2022: February in Marathon

 With the Blog it seems that I oscillate between having nothing interesting to record to having an abundance of happenings to write about. Looking back on February, it seems like a mix of the mundane, e.g. laundry, and excitement.

11 February 2022

Interesting sunset this particular night.

12 February 2022

My son, Jeff, and his youngest daugher, Zoe (2 yrs.), celebrated their shared birth day.

13 February 2022

With the Idaho family members having ties to Cincinnati and the Bengals, we made sure to watch the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it did not turn out the way our family hoped. There certainly was a lot of excitement in their house the day of the game.

Bengals Gals. Who Dey!!

14 February 2022

While some people might wish to spend their St. Valentine's Day at a romantic dinner, Clark and I went out to lunch via our bicycles to Burdines and then on to do some exploring afterwards. Of course we had ridiculous velocity winds for the bike ride.

Burdines as seen from water
(Photo from internet)

We got to the restaurant around 11:45, and a good thing that was too. The hostess showed us to a table immediately, and we had our choice of in or out of the sun. We picked shade. Shortly thereafter the hordes began to appear and stand in line waiting for a table. 

I wanted an order of their fries. I knew that the servings were large, but the amount brought could have served 4 people easily. Even Clark could not finish all the fries though he gave it a mighty try!

When we left Burdines, Clark was not ready to head back to the boat. He wanted to head south to Sunset Grille and then up and over the walkway to get to the 7 mile bridge park that recently opened. Needless to say, that is what we ended up doing. 

As has been common this winter, we had a fierce wind to fight. Approaching Sunset Grille, Clark decided that he wanted to go down one of the side streets. I told him we had been there before, but still he wanted to check it out. We ended up going around the block and sure enough we had done it before. Then we continued on towards the bridge and park. Clark took a selfie of us just before we started up the access ramp to the park.

Ev and Clark at 7 Mile Bridge 
near Sunset Grille Restaurant

Access to the park from Sunset Grille has either steps or a ramp. With bicycles we took the ramp up. Clark stopped part way up to take pictures between the bridges. I kept going to get to the top.

Clark and I were both wearing wind-breaking jackets. He had on his Gortex! The wind had quite a chill to it. We walked out on the bridge a short distance. I thought if we rode our bikes out we might get blown over! The railings (made out of old railroad track) rattled in the wind and almost made it sound like a train going over the tracks. We could find nothing loose to indicate why the bridge made as much noise as it did!  Clark took a video to capture the noise, and then we left to get out of the wind.

16 February 2022

As if we did not have enough wind on Monday, we set off on our bikes yet again today. Clark was looking for a fuse for the boat that he thought he might find at NAPA which is 5 miles away. He convinced me to join him on the ride by tempting me with a stop at Sweet Savannah's for Ice Cream. Since he seemed to want the company, and I needed the exercise, I agreed to go. I knew it would be a difficult trip with 23 mph winds gusting to 35 mph. Fortunately, we have 6 speeds on our bikes and took advantage of them!

We stopped multiple times on our trip. 

First we stopped at the Publix plaza to take care of some things there. Then we headed east on the southern side of Route 1 and biked to NAPA. That 4 miles felt like it took forever. As we passed the airport, I groaned as we had quite a bit further to go.

NAPA did not have what we wanted. I had taken note of a restaurant called Frank's Grill as we biked by. Clark had suggested we keep a look out for a place to grab a place to eat given it was nearing 12 o'clock. Clark asked in the store and was told that Frank's would be an excellent choice. We stopped there on our way heading back west. 

It did not look like much from the outside, but it came with local recommendation and outside seating.

We ate sandwiches here and then continued on for a stop at first Specialty Hardware

and then Sweet Savannah's for the promised treat.

Given Clark did not find what he wanted in NAPA, he decided to check out the West Marine store. We have to go past our marina to get there. I almost bailed out but decided to stick it out and go with him. 

At West Marine we found our boat neighbors from Marlin Bay shopping there also. Of course Clark delved into a nice long chat before they eventually got a text message saying that company was arriving at their boat. With that they took off in a hurry.

Clark did manage to spend some money at West Marine but not for the item I thought he was looking for! He has been fighting a problem with a bilge pump that runs and then forgets to shut off. He bought a replacement switch to install. Yay (not)! Yet another repair project! Finally after leaving West Marine, we turned in the direction of Marlin Bay.

By the time we arrived back at the street to Marlin Bay, we had ridden 11 miles. It had taken us 4 hours. As we completed our loop up and down Marathon, Clark announced that he wanted to go to Home Depot. It would only be another mile, but I had nothing left in me. I only hoped I could make it back to the boat without resorting to walking my bike. I waved goodbye as he continued on to the store.

