Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Started out really nasty looking this morning.  Jumped in the shower, but no water pressure in the park again, so I couldn’t wash my hair.  So, the sky is covered with dark grey clouds, I couldn’t wash my hair, so I said to Mike…”let’s go to Galley Grill for breakfast.”  So off we went—really early too.  It was only 9:20 when we walked out the door.  Mike had to pick up a prescription from Walgreens that he’d ordered anyway.  Stopped at the Galley Grill and took the last parking spot.  This is not looking good I thought.  Anyway the place was slammed.  There’s a marathon of sorts happening and there are runners all along Highway 1, along with way stations, emergency vehicles, etc.  We waited for a table and finally decided to leave and just go to Walgreens.  Turns out they didn’t have Mike’s script ready yet, so back we go.  Tried Mangrove Mama’s for breakfast.  That was slammed as well, but we were at least able to get a table and something to drink.  Things are looking up I thought. Then sat there for 45 minutes and when we asked our waitress the status of our order, she looked through her book and admitted, red-faced, that she had never turned in the order.  So we left and went home and wolfed down some lunch.  Some days you should just not venture out anywhere. 

Schooner America

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another beautiful warm and sultry day.  Everything was wet this morning.  Charlie stopped by with Maple and I gave her a treat.  Johanne and I walked and on the way back I met Mike at Mangrove Mama’s for breakfast.  The owner has a really neat dog—Bailey.  She’s a golden retriever.  Stopped to say good bye to Esther and Gerald’s daughter, her husband, and their son Etienne. They’re on their way back to Canada. Came back and changed into shorts and relaxed outside for a while.  Clouded up and sprinkled a little.  But the clouds blew away revealing a beautiful blue sky.

Three pelicans we encountered on the bridge over Bow Channel.

Met Mike here for breakfast on the way back from our walk.  Seems funny to come in here and not get a drink of some kind. 

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another perfect day today.  I called Johanne and asked if she wanted to bike over to Cudjoe.  She did, so Johanne, Mike and I headed out.  Charlie stayed at their site and cooked bacon and eggs.  Smelled pretty good.  Anyway, we biked all through a residential area on Cudjoe Key.  Some pretty nice homes back there on deep water canals.  A beautiful day for it.  Clear blue sky and a gentle breeze.  And every once in a while you’d get this wonderful fragrant smell of some kind of vegetation.  Flowers or something.  Biked back and sat with Charlie and Johanne for a while.  Then back to our site for some lunch and relaxing outside reading and just looking at the beautiful blue sky.  Upper 70s today.

Doors of Cudjoe Key

Johanne and Mike

Doors of Cudjoe Key

Charlie playing a new song he's learning.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another great day today.  Got a great night’s sleep last night.  Was ready to take my shower and realized there was no water pressure in the park.  So, asked Mike to turn on the water pump in the fifth wheel so I could shower with water from our tank.  The water pump didn’t work!  So, got dressed and headed out for my walk.  Walked around the lake first and then stopped to get Johanne.  Again, we walked up to the Bow Channel bridge and back picking up trash along the way.  Stopped at Johanne and Charlie’s site and had my iced tea and Mike showed up, so we talked with them for a while and then back to our site.  Took a much needed shower and then sat outside reading and enjoying this beautiful day.  No-see-ums drove me back inside eventually.  Left-overs for dinner.  Upper 70s again today.

Favorite mode of transportation for locals.

Doors of Key West

 

Doors of Key West

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  What a beautiful first day of 2013!  Sunny and warm under a clear blue sky.  Went for a walk with Johanne.  We walked up to the bridge on bow channel—picking up trash along the way.  Came back and cavorted with the Canadians.  Sat outside reading for a while but kept nodding off.  Came in and took a nap since I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.  Hate doing that because I always feel worse after.  Made pasta for dinner. 

Pelican on the bridge--they're so prehistoric looking.

Screen room at Charlie & Johanne's site.

Stairs Charlie built so Maple could get in and out of their fifth wheel.

Hi Maple!

Their tiki bar.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Warmer this morning.  We had to do our laundry and grocery shopping today.  Of all days I thought, since especially the grocery store is slammed on New Year’s Eve.  But we got it done and it wasn’t too bad.  Having dinner tonight in Marathon with Charlie and Johanne.  Then I’m not sure what we’ll do.  The band Reach is playing at the KOA.  Not sure.  I think I've had enough revelry for a while.  Maybe just hang out with the Canadians. We’ll definitely not go into Key West though.  Upper 70s today.

On New Year's Eve in Key West, they drop Sushi, a drag queen, in a red high heel shoe.  You gotta love Key West!

The last sunset of 2012

Charlie and Johanne

Mike and I and the last sunset

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  What a difference a day makes!  Warm and humid yesterday—cool and windy today.  Sunny but only in the 60s!  Carpets still wet, so everything still in disarray.  Left around noon to go to Key West and the San Carlos Theater to see James Slater, Joey and Rory, and Howard Livingston.  A great show—more of a jam session really.  All acoustic guitars and Slater on the grand piano.  Very relaxed and impromptu.  After the show we met Charlie and Johanne for dinner at Martins on Duval.  Enjoyed a great meal and then walked around Duval a little.  Lots of people in town for the New Year’s festivities.  

Christmas tree in the lobby of the San Carlos.  Christmas was forbidden in Cuba until the late 90s.  Decorations still only allowed in some of the hotels.

Joey and Rory

Howie

James Slater on the grand piano

A friend of Slater's--a Peruvian girl--was sitting in the audience behind us.  He got her up on stage  to sing a beautiful song in Spanish.

Martin's on Duval