Enjoying the winter in Marathon!

Finally a good day for the beach

Bob and Mike enjoying the day

MTOA Gathering at the beach

Granddaddy iguana and his

girlfriend

Fuel truck - over 3000 gallons delivered in all

Super Bowl Sunday - yes a little cool on the dock

Key Colony Beach

Warm nice day

Girls Day out - lunch and shopping

Mike enjoying his bacon!

Beautiful evening

Great sunset

Poker Run 2016!

Choosing our cards

Plenty of contenders for the Chili Cook Off!

Gathering around the food!

Judges hard at work

The winners!

Mike and Carolyn tied for first place!

Ricky came in a close second!

End to a beautiful day on the dock

Hey Ricky - it's not a race!

Bob and Katie taking it easy

the two Poker Hand winners!

Ray, Linda and Kellee trying to relax....

Storm a brewing

Full moon over the harbor

Doesn't get any better

Party on the dock!

Not sure but this could be our next adventure!

While the weather hasn’t been the best this season (thanks to El Nino), we’ve still managed to enjoy ourselves.  The month of January was pretty much rain, wind and cold temperatures.  At least cold by Florida Keys standards.  We had to pull out our jeans and sweatshirts!  In fact, the dock parties were rather scarce because most of us were trying to stay dry and warm on our boats!  Okay, I’m not really complaining because I know it’s worse up north; it’s just that most everything we do down here is conducive to good weather and we’ve just haven’t had what we have had in the past.
 
BUT like I said, we’ve still managed to enjoy ourselves.  Here are a few highpoints of our time in the Keys so far.  MTOA had a picnic on the beach one Sunday.  It turned out to be a beautiful day  - just a little windy.  Too cool to get in the water although we saw several people attempting it.   It was a good meal and a nice way to meet other boaters.  

Several of us ladies have managed to do our weekly shopping and lunch outing.  We also went to the Flea Market ( we call it the dirt mall) that is every weekend in Big Pine Key.  There are always bargains to find there!  Some of us also go to Line Dancing twice a week in Big Pine.  I’m learning slowly!  When the weather is nice enough Mike and I have walked the beach.  I also have been going to Zumba. Of course, there’s docktails on the dock every night weather permitting.  See there’s plenty here to keep us busy! Ha!

Mike took me out to dinner to LazyDays for my birthday.  It’s a nice restaurant on the water.  Although it was too chilly to enjoy the view.  We made the best of it!  The best key lime pie ever!

Our Super Bowl Party was on the dock again this year.  Lots of food and lots of fun!  The weather cooperated until the sun went down.  Then most of us headed to our boats to watch the game.  We had planned to have a TV outside to watch the game but it was just too cold and windy.

The weather does seem to be turning around a bit since January has passed and the manatee saw it’s shadow!  Mike and I decided it was time to go to Key West.  We’ve been here a few months now and we hadn’t been there yet.  So off we went.  We had a great day for it.  Since it was a little cool, the crowd was not too bad.  We had lunch at the Half Shell Bar on the water.  Stopped in for a few beers and hit a few T-shirt shops.  For Happy Hour we headed to the 2 Cent Bar.  During Happy Hour this place sets out bacon on your table instead of peanuts, etc!   You also throw the die (dice) for the cost of your drink.  If you throw a one – you pay a dollar, two – you pay two dollars, three – you pay half price, four or up – you pay Happy Hour price.  Pretty cool, huh!  I threw ones, Mike threw fours – I guess it pretty much evened out.  We’re coming back here again soon for lunch or dinner.  The food looked really good!

On the way home from Key West we were just about to the 10 MM when we saw on the electronic highway sign that there was a major crash at MM 25.  We knew that meant a long delay trying to get back to Marathon.  Remember, there’s only one road in and one road out….  US 1  That’s it!  SO we made a quick decision to turn into Bobalu’s Southern Cafe and wait out the traffic.  We sat at the bar for a couple of hours.  We were near the kitchen and kept seeing the food coming out.  It looked so GOOD!  Unfortunately we weren’t in the least bit hungry after chowing down on bacon. We are definitely coming back to this place.  Most of the crowd was local and that’s always a good sign.  Finally we could see the traffic was starting to move again so we headed back.  We had timed it just right.  We had no trouble getting back to Marathon.  Hope everyone involved in the accident was okay.

