Still Marathon!

Hmmm....what have we been doing for the past two weeks?   Well, just lovin life!   Nobody wants to hear that our daily routine consists of biking, walking the dog, going to the beach, watching the sunset, playing golf and tennis, blah, blah, blah.  So, I guess there is nothing to say. 

On Friday the 20th, my BFF from long ago shows up to spend the weekend with us.  We gave her the grand tour of Sparkey's Bar and Grill on Friday night and then spent most of Saturday in Islamorada. 

This in some strange way somehow leads me to a great Mount Gay Rum story.  Up until last Thursday, the other half our our duplex was empty.  We knew from the realtor that the adjoining unit was rented from the 19th-28th.  And to be quite honest, we were a little worried that a family with six young children would show up and ruin our little paradise.  But to our delight, it was Mike and Judy from Delaware that arrived.  (Whew!)   I met them briefly on Friday but got to know them on Saturday evening when we went to sit outside after dinner.  Judy and Mike joined us and they told us that they had actually stayed in our unit back in December.  During the course of the conversation they happened to mention that they enjoy Mount Gay rum.  What a coincidence, because in our kitchen, we had found that someone had left a partially drunk 1/2 gallon bottle of Mount Gay rum, which turns out they had left in the unit.  They were flying back and were unable to take it with them.  Not being rum drinkers, and lucky for them, Richard brought the bottle out and gave it to them.   What are the odds of that happening?

Slow Down....You're In The Keys!

This just about says it all!  This is the sign entering Key Colony Beach.  This and a 25 mph speed limit sign.  This neighborhood is fantastic.  It includes 4 restaurants, 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, beaches, and a park for sunset watching!  The primary mode of transportation is bicycles and walking.   This is our kind of town!

Marathon, Florida January 14-28, 2012

Wow!  Where do I begin?  First, we were lucky enough to be here!  Second, my dear cousin and her hubby were going to be in Ft. Lauderdale for "business" and managed to extend their trip a few days and drive south to Marathon.  They actually got there two days before us, so we were welcomed with champagne at sunset!   They twisted our arms to make a day trip to Key West the following day.  What fun!   We were so sad to see them off on Monday morning and are thankful that they safely returned to their beautiful home in Vestavia. 

So what have we been doing?  Again, still continuing our "training".  If you check back in April, you'll get to read all about this trip.  Also, Richard managed to get me on the golf course.  Yep, I played my first 9-holes of golf.  It wasn't pretty, but I was out there. 

Rotonda, Florida January 2012

Unlike most of our adventures, I can honestly say that this has been a very relaxing vacation.  But I can also add that we've been so busy that I haven't had time to blog!   We spent most of our days, while staying in Rotunda, visiting all the towns in the immediate area.  We've toured Venice, Englewood, Estero, Ft. Myers, and Boca Grande.  I must say that Boca Grande is absolutely wonderful!  We took our bicycles and toured the city on two wheels!  The town is so quiet.  That might be because most people drive bikes or golf carts.   The beaches, which are pet friendly, are also very quiet.  Its very "old Florida" with beautiful old houses sitting directly on the beach.

While away, we have officiallly begun our training for our next big adventure.  More on that later!

Alligator in our Backyard!

I was standing in the backyard of the house we're staying in this afternoon, talking on the telephone.  When all of a sudden, I looked down the canal and here comes an alligator swimming up to our backyard.  Holy cow!  How exciting is this?   Naturally, like any good mother, the first thing I do is put the dog in the house and yell for the hubby to grab the camera.  

Rotonda, Florida January 2012

Ever since we retired we've suffered through what seemed to be endless, extremely cold winters.  Last January, when we received over 8 inches of snow, we agreed we would not do this again in 2012!  So several months ago we began discussing and researching where we wanted to go.  Two requirements:  the dog must go and it had to be warm!   Having not spent much time in southern Florida, we were reluctant to commit to an entire month in one location.   We went through all the "What Ifs"...what if the place we rent turns out to be a dump, what if we really want to be back at home after a week or so, what if we are bored to death, or even worse, what if the bed isn't as comfortable as our own.  You know you've arrived into your golden years when no bed sleeps as good as your own. 

So after much research, we decided to split our month and stay first in Rotonda, Florida (located between Sarasota and Ft. Myers on the western coast) for 10 days and then spend the last two weeks in Marathon (Key Colony Bay), in the middle of the Florida Keys. 

During the entire planning phase, I thought what could be better than to spend an entire month with the ones that I love the most (Richard and Lucy (our unbelievably spoiled dog)).  That worked out really well until about a week before we were scheduled to leave, Richard's mother was diagnosed with cancer.  Ironically, we faced a very similar situation two years ago when a week before we were leaving the country for 28 days, my younger brother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer!   On both occasions, our desire to take a vacation was doused by the harsh realities of life.   But, after much prayer and discussion, we continued with our plans two years ago, and we were able to spend the next 18 months enjoying him and helping with his care.  This time, we postponed the trip for a couple of days until we knew for sure that this too would be a marathon instead of a sprint.  Richard's brother and sister were willing and able to be there for her and as her treatments begin, we've been flooded with friends that have offered to help as well.  So, in a few weeks, we will return, refreshed and ready to do what we can.  Oh, I might also mention that she would have kicked our backsides if we'd cancelled!