Feb 23, 2015 I know, the first thing your thinking … “Did she see the Iguana before or after Happy Hour?” The Iguana sighting was first thing in the morning. E T and I were out for a walk. We were heading to a bridge that David and I would be kayaking under and I wanted to check the tide. You can only kayak this portion of the trail during high tide. Just before we get to the bridge I spot something HUGE in the roadway. First thing I think “Anaconda” sunning himself on the hot pavement! This thing is HUGE! I had just zoomed in as far as I could with my camera lens to see what it was. It turns it’s head toward me. Aaaaarrrgggghhh! It’s not a snake, but it sure is something ugly. E T and I high tail it back to the Ranger Station. The RANGER told me it was a 7 ft Iguana that someone had just hit with there car. That’s why it was in the middle of the road. Someone was on the way to “take care of it”. Those of you that have had a hit or near miss with a deer, imagine a 7 ft Iguana. I had no clue that they could get this big. No photo, too gory. I do have two taken from about 200 ft (proof).
David and I spend about 3 hours Kayaking. The trail starts out in a canal at Curry Hammock State Park and takes you under a bridge and through very thick Mangrove patches for about a mile. Then you enter a shallow bay, aka horseshoe crab mating ground (see photo). Then we round the corner and are circling “bird island”. I actually laughed out loud in joy when I saw the 50 plus birds, mostly pelicans and cormorants, nestled in the trees. It was like a page in a Where’s Waldo book. My photos are only so, so. I had our old point and shoot. I couldn’t take the chance with the new camera on the water. But this might give you an idea of what a fantastic photogenic place this is.
While we were out in the ocean we saw hundreds of Portuguese Man of War (the photo that looks like a glass sneaker). It looked like a hatchery. There were some larger ones, but the majority were tiny. Reason # 1 why I only kayak in the ocean when the waves are calm. I would not have wanted to tip over into that mess.
When we get back to shore, I take E T out for a ride … she is a “Sea Dog”. Sorry, no photos. We are just teaching her to Kayak. David was on “shore duty”, in case she jumped out of the kayak. We haven’t seen her swim yet, so we don’t know if she can. I read an article on taking dogs into the ocean. It said that not all dogs can swim, some need to learn. David was on standby if he needed to give her a quick lesson.
Happy Hour!! If there is such a thing as an everyday holiday, that’s what Happy Hour is in the Keys. It doesn’t matter if your sitting under a tiki hut at the beach, at the picnic table at your campsite or in your favorite Keys hangout, Happy Hour is to be celebrated. Since this is our last night in the Keys we are going to make it special. What’s better after a day “in the sun” then a cold beer ($1.50), wings (25 cents each) and shrimp (25 cents each) at Sparky’s Landing in Key Colony Beach? E T is welcome too!! I’m convinced in a previous life she was a Pirate! She settles in at Sparky’s like it’s old home week. She’s greeted by wait staff and patrons like an old friend. Although there was no parrot, a pelican did wave Hello!
Last but not least we walk over to Sunset Beach in Key Colony Beach for our last Keys Sunset … for this year 🙂 David and I agree this is our favorite place in the world.
