Strange visitor

We have been doing chores on September Song, and she is so happy when we work on her. While we were cleaning the pilot house sun screens on the dock, we had a visitor that stopped by for a drink when it heard the fresh water running off the dock. Manatees (sea cows) are so huge, but so graceful in the water. When ancient mariners first saw them, they thought they were mermaids. (a long time at sea and a little too much rum I think) When they decided they weren't mermaids, they ate them.
Another visitor in the water, Kevin, a diver who cleaned September Song's bottom. I swear, (well, not too often) she shivers and smiles when she gets her bottom cleaned.
Well, the plan is set. Doug and Tammy (AKA Gypsies in the Palace) will be here Friday with our van and we will head out, along with Norm and Vicki on Tide Hiker, to Key West on Saturday and go KEY WEST CRAZY. It could get ugly! I will take lots of pictures. Not all will be blog appropriate, so for a private viewing you will need to sign a non-disclosure statement.

September Song (can we call you for bail money?) out
Bob


A manatee stopped by for a drink.

A face only a mother could love.

Another creature visited September Song. It's Kevin, our bottom cleaner.

September Song is always so happy to have her bottom cleaned and powdered

The Snow Birds have landed

After a great Thanksgiving we had to make a trip into Islamorada on Friday and have lunch at the Islamorada Fish Company (stone crab is in season) and explore the World Wide Sportsman Store. I said we wouldn't go shopping on Black Friday, but the World Wide Sportsman is a must when in Islamorada.
Saturday morning we weighed the anchor. (it's still 55 lbs) and put the pointy end South again. We went out into the Atlantic because it was such a beautiful day, and we only had thirty miles to Marathon, and tried our luck fishing. No luck, but the trip was beautiful.
Sunday was clean the boat day and our cruising friends Norm and Vicki on Tide Hiker came in, so of course we had to celebrate our arrivals in Marathon with a little wine, pizza, and laughs on the fly bridge of September Song on a beautiful night.
Today we got Bee and Bop out of their cave (haven't been on the bikes in a long time) and headed to Publix for a few things, and then hit the pool for the afternoon.
Friday Doug and Tammy (AKA Gypsies in the Palace) are bringing down our van and Saturday we are all headed to "KEY WEST CRAZY" to visit some, well, maybe all of our old haunts. Please send me your phone numbers so if we need to be bailed out, we can call you. Ron, Georgia Girl works at Guy Harvey's now, so we will stop by and I will take pictures (maybe she has a new tattoo to show us) and say hello for you.

September Song (Key West here we come) out
Bob

The Islamorada Fish Company

Does anyone remember Zane Gray

Said we wouldn't shop on black Friday, but we had to go into the Islamorada World Wide Sportsman.

Stone crab are in season. YUM!

The first of our cruising friends arrived in Marathon a day after we did.

Vicki, the Admiral on Tide Hiker ready with the lines.

Our Keys alarm clock

Life is good in the Keys

When it's 85 and sunny, it's time to hit the pool. These two snowbirds have landed.

We had the whole pool to ourselves

Found two coconuts that fell out of the tree. Looked on the Internet to see the best way to clean it. Said to remove the milk first. Never did find the udders.

Next it said to beat it with a hammer. There must be a better way. AH! Publix. After a lot of work we did finally get to the insides, and Stephanie made a fabulous Indian dinner.