Pirates in Paradise

This was the week of the Fort Zachary Taylor Pirate Encampment and Pirates in Paradise Festivals. We went Thursday night to Schooners Wharf Bar for the pirate costume contest. We wore a little pirate gear and smuggled in some rum. The costumes we're great including the first place winner with squirting bosoms. The second place winners we're just as good, one gave each judges a rum cake and the other gave them rum over the cake (I got the feeling the Judges could be bought$$). The second place winners are the wenches in the picture with Ron.

Can you Find the plague rat in any of the above pictures? Take the time to look now. The answer is blowing in the wind.

On Friday we shopped at the thieves market and got some wonderful deals. Also ran into some true surveyors, They cut some coconuts open for us. We made up a new drink (red bull, fresh coconut juice and vodka). This was a treat considering their wasn't drink vendors open that day.

Sunday we enjoyed a reenactment of a battle between the British, Spanish and Pirates with real canons. You will notice in the pictures a Pirate flag and British flag over the Fort. The battle took place on the parade grounds in front of Fort Zachary Taylor. This was was pretty impressive. The Pirates brought the survivors back to the fort then killed a few. They made the rest of them swear their allegiance to the Pirate Colors. Needless to say the Pirates won.

We think the plague rat sitting on the pirates shoulder had something to do with it.

Key West Thanksgiving

The 1st pic of the water is the entrance to the channel where the marina we moved to is located.

We went over to Blue Heaven for brunch. You don't have to die to get there but you will think your in heaven when you taste their food. I had Lobster Benedict and Karen had Shrimp Grits with Banana Bread.

Finally got over to Smathers Beach. KW is not known for it's beaches but it has a nice one. The sunset pic looks like it could be in Hawaii.

Karen finally got to do her first Craft Show since we left Clear Lake. It was at a church and they only had about 30 booths. Mostly local people attended. It wasn't located in the tourist areas. We got to meet some local people and some vendors. They served a great Spaghetti dinner including a salad and desert after the show for only $7.

We moved the boat over to Key West Harbour Yacht Club. It's on the Atlantic side of KW. 3-5 foot seas that Karen did not like them from the beam. Especially the 5 footers. But we made it here safe and love this marina. Heated pool, private beach, bar and restaurant with Chef. Park right next to your slip. Very protected and most importantly at this time of year Cable TV. No English speaking TV stations come in down in KW, except a local one that just has advertisements for bars & restaurants, no real programming. Did I mention NO FOOTBALL!

One month without TV. I did it! Definitely would need a satellite dish for an extended period away from TV reception. Definitely did not realize who much I would miss it.

Lots of expensive yachts in this marina. Not like the city marina. But 3 miles further away from Duval St than the city marina. We rode our bikes back to city marina to pickup the truck.

Met the corporate council for Hard Rock Cafe by the Sothernmost Hotel pool and he and his best friend treated us to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Another night we met Louise and her Mom from Los Angeles and Boston. We played tour guide and had a great time with them.

The pic of the house is one that we heard the tour train telling people it had been on Martha's Living and Crate and Barrel magazine covers.

Superboat Race Week Key West

We finally made it over to Mallory Square to watch the sunset after being here over 2 weeks.

We met the restaurant manager from Lu Lu's she is the second girl from the left who told us Lucy Buffet (Jimmy's sister) was in KW for the winter to do some writing.

The attractive blond in this pic calls Karen the next night looking for a place to stay after her boy friend kicked her out of their hotel room. She said no room. Eddie & I were very upset with her.

The World Champion Superboat Races take place 3 of the 7 days of the week long event. Wed, Fri & Sun. Not so many people at the Wed races so we got a table free, it was $300 for the Fri & Sun races for the same table.

We made some new friends Becky & Clay in this pic at Sloppy Joes on the left. They are from Clear Lake and friends with Kieth Emmons.

We met up with Karen & Doug Chappel for a few hours they stopped in Key West on their cruise aboard on of the Carnival Cruise Ships. Luckily not the one that the engines caught fire on the next day.

Eddie (Karen's brother) & I visited the Superboats exhibits in Truman Annex. Man can those guys BBQ.

Meeting of the Minds Key West

The girl in purple is one of Jimmy Buffets dancers & backup singer we met at one of the MOTO events

The next picture is the stage at the Blue Heaven Bar, what a cool place to see a concert.

Eddie and me with a cut girl who's sister was getting married next to the bar we were at. I had never worn a jacket in KW before.

This next pic is from the KW Airport when Karen's brother came in for a visit. There are lots of Chickens & Roosters running around KW.

For those of you who do not know once a year in Key West all the Parrot head Clubs get together for what they call the Meeting of the Minds started years ago by one of Houston local pickers named Jerry Diaz. From what I am told his partner screwed him out of the deal and now he just performs every year. It last about a week and Troprock singers from all over the county come here to perform at lots of different venues other than just the Meeting of the Minds location. Which only Parrot heads are allowed in.

What a great week of music and fun! That's our long time friend Keith Emmons in the last pic with me & Karen.

Made it to Paradise (Kew West) 1st Week

We left Marco Isand about 4am to head across the gulf to Key West. 2-4 ft seas not to bad of course Karen would say they getting worse everytime a 4 foot one rolled in. Got to the Garrison Bight Marina about 4;30 pm and rinsed the boat and over to Deval Street for the first night of Fantasy Fest. It's now the Monday after a weekend of parting and not much else. A small amount of sleep. Here are some of the less provacative pics.

St Petersburg - Marco Island

Met some nice people in St Pete at the marine. Flew to New Orleans where my son picked us up and we spent the night at his & Kerry's house. We picked up our truck and went back to Houston for a short visit with some of our friends and attended KK's birthday. Ron got some dental work done. Drove back to Lake Charles for a couple of days then on to New Orleans were we stayed at Karen's brother Ricky & Donna's home and attended his daughter Heathers' wedding on Friday. What an event it was one of the nicest weddings we have been to. Drove the truck on down to St Pete the next day. Got to do a little sight seeing around the area once we had the truck. We also installed a new Autopilot while in St Pete.

We are on the hook in Marco Island in Factory Bay as I write this. We are hoping for a little better weather to make the hope over to Key West tomorrow. We left St Petersburg on Thursday morning and anchored in Lemon Bay over night. Ron went out side the boat the next morning and it was surrounded by Manatee. Well more than we had ever seen in one place 6 or 7 including a baby. They came right up to the boat. They probably wanted us to feed them but we did not. They are protected and should not be approaching boats. That is how they get killed. Then on Friday we went on to Fort Myers filled up with fuel and took a mooring ball for the night. What a cool place, lots of restaurants & bars along the waterfront here. Left Saturday morning for Marco Island have to go out into the Gulf of Mexico wind is 15 - 20 and seas are 2'-3' from the east so right they are on our side. Making for some bumpy conditions.