Everglades, casinos and a funeral procession.

Our trip to Everglades National Park with Steve and Noreen started out perfectly--with Cuban cafe con leche at Cafe Cubano. Bud even bought a pound of the coffee so we can try making it ourselves--it's called Pilon Espresso (http://www.javacubana.com/). If we can duplicate the flavor, we'll try to order it online.

The temp was around 72, with light cloud cover.  Nice for photos with good color saturation.

We started at the Anhinga Trail, just beyond the Visitors Center, where we bought a hat for Bud and more presents for the grandkids in their excellent gift shop. (A bit of advice for old folks like us: if you're 62 or older, buy a Senior Pass to all the national parks. For $10, you, and everyone in your vehicle, gets free entry into all the national parks for your lifetime--a true bargain!)

The first thing you see at the Anhinga Trail is masses of black vultures (Noreen, our bird expert, noted that these are different from the one with red heads, called turkey vultures).

A face only a mother could love!



The trail makes a two-sided loop, and we started with the loop that overlooks a large pool filled with American Alligators--they are darker, have broader snouts and are more common (and bolder...uh, more aggressive) than the endangered American Crocodile. When I say the pool was filled,I counted 14 and those were just the ones above water, trying to soak up some sun on the hammock!

I remember the same overlook from our houseboating trip to the Keys back in 1986.  Could these gators be the grandkids of the ones we saw then?

The trail is called the Anhinga Trail because of the plentiful anhingas.  They are stunning birds and are everywhere.

Anhingas like to dry their wings...nice display!



Anhingas also have rather startling blue-rimmed eyes.

I can't name all the birds we saw, but I loved this one...such a beautiful body, with wonderful colors.  But, oh, those legs and feet!  surely they were meant for a much larger bird?

After taking in nature and enjoying a healthy stroll, Bud and I headed for the Seminole Hard Rock Resort and Casino, just north of Miami. Click here for details. It was a short, if a bit fun, trip.  Table limits were high ($15 and up).  The machines are overwhelmingly slots (not for us), though we did find some keno machines that showed promise-a few minor jackpots for me. It all seemed ok until a cocktail waitress came by and offered drinks--for $5 each.  We haven't seen this in casinos anywhere in the world--not in South Africa, not in South America, not anywhere in Europe, Southeast Asia or the Caribbean--and certainly not in the US! Drinks are always free--though tips are greatly appreciated.

On the way back to Tavernier we decided to hop over to 95 instead of taking Florida's Turnpike and ran into the funeral procession for the two Miami police officers that were shot last week. Click here for the full story.  It was incredible--the entire northbound section of 95 was closed and there were hundreds of law enforcement vehicles, lights blazing in the procession.

What, might you ask, was Maggie doing all this time?  She was having a lovely day with her dog nanny, Carol Trump (305 664-0539).  Carol took her to the dog park to play with her usual pals, then snagged her an invitation to the doggie birthday party of one of those pals. When we picked Maggie up she was pooped and smiling, and got rave revues for her behavior.  (Of course!).

Dog park pictures...editor's (my) picks--some Maggie, some not!

Over the past three + weeks I have taken hundreds of pictures as we tool around the dog parks here in Monroe Country (better known as the Florida Keys). Click here for the page that gets you the list, complete with addresses. Most allow you to walk dogs on leashes, especially where there a walking/jogging circuits, like the Key Largo Community Park, which has a lovely shaded walkway.

Some of the parks (like Sunset Park right here in Tavernier and Higgs Beach in Key West) have off-leash park/play areas where you often find regular play groups built around certain times. I think I mentioned that we are addicted to the mid-morning play group at Founders Park (community park, not county) in Islamorada. We are going to miss them when we move on to Mississippi next weekend.

I haven't been able to weave all my favorite pictures into my posts, so here's a selection--no story line, just dogs. Most images are mine, but some are Noreen's.

Maggie and her friend Bailey at Founder's Park--Noreen's shots!

Tigger (who surveys all action from his owners lap)--another of Noreen's shots.

Play action fake (?) at Founders Park



Tomorrow Carol is sitting for our Maggie while we go on a wildlife excursion to the Everglades with Steve and Noreen. Dogs are not allowed in Everglades National Park, which is probably a good thing.  I imagine Maggie would make a tasty appetizer for a hungry croc!

The opposite of flat calm is....WIND!!

We're into our second day of serious, serious wind. This comes a week after our last serious wind--surely this is not a weekly cycle!

This time several windsurfers were plying the waves just off our dock, criss-crossing each other and generally looking like they were having a jolly time until the winds kicked up from the mid-20's to around 30 mph. They all gave it up but one, who fell and took a good 10 minutes to right himself.

