Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Another beautiful, really warm day. It kept clouding up with ominous looking clouds but cleared off and no rain. Didn’t do much. I had an appointment at 1:00 so that broke up the day. I finished “The Hemmingway Patrols” and started “Girl With a Pearl Earring” which is about the painting by the Dutch artist, Vermeer, and the possible relationship between the artist and his 16-year old subject. I’ve heard it’s a great book. Went for a walk. Mike grilled burgers and I made salads for dinner. The iguanas have been very active—making the parrots across the lake from us really agitated.

Iguana hanging out in the mangroves behind us

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Had a little headache this morning. Probably alcohol related. Washed out a few things and hung outside. Still really warm and humid. Sat outside reading for a while and then at 2:00 we took some drinks and snacks and joined Floyd and Terry at the rec hall. Floyd was cooking some ribs on the barbecue grill and the four of us played cards while they were cooking. Played cards and sipped coconut rum. When the ribs were done we pigged out. Think it hit 85 again today. Beautiful! After eating ribs we came back and watched TV.

Sunset at Lazy Lakes

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Spent the morning backing up the computer and taking care of other stuff on the computer. Then sat outside enjoying this beautiful day and reading my latest book—The Hemmingway Patrols. At around 5:00 we headed for the KOA and happy hour. After a couple of drinks there we joined a group who went to Boondocks for wings. Then back home. A beautiful night. We walked around the lake a little. Too dark for me. So we went back. A beautiful night—80°.

Sun, 12/13/09

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: This morning we left for breakfast and it was already 84. Went to the Galley Grill and got the last table. A couple of people had their dogs with them. Only in the Keys. After breakfast we stopped at the flea market and walked around and ran into Debbie and Craig who live in our park. Walked around with them for a while and then came back home. The Sunday party started at around 1:00. Don’t know who the band was, but they sounded pretty good. Mike walked over for a while but I stayed here and watched a movie I had taped—The Bourne Supremacy. Mike came back and watched football. We actually got the STL Rams game. Still really warm here. It’s definitely a summer weather pattern. Love it!

Sat, 12/12/09

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: This morning was pretty cloudy. I was sitting outside in shorts and it clouded up and with the wind I got chilly so went in and changed into jeans. We drove to Big Pine and did our grocery shopping and went to Pizza Works for our pizza fix. By now it’s hot—mid-80s—and I’m dying in jeans. Back home and put everything away and then changed back into shorts. Sat outside reading in the afternoon. At 8:00 we drove to the historic seaport area and parked in the old town garage and watched the lighted boat parade. It was a beautiful night—still 80°. The boat parade was really pretty. Boats of all sizes were decorated with lights in such a creative way. The best were the schooners because all the rigging was lighted with little white lights. Really nice. We then walked down to Finnigan’s Wake and watched Fiona Molloy who was performing there. Really fun night.

Sandy and Dan at the Tiki Bar

The Hammocks on Marathon

Fri, 12/11/09

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Really cloudy this morning. We drove to Big Pine Key and did the laundry. The Laundromat there has been redone and it’s beautiful. Even has two flat screen HD TVs. Back home and put everything away and I started my new book, “The Hemmingway Patrols”. Apparently during WWII while living in Cuba Hemmingway took his 38-ft. fishing boat, Pilar, out looking for German U-boats in the waters north of Cuba. Should be a good read. Clouds cleared off in the afternoon. Humidity has dropped quite a bit. Think it hit 80 today. Rented “Public Enemies” and watched after dinner. Pretty entertaining.

Lighthouse near The Hammocks on Marathon

Thu, 12/10/09

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL: This morning we drove to Marathon to meet Sandy and Dan. On their last day we planned on going to Pigeon Key and the Turtle Hospital. Went to the Stuffed Pig for breakfast again. Then we drove back to Knights Key to get the boat over to Pigeon Key. A perfect day for a boat ride. No wind, so the water was flat. Our route took us under both the new seven-mile bridge and the old seven-mile bridge. Pigeon Key is very historic since it housed the workers for the overseas railroad and then the overseas highway after the railroad was wiped out with the ’37 hurricane. After our tour we headed back to the dock to get on the boat and saw two rays. Back to Knights Key and then drove back to the Hammocks where Sandy and Dan are staying. Had to make it to the Turtle Hospital by 4:00 for our tour. Sandy and I walked since it’s only .5 mile and Mike drove. An interesting tour of this facility. They have a regular ambulance to go pick up these injured turtles and then they have an operating theater and an x-ray facility. They can perform laser surgery and endoscopic procedures. After touring the hospital we went back to see the turtles. The sicker ones are kept in small, individual tanks which are totally emptied, cleaned, and refilled every day. The healthier ones—but which can never be released—are kept in larger tanks which are fed by the water from the bay that runs through a filtering system. These turtles are so lucky to be getting this kind of care. After the tour Sandy and I walked back and we had drinks at the tiki bar and then had sandwiches for dinner. A really fun day—albeit really warm and humid. We played spades one last time and then we drove back. Saw three key deer on Big Pine Key—right along the road. The speed limit is 35 on that Key at night because of all the Key Deer.

Pigeon Key

Loggerhead Turtle

This guy was hit by a boat propellor