Key West Crazy Christmas

We left Marathon for a Key West Crazy Christmas on Thursday morning. It was a gorgeous calm day on the Atlantic and it was great to be back out on the water again. Thursday night we did the tourist thing and went to Mallory Square for sunset and to see some of the crazy things that go on there. After sunset we had our first raw oysters, wings, and music fix at the Half Shell Raw Bar and Schooners Wharf.
Friday Doug and Tammy arrived mid day, well Doug did. Doug dropped Tammy off at the tattoo parlor for her Christmas present, a great looking unicorn. After walking to town and meeting Tammy, we started celebrating our Christmas Holiday together in Key Weird style. We started out with drinks and lunch at one of our favorites, Fogarty's, and from there it was a Key West Crazy Christmas Crawl. Our last stop was Margaritaville where our friends Scott and Dave were playing. By the time we got back to the boat it was Christmas AM. When Doug, Tammy, Stephanie and I get together we are so bad, but have so much fun together. Cassie and Godiva were getting really worried that we wouldn't get back in time to turn on the anchor light so Santa could find us, but we did and he did.
Christmas day the weather was perfect, the food was fabulous, the presents were great, and it was really special to spend Christmas with such great friends.
Christmas night we decided to give Key Weird one more shot before Doug and Tammy had to leave Sunday, so we headed into town. After several stops (no food, we were still stuffed from Christmas dinner) we decided to give our livers a break and call it an early night. (well, early for Key Weird)
Sunday morning the four of us headed to Pepe's for breakfast where Scott, our musician friend, met up with us. After breakfast we said our sad goodbyes, but promised to get together again soon. Love you guys! Thanks for making this Christmas so special.
By Sunday afternoon the winds picked up to 40 MPH and we had two footers rolling through the harbor. We were rocking and rolling! By Monday the winds had calmed enough for us to head back to Marathon. It was still windy and we were taking waves on the port all day, but thanks to our stabilizers the ride wasn't too bad. Thanks to four of our marina friends waiting to catch lines, we got September Song into her slip and tied up safely in the wind. Thanks for the help guys.
Time to rest our livers before New Years Eve.

  September Song (what a great Key West Crazy Christmas) out
Bob


A picture perfect day for cruising to Key West

The line and float were attached to a crab trap. Not anymore! We caught it on our stabilizer fin and the prop cut off the trap. When we got into the marina, it was floating next to the boat. At least it was red and green for Christmas. I hate crab traps! (But we love the crabs!)

This bird is a frigate and it spends most of its life out over the water. We see them many miles off shore floating on the thermals.

Lots of people out enjoying a beautiful day on the waters off Key West

Cruise ship in for the day

Only in Key Weird

They'll do anything for a buck

Now that's a one man band

Cassie and Godiva have a job. This dog works the crowd collecting dollars. Training starts tomorrow girls

People gathered for sunset at Mallory Square

I'll bet the dog makes more money

Sunset at Mallory Square

Tammy getting a tattoo for Christmas

Ouch!

Here's looking at you from Key Weird

And we will eat them raw

Raw oysters and beer at the Half Shell to start off Christmas Eve.

The band at one of our favorite haunts, Schooners Wharf

Gotta have a cigar after the best wings in the world at Schooners Wharf or the night wouldn't be complete

stopped by to catch some great music by friends Scott and Dave playing at Margaritaville

Cassie and Godiva digging into their Christmas stockings

Godiva looking for more stuff in the bottom of her stocking

Doug sporting his Christmas earrings

Godiva, you are so cute

Rib roast on the rotisserie. YUUMM!

Merry Christmas from the fly bridge of September Song

Party Cat headed out for a Christmas sunset

A dog gone good Christmas in Key West!

