March 12-15, 2014
Welcome
Aboard, Joe Weston! Having Plan A aborted for transportation from Islamorada to
Marathon by his friend's untimely accident on Wednesday, Joe skeptically chose
Clay's plan to stand with his luggage by the side of Highway US 1 in Islamorada
and flag down a southbound bus. When Clay told him of this option, Joe was
hesitant. But sure 'nuf and with cash in his pocket, Joe flagged down the
Key-West-bound bus, stowed his luggage in the side compartment and hopped
aboard, only to be greeted by the bus driver speaking in broken English,
"Senior Citizen, $1.35." Joe was so hoping the guy would at least ASK
if he was a senior citizen!
Clay
met Joe at the Publix parking lot on his 20" folding bicycle, and they lunched at Baricci Cafe, finding a
much healthier atmosphere and bill of fare than their first choice the Brass Monkey. The Brass Monkey was next to the Marathon bus stop and was highly recommended by a number of "locals" but it was a old-fashioned bar, plain and simple--no food to be found, no menus but enough smoke you could cut it with a knife.
Trying to
parallel their walk to the SaSea Sally with Joe on foot pulling his oxygen concentrator and carrying a small bag and Joe's roller duffel bungee-corded to Clay's bicycle, the two fellas were a puzzling sight (but probably
not unique in this area). Joe's adventure had begun. Day 1 ended as we
introduced Joe to Dockside bar/grill and to the camaraderie we enjoy along the boardwalk with boaters docked there.
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| Portia Richter |
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| Low tide! |
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| Typical scene in Boot Key Harbor |
Thursday
morning Joe joined Clay and me on the walking loop around the golf course but
admitted painful knees and a pending appointment with Columbia Orthopedic
Group for assessment. Hey Joe, well aware of COG! He was extremely receptive to
my offer to join me at the pool where he and I both swam laps, but where he was
also able to complete some of his daily routine pool exercises. Joe will
readily admit that good joints are an asset to good boating! I squeezed in some
routine house chores while awaiting the 'surprise guests' Clay advertised to
Joe.
Later
afternoon we were visited by Illinois friends (surprise guests) Portia and Del
Richter who winter in West Palm Beach. Ready for a change of scenery, they had
planned a rendezvous with us which coincided with Joe's visit...a Stark Bros
reunion in the making as Joe, Clay and Portia were acquainted through their
work in the nursery industry and employment at Stark. A photo op ensued followed by a trip down memory lane over
drinks and snacks on the fly bridge as we recalled stories of nursery days gone
by. We ended the day with dinner for five at a nearby restaurant and plans for
some follow-up time together tomorrow.
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| Some "No Name Pub" wisdom |
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| Joe Weston and Del Richter |
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| Del, Portia, Sally, Joe, and Clay |
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| Some loose cash at No Name Pub |
Joe
readily realized that his daily pool exercises would greatly benefit his
enjoyment of the trip, so he again accompanied me to the pool prior to the
Richters' noon arrival Friday. Ready by noon pick-up time, we welcomed a
day-trip south to Big Pine Key for lunch at No Name Pub which featured hog handles and grouper
cheeks and a huge crowd. We got a laugh out of the aforementioned menu items
(can't remember what they were now), but no so much the crowd. Anticipating a
lengthy wait, we busied ourselves people watching and estimating the dollar
amount of the five layers of dollar bills taped and stapled to the walls and
ceiling; the entire interior was wallpapered with dollar bills much like we had
found at Cabbage Key, but the total here was estimated to be in the $90,000 range
as of last year and climbing. This popular place had quite a history, and we
became a tiny part of it. Notable, eh?
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| Miniture Deer on Big Pine Key |
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| Jerry, Del, and Joe |
Following
lunch, we house hopped to visit mutual friends Jerry and Mel Webster and
another Jacksonville IL couple who are friends of the Richters. At this second stop, we all got a
chuckle out of Del's comment, "What are you going to do once this
ordeal is over?," referencing, of course, the Great Loop which always
seems to be the topic of conversation.
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| Sally and Melanie |
Saturday
morning had us up well before dawn with plans to depart Sombrero Marina for the
Key Largo area. Because Joe's desire was to cruise (and not to sit in port), we
were anxious to accommodate, but not so anxious as to ignore the most basic of
boater safety...the weather. We'd had winds of considerable magnitude since his
arrival, this day being the first possible for departure. So, farewell to
Sombrero Marina and the friends, sights, sounds, and scenery we leave behind
here. Was fun! We're off at 7:45 a.m. with lines and fenders stowed, electric
and water hook-ups disconnected and a friendly wave to those who saw us off.
We left via the south end of Boot Key harbor. After a short excursion attempting to go "outside" in the Hawk Channel, Clay decided the "inside" (Inter-coastal) route, while 7 miles longer, would be a lot more comfortable.
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| Dauphins shadow us along the Inter-coastal in the Keys |
I
daresay there were very few times during our cruising hours that Joe was
without his camera. Always at the ready, he was often behind the lens focusing
on objects and scenery that grabbed his attention. His most notable photo was a
synchronized duo of dolphins jumping in perfect harmony, arching just beyond
arm's reach; it made Joe's facebook page and even the Columbia Daily Tribune
where it was featured as the picture of the week soon after his return home. (This isn't Joe's pic; it is Clay's)
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| Gail and Jerry Smith |
We arrived
at the Anchorage Resort and Yacht Club, Key Largo late afternoon Saturday where
Captain Clay balked at our slip assignment, noting cement docks which are, of
course, very unforgiving. A bit of friendly persuasion and only a little arm
twisting got us better positioned for docking and for company due to arrive
soon.
Clay, tipped off by Facebook posts, had once again connected with LAMO friends Jerry and Gail Smith who
were enjoying the month of March in Key Largo and who welcomed a boat tour and
dinner with us. Creekside Restaurant & Tiki Bar, adjacent to our marina,
was a great choice for dinner following snacks aboard the SaSea Sally. As we
re-boarded the boat under a full moon, I was treated to the sight of
vacationers netting live shrimp in the waters surrounding the marina slips. What
fun to watch the little critters dart about under shining spotlights and a full moon, often
straight into the nets of the awaiting shrimpers. So cool! I witnessed so many
bucketfuls that I quickly regretted Clay's having left his net at home. Such
excitement and unexpected pleasure nonetheless to applaud each catch.
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| Jerry and Gail Smith, Joe Weston, Sally and Clay Logan at the Anchorage Resort dock, Key Largo FL |
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