ABCs of a Nursing School Grad Trip + FL Keys Mini Report;D is for: Dang! Last Chapter of this TR...

[MAGICFOR2]

I just... I just don't get that! I mean. Just no.



I wish you could have finished yours, Tammie. I was really enjoying the stories and photos of all those cuties in your family!

And yes!! You have my number; when you get here, call me up! We can def get together and well,.... I was thinking of hosting a little mini PNW Meet here at the house like we did a few years back. Disney POTLUCK again!!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing you again! My in-laws are up your way, so there will be more opportunities for me to be up there

 

[franandaj]

I'm sensing it's time to send this TR off into the proverbial sunset.

I've been out of it for a few days, and this really hit me like, "Whoa, where did that come from?" I mean I had just read this....

I'll leave off here, cold and wet in the seat of a boat clipping at 25 miles an hour towards the hotel. I wanted nothing more than to hog up more of that free hotel hot water. And some more tasty vacation dinner.

I was looking forward to hearing about how you hogged up the shower water and your tasty dinner and then that. ^^^^^

Now I completely understand, you have a lot on your plate and most of it is way more important than us living vicariously through your experiences. I was glad to read the comments that you might come back more energized from your vacay and life enriching trip and may consider wrapping it up. I do also hope that you consider telling us a little about your trip to Sierra Leone, but in a bit more matter of fact manner. I, for one, am really interested in a first hand account of life over there and what you're doing and what things are really like. I can only imagine between what I hear on the news and what I read in National Geographic where the real picture lies.

I highly doubt I'll be doing one for my next trip. But I look forward to joining in your TR's and will be around the Boards as I can.

I do hope that you change your mind. I'm not as interested in what happens at Dapper Days (although I'd love to see photographs), but I would love to hear about what Africa is really like.

my eyes had the unfortunate shock of seeing him in the same Speedo we just KNEW he’d be harboring underneath at breakfast. The only cure for my damaged eyeballs was to take another sip of my mojito and close my eyes. That or a chemical peel.

Oh come on, I was hoping for creeper pictures just so we could all share in your disgust!

Thoroughly tired out from my 30-minute excursion, I had had enough and decided to go in and take a long hot shower before dinner.

I can understand that. Things I used to be able to do easily as a kid are now incredibly difficult as an adult!

I will hog the water all I can on vacay and, without shame, leave a trail of power bill destruction behind me.

When you read about how many baths I have taken on this current trip you will be proud of me. At home we have instant water heaters so we never run out of hot water, the problem in Southern California is running out of water period!

To start we ordered the Conch Fritters

Looks good...

After our fritters, we ordered the Mahi Tacos which also were just right for us to share.

Again good. And I was waiting for the rest of it and realized that that was it! Fran and I clearly order too much food!

For $IDon’tRemember.50, she offers a round trip to several snorkel and dive sites with all the equipment included.

Now that sounds like fun. I would get in the water there, just the place you kayaked gave me the willies!

They swim exactly like in Nemo and seeing them paddle around 3 feet below me was quite possibly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.

I would have liked to see that, especially if I didn't have any open wounds.

 

[docsoliday1]

I've been out of it for a few days, and this really hit me like, "Whoa, where did that come from?" I mean I had just read this....




I was looking forward to hearing about how you hogged up the shower water and your tasty dinner and then that. ^^^^^

Now I completely understand, you have a lot on your plate and most of it is way more important than us living vicariously through your experiences. I was glad to read the comments that you might come back more energized from your vacay and life enriching trip and may consider wrapping it up. I do also hope that you consider telling us a little about your trip to Sierra Leone, but in a bit more matter of fact manner. I, for one, am really interested in a first hand account of life over there and what you're doing and what things are really like. I can only imagine between what I hear on the news and what I read in National Geographic where the real picture lies.

Yeah, I think it took most of us by surprise, but as most of us have mentioned...given how busy Liesa is, definitely understandable. You also shared all of our sentiments hoping she'd share with us a little later, but I sure hope she doesn't feel pressured by us.

We have a member of our church whose sister was a missionary to Cote d'Ivoire (near Sierra Leone) almost her entire adult life. She's spoken/presented at the church several times and it's pretty inspiring. The poverty there is real (they just don't have the natural and/or financial resources we do). The medical care (the area she worked in) has improved a lot, but is still quite behind current technology we have here, but yet the people are very resilient and very thankful for what blessings they DO have. When she retired she chose to retire there vs. returning to the US. When asked, she said that's home.