Finally we had a good Saturday weatherwise and we were able to hold our Third Annual Dinghy Poker Run!  What fun it is!  Mike and I are the ones that got it started and now it seems that everyone really looks forward to it.  We didn’t have quite the crowd that we had last year - probably because of the weather and the word just didn’t get out like last year.  That’s okay we had about 20 dinghies!  That’s plenty!  Richard McGee won the pot for the best hand – 3 Queens  - and I won the pot for the worst hand.  Hey the biggest loser!  But I was in the money!  We all gathered back at the dock and enjoyed the great evening…. Probably a little too much for some of us.  Ha!

Last night we had a Chili Cook Off on the dock.  There were about a dozen contenders.  Mike made his chili and tied for FIRST PLACE with Carolyn.  Ricky came in a close second.  Wow, there are many different styles of chili based on what regions they come from .  I think I tried them all!  All were very good!  Thanks to our "judges" who had to make those difficult decisions.  Ha!
Now we're looking to Friday when Bill and Patty (Conched Out Too) are cooking there world reknown Jambalaya!  We do like to eat! 

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Spending the holidays in Marathon - December 2015

Some of the dolphins

Giant iguana!

One of the sea lions

Big daddy of the sea lions

Waiting for the go ahead at Thanksgiving!

NautiNell all lit up for Christmas

See the tree on top?

This was taken one day by a boater on

a mooring ball.  Isn't it gorgeous!

Mr Manatee visiting the harbor

Waiting for the Wounded Warriors

God Bless Them!

New Year's Eve in the Keys!

Getting ready to show them
our appreciation! 

Very cool!

They were thanking us as we were thanking them

One of the many gorgeous skies

Never gets old

So calm and peaceful

This has to be the best one ever

Gathering at the dock!

Another night of fun

Christmas Day at Karen's

Perfect evening

What can I say?

All sizes of boats

Fun time!

More dolphin fun

Christmas Eve in the Keys

Sombrero Beach on Christmas Eve

Nice day for a dinghy ride

Santa's elves?

Ray in one of the reindeer games

trying to open a present with gloves

is impossible

Come on Linda you can do it!

We arrived in Marathon on Saturday afternoon, November 21.  It’s nice to be back! We’ve spent several days since reuniting with friends.  The first item on the agenda was Thanksgiving Dinner.  Our friend, Karen who has a condo here, invited us all over for a Thanksgiving feast.  There was a lot of great food and many great friends.  Several boaters are here but there are still several that haven’t yet arrived.  It will be busy the next few weeks with boaters coming and going. 

After Thanksgiving, it was time to decorate NautiNell for Christmas.  There are lots of boats here that are  decorated.  We’ve had several people who walk down or drive by the dock and remark on how festive it all looks

It’s been rather rainy so far this month.  However, we’ve managed to spend several evenings enjoying docktails and sunsets.  The sky seems to be extra pretty this year.  Mike has gone fishing a few times with Stan and Shirley on Joint Venture. They brought in a huge Mahi the other day.  So it was time for another cookout.  We had a great fish dinner on the dock. 

Patty and Bill (Conched Out Too) made it here finally!  They’re in the slip next to us.  Now it’s starting to be more like old times!  Soon Finally and Sassy II will be here.  They’re on the west coast now heading our way.  And Second Noelle will be here in a few days.

Ricky fired up his smoker the other day just in time for the Christmas Boat Parade.  We enjoyed a great potluck on the dock with smoked pork butt.  And then it was time for the parade.  There were more boats this time, I think.  A beautiful evening with friends. 