With the wind howling, I did not want to leave my bike standing on the dock for fear it would be blown over. I waited, looking for someone to walk by, and then asked a man to hand me my bike so I could stow it on board. I have no idea who he was, but boaters are almost always friendly and helpful, and he was more then happy to oblige me in my time of need!

20 February 2022

While we had a very windy day in Marathon, 

Wind whipping up Waves behind boat

two of my granddaughters were celebrating their shared birth day.

Lillian in Connecticut celebrated her 6th birthday. She had a tubing party at a local ski slope.

Lillian - 6 years

Sierra, who turned 8 this year, got her ears pierced. A week later she had her birthday party at the place where she is learning taekwondo. She has passed two levels and is now a Yellow Belt.

Sierra - 8 years

21 February 2022

February is a very busy birthday month. In addition to Devon, Jeff, Zoe, Sierra and Lillian having birthdays (plus Devon's brother). My nephew, Bob, was also born this month. His dog, Molson, passed away not so long ago. I decided that for Bob's birthday, I would try my hand at doing an acrylic painting of his much-loved pooch.

Having spent the last couple of days finishing my masterpiece, Clark and I went on our bicycles to the UPS store to have it shipped to arrive in time for Bob's birthday. Today being Presidents' Day, the post office was closed. With company coming, I needed to make sure I got the gift finished and mailed before they arrived.

22 February 2022 - Tuesday

Today was "2" day - 2-22-22 as well as being 2sday. Faro Blanco had a special docktails requesting foods that started with the letter T (like Tacos). With company coming we did not participate, but it sounds like the folks who attended enjoyed the theme day.

My college friend, Darlene, and her husband Mike came to visit us today. Before they arrived, I joined Sandy for our last-this-season trip together to the Farmer's Market in Duck Key. Sandy, and therefore my transportation, is leaving Marathon. I will miss our weekly outings.

Mike and Darlene arrived just after 3:00. Traffic in Islamorada delayed them by half an hour. Wanting to make the most of their visit, Clark suggested that we take a walk along the newly-opened 7-Mile Bridge. Even though they had been driving for hours, they readily agreed to drive us there for a walk to stretch their legs after the journey.

We did not walk all the way to Pigeon Key though I am sure Clark would have gladly gone the distance. Our stroll covered just about 3 miles. The only life we saw in the water below the bridge was a couple of rays.

Enjoying dinner and sunset at Lazy Days Restaurant
Ev, Darlene, and Mike

23 February 2022

With today being our only full day with our visitors, we wanted to pack in as much excitement as possible. We started the day with Clark cooking pancakes for breakfast. It is one of the very few things he knows how to cook, so I set him up with batter and put him to work.

Conversation turned to guitars and the next thing I know Clark has his guitar out playing with Darlene singing along. It was very enjoyable for all of us. We had tossed about a variety of ideas for what to do today. One plan included a day trip to Key West, but having been there multiple times, it was not high on anyone's list. 

Yesterday, walking the bridge, Darlene and I decided that it would be fun to go boating. We talked to Clark about it and could not come up with a sensible destination for just an afternoon outing. Instead of taking out "Sunset Delight", we decided to go exploring by dinghy. 

Clark insisted we needed a picture of the two college buddies.

Ev and Darlene ready for the dinghy ride

Our dinghy can hold four people, but it is tight quarters. Darlene and I had to sit sideways, somewhat perched in place. Of course the wind was kicking up as usual, so we had a lot of waves to deal with. As we bounced over the waves, Darlene and I had to hang on tight. Sometimes we found ourselves leaving our seats as the boat fell into and out of the troughs of water. 

We traveled up to and passed under the 7-Mile bridge. Our destination was to show our friends the yellow submarine purportedly used for drug smuggling some time in the past.

Finally calm waters at the entrance to
the mangroves channel

Ev pointing out the yellow submarine

Coming up on derelict / sunken boat area

Since Mike and Darlene have visited here before, they had seen Boot Key Harbor. We decided to go back to the marina. We had seen and experienced enough for one day. Although Darlene and I worked our arm muscles repeatedly holding on to the boat, we had it good compared to Mike who repeatedly got splashed (in the face) with salt water spray. We compared the ride to the Log Flume or Roaring Rapids at Great Adventures. The trip was as good or better than an amusement park ride.

Water kicked up as the dinghy splashed in the waves. The wind then carried the salt water and plastered Mike with it. Later, Clark told me that he too got soaked, but with our seating positions, neither Darlene nor I got a good view of him getting sprayed.

When we arrived back at the marina, we decided that we needed a swim in the pool. Since some of us were already wet, it seemed logical to take a dip. The pool water was warmer than usual. Clark and I both prefer it to be a bit cooler than it was today.

After getting cleaned up from our afternoon activities, we ordered take out pizza from Upper Crust Pizza located a block from the marina. The pizza is good but higher priced than I am used to in New Jersey.

We did have a nice sunset tonight in honor of our guests visiting us.

