Yesterday morning, John and I arose at 0640 to say goodbye to two more couples we have come to know and love. Last evening only Kip and I were left to blow our conchs at sunset. Today the temperature and humidity combination moved us to turn on our air conditioners. All are signs that the winter cruising season is coming to a close. The feelings I have are reminiscent of the last day of school as a high school senior. I have every intention of staying in touch with all the people on West Dock that we have enjoyed so much for the past three months. I hope I do better than I have with my high school friends!
Right now I feel grateful, happy, contemplative, peaceful, sad, … You’re wondering how I can feel all of those emotions in such rapid succession, aren’t you? I like where we are and I like where we are going. Home in North Carolina is hard to beat. And yet, I will miss the cruising culture here at the Marathon Marina West Dock. It turns out the RVers have a similar culture. We learned that when John’s mom and Pearl came to visit and stayed at Sunshine Key. Sunshine Key is an RV park just across the Seven Mile Bridge from Marathon.
Imagine if everyone lived like cruisers and RVers. Allow me to explain. Living close together we see each other several times each day. We gather together before sunset to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate living another day on the right side of the dirt. When one of us starts a boat fix-it project, the others join in lending their hands, their tools, and their expertise. We help each other without expectations. Sometimes we trade. Sometimes we use the dock currency, a bottle of wine, in return for skills like a haircut. Conversations quickly dig beneath the surface of “reporting” to discussing what we value, what keeps us up at night, and how we think and feel about various issues. Friendships become meaningful so much more quickly by sharing in depth. We live in the moment, and in any particular moment there are no problems. I hope the cruising culture is truly inside of us so we have it no matter where we are.
Monday, March 30, 2009
February Fun and March Madness
Three months of winter have never passed so quickly. Making new friends and visits from our families have been the highlights of our time in the Florida Keys.
Since our arrival in Marathon, FL on January 8th, we have made several trips to Key West by car. Shopping on Duval Street; eating at Margaritaville, Kelly’s and Azur; watching street performers at sunset in Mallory Square; touring the Truman Little White House, the Butterfly Conservatory, Mel Fisher’s Museum, and the Hemingway House; standing at the (almost) southernmost point – we still did not see everything. Each experience was amazing. When I remember this trip years from now, I will probably remember the food before anything else. The Key Lime Pie at Kelly’s has an Oreo cookie crust, after all!
While my mom and dad were here, we all went to the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. Dolphins, parrots, and sea lions entertained us. Despite my love of parrots, the sea lion show was my favorite. That sea lion was so expressive. He almost seemed to have a sense of humor. He certainly had a flare for the dramatic. When he missed a trick, he simply tried it again, and then clapped for himself when he was successful.
Back in Marathon, we made two trips to the Turtle Hospital. We took my mom and dad one week, and John’s mom and her friend, Pearl, the next week. We enjoyed seeing the variety of sea turtles up close. Some are there, because they have been struck by boats, others, because they have diseases. I am afraid the future does not look too bright for sea turtles. A very large percentage of them in the wild suffer from a viral disease that is thought to be either genetic or sexually transmitted. And then there is the fact that they wait until they are 30 years old to lay their first eggs, and they will only lay their eggs on the beach where they were born. Have you seen the Atlantic coast lately? Condominiums have sprung up from Florida to North Carolina over the past 30 years! Most of those beaches are gone for turtle egg-laying purposes. (Political commentary: As we watched the turtles swim and learned about their care, it occurred to me that their care is likely better than human care will be when the government decides and dictates what treatment we rate.)
Just down the road from the Turtle Hospital, we toured Crane Point with my mom and dad. We walked miles of trails and learned about all the varieties of Mangrove Trees and other Keys plants. A wild bird rescue facility provided a fascinating surprise at the end of one trail near the Bay waters. The Crane home was closed for renovations. The Cranes must have spent incredible days on such an amazing property, especially with so much privacy and such pristine sunset views!
People continue to ask us if we will be back next year. I’m willing!
Since our arrival in Marathon, FL on January 8th, we have made several trips to Key West by car. Shopping on Duval Street; eating at Margaritaville, Kelly’s and Azur; watching street performers at sunset in Mallory Square; touring the Truman Little White House, the Butterfly Conservatory, Mel Fisher’s Museum, and the Hemingway House; standing at the (almost) southernmost point – we still did not see everything. Each experience was amazing. When I remember this trip years from now, I will probably remember the food before anything else. The Key Lime Pie at Kelly’s has an Oreo cookie crust, after all!
While my mom and dad were here, we all went to the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. Dolphins, parrots, and sea lions entertained us. Despite my love of parrots, the sea lion show was my favorite. That sea lion was so expressive. He almost seemed to have a sense of humor. He certainly had a flare for the dramatic. When he missed a trick, he simply tried it again, and then clapped for himself when he was successful.
Back in Marathon, we made two trips to the Turtle Hospital. We took my mom and dad one week, and John’s mom and her friend, Pearl, the next week. We enjoyed seeing the variety of sea turtles up close. Some are there, because they have been struck by boats, others, because they have diseases. I am afraid the future does not look too bright for sea turtles. A very large percentage of them in the wild suffer from a viral disease that is thought to be either genetic or sexually transmitted. And then there is the fact that they wait until they are 30 years old to lay their first eggs, and they will only lay their eggs on the beach where they were born. Have you seen the Atlantic coast lately? Condominiums have sprung up from Florida to North Carolina over the past 30 years! Most of those beaches are gone for turtle egg-laying purposes. (Political commentary: As we watched the turtles swim and learned about their care, it occurred to me that their care is likely better than human care will be when the government decides and dictates what treatment we rate.)
Just down the road from the Turtle Hospital, we toured Crane Point with my mom and dad. We walked miles of trails and learned about all the varieties of Mangrove Trees and other Keys plants. A wild bird rescue facility provided a fascinating surprise at the end of one trail near the Bay waters. The Crane home was closed for renovations. The Cranes must have spent incredible days on such an amazing property, especially with so much privacy and such pristine sunset views!
People continue to ask us if we will be back next year. I’m willing!
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