Oh come on, I was hoping for creeper pictures just so we could all share in your disgust!

Um, no. I can say conclusively, some of us (at least I was) were exceedingly thankful she didn't share THAT.

When you read about how many baths I have taken on this current trip you will be proud of me. At home we have instant water heaters so we never run out of hot water, the problem in Southern California is running out of water period!

I can imagine. That's part of what vacation is for...doing things you can't do at home.

Now that sounds like fun. I would get in the water there, just the place you kayaked gave me the willies!

Only thing I would've been concerned about are the gators. The nurse sharks and the sea turtles are of no concern.

 

[vamassey1]

And got settled here:

This is my kind of relaxing.

Thoroughly tired out from my 30-minute excursion,

I enjoyed your excursion but don't think I would have tried it. I have no upper body strength. You have impressed me with your efforts.

My review: Excellent! Just delicious! The dipping sauce had a perfect zing to it and we really enjoyed them a lot. After our fritters, we ordered the Mahi Tacos which also were just right for us to share.

This does look really good. Are fritters the same as what we call hush puppies?

And while I don’t care for deep sea fishing, I do love me a Key Lime Pie.

Totally agree with this. Don't like deep sea fishing but love Key Lime Pie.

I SWAM WITH SHARKS AND TURTLES!!!!!

OMG! Yes to the turtles, maybe on the nurse sharks.

I highly doubt I'll be doing one for my next trip. But I look forward to joining in your TR's and will be around the Boards as I can.

I have really enjoyed your trip report. I was looking forward to your November trip report and Africa experience. Please reconsider.

 

[docsoliday1]

Totally agree with this. Don't like deep sea fishing but love Key Lime Pie.



OMG! Yes to the turtles, maybe on the nurse sharks.

I was stationed at Homestead for 4 years and have spent more time up and down the keys than I can remember. Swam/dove with nurse sharks many time...nary a concern.

As for key lime pies, since I've had the real thing, I'm a key lime pie snob. I can't tell you how many times I've been at a restaurant and they told me the key lime pie is fantastic, I've taken one bite and sent it back.

 

[Steppesister]

D is for: Dang! Last Chapter of this TR. ​

In the spirit of flipping Photobucket the bird (pun intended) and, after one last upload (which took me 3 days!), saying a resounding “I hope your bankruptcy is swift and sound”, I have decided to finish off this Trip Report so that I can find a new image hosting site and begin afresh upon my return. I happened to also find myself in front of a roaring fire on a chilly Autumn afternoon here in Salem, Oregon, whilst editing the last batch of Keys, 2016 photos and can’t help but to reminisce back to warmer, more tropical landscapes dotted with mojitos, sunsets, sand in my toes… and old men in Speedos. Some memories are easier to erase than others….


After our tromp with the sharks and turtles and other little aquatic beasties, it was time to once again take a nap, lounge around, then find some island-style dinner. No better, or popular place than the Loralei, a hoppin’ touristy place on the water’s edge of Islamorada. Again, I’d actually stuck to the pre-trip planning on this one.

http://loreleicabanabar.com/

We arrived in plenty of time to get a table, right up next to the music, and while we sipped our Rum Runners (when in Rum, er, Rume, er…. Rome…) the sun began to kiss the horizon. Leaving Mike to enjoy the tunes, I headed over to a little rocky outcrop a few feet away and hoped for the best. Sadly, the ‘best’ gave me Sunset Strikeout #2. Orange, yes. Water, yes. But… no clouds really to make it wow.

On the other hand, there were some sporting stragglers making their way back to moor for the night and it was fun getting some silhouettes to play with. Not nearly as crisp as I’d have liked them to be, but fun nonetheless.

I also now have photographic proof positive that mermaids do in fact exist. She swam over next to me and asked for directions. While snickering a bit on the inside, I kindly directed her to the Pelican Cove resort where I was sure she’d find, waiting in some “fashionable” swimwear, an older gentleman ready to show her the wonders of a life of retirement. Should have listened to your daddy, Ariel.