Here's some video of the waves hitting the jetty about 100' to the west of us. Believe it or not, this was before the winds hit their highest.

Maggie will normally look skyward when a jet makes noise overhead and seemed very confused as to where all the noise was coming from!



Maggie looks right...left...up...down...back at me...huh??

 

Anatomy of a Sunset

Most days, right about happy hour, we make our way down to the dock to watch the sun set over the point just to the west of us. The tiki hut out at the tip of the point makes a good foil for the changing colors, and we have found that two sunsets are never the same.




Bud hangs at the end of the dock with friends Ted and Lucy for the sunset while Maggie plays dockmaster.

On Thursday evening the 20th of January, it was almost flat calm.  The sun had been out all day and a few clouds appeared on the horizon just as the sun was beginning to fall.  Here's how it looked, with the shots spaced out as we watched the mood and the colors change.

6:39 pm





and 6:42 pm...

and 6:46 pm...

and 6:48 pm...

almost gone just a minute later at 6:49 pm.

At 7:18 pm the chairs at the end of the dock are stacked against any wind that might come in overnight; the solar-powered lights have come on, and our loungers stand ready for tomorrow's reading in the sun.





Steve's grilled Romaine, a manatee pays a visit and Maggie takes a cruise!

Forgive me!  I have been lazy.  Here's what's been happening. Yesterday Ted and Lucy took off for John Pennekamp National Park (www.pennekamppark.com) where they had a fabulous experience on the glass bottom boat tour. The tour guide said it was the best viewing day this year! All this happened while Bud dug into his novel and I got some writing done for my favorite paper, the Concord Monitor (www.concordmonitor.com)

We re-grouped here for supper where the guys grilled up some fabulous steaks and Steve whipped up his incredible grilled Romaine lettuce.  It goes like this: cut a head of Romaine lettuce in half lengthwise, then toss it on the grill curved side first, for a moment or 30, depending on your grill.  The grill here is new (and wonderfully hot) so he just did 15-20 seconds each side.  You don't want to wilt the lettuce, just get grill marks and a bit of heat on each side. Serve it  flat side up, with various garnishes/dressings.  Like freshly grated parmesan, halved grape tomatoes, chopped bacon, Ceasar dressing...whatever. Steve may not have been the first to concoct this, but we are now total converts...even "iceberg lettuce Bud". Yum!

Today is Ted and Lucy's last day (boo hoo!) and Steve offered a mini-cruise on the Happy Ours. As we assembled on the dock, several people were all a-flutter with cameras at the stern and there was a huge manatee!  He (she?) was nudging the boat, perhaps looking for food--but definitely interacting with Noreen and Lucy.

I jumped on board for a look at the manatee--just what I had been waiting for!

Lucy got this shot of a flipper...or arm?

Noreen got this shot of our manatee taking a breath...cool!

"I can't believe it!" was the mantra as we headed out to sea, Maggie firmly buckled into her life jacket and Bud fretting over the route with poor (and patient) Steve.



So..where are we going???





It was very calm as we navigated through Florida Bay, across a channel and over into what they call "oceanside"--the Atlantic Ocean.  See what I mean?

But when we got out of the channel, the winds and seas came up a bit, making for a slightly uncomfy ride.  We turned around and headed back for the bay, anchored and had some sandwiches and cruised on home.

Maggie seems to be doing better than Bud...anyone surprised out there?





Key West--once upon a time, a dog friendly city!

I know you've heard it. Key West is a laid-back place where dogs are integrated into the outdoor bar and dining scenes--where dogs are so beloved that there's a beach (Dog Beach, of course) just for them and a local park sports palapas and chairs for dog owners who enjoy letting their dogs run free.

Well...not exactly.  Not anymore.

This morning we piled into the car with Maggie and Ted and Lucy for a day-trip to Key West.  It would take about two hours, each way...but no problem--once there we'd let Maggie run at Higgs Dog Park (at the corner of Atlantic and White, www.keywestdogpark.org), then meet Steve and Noreen for lunch at the legendary Louie's Backyard (www.louiesbackyard.com), right next to Dog Beach.

Higgs Dog Park was indeed a hit. It's immense, shaded, has easy parking and lots of fresh water. Maggie tooled right on in and made pals with a female mixed-breed right about her age.


Making friends at Higgs Dog Park






















How fun is this??

Heading for the water bowls--enough is enough!