24 February 2022

Mike and Darlene left after breakfast. Clark and I had prepared sleeping accommodations for our guests. Our first activity after they departed was putting the boat "back together". 

Because Sandy and Bill are leaving in a couple of days to move the boat to Key West for 3 months, we agreed that we would do one of our car ride trips this afternoon starting with a stop at Sweet Savannah's for ice cream. After our ice cream, Sandy said she and I needed to go shopping at Unique's in the same plaza as the ice cream shop - one reason being to give Clark and Bill time to talk; the other so Sandy could look at a pair of earrings that struck her fancy last time.

When we left Sweet Savannah's, Sandy yet again drove off to we-knew-not-where to show us a part of the Keys we had never visited before. She took us to gawk at estates and properties on Grassy Key. Searches on Zillow revealed prices up to and over $4 million.

Pictures from the internet ... 

Grassy Key Estate on the water

Grassy Key Rental Property

25 February 2022

With the Sunset Celebration being held for AGLCA members tomorrow, a number of looper boats are in the marina at this time. Unexpectedly this afternoon, Clark got a text telling him that docktails would be held next to the pool bar at 5:00. In attendance, besides us, were folks from the boats "Dog House", "Legacy", "Northern Lights", and "The Perch".

Appropriate for the occasion, we had a lovely sunset this evening.

Looper Boats currently docked at Marlin Bay include: Sunset Delight, Sunset, Lee Ann, Irene, Hard work, Turn the Page, The Perch, Perfect Match, Sweet Caroline, Northern Lights, Dauntless, Noah Genda, Freedom, Sea Change, Heliopause, and One Eye Dog.  Legacy left on Saturday.

Two boats in Marlin Bay have music-related names: Sweet Caroline and Magic Moments. The tender for Sweet Carolina as the words "So Good" on each of three sides of the dinghy. Every time I walk by these boats, which happens to be multiple times per day, I end up singing the tune associated with the boat name. Honestly, I'm a little sick of hearing myself sing "these Magic Moments so ..."!

26 February 2022

Today being a Saturday and my last chance for an outing with Sandy, we went to the local farmer's market and then to Publix and Winn Dixie where I stocked up on food. Things like frozen pizza are very hard to carry on a bicycle. Also, eggs and potato chips which are very fragile present challenges to get them back to the marina undamaged.

At 1 o'clock, Faro Blanco had a Mardi Gras celebration, and Clark and I decided to attend. Knowing that a lot of the food there would be spicy or contain port, we ate lunch before attending. Anne handed our beads of the appropriate color to all comers. 

When we arrived, I was told to line up with the "girls" for a picture with Mel. As we assembled, Mel ducked out!

Ready for Mardi Gras Celebration to begin

Mel escaped the girl picture!

Guys ready for Mardi Gras to begin

We stayed until 3:00. The AGLCA, looper org, planned their annual Sunset Celebration at Banana Bay Marina for today. Clark wanted to attend to hear Curtis Stokes state-of-the-market-for-boats presentation. I did not attend. I went back to "Sunset Delight". Clark came back with a report that boat values have jumped over the last two years - Up by 50% in 2020 and up by another 30% in 2021. So a boat selling for $100,000 in 2019 would go for twice that in 2022.

While Clark was gone, I relaxed on the back of the boat with my current novel. Little did I know that big excitement was underway on the opposite side of the marina. When Clark arrived at the boat, he told me he saw fire engines leaving the marina when he got back. He asked the dock master what happened and learned that a boat had caught fire in the inner basin. 

As the story goes, the owners, being loopers, were at the Sunset Celebration. They had left their dog behind on the boat. Jean, on one of the boats here in the marina, reported to staff here that she had seen flames and smelled smoke. The staff that had been moving sea grass quickly abandoned that task, called the fire department, and went to the scene of the fire. 

Wind carried the smell of the smoke as well as flames towards the neighboring boat. Aaron, one of the younger staff members here, told the owner of the endangered boat to get in the golf cart he was driving, took them to the boat, and jumped on that boat to help the owner move it across the marina and out of harms way. Mary, on that boat, said she could not believe how calm and sensible Aaron was throughout.

After hearing about the excitement, Clark and I wanted to take a look. We strolled over to the dock to see the damaged boat. The smell of burnt fiberglass was pretty overwhelming. The owners of the boat, "Lee Ann", suffered some fire damage, but the worst for them is the smoke damage. The smell has penetrated everything. 

 

The folks on "Lee Ann" are loopers from NY, but we have not met them.

Another boater here told us that water pressure in the Keys is too weak for the fire department to be effective. They request an increase in pressure when a fire is reported, and it takes half an hour for the pressure to build up. He told us that, owing to the threat of boat fires in marinas, three fire boats have been approved for the Keys - one for Ocean Reef (Key Largo), one for Marathon, and one for Key West.