This was my least favorite meal, but only because I made the fatal mistake of saying, “order what you want”. I know, KNOW!, you all have struggled with this at some point… not hungry, wanna split, and then regret that choice big time. Ah well, I’d make up for it the next night. Meantime, I ate a few bites of the entirely BORING grilled chicken sandwich and potato salad Mike ordered. Gross.

The band was not bad. A very bluesy sounding group belted out some pretty good original stuff as well as some covers of early 80s jazz tunes. The weather was mild, the stars were beginning to twinkle, and there was a massive line building for tables, so we did the right thing and stayed another half an hour. Eventually, though, the Rum Runners wore off and it was time to head back as we needed to be up at a decent hour the next morning for our next adventure.

Zzzzzzzzzzzz…..



Beep, beep, beep… I hate that sound on vacation, but then again, for me, it wouldn’t BE a vacation if we didn’t do anything during it.


And because we couldn’t snorkel again this day because the wind was blowing at a pretty good clip creating chop too big on the Atlantic side, we opted for an eco-tour with Captain Sue amongst the mangroves. This turned out to be a really nice excursion that I enjoyed quite a lot. Breakfast was a carbon copy of the day before, bagels and cream cheese, boiled eggs, and coffee with a side of Speedo Boy. Captain Sue once again welcomed us onto her motorized cat and away we went past amazing and beautiful wild life such as this:

That was clearly meant for the rich and probably-not-famous who lived here:

Or here:

Or even here:

And now, if birds ain’t yo thang, you are more than welcome to skip the next fair bit. But birds were the name of the game on this particular outing. I am not going to bother to ID them all for you because frankly, I’m too lazy and my hot apple cider with a splash of Fireball has made me even more so. So, sit back and enjoy the few photos I managed to get of the Birds of the Florida Keys. Captain Sue was full of knowledge and stories having lived in the Keys for decades. And she was super patient with my enthusiasm for trying to get decent shots. I really appreciated the time she spent with us, and felt the money we paid her was well worth every penny. She motored us back to the Pelican Cove and it was time to do more lounging. And this time, instead of a horror movie being played out for me on the beach, I was treated to a sweet little scene of…


More birds.


Sorry. For those of you who would rather eat Taco Bell and spend an evening near a bathroom than see even more birds, feel free to skip this fart, er… part, as well.

Let's throw in an iguana for fun:

As I was in “my” lounge chair lightly snoozing, wondering if it was safe to peer about, I heard an odd, or well, different sort of bird call above me. And stuff was dropping from the trees onto me. NO, not that. Just husks and junk. Sheesh people, you always assume the worst. I looked up and there camouflaged among the leaves was a sizable flock of wild parakeets grazing on the smorgasbord of whatever seeds were up there. Luckily, I was on vacation and had some time to spare, so spent the better part of an hour running to grab my long lens and photographing them. My attention drawn upwards attracted other resort guests and soon a small crowd had gathered to admire their bright colors and cute little snuggles. And, as to maintain the Pollyanna illusion of the moment, I tried to ignore the fact that they were probably just finding and eating lice off of each other.

There was a pair of doves as well; while tasty to eat, they’re boring to watch.

By 1:00, we were ready to grab a quick lunch, if I recall it was Subway or something similarly disgusting, and then we wanted to find something that would get us moving. A leisurely stroll before dinner was just the ticket. Off we drove to see what we could find here:


https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Long-Key


There are several trails in varying lengths to choose from, and we chose a loop trail that would take about an hour or so to complete. Without further commentary, here are the nature shots along the way.

He was a bit short-sighted, so we helped him out.

Continued in next post...

 

[Steppesister]

Sunset was approaching and this would be my last chance at finding some shots worth much. You be the judge:

A Calypso band was playing at the restaurant we were taking photos nearby:

Soon there was a gnawing at our tummies, and that signaled the time to find something for dinner. Luckily, we didn’t have to go far. If you want to eat, the Keys are a good place to head. Food is as ubiquitous as Retired Cubans in Speedos. Also, luckily, the food is more appetizing. Tonight, we chose to stick close to “home” and wound up next door to the resort at the Ciao Hound 84, an EXCELLENT Italian food place that was getting phenomenal reviews. We soon found out why. Even though it was a touch chilly, we chose to sit outside because the next day we’d find ourselves back in the land of sucky weather and would be there for the unforeseeable future. An evening that it’s not raining and above 50 is like a little slice of Heaven. I ordered a glass of red wine and we nibbled on bread while we waited on the Caprese Salad we ordered.

