Islamorada Nautical Flea Market

2/25/2017

Although I slept well last night, Clark said that he could still hear the fast-boat boaters partying until sometime after 3:00 a.m. I guess he did not sleep through their partying like I did! Unfortunately for him, plans for today required that we rise early this morning. The alarm went off shortly after 7:00 a.m. - an unheard of hour for us to be rising for the day. 

A contingent of boaters, ourselves included, set off for the Islamorada annual Nautical Flea Market shortly after 8:00 a.m. Several cars loaded up with us trawler types in hopes of finding hidden treasures at the flea market. We planned to have a very full car ourselves with Kenny from Daybreak and Jim, Jo Ann, and Sammy the dog from Namaste traveling with us. When we loaded up cars, however, Kenny heard that A.C. and Jim had plenty of room in their car and decided to join them to give all of us a bit more elbow room for the hour and a half drive to the flea market.

Having Jim and Jo with us helped to pass the time spent in the car, so before long we arrived in Islamorada. We knew we would hit traffic at the flea market site and sure enough about three to four miles out, the cars came to an almost full stop on Route 1 and then inched along the highway up to and through the event area. Attendees parked their cars wherever they could find a spot starting a half mile from the park holding the event. 

Clark decided to head for the advertised school parking where buses would shuttle folks to and from the event. That spot, however, turned out to be another two miles east of the event. I balked at that and convinced him to backtrack down "old route 1" where we found a parking spot at the same place we parked last year. Parking cost $10 for the privilege of being so close, but we had a very short walk to the entrance of the event. 

Signs at a booth at the 22nd annual
Islamorada Nautical Flea Market
(note the comment about Jersey Girls)

We stayed together for a few booths, but when Clark decided to try on a pair of boating shoes, Jim and Jo Ann went on ahead to wander the vendor stalls. Separated for quite a while, we finally caught up to them at a booth where Jo Ann purchased some sunglasses.

Lovely, yes!?

We lost them again as Clark stopped to try on a "Kangaroo" hat to replace his now famous green hat that he used while boating on the Great Loop. He looks good in his new hat, but I warned him that people will no longer recognize him. Since he bought the green, Gortex hat in 1998 for a Boy Scout trip to Philmont, it has served him well and truly deserves retirement.

We reconnected with Jim and Jo Ann in the seating area for eating lunch. By then, we had seen most of the booths. While there, we saw cute pups in a stroller. They looked very hot.

Before leaving, however, Clark wanted to revisit one booth with electrical parts and supplies. After that, we stopped at one more booth to buy him a belt. Over all, he bought shoes, shorts, a hat and a belt. I told him all he needed was to buy a shirt and he'd have a whole new wardrobe! Finally, after having arrived at the flea market just before 10:00, we left just after 2:00 for the ride back to Marathon. 

Clark needed to mail a letter, so before dropping Jo and Jim off, we stopped at the shopping plaza housing the post office. As an incentive for our passengers to go with us, Clark pointed out that the Island Time ice cream shop is located in the same plaza just a few doors down from the post office. Since we are all loopers, it did not take much convincing to get us to agree to a cool treat on such a hot day.

As we left the Marathon City Marina, where we dropped off Jim and Jo, we passed the park with a tower. Last year when we visited the park, we were told the tower was being painted and not open yet. I said to Clark, "I wonder if they ever opened that tower up to visitors". Immediately, Clark pulled into a parking space to go check it out. Since the tower now has a locked iron gate, and the bottom space is being used for storage, it looks like it will not reopen. I guess the repair to the spiral staircase inside the tower provides more cost than value. Clark will probably never get to climb that tower.

Walking back to the car, we passed a man and a woman who stood out due to the bright green St. Patrick's Day hats they wore. The man noted Clark's "Rails-to-Trails" t-shirt and made a comment on "how cool" he thought the shirt. Clark explained the concept behind Rails-to-trails to which the man responded, "Cool man!" yet again. Afterwards, he told us that he was a professional hobo and had traveled on freight trains across America for 15 years before finally settling in Marathon. He even showed Clark the tattoo markings on his face corresponding to north-south-east-west freight train travel. As we drove away, Clark said, "There's a story for your blog! Professional Hobo!"

After a lovely day out, we came back to fast-boat chaos and a wedding here at the marina. Whether due to the day in the heat or  the sugar from the ice cream, I felt weary. I wanted nothing more than to stretch out on the sofa and read my novel to avoid all the marina activity. I did not last long before being lulled into taking a cozy nap. At 6:00 I woke up, wondered where the time had gone, and started making dinner. 

When it came time to serve up dinner, Clark was no where to be found. When she walked by our boat, I told Kevin from Lone Star I was looking for him. She knew he was on the docks talking to the folks on Miss Bailey. Thankfully, when she walked back to her boat, she told Clark I was looking for him, and he came home! I was just putting food on the table when he came back.

The wedding ceremony took place to loud whoops and hollers around 4:00. Now, as I sit here typing my blog seven hours later, the wedding reception is still in full swing with loud music - a mix of some nice, some tolerable, and some just plain awful noise! Earlier, while we ate a late dinner on board, Clark said he thought he heard two sets of music - boaters versus wedding party - contending with each other. Just lovely! I wonder what time it will all stop tonight! Rap music is not exactly a nighty-night lullaby.