Christmas time in the Keys

Christmas in the Keys is a little different, especially when you live on a boat. All our cruising friends, including us, have family all over the country, with most of them living in the North. We all miss our families, especially during the holiday season, but with great cruising friends, 80 degree weather, trips to Key West, a party or something going on almost every day, golf, happy hours, living in shorts, t-shirts and flip flops, great Keys music, exploring in the tender, and in general enjoying life, we somehow manage. Don't you just hate us!

There are several posts, so you will need to click on "older posts" to see them all.

September Song (we do miss you all) out
Bob


A key deer welcoming us to Big Pine Key and No Name Pub.

There's not one inch of wall or ceiling that doesn't have a dollar bill on it.

Doug and Tammy stopped by for a night on their way to Key West.

Fun at Salty's. Ignore the sweat shirts. Yes, we do have a cool night every now and then. 

Carlton and Becky's daughter flew in for Christmas.

Christmas day on the dock.

This guy stopped by and asked if anyone was going sailing. He's traveling and doing all 50 states and was looking for a way to get out on the water in the Keys. 

Christmas dinner on the dock. Where did you eat Christmas dinner?

Christmas morning on September Song. I always turn on the anchor light on Christmas Eve so Santa can find Cassie and Godiva. 

One of the locals stopped by to say "Merry Christmas".

A couple of days after Christmas we loaded up the van and drove down to Key West to meet up with Doug and Tammy, and see two of our musician friends play.

Bil Krauss, our good musician friend, with one of his Christmas presents. Nice Hat!

Enjoying Scott at the Smokin' Tuna.

Enjoying a good cigar at Schooners........

....With two beautiful ladies.

Can you believe Michael McCloud has been playing at Schooners for thirty some years. I think he has the Keys disease.

Another great day in Key West.

Bil Krauss, playing at Irish Kevin's.

Going crazy at Irish Kevin's.

Cinderella at Schooner Wharf

New Years in Key West...NOT!

We headed out to Key West on the 29th to a beautiful day on the Atlantic, excited to spend the next three day with Doug and Tammy (Gypsies in the Palace) for Doug's 60th Birthday on the 31st, and a wild and crazy New Years Eve. We had a fantastically fun 29th and 30th, including Schooners, Irish Kevin's, Smokin' Tuna, A&B, breakfast at Pepe's and watching the Patriots win at The Lazy Gecko. The Four of us were all primed for a fabulous Birthday party for Doug and a wild and crazy New Years Eve in Key Weird. It wasn't meant to be. Doug woke up on the 31st and was so sick, they packed up and headed back to Cocoa. BUMMER! Stephanie and I decided to go out for lunch, then come back to take a nap and get ready to go out and party. I woke up from my nap and I was sick. DOUBLE BUMMER! We stayed on the boat, I slept a lot, and we headed back to Marathon early on New Years Day. Remember that beautiful cruise down to Key West? Not so on our cruise back to Marathon. Our bow is eleven feet and the fly bridge is twenty four feet, and we were taking spray all the way up on the fly bridge. I think you get the picture. Not a fun ride back. At least we got in two fun days!

September Song (on the mend) out
Bob


Beautiful day on the Atlantic with the pointy end headed for Key West.

Together again in Key West. WHOOPPIE!

Cassie and Godiva would love to have one of those.

Fun night at the Tuna with Scott Kirby.

Breakfast at Pepe's. Been there since 1909.

 

Turn around, Doug!

Sunday, new friends, Wytie and Sally, and their son Cam, who are docked next to us in Marathon, drove our van down to play with is for the day. Our first stop was to introduce them to Schooners Wharf.

Cam was a good sport at Irish Kevin;s.

Our friend, Bil, teaching him why the chicken crossed the road.

After crossing Duval, doing ten jumping jacks, coming back and high fiving everyone in the bar, he got his reward. A shot of whiskey. No shot glass needed. Great kid and a good sport.

SURPRISE SURPRISE!

We arrived back in Marathon early in the afternoon on New Years Day, Washed the salt off September Song from our wet ride back, and joined in on the New Years Day dock party pot luck. We were sitting at the table eating when we heard some familiar voices from behind the bushes. OMG! OMG! It was our great friends Jay and Nancy. They tried to get here in time to be waiting at the dock to catch our lines, but we got back from Key West early, but it was still a great surprise, and they are going to be here until Sunday.
More about our play time in the next couple blogs.

September Song (what a great surprise) out
Bob


What a huge surprise!

New Years Day dock party.

The table of wisdom fish with all our boat names on it.

It's so great to have them here!

Wednesday, we had our usual best ball tournament. The best part was that Jay joined us.

Jay didn't know if he was going to be able to do all 18, but the course let him use the only cart that the greens keepers use to do the back nine.

This was for a bird after his great drive to the green.

Steve and Kim came in on Maya, but not in time for golf, but they did make it for cocktail hour(s) at Cabana Breeze.