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...e349/1473356974048/Ciao+Hound+Dinner+Menu.pdf

^There’s the menu in case you’re interested.


It was out of this world. The mozz was handmade and the tomatoes sun-ripened. Yum! The main dishes were even better. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and Mike got the Alfredo with Chicken. He doesn’t get the food picture thing, but I surreptitiously snapped one of mine quickly. The Dutch have a saying for when something is very delicious that we learned from our teammates in Crapistan- “An angel peed on my tongue.” This was one of those appropriate occasions to use this expression.

After an unbelievably incredible, and even affordable, meal, we headed over to the Postcard Inn Resort next door and walked along their pier. The fire pits were blazing, live music was sending out a rhythmic pulse for the late-night party-ers, and we found a couple of empty chairs to put our feet up a while longer before heading to bed and calling it a night.

We awoke to our last day in the Keys and wanted to get a decent start as we needed to be headed towards the Miami Airport by 1:00. We decided to head our separate ways for a couple of hours to hit up some attractions we didn’t find mutually interesting. Mike has his PADI certification and wanted to check this out:

https://www.divingmuseum.org/

I’m sure it was interesting, but I wanted to strike out on my own and visit this:

http://www.keyshistory.org/hurrmemorial.html

I had no idea of this history and was struck by the magnitude of this disaster, saddened that most loss of life was suffered by the WWI Vets trying to reintegrate and get back on their feet. I also spent a few more minutes down the road at Robbie’s poking around and trying to get a few more photos of the tarpon. Those stunk, so I only shared the ones I got on my first visit there. After the pre-arranged meeting time of an hour and a half, I picked Mike up and we headed north on A1A towards the Mainland. But we still had one last gasp of vacation time to enjoy, so we pulled off the Hwy here:

http://pennekamppark.com/

And that friends is where I’ll leave off. We checked in, didn’t get anything confiscated at Security, made our flight, and flew home.

Coincidentally, Mike is leaving for Key West on Monday. We did not go that far south, and it will be interesting to hear about what lingering damage is there due to Hurricane Irma. Meantime, I leave next weekend for my lengthy trip to perhaps the starkest contrasts of destinations possible. The first, admittedly expensive and extravagant, and more notably, familiar and comforting; the other, to one of the poorest countries in the world where I will pour myself out and give as God has blessed and enabled me in a place wholly unfamiliar and way out of my comfort zone.


Until next time...


Yours Truly, Steppesister

 

[Steppesister]

Replies another time.... dinner, laundry, picking kids up.... you know the drill.

 

[mom3sonstt]

Well, hey there, Tanya! Long time no see! Glad you're back! Yes, you were on track to finish well too. Would LOVE to hear about your trip! How was it? I'm going to catch the last day of it, so am curious!

Very briefly, the trip was great. Me and Ryne again. Didn’t try as many Food and Wine booths as I would have liked. But with no one to share with, even with the small portions you can fill up quickly. I refused to eat just for the sake of eating. (I’ve lost 25 lbs and didn’t want to start bad habits) That said, I still love the peanut butter white chocolate mousse. The chocolate picsnte from flavors of Fire was richer than I liked. The Canada cheese soup - good, the Irish cheddar cheese and stout dip had a funny (gritty?) texture.

Non food and wine related, if you get to AK the Flights of Passage ride in Pandora is amazing, and I side firmly on the “why is Avatar even in the Disney parks” side.

Safe travels!! And I hope you work your way back to us here!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

What beautiful photos! A nice end to your stay in the Keys. The bird watching is pretty neat for someone who lives in the northeast...we have bluejays and chickadees.

Sadly, the ‘best’ gave me Sunset Strikeout #2. Orange, yes. Water, yes. But… no clouds really to make it wow.

Still some lovely colour. Not a total loss by any means!

Ahhhh, now THERE it is! What beautiful shots! Your sunset patience was rewarded

 

[Steppesister]

Just remember that the DIS is a hobby that you can participate in if you have spare time, not an iron-clad committment of each morsel of spare time that you have. I am happy with whatever you have time and are willing to share, you need to take care of you and you have lots of RL priorities - you are doing great things!

