A Keys Christmas

Our friend John decided he didn't want to spend Christmas with us - apparently something to do with how we spent Thanksgiving.  He made it safely back to Naples to celebrate his birthday on Saturday.

John G, getting ready to drive back to Naples.
The sign sums it up for Sue and me.

We got up early (the cats make sure we're always up early) Christmas and dinked ashore for showers.  Then back to the boat for breakfast before Sue started baking sweet potatoes and apples to take to the marina Christmas dinner.  We got there a bit early, not a bad thing in this case, and spent the time talking with a couple from Maryland we had met earlier in the day - he had noticed Fluff in the cockpit and stopped by to chat.  The marina staff prepared several turkeys, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin and pecan pies.  The boaters  all brought dishes to pass, so there was no shortage of food.  We ate until around 2:30, so we were all as stuffed as the turkeys had been.  We didn't do much the rest of the day.




The food table was 30 or so feet long,
plus a separate dessert table.



There were more people eating outside.



Our fare, Sue was bringing back the pie.



Half of the dinghy dock.

Today we went ashore mid-morning.  By the time we came back to the boat the wind and waves were really up, even in the harbor, so we ended up getting soaked.  The wind is forecast to be strong and out of the north or east for the next 4 days at least, so we might not be going anywhere soon.  Because the Gulf Stream moves north, if the wind is out of the north it makes really big, uncomfortable waves because the wind is running into the current.  As long as we have to wait for a weather window, Marathon, with showers, shopping, sightseeing, and other boaters to compare notes with, is a good place to wait.