THE END

We made it home on Saturday.  We had a blast!

Thank you for following along on our journey

We enjoyed sharing this time with you.

Key West - Fort Myers - Home

It is time to go home.  We ate out at Firefly's, came home, packed and made ready to start the journey home tomorrow.  We knew it would be a difficult couple of days.  The Key West Express doesn't run on Wednesday, so we had to stay an extra day in Key West (I know, don't hate us).  Additionally, my work added a training to my schedule that was 2 days before we had to be home, so we had to make up time.  We did all we could to minimize issues caused by a quick trip home instead of the 4 or 5 days we had planned.

When we got back from dinner, Cool Pa did his packing, and I did mine.  I went up stairs to bed and left CP to stay up and do his thing.  He said it would be tough, but he would get up early the next few days and do all he could to make the trip home go well.  I appreciated this as I was going back to work, the day after our return.  

Ahhh, bu things never go like you plan!

Little did he know it, but CP was about to shoot himself in the foot

It seems sometime around 2:30 am CP decided to go out and pick me a flower off the tree I had been admiring all week.  

As you may recall he left me flowers many mornings.  He thought he would leave me a special one on this last morning

BUT...

DOORS HAVE AUTOMATIC LOCKS WHERE WE WERE STAYING

CP was locked out.  I was asleep upstairs and he had no way of waking me.  Bless his heart, he tried to sleep on the chairs on our front porch.  He thought he was getting bitten by bugs after a while, so he went and got in the pool

That is where I found him at 6:30 am

Usually CP is all over me about my morning energy...but not today

He still declared I wasn't human, he said I looked like an angel coming across the courtyard.

If you know CP, on a regular day of travel, checking out at 11:00 am is getting up way too early.  Now he needed to get up after having slept in the pool.  Not only did we have to check out, but the plan was to walk around Key West until the ferry departed at 6 PM.   We weren't going to hit Fort Myers until about 10 pm Not a good day to be un-rested.

CP did well and we headed to Denny's for some breakfast

He was doing his best to be in good cheer

To do my best too, after breakfast we took a cab to the 

Ferry terminal.  I left him in the air conditioned seats and took off to claim our luggage at the Key West Rental office.  It was quite hot and we had several bags.  

We made the ferry and Cool Pa had a cheeseburger.  Some how he missed the little boy vomiting (spewing actually) at the end of our table all over the floor.  

He napped for a bit, but woke before the sunset

The view from our seats

We made it to Fort Myers and crashed as we had an 1100 mile drive ahead of us.

Key West - Our last full day before we begin our journey home

This is our last full day... 

As usual I got up early and took to the streets.  I still have my trip to Dry Tortugas in my head as I began walking.  I made my way  eventually down to the Southernmost Point.  People were lined up to get their turn in front of the marker.  I thought...really?  So I walked into the street and took a quick (bad) picture to mark my passing.  That little smirk is my thinking ...dumb ass tourists.  Yeah, I get the irony.   

I mentioned yesterday that I felt -Adrift- while snorkeling.  It was a good adrift, actually a great Adrift!  So I passed this man painting on the street.  He had a small painting of a little dinghy... it caught my eye, it was ADRIFT.  That was the first thing I thought of when I saw it.  I decided to chat with the artist.  My friend Michelle is married to an artist, his name is Tim.  I have heard her talk of his stories of his paintings.  So I asked the Artist if he might share the story of this painting.   He told me of how he makes the base and frame in a little wood shop, were he does some work for a friend.  He went on to tell me how the painting got it's name and why he painted it from the perspective he chose.  We talked for 15 minutes or so and I purchased the painting.  It will remind me of my Adrift day.

The Southernmost Artist

William Craig Sasser

SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS

Upon my return from walking, I found Cool Pa up.  We decided to take a short walk for a few needed items.

We had some cocktails out by the pool and just relaxed most of the day.  We decided to do a nicer dinner, date night.

We are on our way to dinner

We are laughing as I had set the timer so I had to dash into the photo

We went to Firefly

We had fried green tomatoes to start.  They were really good!  We ordered the Blackened Flat Iron Steak with buttermilk and leek smashed potatoes and charred turnips to share.  The steak was good : )  The smashed potatoes were awesome, but I found them a bit heavy for the climate.  CP tried the turnips and ended up eating all of them.  Decided he liked them actually.  

