Cabbage Key and beyond

No, they don't grow cabbage there. The key is named for the cabbage palm. The island is one hundred acres and is a twenty eight foot tall Indian shell mound. The only way to the island is by water and has no roads or vehicles, just trails through the lush vegetation of the island. There are eighteen nesting American Bald Eagles that call this beautiful area home. The restaurant is a fun place with a funky bar and 70,000 dollar bills with all kinds of notes, names and dates on the walls and ceilings. Among its claims to fame are the cheeseburgers (Cheeseburger in Paradise) supposedly made famous by Jimmy Buffet. It is just a short ride by tender from the Pelican Bay anchorage where we spent three nights. We went there, did that, and did buy a t-shirt.
We are now docked in Sarasota and playing with the early arrivals and getting ready for the DeFever Rendezvous which starts Friday. We will be doing one of the seminars on Saturday with Cassie and Godiva called "A Dogs Eye View of the Bahamas". should be great fun. Maybe they will do a "dog blog" about it.
Tomorrow, Doug and Tammy will arrive and stay with us for two nights and Todd and Brenda on Life's2Short will arrive today. Tomorrow is St. Patrick's day and we will all be going to the big party here in Sarasota. They are blocking off the streets in downtown for the event. Can you say PARTY! Hopefully we won't be green Friday morning.

September Song (wearin the green Thursday) out
Bob

The view from the patio overlooking Pine Island Sound.

It is estimated that there is $70,000 on the walls and ceilings and 10,000 fall or blow off each year. Do you have one here?

Our "cheeseburgers in Paradise"

On the move

We are anchored in Pelican Bay just a short distance from Cabbage Key, where the song by Jimmy Buffet, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" supposedly was about. We will go over and get ours today.
We are sitting here in our calm, quiet anchorage, watching TV as I post this blog. We are on the water 100% of the time now that this is our only home, and I can't imagine what it would be like to be caught in a wave of the magnitude of the tsunami in Japan. Our thoughts and Prayers go out to the people of Japan.
We left Marathon earlier than we wanted because of the long range marine forecast, (when you live on a boat weather is always a factor) and it's a good thing we did. Wednesday, after we got into Naples, the skies opened up. The next morning, the morning we were to leave Marathon, the cold front came through with 45 knot winds and heavy rain. The winds calmed to 20 to 25 for the next 36 hours and it was cold. Glad we were at a dock!
Enough about disasters and bad weather. While we were stuck in Naples (not a bad place to be stuck) we took advantage of it and played with Joe, Julia, Paul and Helen. Naples is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here. I lived here twenty some years ago when it was a lot different. Property was still reasonable, and it was still a small town. It exploded over the past several years and now this area is one of the hardest hit with a huge number of foreclosures. We had a good time here, but boy, playing here is not cheap. In Marathon we could get a dozen stone crab claws for $15.00. Here in Naples you can get Five for $42.00. One beer, one glass of wine, and two mixed drinks, $32.00. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, just giving you the facts, maam, just the facts.
We left Naples Friday morning and cruised to the Pelican Bay anchorage where we have been enjoying playtime at the beach with Cassie and Godiva, and enjoying some down time before the partying begins again in Sarasota with over a hundred of our fellow cruisers and thirty-some boats
Today we will enjoy some playtime at the beach, then head to Cabbage Key for our cheeseburger in paradise, and then head to Sarasota tomorrow morning.

September Song (beach and a cheeseburger) out
Bob


Sunrise in our anchorage in West Pass just South of Marco Island as we get ready to leave for Naples. We never get tired of the sunrises and sunsets on the water.

Passing Marco Island on a calm day on the Gulf of Mexico headed to Naples.

The trip up the Gordon River is a trip through Port Royal with homes of the rich and famous.

How much room does a person need. You would need to have two way radios to find each other in this house.

Beautiful places, but I'm happy with 55 foot on September Song, and if we don't like our neighborhood we can move. Can't take that place to the Islands.

After the storm that made us leave Marathon earlier than we wanted, (45 knot winds) we were treated to a rainbow over the harbor in Naples. The next 36 hours we were treated to 20 to 25 knot winds and cold.