We left Marathon Thursday morning and it was a great day on the water. We saw lots of birds, fish, crab traps, and other boats. I watched the whole time for crab traps and my lazy sister just slept on the way. My Mom says the only thing good about crab traps is that she gets to eat the stone crab they catch. As hard as I watched for traps, we hooked one on our stabilizer and it was dragging behind the boat. Dad tried to cut it loose, but the prop did that for him. When we got to Key West, Mom and Dad got the line and float off. Dad hates crab traps and cusses at them.
When we got to Key West (Dad calls it Key West Crazy and Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy call it Key Weird) Mom and Dad took us for a walk to see some of our old friends. It wasn't a very long walk, because Mom and Dad said they had to have some oysters and something about fixing a wing, or was it a wing fix at Schooners Wharf, and they said they were real thirsty after that long trip and taking us for a walk.
Friday Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy got here YIPPEE!!!!! Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy were real thirsty and said something in town had to be painted, some oysters were calling them (I didn't hear the phone ring) and the four of them were going to fix some birds wings, or was it a wing fix. Well there must have been lots of painting that needed to be done, because they didn't get back until after midnight, and they could hardly walk they worked so hard in town. They did mention that wherever they were painting that there was music playing, so I guess that wasn't so bad. Also the paint smell must have been bad, because Dad and Aunt Tammy had to smoke a cigar to cover up the smell. Me and Cassie were getting really worried that they wouldn't make it home in time to turn on the anchor light, and besides, we needed to go to the bathroom. Cassie said she was going to turn it on, but I said Dad would get mad, and then she wanted to go out looking for them. She always gets in trouble and blames it on me.
Well, Santa found us and our stockings were filled with goodies. I love Christmas, I love my Mom and Dad, and it was extra special because Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy were here too.
The four of them spent Christmas day on the boat with us and fixed all kind of great food. We got a little, but Mom said we couldn't have very much because Cassie would puke. After a great Christmas day there must have been a little painting left to be done, so the four of them went back to finish. The oysters must have stayed at home because they weren't calling, and all the wings must have been fixed because they didn't mention them, but the last bit of painting smelled because they needed another cigar, and while they were finishing the painting they got thirsty again, but they said that music was playing while they were finishing.
Today, Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy had to drive back home, but they all went to Pepe's for breakfast and the guy who played while they were painting met them there to have breakfast with them. We will miss Uncle Doug and Aunt Tammy, but they promised it wouldn't be long before they came to visit again. They said that they may even come visit us when we are in the Bahamas. YIPPEE!
We are going back to Marathon tomorrow if the weather is good. A front moved through last night and it's windy today, and Dad and Mom said if the winds don't calm down, we may stay for another day. If we don't leave tomorrow, maybe we can go to town and see some of our Key West friends and smell butts. (without the jingle bells collars, please, just our sunglasses)

September Song dog (Merry Christmas everybody from Key West) out
Godiva

That's me and my sister Cassie. Dad's always taking pictures. We always look cute so he gives us cookies after he takes our picture. We have been wearing these collars for a few days now, and the bells are really getting to me.

I know, I know, I look really silly. Hey! I would do anything for a cookie. Thank God they didn't make me wear that hat out in public. Dad tried to get Cassie to wear the hat, but she said it looked stupid, and wouldn't put it on. She still got a cookie and didn't have to put on the hat. Not fair Dad!

Mom, Dad Uncle Doug, and Aunt Tammy got in really late Christmas Eve, and stepped (stumbled) onto the boat. Cassie and I were getting really worried that Dad wouldn't get home in time to turn on the anchor light so Santa could find us.
He found us, he found us!!!!!!
That's me and my sister Christmas morning taking stuff Santa left us out of our stockings.

I know there is something else at the bottom.

This is my Uncle Doug. He puts funny things on just like us. Dad and Mom didn't make him wear his Santa earring when they went out Christmas Eve. When we went out for walks we had to wear our jingle bells collars. I'm glad all our dog friends in Key West had to wear stupid stuff, or they would have made fun of me and Cassie

That's my Aunt Tammy. For Christmas she got a tattoo. It was way cool. It's a unicorn. Aunt Tammy is allergic to us and has to take a pill so she doesn't sneeze, but she loves us anyway.

This dog goes around the crowd at Mallory Square and collects money. I told Mom and Dad I could do that with my sad face look and I could buy dog treats with the money. Dad says his Dad plays the banjo. My Dad says he only knows how to play the spoons.

This is another dog friend that does tricks for tips. She is really old and doesn't do many tricks anymore. She just looks sad and people give her money. Dad, can we stay in Key West? I like all my weird friends here.

This is my friend Rudolf. No, he's not a reindeer, he's a dog! He can't help it if his Mom and Dad gave him a Christmas name. I think he's kinda cute, and he likes me.

Special day to us

Today is a special day. Today is our tenth anniversary. Stephanie and I have been together for more than ten years, but ten years ago we said I do. We were married in the smallest church in America, in Eulonia, Georgia. There were seven of us including the minister, and I think that's all that would fit in the church.
The years we have spent together have been so wonderful, and she is my best friend, lover, and the admiral of our ship. I don't know what I did to deserve such a great wife, but I'm just glad we had the good fortune to find each other.
It's not the life you live, but the person you live your life with. Every time I think our life together couldn't get any better, and we couldn't get any closer......It does, and we do.
I don't know what the future will bring, but I know as long as we are together, all will be OK.

September Song (I love you Stephanie) out
Bob

{from Stephanie - And I love you more than words can say. I'd do it all again!}