This Wednesday finds me feeling more and more like myself! Up until about Monday Night of this week, I got really, really tired in the late afternoons. Now, I'm almost flitting around as is my norm.
Bless Jim! He did catch a mangrove snapper that was more than 10 inches on last Friday, February 18. He and Larry came back with grins on their faces. Not a big fish haul, but a total of three, two for Larry and one for Jim. Now, our snapper is in the freezer, alone, hoping to be joined by more fish soon. As I have mentioned, mangrove snapper is a delicious meal - we just have to get enough to cook!
When Larry and Jim got back from fishing on Friday, Marty and Charlie told them to come to the clubhouse. They were cooking for anyone that happened to be in camp at noon - Lots of fried mangrove snapper and, Marty said, probably some yellowtail as well. Marty and Charlie had their little fry daddies going and everyone that happened to be at camp for this spur of the moment lunch enjoyed the fried fish and french fries. Marty catches lots and lots of fish and he had a big outside freezer full that he needed to empty out to make room for his next catches. Great, delicious surprise lunch.
As I have mentioned, Jim was trying to catch bait fish with dog food. He has finally come to the realization that he needs to invest in chum.
So, Friday Afternoon, we drove up to the fish market at Cudjoe Key for a block of Chum.
This trip was somewhat delayed because Jim couldn't find his hammer. He needed the hammer to break open the frozen chum - using a hammer and chisel. We tore this place apart, looking in the car, in the storage bins (called the basement in a camper!) under the body of the camper, on the ground. Finally, Jim found a rubber mallet and off we went. Subsequently Hillary called us to let us know Jim had forgotten his hammer and left it at their house while he was doing a little work on Thursday.
Traipsing around down by the water in and around the mangroves is a lot of fun for me and I felt like going with Jim on Friday Afternoon on this adventure. There is always something new to see and, of course, the water is clear and beautiful and if you don't see some sort of sea creature, it is simply because you are not looking very carefully.
Tiring out easily yet from being sick, Friday Night was another early bed night.
Saturday, February 19, the Weedhawks performed for the Saturday Cookout. Hotdogs were on the menu again and I love them. They are huge and have a great taste. I will have to admit here, I fix my hotdog in the bun with trimmings of mustard, relish and ketchup - then, I cut the bun into bite size pieces. I'm doing all I can to keep this crown in at least until we get back home.
Jim and I just hung out at the clubhouse for hotdogs and the music for several hours. Then, I just had to give it up and came back to the camper for rest.
Sunday I was able to go down to Key West for Church with the Lee's.
While looking over the church program before service, Hillary and I noticed that one of the songs to sing was "In The Garden" This hymn was one of Mother's favorites. I remember her, when I was just a little girl, singing the song in the kitchen while she prepared meals. And, we, Dentry, Brent and I decided this would be a good song to be sung at Mother's funeral. As mother was so severely hard of hearing, and she loved her gardens and flowers, we just knew that although mother didn't hear us too well, she walked and talked with the Lord while she did her gardening.
Then, another song to sing was "What A Friend" - this hymn always makes me smile for a number of reasons - one being that my parents paid for seven (7) long years of piano lessons for me, and What a Friend was the only song I learned to play with any skill at all.
A ritual for Sunday Lunch, after Church, with the Lee's is a trip to Mattheson's. This is a really cute little soda shop themed restaurant, playing 50's music with a great menu of soups and sandwiches, to be topped off with a bowl of ice cream for dessert.
To help me over the sickness hump, Hillary suggested their chicken soup and yes, sir, it was just what the doctor would have ordered.
I spent a little time on Sunday Afternoon at the Lee House playing with the girls then got back here mid afternoon. As I had the car, Jim just hung out here at the camper. He probably enjoyed a little peace and quiet from me!
Hillary and I made a corporate decision to go up to Marathon to the Turtle Hospital on Monday, February 21. Gabby and Lily were out of their respective schools in observance of President's Day.
Marathon is about 40 miles up the keys, just on the other side of the 7 mile bridge. As the Lee Family is really not used to driving more than 3 or 4 miles at any given time in Key West, Marathon, to them, is a day trip!
Once we got to the Turtle Hospital, we were told that we must have an appointment to go back into the back to see the turtles that were being treated. So, more corporate meetings, and another corporate decision made - we have scheduled a trip back up to the turtle hospital on this Friday, February 25.
We did stop by St. Peter's Catholic Church to walk around their big President's Day Yard Sale and Flea Market; then, we stopped at the Sugarloaf Sweet Shop for cookies, brownies and some more yummy hummingbird cake.
After we got back here to the camp, Hillary and the girls stayed for a short visit, then after Hillary named about three or four things she had to do that afternoon, they loaded up and went back home.
Jim, of course, was lined up to play horseshoes at 1:00. And, I walked up, would visit for a while and then come back to the camper for rest.
