2013 - January to April - Summerland Key (Ho Hummmm) - Key West - Boca Grande

We left the Naples docks on January 5^th at 11am - nosed out into the Gulf & found calm seas. Discussion ensued - should we anchor at Shark River or just go for it all the way to Sawyer Key?? Hell…it’s calm, let’s go for it…after all, what’s the worst that can happen? The wind picked up a bit an hour or so before we reached Sawyer but no worries. We anchored by Sawyer (about 9 miles north of our home) at 10:15pm. We waited for the tide to get a bit higher so we could take the boat right to the house. The plan worked & we were able to go directly into the canal & tie up at the sea wall on the 7^th. We’ll be home until April 1^st when our friends, June & Pete, arrive for 2 months of fishing & vegging. Now that we’re ‘home’ what to do?? This is always the boring part….day in…day out drag of being at home. We really do love being at the cottage but hate being tied to a dock. The good things are: we have 3 bathrooms, a great outside shower, the VW, a large, flat screen TV with separate satellite so Wayne can watch what ever he wants to while I watch TV on the boat with its’ own satellite & a comfortable sitting area under palm trees. We completed many projects both in the cottage & on the boat. As usual, the weather was crazy - hot, cold, hot, cold & windy. Everyday, I had 3 sets of clothes out. In January, our friend, Joe & his friend, Carla visited for 5 days…great seeing him again & meeting her. I found a jeweler in Big Pine to re-connect my ring -now it’s just like new. We met Doug & Pat

(from TX docked in Marathon) at Lazy Dayz for happy hour then went to see “Five Women in the Same Dress”, a very funny play at the Marathon theater.

Sad news, on February 3^rd, our beloved Molly passed away. She died peacefully, in her bed with her favorite blanket & on the boat she loved & where she lived for 13 years. It was a very sad time for us & still is. Our friend, Billy Downes, came down from Boston &

Billy Downes from Situate, MA- now a Keys water Conch

bought a beautiful house on Big Pine & took him fishing-he caught a Tuny-threw it back- his lucky day (the tuny that is)

 

We had dinner with Bill & Mary (X-sailors) & got to

see their beautiful new house on Sugarloaf Key - we returned for a Super Bowl party; Doug & Pat visited for lunch & a lively afternoon; In March, Tom & Susan drove down from Palmetto to

Circa-2011

spend a few days with us. It was a wonderful reunion - we played many games of dominoes. We went to Doug & Pat’s sail boat, Scallywag,

Wayne & Pat on Scallywag

in Marathon for a yummy lunch & interesting conversation. Capt. Wayne came up with &

Doug & Wayne in serious conversation

executed a safer way to deploy the ‘flopper stoppers’ by adding a rope to the top of the booms & connecting it to the bow thus keeping the booms forward while deploying the ‘birds’. This keeps me safe from being squished when pushing on them to keep them forward. Steering on the dinghy was frozen - figures just when we’re ready to leave. We made arrangements to take it to our favorite mechanic, Mario, @ Fish & Race on Stock Island. On 4/1 Pete & Wayne dropped a car there & Pete & June cruised with us - fishing all the way…we got skunked - again! We ran late, the shop was closing so we we’d have to drop the dinghy off the next day. We raced over to Key West Harbor just in time for happy hour. Yummy “small plates”, served like in a 5 star restaurant @ ½ price. Large selections like angel hair pasta w/ lobster & filet mignon for $7...can’t beat that plus the view is awesome. It was too dark to navigate out of the marina so we stayed the night at the fuel dock - what’s the worst that can happen?? We explained the situation the next morning-all was good, off loaded the dinghy & were on our way to an anchorage nearby. My cousin, Sue & her love, Dean from Philly, were flying into Key West on the 9^th & we were concerned if the repairs would be done by the 9th - they weren’t. We took a dock in KW & met them at Dante’s on the KW bite.

Dante's pool & bar

It was a great reunion. Got them settled on the boat. & put away all the yummy treats they brought down - steak from their butcher & Taylor pork roll - yes! We took off for Duval St -

Sue & Dean @ the Smokin' Tuna

had dinner then strolled. The next day we hauled ass to pick up the dinghy then off to Boca Grande, an island about 2 hrs west of KW. Perfect weather & the water was in the 80’s. 

Sue

 Sue was in the water the the whole time. It was a wonderful few days spending time with my favorite

 

cousin (& Jersey Boy of course - that's what I call him)…no work, no distractions but all good things must come to an end - sadly, they took the ferry to Ft Myers on the 12th. Sue has a house in Bonita Spgs & they were going to a family wedding in Tampa on the 13th.

 

Saying goodbye