Social Life (Posted 2/18/2010)

One of the things we like about spending the winter in Boot Key Harbor is being a part of the wonderful community of cruisers. There are about 300 boats in the harbor and a waiting list with other boats anchored outside the harbor waiting and hoping to be assigned a mooring.

We have made many friends here over the past few years and have become a part of the community while we are here. We have met lots of interesting people from all over the U.S., Canada and England.

During the past few weeks we have attended weekly "Meet and Greets" which are potluck dinners at which we often meet new arrivals to the harbor and socialize with old friends, been invited to have "sundowner" drinks or play games on other people's boats, and went out to lunch at a new restaurant with a group of friends that we had recently met.

Last week we had a surprise birthday party at a local restaurant for Lew, a friend who was turning 60, complete with the silly hats and all.


Yesterday we went canoeing at Long Key State Park through the mangroves with some friends, Merrick and De Anne from s/v Rising Star. Here is a photo of them taken during the trip:


Linda recently started a "sewing circle" for women in the harbor who like to sew. She has a weekly meeting at which they share ideas and learn from each other. I am pretty sure there is also a lot of laughing, gossiping and girl talk! There have been about 8 women at each meeting. I even went to one meeting as a women was teaching everyone how to do canvas work to make canvas covers for our gasoline and water jugs that we carry on deck.

I took Linda and two of the women from the sewing group to Big Pine Key so that they could look for fabric and other sewing "stuff" at the Salvation Army store as there are no fabric stores except in Key West. Linda said I was "brave" to take them, but I said "No, just stupid". While they shopped, I did our laundry at the laudromat so I was not actually subjected to the shopping!!

There are other activities that cruisers here in the harbor organize such as yoga in the park several days per week, get togethers to play games at the tiki hut, "old geezers" softball games, and other activities that we don't participate in.

Next weekend there will be a dance party at the marina. Some of us may actually "dress up" a bit, meaning we will actually wear long pants and collared shirts for the men and maybe even a dress or skirt for the women! This is very unusual compared to the usual t-shirt, shorts, jeans, flip-flops, etc. which are the normal Keys cruiser's attire!! ;-)

And in between it all we were able to get together and have a wonderful lunch with an old Navy friend of mine, Jim Fleck, and his wife, Maureen, while they were visiting in Florida from Pennsylvania. Jim and I were in the Navy together on the Enterprise, OMG about 40 years ago!!!!

We occasionally stop playing and do some "work"; for example we recently replaced all of the lifeline stanchions as one had broken. Linda is busy all the time sewing as she has been making quilted tote bags, purses and dog neckerchiefs and donating them to the harbor team for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. They sell them at the Meet and Greets to raise money and she has promised them more to sell at the actual Relay for Life event which takes place in April.

So, as you can see, there are lots of things to do while we are spending the winter here in the Keys. We are always busy and never bored.