March 28th: The Green Flash is Back!

Bikers are starting to gather at the point

On St. Patrick's Day, someone had the idea for a "Travelling Bike Bar Tour". I suggested perhaps a walking tour?  The idea of the bike tour gained momentum and many boaters met at the point for the beginning.













Linda and I declined to participate and I said I wanted to take a picture so we would know who didn't make it back!  Fortunately, clear heads apparently prevailed, as they were out from noon to well past dark, and everyone made it home safely.

After posting my last blog, I had several inquiries as to why the "Bike Tour" didn't make the blog, so here it is. I did not list any names in the caption in case someone wanted to remain anonymous.




That night we were treated to a fantastic rising moon at the same time there was a beautiful sunset.














We could sit at the point and just turn back and forth to watch both. Now that the sun has moved across the horizon enough to see it set over the water, we were hoping to see our first "Green Flash". If the sky is not perfectly clear with low humidity it doesn't happen. No green flash that night but a beautiful sunset.

You never know what you might see in the Keys.  Randy was at the canvas shop and saw this pretty unique "Camper?" The first two story van we have seen. I guess it is in keeping with the latest "Tiny House Craze". Can't imagine driving it around!














I don't know if there is a Bird of Paradise Season, but I noticed several had very nice blooms.



















Some of the plants are quite large and have very cool blossoms.

There is still a lot of teak refinishing on the list. I mentioned to our wonderful friend Sharon that I really needed to get back to work on our teak. Sharon and her husband had a boat with a lot of teak and she had lots of cool tools to refinish it. She said she kind of missed working on the teak because their new boat had none.  Hmmmm! Surely too good to be true! I "offered" to let Sharon work on our teak. I am happy to say that I have been able to make Sharon very happy!

Sound a little like Tom Sawyer? No way! Sharon has refinished more teak than I have and knew what she was getting into. Its fun having all the other boaters asking, "How did you get her to do that?" We're scheduled for another work day Friday. She sanded this hand rail which is a real pain because everything is round. It looks great. I wonder if Sharon is thinking about the one on the starboard side?





The long awaited "Green Flash" finally arrived.  We saw it two nights in a row. I took a video that doesn't quite capture it but you might be able to get the idea. As the sun sinks below the water, the bright yellow changes to bright green. I'm told I'd need a very expensive camera to capture the color change so this will have to do.  More info available at: Green Flash Explanation

March 24th: A Visit from Ron and Aldo and Some Fun On the Water

We received a surprise phone call from Ron Macomas, a friend from Cleveland. He took his first drive to Key West and stopped to see us in Marathon. He brought Aldo, his newly acquired rescue dog with him. He is very cute, soft and friendly.  He got a lot more attention than Ron at Docktails.









Ron arrived in his fun car, the Corvette in the background. The narrated tram tour at Crane Point was unavailable that afternoon so I gave Ron a walking narrated tour.  It was a beautiful day and we have done the tram tour so many times I felt comfortable being the narrator. Linda and I wanted to support Crane Point so we purchased a Crane Point Membership. As members, we can attend with two guests as often as we like with no additional cost.

We also got in a quick visit to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. We ended Ron's visit with his attendance at "Docktails". As most people, he found the Banana Bay group very friendly and entertaining. No surprise that Aldo got a lot more attention than Ron.











The next day was great for kayaking. I caught a picture of Sharon and Eli on the water.  Eli loves riding in the kayak and won't let Sharon go without him. I usually kayak over to Crane Point for exercise which is fun because it has some nice calm pools protected by mangroves.












I have been seeing a pair of Queen Angelfish hanging around an opening in some rocks. They are very colorful and fun to see. I haven't been able to take a good picture of them but here is one I copied from the internet. They literally glow when the sun shines on them.

Here at Banana Bay many of us anxiously wait for calm winds so we can go on overnight cruises. A small weather window opened and we had been waiting a long time so four boats headed out. I decided to troll on the way to try to catch a mackerel for a nice fish appetizer.

It was a fun day at sea as we saw two pods of dolphins that swam with us.  Included in the pods were two very young (small) dolphins. The young ones are very agile and dart around just having fun. Then when we were almost to our anchorage, I heard my fishing reel whining. I caught a very nice sized Cero Mackerel.

The place we were going is a nice anchorage near Bahia Honda State Park that has a sandbar exposed at low tide. It's very sandy and easily accessible by dinghy. We enjoyed the first day relaxing at the sandbar and I took a kayak ride along the shore where the water was very clear.

Cup sponge in 2 feet of very clear water

There were a lot of sponges, anemones and soft corals on the bottom.

