Unlocking the Keys

Well, we went, we saw, we concurred on a sweet semi on the Gulf. It's all ours now, has been for months, and we enjoy knowing that strangers are enjoying it on a fairly regular basis. Did you know that Summer is the second busiest season in the Keys? During the lobster season, locals move out of their homes and into whatever passes for a reasonable roof over their heads in order to capitalize on the influx of crustacean-crazy northern Floridians that flock south to their equivalent of cottage country.

We're actually going to get a chance to stay at our own place in December. It's already booked over Christmas, so we asked Kitty, our property manager, if she thought we'd be safe going the week before (safe = it wouldn't have rented anyway). Turns out the week before Christmas is the second most popular Christmas week and tends to book up once there's nothing left at Christmas. So, we're going two weeks before Christmas.

I am totally looking forward to: opening my eyes in the morning with my head still on the pillow and looking out at the Gulf, going down to the kitchen and making tea while I look out at the Gulf and going back up to the bedroom and out to the porch to drink tea while looking out at the Gulf, then walking up the road to the 7 Mile Grill for breakfast, walking over the old bridge to Pigeon Key then back for a dip in the pool/Gulf, showering, packing a picnic and heading over to Bahia Honda State Park (wherein resides one of the top 10 nicest beaches in the US, according to the Travel Channel) for some swimming and snorkeling, and perhaps a short nap. After that, we can head home, drop our stuff, rinse off the salt and walk across the highway to the Marathon Marina to sit at the Tiki Bar and drink in the local ambiance. For dinner, we might stay there or head back home for a barbecue.

Oh, I forgot, we have to be back home in time to watch the sun set over the Gulf from our deck!! Oh my God, what a day... and we get 7 of them!!