Manatees and Tennis, Anyone?

One day recently we were treated to a visit from a young adult manatee who lolled around our boats here in the marina. These mammals are endangered but are holding their own at the moment. There are massive efforts to educate boaters to slow down and keep from slicing these creatures with their props. A couple of us were washing our boats and the manatee was slurping up the fresh water that dripped from the scuppers. Jack Adamowski would spray the water and the manatee would come over and flip on his back to get hosed down on his belly.









We know tennis can be great exercise and good fun. Annette and I have been playing doubles with Jack and Sheila Adamowski here at the marina. As one can see in this picture, tennis can also be hazardous to one's well being. Annette ruptured her Achilles tendon as she attempted to return Sheila's shot. That was Friday, January 26. After trying to tough it out overnight, she decided that she should go to the hospital. The splint she is wearing in this picture was put on at the emergency room. Since it kept her from bending her knee, getting on and off Sabbatical was a challenge. After a false start with a local surgeon, Annette went to Coral Gables and the University of Miami's Doctor's' Hospital where she was operated on Wednesday, February 7th. She now has a cast on her lower left leg and a set of crutches. Two weeks in this cast and she returns to the doctor to have the leg examined and a new cast. That cast should remain on for another four weeks. Then, if all is right, she can begin physical therapy to loosen the foot and strengthen the muscles of her leg. This probably means that we will have to stay where we are a bit longer than we planned. Oh darn!

One of the benefits of the injury from Annette's perspective has been the plants she has received from friends wishing her well. This one was given her by the dockmaster, Candi, who had received it from the governor of West Virginia who was here in the marina with his boat. She also got a calancho, an orchid and a lucky bamboo plant. We'll have to get a bigger boat.

Wyland art is seen on buildings all over the U.S. The themes are marine, often whales. This is a building here in Key Largo that was completed by the artist as his last one on the U.S. mainland. Annette had planned to document the project with her camera but the injury reduced her mobility and she settled for this shot from the web cam at the site. Today was supposed to be the dedication, but we don't know if it was held because we had an all day rain today that included some lightning. The other side of the building has manatees, while this side shows rays among other creatures.

Key West

Uncle Bill and Aunt Laurie came to visit and stay on the boat with us. While they were here, we traveled to Key West so they could visit some friends from US Airways. One of the venues there was this theater/museum. If you look closely, you may be able to see a film crew setting up a shot in front of the building. Truman's summer White House, Hemingway's home, Fort Zachary Taylor, and all the haunts of the rich and famous are here. Of course, we went to Sloppy Joe's Bar and to Jimmy Buffets's bar-Margaritaville.

Key West is the southernmost city on the U.S. mainland and this is the point identified as the southernmost. There are many characters living here and most of them make a living having their pictures taken by tourists. Large cruise ships come in here and fill the streets with their passengers. We couldn't imagine living here as a permanent resident. The Mile Zero marker of the famous U.S. Route 1 is found here. We enjoyed walking around the streets of this unique American outpost.

Life at Key Largo

A few weeks ago, we biked to John Pennekamp State Park. Here we are at one of the beaches at the park. Most of the protected area is offshore under water. The reef area is one of the few in the world and is in danger as are most reefs. Key Largo bills itself as the dive capital of the world and the presence of these reefs and of the wrecks lying in and around them are the reasons why. The harbor where we live is full of dive boats that go out everyday full of people. National Geographic has a spot here and we think that Cousteau boats are along the canal on the way out as they all are named Calypso ...








At the park is a building housing live exhibits of the life on the reef. This is an example of brain coral. A coral reef is a delicate ecosystem existing in a very small range of conditions. The creatures living here are some of the most amazing on earth. We were able to snorkle one day on the reef and view some of this beauty in the wild. We had to cut our day short, however, because a colony of man o'war jellyfishes came through. They can cause extreme pain and even paralysis and death.

Not all the dangers are in the water. Gary did a one point landing over the front of his bike one day. His nose took the blow, bent, but did not break. For a few days, he looked like he was wearing hamburger on his face. It healed quickly and most of the teasing was over soon after that.