Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  This morning dawned warm and humid.  All night long there was a very strong smell of the sea—I guess wafting in from the flats around us.  We watched “Painted Veil” last night with Natalie Portman.  What a really, really good movie.  It’s about a British couple who move to China in 1925 or so.  The cinematography was fantastic.  Around 10:30 we put the bikes on the back of the truck and headed to Big Pine.  Parked in the Winn Dixie parking lot and biked down the road towards the Blue Hole.  We usually bike to the end of the road and then go back, stopping at the Blue Hole.  Because the weather was turning ugly, we biked a little ways past the Blue Hole and then turned around.  Stopped at the Blue Hole for a little bit and then biked back.  Stopped at QVC and Walgreens and bought a couple of sand chairs and umbrellas to use at a couple of unofficial beaches in the area.  Met our new neighbors—Shelia and Damon from Montana.  They both work at Boondocks.  A nice 20-something couple. Dinner tonight at the clubhouse.  Mexican theme.  78 today. 

The Blue Hole under a leaden sky

Pair of American Coots

Grebe

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Another beautiful, warm day today.  We did our usual laundry and grocery shopping.  After loading the washer I went for a walk on the bike path in Big Pine.  Sure beat sitting around the Laundromat.  After the laundry and grocery shopping we went to Pizza Works for our usual pizza.  Back home and sat outside enjoying this beautiful day.  Mike went over to pay for the rest of our stay here.  We just had salads for dinner.  A beautiful sunset tonight turning the puffy clouds a delicate shade of pink.  78 today. 

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Really socked in with fog this morning.  Like something out of a gothic novel.  Couldn’t even see the other end of the lake.  I wonder if that means a cold front has snuck in during the night while we were blissfully sleeping and dreaming of another sunny, warm day here in paradise?   It was mostly cloudy today but cleared off in the afternoon.  Charlie stopped over this morning with Maple.  Gave her some treats and Charlie had a cup of coffee.  The guy from the RV cleaning service came by in the afternoon and waxed the cap in the front.  Looks good.  The parrots were very vocal today.  The African Gray mimics a cell phone ringing. And they were whistling and talking.  Too funny.  Mid-70s today.

Fog shrouded vista

The other end of the lake is over there somewhere.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Mostly sunny today.  Clouds rolled in for a while but it cleared off nicely in the afternoon.  I spent the morning cleaning.  And we had the fifth wheel and the truck washed. They come to your site and do it right there.  So, at least the rest of our time here the RV will be clean.  As soon as we hit the road again it’ll be dirty.  Mike went over to play shoes at 1:00.  I put the site back together after the cleaning guys left and sat outside in the sun reading for a while.  They’re coming back tomorrow afternoon to wax the cap on the front.  As soon as Mike gets back from shoes, showers, and changes his clothes, we’re heading over to the KOA for happy hour.

Our group at the Schooner Wharf Bar

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Another beautiful day!  We picked up Charlie and Johanne at 12:30 and joined some other people from our park at the Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West to celebrate Dale and Carolyn’s birthdays. We had drinks and some lunch.  We actually ran into the couple whose table we commandeered on New Year’s Eve.  They parked in the same lot we did.  We left around 4:30 and headed back.  The Sunday party was going on when we got back.  Dropped off Charlie and Johanne and went back home to watch the football game with the Rams and the Seahawks.  If the Rams win, they’ll be in the playoffs.  Hopefully it will be a good game and we’ll win.  81 today.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  Had a GREAT New Year’s Eve!  Had dinner with Charlie and Johanne at Lazy Days on Marathon with phenomenal views of the sun sinking into the Atlantic.  Then we drove back to the KOA and were able to park on the road just outside the entrance of the park and walked over to the Pub.  The Lazy Lakes group was there in force and had commandeered a table—actually 4 tables—right in front of the stage and the dance floor.  Unfortunately not enough room for us latecomers, so we wandered out by the pool and were able to pull some tables together to accommodate.  The fact that two of the tables were already occupied by a solitary couple each didn’t deter us.  But we met four new friends.  Karen and Kevin from Ohio shared their table with us.  They’re in the KOA park until 1/10/11.  I’m sure we will see them again at happy hour some night.  After our first drink at the KOA (we’d already had a couple at dinner), we switched to non-alcohol drinks and at 12:30 when we left we were in fine shape—except for my back from some exuberant dancing.  The dance floor was so packed, we bumped elbows and other body parts with lots of strangers—well, not strangers any more.  A lot of the people from our park walk over to the KOA for this bash.  We found one of them staggering around and gave him a ride home.  Having a pork roast with mashed potatoes, apple sauce and a vegetable for dinner today.  Looks like it’ll be another beautiful day here on Key West time!

Charlie & Johanne

The four of us

The last sunset of 2010

Howard and the band

Cynderella, Howard's wife

Bought one of their tees.  Love it!

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Just relaxed all day today—mostly outside.  Planning on going to Marathon for dinner tonight.  Johanne and Charlie are joining us.  Then we’re going over to the KOA to enjoy Howard Livingston and the MM24 band.  Not planning on doing a lot of drinking, but we’ll see how that goes.  Just in case, I’m posting this early.

Maison Pres de la Mer