Swimming jelly fish

I have often noticed round organisms of some sort sitting on the bottom in shallow areas. I thought perhaps they were some sort of anemone. I was surprised when I saw a jelly fish swimming along when it stopped, flipped over and laid on the bottom with numerous others. They have short tentacles that catch food as it drifts by.

Jelly fish laying on the bottom upside down.

We returned to our boats and then gathered on Maya, our Cincinnati friends' boat. Steve and Kim invited everyone over for appetizers and, I guess you could call it, "Boat tails" instead of "Docktails". The fish was only one of many great treats. Linda and I decided the appetizers were supper! We watched a pretty sunset and called it a night.



All was going well but we woke up several times and heard the waves lapping on the boat.  That meant the wind was increasing well beyond what was predicted.  We knew the direction of the wind would blow us into the shallow water close to shore if the anchor didn't hold. We had our anchor alarm set which is very reassuring. It sounds a siren if the anchor starts dragging. About 5:00 am the alarm went off.  Not a pleasant way to wake up! The anchor was dragging very slowly so we were able to take out time raising the anchor and moving out into much deeper water. We looked at our friends' boats and saw that Maya and Mystified were also moving. It was of course still dark and our biggest concern was running over one of the many crab pot buoys.  If you run over one, there is a good chance the rope will wrap around the prop and cause lots of trouble.  Fortunately, while standing at the bow I was able to spot the buoys with a flashlight. We re-anchored and this time the anchor held.

In the morning I was walking around the boat and remembered I had left our basket for grilling fish hanging in the water.  It's a great way to clean the stainless steel fish holder.  I had it tied on the back of the boat and discovered I could not pull in the rope. The rope was so long it apparently had gotten wrapped around the prop. Into the water I went to check it out. The rope was not very strong so after wrapping around the shaft about a foot, it broke and the fish basket bent and wedged itself against the bottom of the boat. The shaft was able to spin despite the rope being wrapped tight around it. I was able to cut the rope off of the shaft and free the basket.






Not to be deterred, we stayed a while in the morning to see if the wind would die down as forecast. We were glad we stayed as we again were able to head to the sand bar where we spent several hours.

There were many hermit crabs crawling around in a wide variety of shells. It was fun to watch them. The shell in the picture was about 5 inches long. This hermit crab finally poked his head out so we could get a good look at him. Then he crawled away once he was released near where I found it.

Hermit crab in a Tulip Snail Shell

After an enjoyable day we headed back to Banana Bay. On the way back we were lucky to spot a giant Green Sea Turtle. It's always fun to see them in the wild. The winds were forecast to increase for the next week or so. Looks like a good time to start working on the teak again.

March 12th: Fun Visit with Paul and Miriam

We took Paul and Miriam, our lifelong friends from Ohio, to Crane Point, one of our favorite places which is just up the highway. I often kayak to it. It is 63 acres of undeveloped land that was preserved through the efforts of a local foundation. The property was purchased in 1949 by a wealthy couple, Francis and Mary Crane, from New England. The Cranes were early conservationists who wanted to keep the land unspoiled. They built a winter home but did everything they could to minimize disturbing the original terrain. Thanks to them and the people of the foundation, those efforts are successful to present day.

Shaving Brush Tree

They offer a very informative guided tour on a golf cart tram, Linda's favorite approach to a "hike" in the woods.


There are many species of native plants and trees and the tour guide is very helpful in identifying them and informing us about them. This shaving brush tree is interesting. The blossoms come out before any leaves. Unfortunately, the blossoms last only one day. Fortunately there are a lot of blossoms and they don't open at the same time. Still we were fortunate to be there when they were in bloom.

Shaving Brush Tree blossom and one just before opening

Another fun tree is this one that the Cranes planted.  It looks like a Banyan tree but I can't remember its true name. All of those trunks and branches are part of the same tree. Like a Banyan, it drops supporting roots as the tree spreads out. It would make a great tree house.

There were numerous varieties of palm trees, Buttonwood trees, Gumbo Limbo Trees, Lignumvitae Trees, Poisonwood Trees (which are related to Poison Ivy and can cause a severe rash) and even a huge Mahogany Tree.







The original inhabitant of the Crane Point property was George Adderley, an emancipated Bahamian slave. He bought the property in the early 1900's. When George first came to the property there was no source for fresh water other than rain. This is the top of the cistern he used to collect and store rain water.

The George Adderley House

The home in this picture is the original structure he built. It still stands today. It is the oldest home in the Keys apart from Key West. George replaced a thatched roof with the steel roof seen in the picture.  George and his wife lived on the property until the late 1940's. There were no roads into the Keys for the first 30 years they lived here. They supported themselves by collecting sponges and making charcoal which they sold in Key West, using his sailboat to transport his cargo.  Click here to learn more. Crane Point 








A wild bird refuge center is also housed on the property. Injured birds are brought to the refuge center where many are healed and released back into the wild.













