Boot Key Harbor, Marathon in the Florida Keys (Posted Oct. 28, 2008)

We have been back in Boot Key Harbor in the Florida Keys for about five weeks. We are on a city mooring (permanent anchor) out in the harbor. We rent the mooring which gives us a nice secure mooring, access to and use of the facilities at the city marina, a dock for us to tie our dinghy when we go ashore, and a parking place for our car.

We were one of the first of the "seasonal" boats to return for the winter. There are probably 100 boats in the harbor now, mostly year round residents, but the "snowbirds" will start arriving soon and there will be well over 350 boats on moorings and anchored by January!

We have settled back into the harbor, seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. A group meets a couple of times a week at the tiki hut at the marina to play games and to go out to dinner once a week. We met a nice couple from New Port Richey/Hudson where we used to live. They have a 42 foot Westsail that they have restored and it is gorgeous, all "spit and polish"!! Seeing it almost fired me up to varnish Enchantress' woodwork!! (grin)

Linda has been busy making holiday craft items for her son Rob's Thanksgiving dinner party that he has each year over in the Czech Republic and Christmas craft items for Amy and her family. I have been busy working on boat maintenance and improvement projects.

Those of you who know how much I dislike all "infernal" combustion engines and all things mechanical will, no doubt, enjoy hearing that I bought a used outboard motor for the dinghy and I am now officially a "grease monkey". I actually took off the carberator and took it apart to clean it! Cute little parts were falling out on the cockpit floor! I had to figure out where they came from. I told Linda after I got it back together that I was sure it would never run again but the damn thing not only started, it actually ran much BETTER!!!! To make up for putting a smelly old outboard on "Little One", our dinghy, I made a mast and sail for her so we could sail when (and I am sure it is a matter of "when not if") that Infernal combustion engine refuses to start or run!

Next week we fly to Connecticut for a two week visit. We will be taking care of Olivia and Laura while Amy and Mark go to Belize for a well deserved vacation to celebrate their 10th anniversary! When we return we will only be back for four weeks before we fly back to Connecticut for Christmas and Olivia's birthday. So we can see that our "winter" here in the Keys is going to fly by!!

We would love to hear how you are doing so give us a call sometime at 727-858-2914 or e-mail us at larryzsherman@gmail.com

Here is a photo of a sunset taken at dinner time from our boat.