Thanks, Donna. I had definitely hit a wall and was feeling a bit overwhelmed. On the final push now, and everything seems to be in place so was able to sneak away and relax a bit. More on that coming up soon...

Bring your alibis?

Is this the same as "excuses, excuses"??

Interesting. Perhaps someday I'll have an opportunity to try it too.

I hope you do. If you like shellfish, you'd probably enjoy this too.

I can't read in the car either. There lies pukeville.

So, kinda like the Teacups.

It's when they notice you that you have to worry.

"Dum, de dum de dum... just swimming, not a care in the world... hmmm... getting kinda hungry, what's this?"

So like trolling for snacks at Disney.

Totally understand. Life can be busy, and for you, lately, it's been especially so.
I'm glad you're considering it, but please don't feel pressured to do so.

Thanks, PK. I think I'm over the hump and frankly glad to be done with this TR so I can put it to rest of focus on what lies ahead.

I'm truly sorry if you feel that I've done that! Not my intent at all!!
The choice on whether you have the time and/or desire to complete this rests wholly with you.

Oh I didn't mean it an a negative way at all. Thank you for the encouragement to finish it up. I hope you enjoyed the last bit.

Well, I for one will look forward to reading all about it!

I hope you did.

I know what you mean. Hard to be "on" all the time. There are some updates I do that I know are fun because I was laughing while writing them, and others that I feel like are just done out of obligation to keep things moving. Everybody needs a break.

Yes. This.

I think the nearly month I'll be gone will give me just that. Along with some fresh, new material and inspiration.

 

[Steppesister]

I was sad to read that you were ending his TR. but we completely understand where that thought comes from.... as I’ve totally let the cobwebs settle in on my own.

I found it in me (mostly because I am angry as HE11 at Photobucket) to finish 'er up. On to new and more exciting stuff.

Real life is busy and as Donna said DIS is a choice, not an obligation and I was kind of feeling that way myself.

See? I get it.

Take some time and come back to it when you have the passion for it again. It will come and we will still be here when you do.

Thanks, Cindy. I appreciate the support.

That must have been a strong mojito if a sip was all it took.

Well, that was the sip after the first mojito. Maybe.

That's some great TR writing! Giving us every last detail!

Only the best for my readers.

Wow... so is that next on the list after the pilot's license?

No. My yard has enough crap laying around. No need for a boat too.

And you lived to tell about it!!!!

Barely.

Only 3 or 4? You lie!

No, for reals! Cuz after about 2 you need to seriously consider heading back to the boat because it usually means you're getting tired.

Ok, ok, I know I've been slow to get here, but I get it. You've definitely got a lot on your plate, so if you need to abandon us in the Keys... well, I guess there are worse places to be abandoned.

Did you enjoy your stay before I moved on? Next stop W. Africa...

I'm looking forward to seeing you again! My in-laws are up your way, so there will be more opportunities for me to be up there

Niiiiice! I see lounging on my deck in your future.

 

[Steppesister]

I've been out of it for a few days, and this really hit me like, "Whoa, where did that come from?" I mean I had just read this....

I hope your trip was amazing!! Yeah, Alison, I'd really hit a slump and a wall. I felt I was out of oomph and drive to do it, but with the encouragement of all of you, I did reconsider and finished it up. Ta-daaaaah!!!!

I was looking forward to hearing about how you hogged up the shower water and your tasty dinner and then that. ^^^^^

Now I completely understand, you have a lot on your plate and most of it is way more important than us living vicariously through your experiences. I was glad to read the comments that you might come back more energized from your vacay and life enriching trip and may consider wrapping it up. I do also hope that you consider telling us a little about your trip to Sierra Leone, but in a bit more matter of fact manner. I, for one, am really interested in a first hand account of life over there and what you're doing and what things are really like. I can only imagine between what I hear on the news and what I read in National Geographic where the real picture lies.

I do, and still do. And will until I leave in 10 days. I think the next TR will be full of adventure, and photos and fresh inspiration. Just was feeling overwhelmed at the time and not at all sure I could finish given that lack of time combined with some hard stuff going on including all that was on my plate.