This pelican was eyeing us closely and
appeared to be doing quite well. I think he's about ready to be released. Learn more about the Rescue Center by clicking here: Marathon Wild Bird Rescue Center

Next it was on to the Turtle Hospital. These are the turtles we saw in person.

Hawksbill Turtle

When a turtle swallows something like a plastic bag it cannot pass it thru its digestive system. (In case you are wondering why a turtle would eat a plastic bag, they eat jellyfish. A plastic bag can look like a jelly fish.) These turtles are found floating and hopefully rescued.  The hospital staff have techniques to help the turtles pass the plastic and they can then be released.

Green Sea Turtle

Some turtles have been hit by a boat and develop what is called "Bubble Butt".  They have air pockets inside the shell that prevent them from diving under the water to eat and live. The round discs you see on the turtle in the picture are weights that have been glued to the shell to allow the turtle to go under the water. These discs will fall off as the shell grows and need to be replaced so these turtles remain as permanent residents.

Green Sea Turtle with tumors on its eyes and face

 Still other turtles develop tumors as seen in the somewhat blurry picture. This turtle's eyes and a lot of its face was covered with tumors. Fortunately, thru surgery, the tumors can be removed and after a several month stay they can be released. Some of the turtles are over 60 years old and can live to 100 years old so several months is not a big deal.

The people at the hospital do amazing work educating people about sea turtles and how to protect them. They rescue injured sea turtles and rehabilitate as many as possible. They even have a true ambulance used to rescue the turtles which can weigh more than the average person. You can learn about what they do, their patients, turtle releases, etc. by going to:  Turtle Hospital


We again played Euchre that night and once again, the men being such wonderful husbands, let the women win again. Paul and Miriam left early the next day and we enjoyed sleeping in.

March 9th: Back to Banana Bay

We left Arizona after a great trip and returned home to Banana Bay. I came across one more fun picture,  "Cactus Matt". Saw this giant saguaro cactus when he and I went for a walk around the neighborhood Sunday evening.

Cindy and Eve

It took us a little while to recuperate from our trip, but that was okay because the weather was very windy. Despite the windy weather we were able to enjoy a visit from Erica and Eve, Randy and Cindy's daughter and grand daughter.
















They arrived from Pennsylvania so the wind didn't bother them a bit. Eve is almost a year old and clearly has Cindy and Randy wrapped around her little fingers.  She is very cute and a happy kid! It was only after they left that I realized I didn't get a picture of Erica, of course, as usual everyone wanted to "see the baby". She just turned one year old.









The day to see Linda's surgeon finally arrived. Her appointment was Monday morning at 8:00 am so we went up Sunday night and stayed at a very nice Resort Motel that was close to a theater and the Cleveland Clinic. We went to see the new Lego Batman Movie. The movie was just so-so but the theater was great. It had electric reclining seats. Very comfy and if the movie's not great you can just take a snooze.  I looked over at Linda part way into the movie and noticed her eyes were closed. She woke up and rallied for the end which was better than the beginning.











Monday morning came and her doctor was very pleased with her hand's progress.  We of course are focused on getting a date set to do her left hand. Her Dr. was very happy with the results but did not want to schedule the left hand as he said "It's too soon". He said he would not compromise on waiting three months after the first surgery before doing the left hand.  He eventually agreed to do her left hand the week of April 10th. It was a stressful meeting because for a while we didn't think he would set a date. Once all the facts and dates were calculated, everyone was happy. We really like Dr. Friedman and want him to do her left hand.

We met Paul and Miriam Pendleton, our life long friends from Ohio, on our way back from Miami.  They were coming to visit Monday and we called while driving back to see where they were.  Turned out they ere only five exits behind on the Florida turnpike.  We decided to meet for lunch at a great seafood restaurant in Islamorada, part way back to Marathon.

Paul and Miriam

We walked over to Boot Key Harbor, the City Marina for Marathon.  There is a very nice park and mooring balls for 225 boats. 
















The picture shows the layout of the mooring balls.  It is a very popular place and there is a waiting list of 17 boats trying to get in. 










It is pretty crowded as you can see.

We planned two fun activities for Tuesday.  Crane Point and the Turtle Hospital.  After a great seafood gumbo dinner we played cards, The men let the women win two games of Euchre  :> )  Competition to resume Tuesday night......

February 28th:Christmas Celebration in Phoenix

Once we all rested after getting up early for the 1/2 marathon in Phoenix, we were ready to celebrate Christmas. We have found it quite difficult for all of us to travel over the Christmas holidays and this way we get to celebrate twice! Sounds funny to say we ALL rested after Matt was the one who ran the 1/2 marathon. Actually, he seemed no more tired than the rest of us, amazing what training can do. Wendy needed more rest than the rest of us while battling off a bad cold, but she rallied nicely.

