Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another beautiful, warm day.  Charlie stopped by with Maple on their walk around the lake.  Gave Maple her requisite treats.  Sat outside in the sun reading for a while.  After lunch Esther and Gerald stopped by with their new acquisition—Foxy the Pomeranian.  She is so cute!  They got her from the Key West shelter. And she is such a good dog.  I told them I had just finished printing the Cribbage rules/directions that I downloaded from the Internet.  They invited us over to play a few games since we’re just learning. It really helps to play with people who know what they’re doing.  Came back and had left-overs for dinner.  79 today. 

Wild flowers we encountered on our hike around Crane Point

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Drove up to Key Largo today because we have to stop at Holiday RV there on our way to the Everglades to get a new water pump.  Mike wanted to see where it is exactly since we’ll be pulling the fifth wheel.  Checked out the place and got the new pump ordered. It’ll be an easy in and out since it’s on the ocean side.  On our way there we stopped at the Stuffed Pig for a sumptuous breakfast.  On our way back down the Keys we stopped at Duck Key and explored around a bit.  Then stopped at Crane Point  in Marathon which was purchased by the Florida Keys Land & Sea Trust in 1989, thus preserving this 63 acre treasure from future development.  This area was originally settled by  Bahamian immigrants and then the Cranes purchased the property and built a home on the point with panoramic views of Florida Bay.

The Adderley House--built by Bahamian immigrant, George Adderley.  He built this home out of "tabby" (made of burnt seashells) in the early 1900s.  It's the oldest home in the Keys outside of Key West and is on the list of historic places.

The Cranes bought the property and had this house built at the end of the point in 1954.

This is the home as it looks today.  They're planning on rehabbing when they get enough money.

One of the views of Florida Bay from the house.

They had a protected lagoon where they could swim.

Hiking the trails in here was a bit of a challenge--lots of sharp coral and roots as big as my thigh.  But I don't know how the early pioneers were able to navigate through these mangroves.

Another little key off the end of Crane point.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Charlie stopped by with Maple this morning.  I had a 9:00 hair appointment, so we were off by 8:30.  After that we did the laundry and grocery shopping.  Had lunch at the Big Pine Restaurant and then back home.  Relaxed for a couple of hours—inside, since it was raining off and on.  Wasn’t supposed to.  Cleared off by the time we headed to the first wine tasting gathering sponsored by a guy in our park, Richard.  We tasted and rated Mal Bec wines from Argentina.  We were all speaking Spanish by the time we finished.  There’s a lot involved in these tastings.  Richard drives up to Miami to select and buy the wines.  It’s always great fun.  I now have a red wine headache.  Esther and Gerald weren’t there.  They’re trying to adopt a Pomeranian from the KW dog shelter.  Hope they got her.  Can’t wait to see her.  Maybe we’re next?

The wines we tasted.

Our table.

Richard, who organized the whole thing.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Still chilly and windy today.  Mike didn’t even go over for donuts.  I finished up the cleaning and Mike went over for shoes.  We decided not to go to happy hour since I had a headache I couldn’t get rid of.  Sinuses I guess.  A nice sunny day, but the high was supposedly only 71.  With a stiff breeze.

Cottage across from the cemetery.

Key West cemetery.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Brrrr!  Cold this morning!  Didn’t even want to get out from under the covers.  Put a pot roast in the crock pot first thing.  Then we decided to wash the walls, ceiling, and all the lights.  That took a couple of hours and then we watched a movie, “The Pilot’s Wife”, which Gerald had gotten from the clubhouse and gave to us.  Good movie!  Had our little electric heater going all day.  Really sunny, but cold and windy.  Stayed inside all day.  Pot roast with new potatoes and carrots for dinner.  Yum!  Perfect day for it.  Think it was 61 today.  Warmer tomorrow though.

Doors of Key West

Doors of Key West

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Felt pretty warm when I got up this morning.  Put on shorts and a tee shirt.  Charlie stopped by briefly.  After he left I changed into sweats and later added a sweatshirt.  Got progressively cooler and windier.  Watched our Netflix movie, “John Rabe”, about a German businessman whose actions saved about 200,000 Chinese after the brutal Japanese occupation of Nanking. True story.  There’s a big concert on the Truman waterfront which started at noon.  Howard Livingston, Three Dog Night, CW Colt, and others will be performing.  It’s a shame the weather has to be so nasty.  I think it’s 69 out there with around 20 mph winds.  Our office shut down today late morning because a lot of the people here in the park are working the event as volunteers.  Mike was up there when two girls from California came in who said they had a reservation and didn’t know what to do since the office was closed.  He helped them into an available site and told them to check with the office in the morning.

Doors of Key West

Pretty flowers in the rain.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  A rainy day today.  So we headed to Key West and saw “Django Unchained” at the Tropic Cinema.  I had no idea that this movie was a comedy—well, a dark comedy.  A long movie—2 hrs, 45 mins.—but very good.  Walked to and from the Tropic dodging rain drops.  About 75 today I guess.

Pictures from our Valentine's dinner with Esther and Gerald

Gerald & me

Esther and Gerald in silhouette at our table.

Awwww...

Enjoying the last rays of the sun.  

Pretty decent sunset.  The front is lurking out there somewhere.  On our way back to Sugarloaf Key it poured down rain and the temps dropped about 10 degrees.  The weather was perfect during our dinner though.