Welcome 2017 from Key West

Saturday, December 31, 2016 - January 18 ,2017

Well, we've made it to another year.  2016 has been an exciting and fun year, primarily because we've had the chance to spend much time with Slade, Candance, Anna and Evan.

We've spent a lot of the year in our beautiful motorhome, starting just after the start of the year only a few feet from where we are now - here at Sigsbee Naval Base in Key West.

We're falling into a comfortable routine and really enjoying the wonderful weather.  We've had only one day since arrival that could be called less than perfect and on that day, the biggest problem was the wind.  A cool front went through, it turned a little cooler - like the low 70's one day and a night when the temperature got down to the low 60's.  Good sleeping.

Generally, we start the day with a few minutes catching up on news (on the Internet) and e-mail.  Then I've found several small projects to do on the motorhome.  I've started waxing a small section each day, organizing things and generally just catching up on minor maintenance - fun things.

Then around noon, I'll either go to the fitness facility or to the pool.  I've also started taking the Florida Boaters license course so we can rent a boat at the on-base marina.  Depending on whether I've had a drink or two, I can usually pass the test sections (there are six and I've passed two).

By three in the afternoon, we're usually relaxing outside, talking to people we've met (there are a lot), listening to music, reading, walking or just chillin'.

Most afternoons, groups gather in the shade and enjoy meeting each other.

Clara's starting to walk a couple miles every day.  She found an app on her phone that will track her distance and speed, so she is challenged every day to beat the day before.  Plus she has somebody stopping by all day to chat.  We've fixed her swing up and she'll "hold court" as long as anybody's willing to stop and chat.

On Wednesday evening, we attended a broadway production of "42nd Street" at the Tennessee Williams Theater on the campus of Key West Community College. We were absolutely blown away by this incredible production.  It's done by a touring group and they are fantastic.  I had bought the tickets (along with three other upcoming shows) back in November.  Last winter we found that every production at the theater was sold out before we even knew about it.  This year we're better prepared.  If the next three productions are as good as this one, we will see some pretty amazing stuff.

There's a so-called Sigsbee Shuffle every morning as the exchanges go on with people moving out of the full hookup up campsites and back into the dry sections, and a group of people moving from the dry section to full hookup.  We're doing very well without the full hookups.  We just have to run either the big generator or the little Honda for a few hours a day to keep the batteries charged.  The big energy culprit is the residential refrigerator.  If it weren't for that, we'd have very little energy usage.  And a few times we've cut the air conditioners on in the evening to cool the coach down before bed time.  It gets pretty warm in the late afternoon inside but cools off nicely at night.  Just running the air conditioners a few minutes makes it more comfortable sooner.

I've added a "Gen-Turi" to the motor home.  It's a generator exhaust extension system that helps dissipate exhaust gases away from the ground.  When using the generator in a crowded area with little wind, the exhaust gases can stagnate and start bothering neighbors.  By venting them up high, they dissipate without causing odor problems.

New Gen-Turi to get rid of the exhaust gas from the generator

On Friday, January 6, about two weeks after arrival, we make our first move to a full hookup site.  It's our first time at what's called the "rock pile" campground just down the road.  This is probably the least desirable (desirability is a matter of degree.  All locations are desirable, it's just that some sites are closer to the water or may have a little better view of the water) of the three campgrounds on base. The sites in the "rock pile) are a little more crowded and there isn't much grass, but it hasn't bothered us at all.  We still meet the same people we've made friends with, and with each move we meet new ones.

The view isn't too bad from the "rock pile"

A lot of afternoons, someone will mention a restaurant they've enjoyed, and a group will head out to out for "happy hour" and dinner.

"Happy Hour" at Two Friends restaurant in downtown

A great spaghetti dinner at John and Nancy's.  They were our neighbors for a few days before we moved.

Sunday, January 8.  The weather changed rather dramatically yesterday.

I had scheduled to be checked out on a small sailboat the Key West Sailing Club at 1 o'clock. Just as the instructor and I pulled away from the dock about 10 feet, the wind started howling and it started raining.  We rapidly made our way back to the dock and bolted for shelter.

The weather change is part of a massive cold air system covering the Eastern US, and the cold (cool) front hit with a vengeance.  The winds have been 25-30 knots all Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, and Sunday's high temperature is 66 degrees (Beaufort's high temperature is expected to be 27 and Spruce Pine 17 so I'm not complaining).

It's a good day to get caught up on things that need to be done inside the motorhome.