I really wasn't up to going over to the KOA for cocktails on Monday Night. Fortunately, Larry came by and suggested we have a cocktail time with him. So, Larry came up with a bottle of something like Bailey's Irish Cream that he wanted me to try and some fancy pretzels that Jim nor I had ever eaten. Jim and I got out some olives, crackers and cheese and the three of us had a quiet, relaxing time just visiting here at the camper.
Jim and I called our buddy, Bill Reins, up at Fiesta Key over the weekend to arrange for a day visit with him.
So, Tuesday Morning, February 22, we loaded up fishing gear and snacks and got to Bill's about 10:00 a.m.
Bill was ready to go fishing and we had a great time. Jim caught one grouper (you have to throw them back no matter the size, although Jim's was a small grouper) and several pin fish (pin fish is the bait fish that Jim catches in his bait trap.
Bill caught a fish that someone here has referred to as a pencil fish, long and skinny. Bill said, when he caught that fish "well, at least I haven't been skunked" Well, I was skunked, cause I didn't catch a thing. As I sat there waiting on my rod to 'do something - bend or something' I decided that the only way I would catch a fish would be for the fish to chomp down on the hook so there would be no way he could get off. I just don't know when to 'jerk' or if I do 'jerk' the rod, I jerk like a mad man!
Mid afternoon, I was getting ready for a feeding - Jim told Bill that when I get hungry, I must be fed or else I get mean - so, we packed all our gear, went back to Bill's camper, cleaned up (I had told Bill and Jim that I smelled like a horse and they both alluded to the fact that maybe they didn't want to go eat with someone that smelled like a horse) and went to the great little restaurant/bar there in Bill's Campground.
Jim and I have not had a cheeseburger in a long, long time, so we both ordered a cheeseburger and fries. Again, I had this delicious burger, with onions, tomato, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, all prepared and then, I cut the burger into bite size pieces. This may be the way I eat this kind of food for the rest of my life! :)
We sat outside at the restaurant, overlooking the Gulf Waters, a most beautiful view and great way to spend a Tuesday Afternoon.
A long past due trip to the grocery store in Big Pine on our way back to camp. Jim has been thinking steak, so, he got us one to share for tonights dinner.
I finally got to talk with Carolyn about the invitation she delivered last week. Seems this "Volunteer Dinner" is being hosted by Carolyn, her husband Dale, and Donna and Marty. It is for those campers that have volunteered in various duties around the camp this winter.
Well, Jim and I are not worthy of being feted at this volunteer dinner and I told Carolyn so. She just grinned and said 'sure, you have helped out' - and, your going to help me in the morning, cutting up onions and peppers for the big shrimp dinner hosted by Niels and JoAnn for their 63rd anniversary party.
I will be helping Carolyn a little tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon Jim and I go down to the Lee's for Lily's big Art Show at the Co-Op. So, we will miss the Shrimp Dinner here - but more fun will be had at the Art Show. So many wonderful things to do - so little time to do them.
Now, let's look at some pictures.
Jim and Larry's Mangrove Snappers. Caught on Friday, February 18 - good eatin'!
Jim breaking up his block of chum - fish parts - with his chisel and rubber mallet. You don't want this stuff to thaw so we hurried to get it broken up, a piece in the bait trap and the remainder back to the camper for the freezer. And, in the freezer, you double, triple bag it - anything to keep the putrid smell contained.
Gabby and Lily on Monday Afternoon February 21 busy with their dunking cookies in milk.
More cookies and milk dunking. It's hard to capture the girls in a photograph when they are busy!
The family at camp Monday February 21. You can just see the top of the girls heads as they dunk and eat cookies.
Jim, Frisbee, Dale and Charlie waiting their turn at horseshoes.
Jim on far left, Larry, Sandy, Chuck and Greg all waiting their turn at horseshoes. Lots of great fellowship between the horseshoe matches. Greg works at the Eco Center in Key West and doesn't get to play horseshoes. So, as he was off for President's Day, it was a treat to see this very nice guy in the group. Greg is the one that hosts the Wednesday Movie Night.
Jim playing horseshoes. He has just 'tossed' a shoe. Jim had a pretty good day at the pits on Monday, February 21. He had 10 ringers. He and Frisbee were partners - Frisbee had 11 ringers - and, don't you know, they still were not the 'ultimate winners' - that honor went to Big John and Carolyn.
Fishing Bridge up near Fiesta Key. This bridge is a little different than the one here near us. There are those nice little 'outsets' off the walkway for fishing. You can hardly see Bill in the green shirt and Jim in the corner about to cast.
Again, Bill in the green shirt and a picture of the long, long fishing bridge. That, of course, is Highway 1 on the right.
Picture of the end of the bridge, near where we were sitting. The car is parked at the end of the walk. That is a little shade shelter to the mid right of the picture.
The fishing bridge on the left, Hwy 1 on the right. We were fishing between the two bridges because the current was running that way.
View across the Gulf from our seats at the Restaurant at Fiesta Key.
Waiting on our burgers and chicken sandwich for Bill. Restaurant at Fiesta Key.
I spied this banana bloom as we were driving out of Fiesta Key. I just love this picture.
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