Juana and I, like a pair of elderly migrating birds, have made our way South (way South) to the Florida Keys to warm our bodies and souls. With the exception of the past few years, we have been coming to the Keys to vacation for over 20 years.
The tiny apartment we rent is on the ocean and the sun streams into the bedroom each morning waking us. After breakfast we take a walk along the beach, which is nearly a mile long, unusual for the Keys. Unlike the vegetation up north, many plants are in bloom like the familiar morning glory and less familiar Jamaican Feverplant (Tribulus cistoides) and countless palm and coconut trees.
Accompanying this un-northern vegetation come different birds such as pelicans that hang out near fishing haunts as well as white ibises that frequent wetlands and roadsides.
The town we stay in, Islamorada, has bike paths for its entire length so on an ambitious day, I can pedal safely nearly 40 miles from one end and back. Juana tackles less ambitious distances.
And with a seafood market nearby, we can get as much fresh shrimp, stone crabs, yellowtail, grouper as our stomachs can handle.
The adventure begins . . .