Some of us girls have done a little Christmas shopping together.  We’ve also managed to have lunch at the No Name Pub and Brutus’ Fish Market.  We do like to eat!  Also some of us went out to dinner at the Cracked Conch the other night and took in a play at the Marathon Theatre.  It’s surprising that there is such good talent here in this little town.  The play was great!

Mike and I have taken out the dinghy a few times.  We haven’t got to do a lot of “dinkin” because of the rain and wind.  But when we get the chance – we go!  Hopefully the weather will clear up and we’ll get to enjoy the Florida Keys sunshine every day!

We’re still on the “selling NautiNell rollercoaster”! We’ve shown the boat three times already since we’ve been here in Marathon!  I thought it would be slower once we got down here with the holidays, etc.  Guess I was wrong.  We start to panic somewhat whenever someone looks at it.  We do want to sell it but just not yet!  Oh well, best laid plans……………………..  Whatever happens, happens!

Yesterday, Finally and Sassy II made it in.  It’s so good to see them!  A few of the boaters have gone home for the holidays so it’s getting rather scarce around here.  Now with them here and Second Noelle planning to arrive here tomorrow, it’s beginning to fill up again! By the first of January or so, most everyone will be here again

Now the plans for Christmas dinner are taking hold.  We’ve all been invited over to Karen’s again.  It’s really kind of her to open her home to all of us.  I hope she realizes how we appreciate it.  I’m sure it will be another great time! 

Ta’Ta’ for now.  I’ll catch you up on more later!  :-)

I’m back!  Christmas has come and gone! What a fun time!

First we had visitors from back home!  Bill Gipson and his wife along with Sara (their daughter) stopped in to say “hi”.  They were down here on vacation for a week.  It’s always good to get to visit with friends from back home. 

We spent Christmas Eve on the dock socializing.  It was a nice evening – not so windy.  Santa made his annual visit with the Carolers from the Marathon Fire Department.  That’s always fun to see.  On Christmas Day, we all went to Karen’s condo.  Again – great food and great people!  After eating way too much it was time to join in the “reindeer games”!  First we did a “Dirty Santa” white elephant gift exchange.  That was a hoot!  Then after that we learned just how hard it is to unwrap a gift wearing gloves.   It’s hard to explain…..  Last but definitely not least, we got to stuff panty hose with balloons.  Oh yeah, and then the team captains got to wear them or at least try!  Maybe that’s too much information – what happens in Marathon should maybe stay in Marathon!  LOL!  Thanks Karen for opening your home to all of us crazies!

BTW – While this was all going on, we get a call from our broker!  Someone wants to see the boat the day after Christmas!  Oh well!  We did a bit of fast cleaning and she was ready for viewing that afternoon.  They liked it but they’re just gathering info at this point.  We understand.  We did that for about a year before we made our deal!  That makes four different showings since we’ve been here in Marathon.  Who thought we’d be showing it so much down here.

Yesterday I finally went to the Dolphin Research Center.  I’ve been wanting to go for the last few seasons but have never made it.  Jill, Becky, Heather and I spent the day there.  We started off with lunch at Hawks Cay.  Woohoo!  Got a little fancy!  Well, only because The Wreck was closed for remodeling.  Oh well, it does us good sometime to see how the other half lives.  I really enjoyed the Dolphin Center.  They are so cute and you can tell they really enjoy interaction with people.  There are also four sea lions there.  I’m so glad I finally went.  Now I can check another thing off my list! 

New Year’s Eve was a warm sunny day in the Keys. Most of the day was spent hanging out on the dock.   Later that evening it was appetizers on the dock and a great time welcoming in the New Year.  Yes, I actually made it to midnight!   Several of us took a dinghy ride to “Gilligan’s Island” on New Year’s Day.  Another day of hanging out in warm sunny Florida.  Later it was time for black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread.  What a great way to start the New Year! 

We even managed to show the boat again!  That’s five times since we’ve been here in Marathon!  At least there is a lot of interest.  Just no one with a check in their hand yet.   

Hope you all have a Happy New Year!  May 2016 bring us all peace and happiness.

Till next time!

Admiral “C”