Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  It actually rained a little this morning.  Started out sunny, then a front moved through and then the rain.  Didn’t last long though and it was really warm.  Headed back to Big Pine Key to pick up a few things for our Christmas dinner at the clubhouse.  Had lunch on the water at The Wharf.  The afternoon was warm and breezy.  I sat outside reading for a couple of hours while Mike played spades on the computer.  82 today.  It’s been a really warm winter so far.

Love the gingerbread trim on this cute house.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another fantastically beautiful day today.  Unfortunately, we had to do the laundry and grocery shopping.  So we headed to Big Pine Key and got that done, had lunch at Pizza Works, and then back home.  Put everything away and then relaxed outside.  A couple of years ago the park planted banana trees and they’ve been producing bananas like crazy.  They give a lot of them away.  They’re different than the ones you buy in the grocery store.  They’re flatter in shape, bigger around, and they taste sweeter.  I love being where bananas grow.  81 today.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Not a great day today.  Got up early and on the computer to take care of some stuff.  It didn’t want to cooperate with me.  I had to re-boot several times to be able to print, etc.  At any rate, I spent the whole morning and then some.  Decided to go have a drink and some lunch.  Came back and sat outside reading for a while.  Then came back in and finished up on the computer.  Sometimes I want to throw the thing in the lake.  80 today.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another spectacular day in store for us—albeit windy.  After my shower I got the cleaning out of the way.  Made my smoothie and sat outside for a couple of hours reading about the Kennedy’s and watching large, puffy, white clouds scudding across a beautiful blue sky.  Happy hour at the KOA pub tonight and then probably on to Boondocks.  80 today.

Beautiful Keys sunset--New Year's Eve 2010

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Doug from the site across from us stopped over this morning with their dog, Bastion.  After they left I went for a walk while Mike went out and got a paper.  Later on Ray stopped by with his dog, Munch.  We always have dog treats on hand. Craig even stopped by for a while. The rest of the day we kicked back reading and relaxing.  Mike grilled up some steaks and I cooked up some sweet corn for dinner.  Very good.  80 today.  It's been a great winter so far!

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A beautiful morning.  We went to the Galley Grill for breakfast and then on to the flea market at Big Pine Key.  Not all the vendors are there yet—probably won’t be until after the New Year.  Drove down to the Blue Hole and saw a couple of Key Deer.  One was really tiny.  Our evening last night was great.  After the show we walked around and enjoyed all the Christmas decorations.  Key West is transformed at night with all the twinkling holiday lights.  It was wonderful walking around—temperature was 77!  Perfect!

The group at dinner.  Mike, Debbie, Craig, John, and Sandy

Holiday decorations

Beautiful!

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A mix of clouds and sun today—but mostly pristine blue sky.  I noticed Fat Albert was really low this morning.  I would love to know what electronics are in that thing.  It looks really small at 10,000 feet, but when you see it in its “cradle” on the ground it is quite huge.  Heading to Key West tonight for dinner at Michael’s and then going to see “Fantazimo”--the annual holiday burlesque show at the old Key West Armory on White Street, which is now a theater.  We’re going with two other couples—Debbie and Craig, and Sandy and John.  We’re taking Debbie with us, since Craig works at the Eco Center in Key West so he won’t have to come all the way home.  We’re all meeting at the restaurant and then walking up to the Armory.  Should be a fun night.  I know the dinner will be awesome.

Fat Albert being brought down for maintenance, probably.  Viewed from our back window.

This thing is held in place by a single cable--probably very big cable.  And the locals tell us that this  rather large blimp (I guess) broke loose of its tether while being lowered in anticipation of a thunder storm and skittered along through the Keys, dragging the cable and wreaking havoc as it went.  Took out the telephone poles and electric lines as it crossed Hwy 1 before they finally got it under control.  Another time it got loose it headed towards Cuba and they actually scrambled some fighter jets to shoot the thing down.  A Coast Guard cutter managed to get the cables affixed to the rear of their ship and it actually started taking the ship out of the water.  Not sure how true these stories are.  But they are great stories. 

Another view of Fat Albert