Packing up and flying with a lot of gifts gets tedious if not expensive, so some gifts are delivered to homes and opened early. We bring pictures for everyone to see what we received. Matt demonstrated one of Wendy's presents, a Yoga Face Session. It is what it sounds like, Yoga exercises for your face. She said they really work. Not certain Wendy thinks Matt did it quite correctly nor gave it due credit!









Ever since the 1st Minion movie, Despicable Me, came out, Linda has enjoyed the minions as well as the movies. We have several talking minions on the front deck of our boat! It was a winning gift idea when Matt found Minion Peeps at the store.













Tom retired after serving as a surgeon at Tuba City Navajo Native American Reservation for 35 plus years. They were very fortunate to have him.  He truly is the most generous person I have ever met. He's also a lot of fun. Rebecca thought this clock would be appropriate for retirement. It would also work well on the boat but we didn't get one.

One of Matt's gifts was the envy of everyone. It is a pair of Air Relax Sequential Air Compression Massaging leggings. They use air to give a great leg massage. Fortunately, he packed them and brought them for us to try. We all tried and liked them. Tom really liked them. Maybe he'll be owning some soon?











Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of the results of one of Wendy's gifts. She has started knitting so she received some knitting equipment. She brought a really cool scarf she knitted and a pair of gloves. The gloves were amazing. I can't imagine knitting a pair of gloves. They even have a "finger tip touch pad" so you can use a smart phone without taking them off. (Of course we don't really need gloves anymore on the boat!)

There were plenty of other great gifts including knives for Rebecca to use in her new home, a new hat and tackle box for me, fun t-shirts for Tom and a newly released Legend of Zelda video game for Linda, just to mention some.

We really appreciated this year's family calendar prepared by Rebecca. For several years she has collected family photos and put them into a great calendar. Given the fact we were getting together so far after Christmas we weren't sure she would do one. We're happy she did one and named it, "March, the New January" since the new calendar's first month is March!

We were so anxious to look at the pictures we didn't look at the cover. She had to tell us to turn  back to the front cover and read it.

Our Christmas gatherings include some fun games and or crafts found by Linda. This year's "game" was the bunny shooter! Click on the video to see them in action. Obviously we are easily entertained!

The crafts included making Dream Catchers. There are many beautiful hand made Dream Catchers available from the Native Americans in Phoenix. These craft packets are for 8 year olds and older.














Tom thought our craft packets were rather "touristy." As we were creating our Dream Catchers with Tom painfully watching, he was finding it hard to call them Dream Catchers. He finally gave in and showed us how the Navajoes would do it. Ours, of course, would still not measure up to theirs, but after all we are just beginners.









We were happy with the results. There are only four because Tom declined to stoop to our level and Wendy was busy designing her Bunny's outfit.

Her Bunny won the best dressed award as no one else dared to compete!

It was a long, fun day and we were getting hungry for the lobster/fresh tuna steak, dinner we planned to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of Tom giving Linda one of his kidneys. Linda's brothers were all willing to donate a kidney. That's what you call great brothers! Tom determined he was the best choice. He must have been right, 32 years and he and Linda are doing great.










I made a Kidney Anniversary Brownie Cake for dessert. Everyone loves brownies. It doesn't look much like a cake but the brownies were delicious!

Tom getting ready to blow out the candles while Linda enjoys the Air Relax  leggings.

Sunday started out with a cool morning and we happened to catch this cool picture of a cup of coffee steaming in the sunlight.

 We decided on breakfast out and Linda found a great restaurant for us. We were able to sit outside and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast. It's hard to say whether Tom's Eggs Benedict, Linda's berry blintzes, Rebecca's and my egg choices or Matt's huge Breakfast Burrito was the best choice. Everything was great.

Tom and Linda enjoyed the rocking chairs. Quite the animal collection!

We wanted to make a trip to the Bass Pro Shop before leaving Phoenix. I had been looking for my Christmas present tackle box and hadn't been able to find one I liked. Knowing the Bass Pro Shop would have numerous types, we went there to find one.

Matt even found a friend!

 I was successful and we had a fun time at the store.

Over the weekend, many hours were spent binge-watching the first season of one of Rebecca's shows, The 100.  We were hooked and had to finish the first season before we left.  Sunday evening we said goodbye to Tom, who headed out to meet some friends and then drive back to Flagstaff. Monday morning Matt, Wendy, Rebecca, Linda and I all had flights leaving within an hour of each other. Great coordination of flight scheduling made getting everyone to the airport very easy. We all made it home with no glitches.