Back in the Keys!!

Finally back to doing my real job! I'm professionally retired and this is what I do!

Micky and I tried to get into Curry Hammock State Park in Marathon last year, but the bridge into the park got condemned and they had to rebuild it.

It was worth the wait. The RV camp is all brand new within the last four years. New everything! The neatest thing they've done is to put concrete, slightly-raised curbing around the RV/tent pad and the picnic table area with eyebolts coming out sideways from the curbing at 3-foot intervals. Makes it very easy to secure everything without trying to drill through the local limestone with a tent stake!

Before I finish talking about this trip, I need to let you all know that I finally had the right combination of time and weather to take the most important passenger I'll ever fly out for her inaugural ride in the Remos. I've dreamed of the day when my beautiful red-head would fly with me. She was far less nervous about it than I was. We had a good, if slow takeoff and flew for over 3 hours. Up and down the Lake, over her sister's farm, circling some friends while they sailed. All while maintaining the required separation from boats, houses, and people. Theoretically, the minimum altitude at the lake away from all those things, is wheels on the water. But I already know that busybodies get all upset if you go too low and I don't want to have to prove that I did not break the FAR's as a low-time pilot. Good thing N224DH isn't in 12-inch high numbers under the wing! And a reasonably smooth landing, if a little bit long. The Remos is a very nice airplane!

This evening we visited the Publix in Marathon and provisioned the refrigerator. I love the mix of people in the Keys. We heard the normal gamut of Spanish in several flavors with the rapid-fire Cuban delivery in the majority, but also German and French. I think the francophone's were Canadian. Micky is always amazed at the temerity of Latinas. One woman, in particular stands out. She was no great looker and probably in her late forties, but the psychedelic bikini was covered on the bottom with a fluorescent green pajama bottom that was absolutely for effect only being totally transparent.

I visited with Roberto La Fe at Casillas Cigars. A real Cuban roller. Sitting in his one-man shop rolling his own stock across from the Bealls Outlet in Marathon. He showed me his humidor and helped me select the mildest 7x50 maduro I've ever had! I bought three and he insisted I try one of his pig-tails. I suspect we're going to be long-term customers!

The night sky here in the campground is surprisingly dark. Thanks to a tallish fifth-wheel rig next door the standing lights of the bath-house are block and the northern quadrant is clear. In addition to the full display of Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper) the Milky Way is a river of stars against a black sky. My telescope is going to be used on this trip. The temperature and light breeze made the immolation of that corona pleasant. I saw eight satellites and two meteors that would have been drowned in the urban skies of home. I was surprised by the number of southbound aircraft tonight. Except for Key West, the only nocturnal airports south of here are Havana and San Juan. Most of the Caribbean traffic tries to arrive in daylight, I believe.

So we're "at home again" in our motorhome in the Keys. We may finally get a great trip for playing in the water! The seas are flat, the water is warm and we're here!