I do hope that you change your mind. I'm not as interested in what happens at Dapper Days (although I'd love to see photographs), but I would love to hear about what Africa is really like.

You will have plenty of photos from the Disney portion for sure! But, honestly, I"m even more excited to take them from Africa. What an incredible opportunity I've been given and I know I will want to share with all of you. Many of you (I think around 10 DISers!) have financially supported this trip because they believe in the good of it and I will want to make sure my "sending team" gets a full accounting!

Oh come on, I was hoping for creeper pictures just so we could all share in your disgust!

I wasn't quick enough!

I can understand that. Things I used to be able to do easily as a kid are now incredibly difficult as an adult!

Right?! I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime. Not so much anymore.

When you read about how many baths I have taken on this current trip you will be proud of me. At home we have instant water heaters so we never run out of hot water, the problem in Southern California is running out of water period!

Twice a day, everyday. Less than that, and it's just... wrong. I"m hoping this year the drought eases up.

Again good. And I was waiting for the rest of it and realized that that was it! Fran and I clearly order too much food!

We just don't eat very much. And really didn't want leftovers to deal with.

Now that sounds like fun. I would get in the water there, just the place you kayaked gave me the willies!

Me too. Way too many jellies. The other stuff I could deal with.

I would have liked to see that, especially if I didn't have any open wounds.

Yeah... salt water doesn't bode so well for open owies.

 

[Steppesister]

I sure hope she doesn't feel pressured by us.

Not really.

The pressure I felt was from PB. They have successfully stirred my ire enough to make the switch even before I go. Thinking SmugMug or Flikr or such... Need to research pricing.

We have a member of our church whose sister was a missionary to Cote d'Ivoire (near Sierra Leone) almost her entire adult life. She's spoken/presented at the church several times and it's pretty inspiring. The poverty there is real (they just don't have the natural and/or financial resources we do). The medical care (the area she worked in) has improved a lot, but is still quite behind current technology we have here, but yet the people are very resilient and very thankful for what blessings they DO have. When she retired she chose to retire there vs. returning to the US. When asked, she said that's home.

I hope to bring back stories that can give an authentic window into the lives of those who live there. I think it (the TR) will facilitate honest discussions of proper perspective and promote thankfulness for all we have. Fitting for me to be there over Thanksgiving.

Um, no. I can say conclusively, some of us (at least I was) were exceedingly thankful she didn't share THAT.

LOL!

I can imagine. That's part of what vacation is for...doing things you can't do at home.

Like scarfing Dole Whips, jumping on the beds, and taking selfies with the PDX carpet.

Only thing I would've been concerned about are the gators. The nurse sharks and the sea turtles are of no concern.

They didn't even turn or seem to notice us! So weird!

 

[Steppesister]

Duplicate post. Thanks DIS.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I happened to also find myself in front of a roaring fire on a chilly Autumn afternoon here in Salem, Oregon, whilst editing the last batch of Keys, 2016 photos and can’t help but to reminisce back to warmer, more tropical landscapes dotted with mojitos, sunsets, sand in my toes… and old men in Speedos. Some memories are easier to erase than others….

One of these things is not like the others...

On the other hand, there were some sporting stragglers making their way back to moor for the night and it was fun getting some silhouettes to play with. Not nearly as crisp as I’d have liked them to be, but fun nonetheless.

Maybe no clouds, but the silhouettes are cool.

That's not a mermaid. It's Nessie.

This was my least favorite meal, but only because I made the fatal mistake of saying, “order what you want”. I know, KNOW!, you all have struggled with this at some point… not hungry, wanna split, and then regret that choice big time. Ah well, I’d make up for it the next night. Meantime, I ate a few bites of the entirely BORING grilled chicken sandwich and potato salad Mike ordered. Gross.

Poor Mike. Given direction, he follows it to a tee, and still gets thrown under the bus. I know that feeling...

Breakfast was a carbon copy of the day before, bagels and cream cheese, boiled eggs, and coffee with a side of Speedo Boy.

It's like a recurring nightmare!

Sorry. For those of you who would rather eat Taco Bell and spend an evening near a bathroom than see even more birds, feel free to skip this fart, er… part, as well.

Yeah....I'll just go with the birds.

And stuff was dropping from the trees onto me.

NO, not that.

Whew.

He was a bit short-sighted, so we helped him out.

