Tue, Jan 1:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Well, we stayed in last night to watch the Missouri bowl game.  We shouldn’t have because they lost.  I fell asleep and woke up at 11:55 and saw the ball drop in NYC and then in Nashville, and then in New Orleans, and then in Dallas.  I could not get back to sleep.  But we had a good New Years dinner at the clubhouse this afternoon.  They cooked up two hams and a turkey and everyone brought a side dish.  A great meal and then a bunch of us played Jokers for a while.  Mike left after two games and I stayed for three more games.  I was drinking wine and then they brought out the Red Ball.  We had a lot of fun  Happy New Year!  And another beautiful day.  80s again.  Tonight the stars were beautiful.

Doors of Key West.

Mon, Dec 31:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A nice day today weatherwise.  But a little too windy.  A bunch of people are going over to Looe Key tonight for New Year’s.  We staying in and watching the Missouri bowl game.  I’m okay with that.  Hope Missouri wins, but it’s not looking good right now.  82 today and windy.

Sunset over the flats.
Clubhouse at Lazy Lakes

Sun, Dec 30:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A laid back day today.  I walked around the lake early and then sat outside reading for a while.  Mike slept in until 10:00.  I made a four-bean salad for dinner and the chicken breasts have been marinating all day.  Watched a couple of episodes of “Shameless” and we decided to take the laundry over and get it done so we can sleep in tomorrow if we want.  While over at Dale and Carolyn’s an ambulance and a fire truck rolled in.  They were looking for site 79 and we told them how to get there.  We know the guy at that site.  Hope he’s okay.  It’s not good to see an ambulance rolling in here.  82 today and breezy.

Schooner Western Union at sunset.
Key West

Sat, Dec 29:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, Fl:  Off to the flea market this morning.  It’s not fully opened yet, but I bought some earrings and also some produce.  Then we did our grocery shopping and back home.  Sat outside reading for a while and then I decided to blow up my bicycle tires and Dale walked over and offered his compressor.  Took my bike over to his site, but he didn’t have the tip or something, so he couldn’t do it.  So back and continued blowing up with our bicycle pump.  Got them sort of blown up and then took it out for a ride.  I noticed some rubbing on one of the gears, so we have to take our bikes to the bike shop to get them tuned up.  I didn’t even know anyone was home over there, but Carolyn was off for her exercise class and Dale was by himself.  So I went over and invited him over for some wine.  He came over and shortly after that Carolyn showed up.  We sat around drinking and we spotted Char and Jerry walking around the lake.  Enticed them over and we corrupted them as well.   Several glasses of wine later and we all parted company and went to cook our dinners.  Luckily, we were just going to warm up our beef tips and gravy along with mashed potatoes for dinner.  Now we’re in and watching football.  Notre Dame and Clemson right now.  Then later tonight Alabama Tide.  Syracuse won last night!  Yes!  82 today and beautiful.  Our awnings are back out and there’s enough of a breeze to keep the no-see-ums at bay.

A couple of iguanas sunning themselves by the lake.

Fri, Dec 28:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Walked the trash over to the dumpster this morning and then came back and told Mike I’m going to walk around the lake and did he want to go.  No, he said.  So I walked around the lake and then we sat outside for a while reading and watching Dale and Carolyn washing their fifth wheel and truck.  Took off for Big Pine to run some errands and then stopped at Mangrove Mama’s for lunch.  When we got back Dale wandered over with a glass of wine and was soon joined by Carolyn.  Sat around talking with them for a while and after they left we came inside and got ready for a bowl game between Syracuse and W. Virginia.  Going to have chips and dip while watching the game.  Hope it’s a good game.  Alabama is playing Oklahoma tomorrow.  There’s two couples here in the park from Alabama.  I was talking with them and told them I didn’t think anyone could beat Alabama.  But we’ll see.  82 today and the wind isn’t as bad.  Maybe tomorrow we can put our awnings back out and the frothy little things won’t be blown into our site. 

Lazy Lakes

Thu, Dec 27:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A nice day today, but really windy.  We walked the trash over to the dumpster and ran into Sandy Bush and her husband, John.  John and two other guys in here are going to bike to Hurricane Hole on Stock Island—only about 14 miles, but it’s all on Hwy. 1.  Not a good idea.  Very dangerous.  Their wives are going to Hurricane Hole to enjoy some cocktails and wait for them to get there.  We went into Key West to get a new pot for our fake plant and on the way back stopped at the Hurricane Hole to maybe have a drink with the girls.  But no place to park, so we continued on home.  Ran into the guys on their trek.  Hope they made it okay.  Dale and Carolyn stopped over for wine last night.  And this afternoon they came by on their way to Jerry and Char’s.  Told us to come on over with them.  So we all went over and made them come out and play.  82 in here today.

Big motor home next to us.

Dale and Carolyn on their way over to Jerry & Char's.

These big frothy tumble weed kind of things keep blowing into our site from the lake.  I gave up trying to blow them off.

Wed, Dec 26:  Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Our dinner yesterday at the Double Tree was a great success!  Hopefully we’ll do that every year.  We got there early and sat at the bar outside enjoying a cocktail and others started showing up.  After the dinner we gathered at the clubhouse and chatted for a while.  Today it’s windy out there.  The weather report said today would be “breezy” and tomorrow would be downright “windy.”  Our plant blew off the table outside and the container broke.  So, we have to get another.  Dale and Carolyn showed up around 1:00 in the site sort of across from us.  They left Traverse City, MI, Christmas Eve, and got here at 1:00!  Said they just kept driving because the highways were empty.  We could never drive long days like that.  Anyway, they’re here safe and sound.  Must be upper 70s out there, but doesn’t feel like it because of the wind. 

The group at the Double Tree.
Pictures by Sandy Bush.