950s a restaurant went in and the inside was decorated with dollar bills signed by those who put them on the walls and on the ceiling.The best pizza.....Royal Pub....in the known universe....and cold beer.....that's what you go for.....
You will ask for a "go box"
Waiting for a table
Connie and Skipper
The Boat Bums
We have a corner table
$70K plus
Lots and Lots of People
The Key Deer live on Big Pine Key. Today they live on the 84,000-acre National Key Deer Refuge and are protected by law. Cars today are the big threat and speed limits are 45MPH. A full-grown Key Deer weights less than Saddi.....between 45 and 80 pounds. We had only seen one until today when we were driving around Big Pine. Here is this lady that has two Key Deer in her front yard.....she comes out with food and tells them to come......well....they do.....she feed them and then comes to visit with us who was parked in front of her house.
"My neighbor yells at me when I feed the deer and calls the police....but I'm a German lady and I'm going to feed the deer." We ask to take her picture with the deer which she does.....
Key Deer having Lunch
Of course you know who I thought of.....my mother and when she fed the deer in Lead/Deadwood. The sheriff stopped by Della's one day and yes she was feeding the deer and anything else that came into the yard. She told him he may as well hand-cuff her then and take her to jail because she was going to feed the deer. Think he told mother she was an exception to the rule and I think the Big Pine Key sheriff has told this lady she is an exception to the rule...
Greg and Sandy are staying on Cudjoe Key in their motorhome and came up for Happy Hour at Sparky's Landing. This place is packed at 4PM for 25 cent wings and boiled shrimp. You can't get a table. Of course a pitcher or two helps the party. Skipper and Connie live a couple blocks away and joined us.
The "Happy" group
We have had several evenings without beautiful sunsets. Tonight makes up for it! Rik fixed a steak on the grill and we had a nice evening at home
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