The Admiral is aboard!

As the Captain of Spray, I am in charge, and first mate Riggs obeys all of my orders (yeah, right). But now the power structure has changed as Sheila is aboard for two weeks.

Sheila is taking two weeks vacation from her job here, and has left beloved Katie-Bopp with wonderful friends Rosemary and David Wyman. On Saturday she flew direct from Bangor to Orlando on Allegiant Air, which usually hauls families to and from Disney World. I had arranged for a 3-day car rental from Enterprise at the Marathon airport (only $30/day) so Riggs and I hit the road early Saturday morning and drove up Rte 1 to Homestead, then the Florida Turnpike to Orlando. On this drive I learned 2 things:

- Apparently Florida finances the state government from highway tolls. It cost something like $30 each way in tolls to drive to/from Orlando.

- Orlando has TWO airports, the huge Orlando International, where I first drove to, and the smaller Sanford Airport, where Sheila's flight landed. The two airports are about 30 miles apart. So, instead of being comfortably 1/2 hour early, I was 5 minutes late after some frantic driving between airports.

Anyhow, we finally picked up Sheila and headed back to the Keys, stopping in Key Largo for supper at the Fish House restaurant (very good), and finally dinghying out to Spray at about midnight. Too much driving in one day, but for a good cause.

Sunday we still had the car so the 3 of us drove to Key West, and walked all over, enjoying the whole scene but especially the cemetery. We also had a super dinner at Antonia's Italian restaurant on Duval Street. You would think that, since it serves so many tourists, it would be mediocre, but it was fantastic.

Monday we turned in the rent-a-car (after vacuuming out 1 million little white dog hairs, and running a couple of errands). Then we retired to Spray to relax until we went to Jeff & Karen Siegel's boat A Cappella for 'Dark & Stormys'. It was great to visit with them. Back aboard Spray we made a pasta dish and cracked open one of the fine reds that Ken had added to Spray's wine cellar.

Tuesday we started with a 7 am dinghy ride to Sombrero Beach for dog play with Riggs and the Siegel's dogs Dynah and Dylan. Riggs chased the tennis ball like crazy and ate a pound of beach sand. Then Sheila and I dropped Riggs off on Spray and walked to here for breakfast where we became what its named. Sheila ordered 'Grits and Grunts' and amazingly ate the whole thing. We then walked up Rte 1 so Sheila could hunt for the perfect pair of flip-flops, which she finally found in a K-Mart of all places. In celebration of our 31st wedding anniversary we walked to supper at the best restaurant in Marathon. It was very nice. She had the grouper and I the scallop risotto.

Wednesday started with chuck-it play at the nearby park, then a dinghy tour down Sister's Creek, to Sombrero Beach for sunbathing and a picnic lunch. Lots of sun but a cool north wind made it comfortable only if you kept low, which we did. On the ride back we toured the canal-neighborhoods, admiring the nice homes and spotting a few lounging Iguanas. Wednesday is pot-luck dinner at the marina which was fun (we brought salad from a local Deli), after which we watched a movie (Amelia) with the Siegels in A Capella's media room.

Thursday started out with relatively light winds so we decided to take a day-cruise on Spray, travelling 10 miles west to Bahia-Honda State Park, where we had a picnic lunch capped off by ice cream from the park's snack bar. It was fun to walk around the park plus the cruise there and back helped to recharge Spray's depleted house battery.

Today is errand day, with Sheila doing laundry, me on the computer, and then grocery shopping after lunch. We'll probably be here in Marathon for all of Sheila's visit (except for another short cruise or two), so stay tuned for more on the pleasures of the Florida Keys.