Back to the Florida Keys!!

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Dear friends and would--be travelers,

We endured snow on Mother's Day - sitting in our cars for our "parking lot" worship service because we feared too many people would come to worship indoors and the distancing requirements couldn't handle it - and then on Monday early we flew to the Florida Keys. Only 50 degrees warmer.

Flew thru Nashville, where we had a breakfast in a little airport restaurant with a real singer and guitar player. We knew none of the songs, but the young woman at a nearby table was mouthing every one. Hmmm.

Got the car in Ft Launderdale and got out of there as quickly as we could, arriving in Marathon around 5:00. It's a nice little one-story simple place one block off the main Overseas Highway. We were sorely disappointed, however, when we got to our favorite fish restaurant, about 4 blocks away, to find they were on vacation for 2 weeks!!! so we found another and had hogfish sandwiches and black and blue grouper. Pretty good, but not as good....

We slept very well in the incredibly comfortable bed. and got to the Looe reef dive shop at 12:30. It was not windy but the big gentle swell made the 30 min boat trip out a little like a roller coaster, and the 1 hour in the water, and when we climbed aboard for the captain to move to a slightly differently part of the reef, one young man was barfing over the side, again, and David was green. He'd taken a dramamine too. Fortunately we had candied ginge and they sold ginger ale. He managed the second hour in the water and the return trip like a champ.

No sharks this time but lovely midnight parrot fish and other parrot fish. A giant moray eel hiding under a rock. Many blue and brown chromises and the usual friends. The photos we are including as just the best or most interesting. The black grouper, who is usually maybe 15" long, was hiding under the boat, and was over 3'. Yum?

It's amazing how busy our vacations are, so after a yummy home cooked dinner of 1/2 # of hogfish in a slight bit of butter and coconut oil, and steamed broccoli, and cole slaw also from the fish shop, I'm about ready for bed!!! It's the combo of sun, swim, and wind. We hope you enjoy the photos,, which are all labled for a change to make things easier for you.

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