I don't know why this cracks me up; it just does.

Love this shot.

The Dutch have a saying for when something is very delicious that we learned from our teammates in Crapistan- “An angel peed on my tongue.” This was one of those appropriate occasions to use this expression.

Huh. "Delicious" isn't the first word I would think of upon hearing that expression.

I had no idea of this history and was struck by the magnitude of this disaster, saddened that most loss of life was suffered by the WWI Vets trying to reintegrate and get back on their feet.

That's very sad. And a bit eerie, reading this now after another hurricane has swept through.

Coincidentally, Mike is leaving for Key West on Monday.

Is he going to help with rebuilding efforts, or something else entirely?

Meantime, I leave next weekend for my lengthy trip to perhaps the starkest contrasts of destinations possible. The first, admittedly expensive and extravagant, and more notably, familiar and comforting; the other, to one of the poorest countries in the world where I will pour myself out and give as God has blessed and enabled me in a place wholly unfamiliar and way out of my comfort zone.

I hope both legs are equally fulfilling! And that D.C. works out!

 

[KathyM2]

Trying to catch up as usual around here. I absolutely love your jellyfish pics...so cool the way they turned out. Loved reading about the keys portion of your trip as much as the Disney portion...and do look forward to hearing about your upcoming adventures too when you can!

 

[docsoliday1]

I don't remember where you mentioned Raglan Road, but I had mentioned seeing Celtic Woman at the Fox theatre. Here's one of the songs that definitely has the Irish feel and reminds me a bit of Raglan road.

 

[Steppesister]

This is my kind of relaxing.

Definitely not a Disney vacation!

This does look really good. Are fritters the same as what we call hush puppies?

I think the difference is that there is food that is battered in a fritter and hush puppies are just the fried corn meal. At least that's what I understand.

Totally agree with this. Don't like deep sea fishing but love Key Lime Pie.

LOL! #priorities

OMG! Yes to the turtles, maybe on the nurse sharks.

They are super fun to watch glide around oblivious to you whatsoever. Both in fact.

I have really enjoyed your trip report. I was looking forward to your November trip report and Africa experience. Please reconsider.

Thanks for the encouragement, Vanessa. I'm sure I'll be sharing.

 

[Steppesister]

I was stationed at Homestead for 4 years and have spent more time up and down the keys than I can remember. Swam/dove with nurse sharks many time...nary a concern.

As for key lime pies, since I've had the real thing, I'm a key lime pie snob. I can't tell you how many times I've been at a restaurant and they told me the key lime pie is fantastic, I've taken one bite and sent it back.

Wow, you ARE squarely in the snob category. You sound like me and my coffee.

Very briefly, the trip was great. Me and Ryne again. Didn’t try as many Food and Wine booths as I would have liked. But with no one to share with, even with the small portions you can fill up quickly. I refused to eat just for the sake of eating. (I’ve lost 25 lbs and didn’t want to start bad habits) That said, I still love the peanut butter white chocolate mousse. The chocolate picsnte from flavors of Fire was richer than I liked. The Canada cheese soup - good, the Irish cheddar cheese and stout dip had a funny (gritty?) texture.

Does anyone ever try as many as they'd like?

But yes, I do understand, they do fill you up quickly and it's easy to get saturated too soon. But, huge kudos to you for taking weight loss seriously and doing what you need to in order to succeed. Huzzah!!

Good recon on the items! I'll pass on the Cheddar Cheese soups. It'll be interesting to see what I end up with this year!

Non food and wine related, if you get to AK the Flights of Passage ride in Pandora is amazing, and I side firmly on the “why is Avatar even in the Disney parks” side.

Super, SUPER looking forward to trying this one!

Safe travels!! And I hope you work your way back to us here!!

Thanks, Tanya!!

What beautiful photos! A nice end to your stay in the Keys. The bird watching is pretty neat for someone who lives in the northeast...we have bluejays and chickadees.

We do get big birds here, but usually have to go out to the sanctuary to see them much. We live on the banks of the Willamette River and get Herons, Osprey, Bald Eagle and Vultures and Red-Tailed Hawk but not like in the Keys where they are everywhere!

Ahhhh, now THERE it is! What beautiful shots! Your sunset patience was rewarded

Thanks! 3rd time's a charm!