2/9/16    Tuesday    FAT TUESDAY   Boot Key and Key West, FL

An adventure day w/Dick and Nora Tryon. Our planned trip to Crane Point was cancelled. The Trolley driver called in sick. It looked to be a not too pleasant day for the beach so we decided to take a trip to Key West. Off like a herd of turtles around noon, pre-lunch but who cares. A road trip.

WhoooooWhoa! David haven't been in too many cars lately...traveling at the extreme rate of 55 mph...with LOTS of traffic.....quite different from our slow 8 mph pace with maybe four other vehicles in sight. Yikes!! We stopped in Bahai Honda Key which is mostly, maybe totally, a state park/campground. Some beauty here. A gorgeous deserted beach on the Atlantic side and these Ibis on the Gulf side. I watched them drink by turning their heads to the side so their long beaks lay in the water. Very odd and adaptive!

Continuing on our way to Key West and into the CROWDS of people and traffic. Intense! Again, David and I have been mostly alone (on the boat) or with a few people at a time. Crowded sidewalks and loud people and music competing for air time and attention. Phew! People as obstacles to get around. Reminding me of why I left NYC all those years ago. We walked and walked but were too late in the day to do much museum-type activities so we'll have to go back. Also didn't get to see my friend Shelia who lives on a quieter end...not Duval St. We had to have lunch in Margaretaville, of course. And then just walked and walked, looked and looked.

Reportedly a Hemingway haunt

decorated pick up truck

Not the Rockland Strand    

Roosters and chickens everywhere and the guys announced themselves frequently

just pretty

We stayed to see the sunset along the wharf, a beautiful park, at Mallory Square. Lots of street performers, one duo (the Red Trousers) we watched their entire 20-30 minute act. They were wonderful, young neo-vaudevilians ..... from NH - David and Tobin. Great audience interaction and really skilled balancing and acrobatics as well as jugglers.

Key West (and life) travel buddies, Nora and Dick Tryon

I called our next door boat neighbor and asked her to check in on Amelia since we were going to be back late. She agreed and petted and fed Amelia. David and I arrived back at the marina around 8:30, got ourselves in the dinghy, left one dock to arrive at another dock to fill our water jugs. Yep got water and the dinghy engine would not start...wouldn't even turn over. Oh merde!

David took engine somewhat apart to check spark plugs. Tried again and again to start. Nada. I was surprised at how calm and relaxed I was...assuming David would be able to fix the engine...or someone would come to help us...or we'd curl up in the dinghy and be cold but safe overnight.

Someone was leaving the dock and asked if we were okay. "No. We need a tow." So he towed us all the way out to our boat in the creek, quite a distance from the harbor on a dark and windy night with the current running against us. Turning out of the harbor and into the creek we slowed way down. Our rescuer's engine was not very powerful. So....David and I paddled to help us all along. Rescuer would turn his cyclopes headlamp around to ask, "Straight ahead?" Yep, straight ahead. "Left up here?" Yep left around the bend.

As we came to our boat rescuer said, "Hey, we know each other. You rafted up with me in Vero Beach." "Mike, is that you?  We wondered what had happened to you. How's your shoulder? Wow, you are really our hero tonight." etc.

So many sweet coincidences, and wonderful re-joinings. Makes me smile and my heart expand. He is here for he doesn't know how long. He'd taken a fall the day we met and really wrenched his shoulder which is not healing quickly because he can't quit using it. He lives on a boat. We'll see him again in the daylight, I hope.

Aside from the guilt of ignoring Amelia and leaving her alone all day, the day was delicious.