The winds howling on the Gulf

I'm looking forward to getting more familiar with the Key West Sailing Club.  It's a small club on the waterfront near downtown run mostly by volunteers (there appear to be a couple of paid staff).  They have several 20 foot O'day sailboats and several Hobie catamarans.  Their annual dues are $210, and for that I can go sailing as often as I want to.  We're looking forward to spending some time sailing around the area.

Saturday, January 14

I have been very negligent doing the blog.  It seems that there is always something to do.  And as I've told Anna, if I don't do the blog every day, you lose it. Although there really isn't much to lose right now.  We've fallen into a routine much as we would if at home, except it is warm.  In fact we're getting very familiar with Key West and it's beginning to seem very familiar.  We haven't stayed in a place as long as we have here since we started RVing, except for home and Spruce Pine.  We were here about 6 weeks last winter, and we'll be here for nearly 12 weeks this year.

I did get checked out on the O'Day sailboat at the club.  The O'Day's are in pretty bad shape, but they are at least a sailboat.  Since I checked out last Tuesday, the winds have been blowing about 20 +  most of the day and that's a little too much for that little boat, especially with the shape it's in.  There are other boats, and I'll probably become a regular at the club.

We've been out to dinner several times with different groups.  Our favorite restaurant this week has been Two Friend Patio Restaurant on the corner of Front and Ann Street (sounds a little familiar) in downtown.  We've been three times and not been disappointed.

I did a bike ride with a group from the campground.  We took a back route to downtown that I don't think I could replicate.

We've enjoyed having full hook up - not having to worry about keeping the batteries charged has made it a little nicer.  However, we'll go back to dry camping next Friday.  We're actually looking forward to it - a little - because the sites are larger.

I've been using the "heated" swimming pool at the local community college this week.  It's kept at 82 degrees.  The pool at Trumbo (Naval Base a mile or so away) is not heated and the water temperature was around 76 the last time I was there.  It only hurts for a minute or so before becoming acclimated.

A spontaneous party sometimes happens at sunset.

Friday, Clara went to the Home Tour with some friends she's met and the guys met them for dinner at Two Friends.

Candy, Nancy, Edith and Clara on the Homes Tour

Sunday, January 15

Today, we took advantage of some of the culture of Key West.  I had seen a promotional piece for the group "Canadian Brass".  I've heard of them for many years, and have generally always enjoyed bands of this nature.  So, we bought tickets to their concert at St. Paul's Church on Duval Street.  Not your ordinary concert hall!

The 5 piece brass band gave a wonderful performance.

Then, to complete our "cultural" day, we walked across the street to the world famous Margariteville Cafe and had a "Cheeseburger in Paradise".  And it was a pretty doggone good burger.  Of course, Clara continued her tradition of conch fritters.  I think she has had them every time we've gone out to eat since arriving in Key West.  She hasn't had a bad one yet!

The morning was spent cleaning and waxing the front right hubcap on the motor home.  It didn't look too bad to start with, but now looks terrific.  I will hopefully do the other three, but it took over 3 hours just to do this one.  It was in pretty bad shape.

Tuesday, Clara fixed bar-b-que ribs in the crock pot.  We fixed out plates and walked across the road to enjoy dinner watching the sunset.

As the sun set, a neighbor came out and blew his conch shell, celebrating the end of another beautiful day.

Wednesday, January 18

Happy Birthday to Anna.  Today is sweet 16!

What else can I add that says it is wonderful to be able to enjoy this beautiful weather?  Probably nothing!  I guess I'd have to say that it is a good thing that Key West is not a lot bigger, or else the whole United States would be here for the winter and everything in the Northern Tier would be shut down due to a lack of interest.

We're waiting to find out if the sale of Eureka is finalized.  Meanwhile, I've started thinking about a good replacement.  I've been looking and found a 24 foot Sea Ray that I think I like.  This morning, we met the owner at the boat for a first look - and I like what I see.

This afternoon we took the kayaks out for a while.

The water is beautifully clear, but unfortunately, there isn't much to see.  When I went swimming this afternoon, I did see a few tropical fish, but mostly, just a few fish and sea grass.

As we kayaked near the mangroves, there were several iguanas sunning in the trees.

The iguanas look like something left over from the dinosaur age.

We met up with Jim while kayaking, whom we met last year, and Clara went for a sail on his Hobie.

This afternoon, Lynn and Bob, who live in Havelock and we met last year, arrived and this evening we had dinner with them at the Sunset Grill here on base.