The walk to Louie's Backyard was steamy and in spite of the tons of cold fresh water Maggie had slurped up, she was hot and we were looking forward to settling down under and umbrella with our friends around the table and Maggie at our feet.  But it wasn't to be.  It seems as though there was some "dog incident" litigation that changed doglife in Key West as of last spring.  Apparently a patron tripped over another patron's dog at a local restaurant. Injuries, suffering and lawyers ensued and a judgement was handed down that (interestingly, I think) held the injured party (a woman from Massachusetts) and the restuarant owner equally responsible. The restaurant owners were assessed $18,000. Read more about it here:

Dog incident changes dog-friendly Key West

Now restaurant owners have retreated from their dog-friendly positions in most establishments in the city. At Louie's Backyard we could only be actually at the bar with Maggie--not on the immediately adjacent shaded patio, inspite of the fact that there was not a soul at any of the shaded tables. Ultimately, we stayed and had lunch (the alternative was a treck in the heat to the apparently more dog-friendly Salsa Loca--but Maggie was already overheated). We gave Maggie lots of ice water and concocted some shade.

Maggie's bit of shade at the Afterdeck.

After lots of ice tea and some light lunch (it was HOT!) we gave up on an afternoon of shopping and decided to just do a photo shoot at the famous "southernmost point of land" marker.  Luckily, it was right around the corner.




We made it!



Thunder-boomers and Butterfly Gardens

If you saw my post and photo of the black "warning clouds" yesterday...the warning was accurate.  The weather deteriorated throughout the day--incredible downpours, winds, chilly air. By suppertime we could see lightening out over Florida Bay and could hear thunder in the distance.  A quick check on the computer showed not only a massive line of thunderstorms, but the ultimate weather thrill--tornado warnings!

All 10 of us here for supper (a mini dinner party for new friends and old) gathered on the protected upper deck to watch the show. It was dramatic at points (several of us tried in vain to catch that perfect lightening shot) and loud, but actually the heaviest weather skirted to the north and...no tornado.

This morning we woke to very light breezes and warm sun--nice for a bit of a drive to check out some restaurants and do an errand.  We decided to take the "back" road up through Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, one of four national refuges here in the Keys. It was established in 1980 to try and preserve crucial habitat for the endangered American crocodile. We were hoping for a viewing area, but because the refuge is small and and the habitat is so sensitive to human interference, it's closed to the public--though you do see "crocodile crossing" signs here and there.

But right next to the refuge headquarters is a wonderful, beautifully maintained butterfly garden.


The Butterfly Garden is just off the driveway to the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife refuge (FL Road 905 in Key Largo).

There's a comfy bench, some nifty sculpture and a water feature. Peaceful!

But by noontime our novels were calling and we headed back to the house and dock on Florida Bay.  Time to read and rest up for tomorrow's trip to Key West.

Drowning our sorrows!

Well...looks like we'll get a dark and stormy day.  Forecast is now saying 80% chance of rain, possible strong thunderstorms.  Entirely fitting, we feel, after the Pats humiliating loss to the Jets last night.


We can't complain, though (at least about the weather)--this is our first bad day.  Bud is hoping for some weather excitement--true thunder boomers! We'll see.


Meantime, for any new followers, I did a regular column for the Sunday Concord Monitor back home yesterday.  The subject is how to look at booking a longer-term rental (like a month or more) though VRBO.com or homeaway.com. You can read it here


Pay attention to details when renting long term


No pix today...we are restoring our moods.

Maggie takes a canoe ride...and go Pats!

While the Ted and Bud relaxed and got ready to watch the mid-day Chicago-Seattle playoff game, Lucy and I took Maggie for a quick canoe ride. She looks calm, but actually preferred romping on our little beach with Bud.

Maggie looks quite at home in the canoe!



We're all heading for naps now in prep for the Pats-Jets game at 4:30.  We've got the best table in the house reserved for the game at Hog Heaven. Great fun for the ten of us--me and Bud, Steve and Noreen, Ted and Lucy, Phillipa and Gerry and our new friends (and fellow Patriots fans) Midge and Dennis. Well, 10 people and three dogs--Maggie and her doodle pals Lucy and Roxie.

What can we say....GO PATS!!! I am hoping to post some victory celebration photos later in the day!



A silver water dish for Maggie!

After our morning "dog park", Steve and Noreen got inspired to take their dinghy from the marina over to yet another waterfront restaurant.  They went by sea (bayside) and we went by land and met at "88" a very nicely done spot with beach, restaurant and pier (http://www.marker88.info/). You guesses it, it's right at Mile Marker 88. We had heard that they were dog friendly and sure enough, Maggie's saw two pals from the dog park already enjoying the afternoon sun--a toy poodle named Tigger and a lively pug.

Outdoor pet-friendly dining at 88---nice !






Maggie sips ice water from a silver dish--not bad!










Steve and Noreen head for thier home marina in their trusty dinghy after the best Key Lime Pie in the keys--so far anyway.

And now it's time for a nap before Ted and Lucy arrive.