These two handsome guys watch from green 35 as we made our way to The Dock at Crayton Cove in Joe's new tender for dinner.

OMG... there are two September Songs.

Sea Pearl's new family car "Mini Pearl". Good looking ride Joe!

Out to dinner at the Dock at Crayton Cove.

This little girl needs to learn how to handle her milk. One too many glasses!

Speaking of little girls, this twelve year old was singing on the street corner on 5th Ave. in Naples. She was really good.

Cute hat Julia!

Fun with cruising friends Joe and Julia in Naples.

Irish music at McCabes on 5th avenue in Naples where it is always Saint Patrick's Day.

The countdown clock to St. Pat's day. At midnight on the 17th it will read 365 days. Always a pre-St. Pat's day party at this bar.

Sanibel Lighthouse as we came in from the Gulf of Mexico

OOPS!

Spring is in the air. Osprey setting up housekeeping on red 54.

Fun with Cassie and Godiva at the beach.

Thanks Mom and Dad, we had fun.

September Song at anchor in Pelican Bay on a beautiful, calm day.

Getting ready for Saint Patrick's Day. YIPPEE! Doug and Tammy are coming to stay with us for a couple of days in Sarasota including Saint Patrick's day. Let the party begin!

Too Short

My Brother Ron and his wife Rena arrived in Marathon Saturday evening. We didn't give them any time to relax after their trip. They picked up the key to the place they are staying, dropped their bags, and met us at Sparky's Landing with four of our cruising friends (who said they would take over for Stephanie and me) for a fun night of food, drinks (we were real thirsty) and some good music.
Our plan was to be with them until Thursday, when we would have to cast off the lines to make it to Sarasota for a DeFever rendezvous. The weather gods had a different plan. There was a front coming in on Thursday which would have delayed us, and Stephanie and I are giving a seminar on the Bahamas. If we waited for the front to go through we may have not made it in time to Sarasota.
We crammed as much as we could into the short time we had together. Sunday we hit The Stuffed Pig for a late breakfast (I guess that's called brunch) and that evening we headed over to the Keys Fisheries for a fun night of seafood, music (didn't hear much of that with all the laughing) and way too many drinks with Jay, Nancy, Therese, and Rick. Our boat friends said they would fill in for us because we had to leave Monday morning for Sarasota. Thanks guys!
I don't get to see Ron and Rena very often and it was great to see them, if only for a short time. I sure do miss them!
Sorry it took so long to post, but we left at 06:30 Monday, anchored out in the Everglades where there is no Internet service, and we just pulled into the Naples Boat Club. Stephanie was at the helm while I was blogging as soon as we were close to civilization again.

September Song (have fun in the Keys! Love you guys!) out
Bob


Rena, with her first oysters in the Keys. We gave them just enough time to get the key to the place they are staying, and met them at Sparky's Landing with four of our cruising friends Jay, Nancy, Rick, and Therese.

Slurping down her first.

Met up with them at the Stuffed Pig for breakfast Sunday morning. YUM!

The Keys Fisheries. Some of the best seafood in the Keys and the place we spent Sunday night with Ron, Rena, Jay, Nancy, Rick, and Therese. What a blast we had, and way too much to eat and drink. Oh well, I don't get to see my brother and sister-in-law very often, so we have to enjoy it to the max.

So great to be with Ron and Rena if only for a couple of days. Sure do miss them!

Therese, the crab claw eating machine, and Rick showing off his new t-shirt. It says, give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day...Teach him how to fish, and he will drink beer all day.

Crab claws, clams, and Rena's favorite, OYSTERS! Oh, and did I mention a few drinks and free sunset shots at sunset.

Having way to much fun at the Keys Fisheries Tiki Bar

I had to drive this wild and crazy bunch back from the Keys Fisheries. What great friends to help us welcome Ron and Rena to Marathon.

It's great to be back on the water again after our winter stay in Marathon, but our time with Ron and Rena had to be cut short. The weather gods didn't co-operate.

Took this picture of a funny little sailboat in the middle of the Gulf. Looked like a rocking hourse in the waves.