We’re steaming down the eastern side of Key Largo today, with 12 feet of clear water under us, sunny skies, no wind to speak of, and a complete catalog of Christmas humming going on onboard, for no identifiable reason. Uncle/brother James would be proud.
After a dreamy day and night on Boca Chita Key, where we toured the lighthouse, collected shells, played kadima until our feet were sore, and snorkeled for our first time on this trip, we shoved off yesterday to meet our MDI friends and their boat off of Elliot Key.
We anchored off of Elliot with a ‘comfortable’ 6″ under our keel at low tide. After kayaking and swimming back and forth between boats, we went ashore and found a trail with thousands of blood-thirsty mosquitoes that led us to a tiny beach on the eastern shore. The beach itself was nothing to speak of, but the remnants of four Cuban refugee boats were powerful.
The kids found gear and supplies in and around them, and it certainly opened up an interesting after-dinner discussion with the girls, most simply summed up by risks people take to escape impossible situations, and how lucky we are to not be able to identify with the feeling. While it made an impression on Lily, it was probably equally weighted by the impression that the can of cocktail weenies that they found and opened (still ‘good’!) did, if I’m being honest.
Before getting into the dinghy, I started to heave our tote bag in only to pull back when I saw the raccoon in the bottom of it, feasting on our trash. Fun afternoon of pests, flying and otherwise. (We didn’t keep the raccoon, if you’re wondering- our pet-cravings haven’t gotten that far yet.)
More swimming/kayaking for the kids, cocktails in the cockpit for the adults, and crash for all.
Today we’re headed to Rodriguez Key, motoring on the ocean side for a swifter trip south.
The towel with the girls’s name is so sweet – worthy of some stationery or something? I hope none of those blood-thirsty mosquitos are Zika-carrying (and leave it to me, the worry wart, to think of that…) What an adventure you’re having. We’re all jealous up here at 8 degrees, after days in the 50s. My garden is muy confundido! xoxo
We’re looking for a piece of driftwood to epoxy the pieces to for their door. Fun project!