We  got a cocktail and sat on a bench to people watch on Duval Street and observe the drag show in the open bar across the street.  

We have had a good time here.  Tomorrow we say goodbye Key West.  So we called it a night...

Key West - The Dry Tortugas - Paradise

Today was my day for a trip to the Dry Tortugas.  I have been looking forward to this since I booked it in April.  I got up at 6 am and was on the road before the sun came up.  It was a beautiful quiet out!  I took the long way round to the docks at Grinnell Street.  

 Just me and the homeless men were out.  One man was fishing paper out of the trash can to blow his nose.  I gave him about 5 wet wipes out of my bag and went on my way.  I guess if you have to be homeless, Key West is a good a place as any. 

The view on Duval Street just before dawn. 

I made the ferry dock in plenty of time.  I got some coffee, a seat in the corner and chilled out for the 2 hour ride to Dry Tortugas.  I pulled out my book, The Wife's Tale and settled in.  Cool Pa was going to just hang back today and enjoy is own day.

This is the view from Dry Tortugas

It was just heaven

I went out snorkeling and stayed out about  90 minutes.  It was very relaxing.  You develop a very rhythmic breathing after a while.  You find the kick style that works for you and you just drift.  It wasn't so much that I saw amazing sea life or coral, it was just me alone, quiet, thankful, sun kissed, adrift

This is an aerial photo I found online.  I snorkeled from the beach on the bottom around the three sides of the fort to the beach at the top.   All the rest of the beach photos are ones I took myself. 

I wish I had pictures of Cool Pa to add to this post, but he was not inclined for such an adventure.  He was going to see Key West on his terms today. Letting the streets take him where they will.  But there in lies our beauty, Cool Pa and I aren't one, we are two.   We are part of the new movement of LAT's, Living Apart Together, look it up.  I do what appeals to me and he does the same if he has other interests.  I am more adventurous and like to do nature things.  In reality, I get more out of these times when I am alone.  One sees a place on their own terms, their own time table.  One follows their soul, not the path of another.  

After time in the sun I spent a bit of time in the fort.  After nature, I love to explore and learn.

I hope he has a good time walking the streets, I know I have LOVED the way I spent my day.

It is as if I have woke up in Key West.  Like the last year is finally over and a new one has begun.  

After snorkeling, I hiked out away from the crowds and set up under a little bush.  This was my view to the right

My View Ahead

My View to the Left

I had one ear bud in, listening to some wonderful music.  It was a moment embedded on my soul.  I would love to come back here and camp for at least one nigh.  ANY TAKERS?

A quick selfie before I got back on ship....

I could go on and on about this day.  I would list it as one of the top 10 days in my life.  Me and myself met and we had a long talk!

Turns our Cool Pa went walking and shopping.  He talked with some people in some stores, got some great tacos, a cold margarita and a little time to his self.  He bought me some nice gifts, one he is saving for my birthday.  The time apart made us glad to see one another.  We went out to the little pool and talked to each other, shared our happiness and days events.  All in all, it was a keeper!

We send our LOVE

Key West - LIFE

As I said in my last post, I have had my one year anniversary of my life battle.  This trip was originally planned as a retirement trip, but we added a life celebration for me after making it through this last year.  There were days and weeks and months of bad days, hard times, tears, loneliness and hills to climb.

I spent many a day laying in my bed thinking of this trip and knowing that I should be feeling better.  NO wound vac, no ventilator, no chest tube, no PIC line, no rehab, no PAIN!  Today, all those thoughts during lonely days came true.

I tell my children to never let life defeat them.  One of my favorite motto's is...

I have this exact magnet on my fridge.  I have looked at it many times and reminded myself that I am a tough old bird. 

So today I rose at 6:30 and felt it was a day to give thanks.  It was a day for a long walk and a personal journey in my head and heart.  I have much to celebrate.  

I dressed in shorts, a tank top and comfortable shoes.  I put my Ipod bud in one ear.  Picked up a small map.  Got a bottle of water  and hit the road.  I headed in the direction of Hwy 1

Along the way I passed a lighthouse and a beautiful set of trees, a Jacaranda and a Banyan

I passed Ernest Hemingway's house

I found the 0 mile marker of Hwy 1

I passed a cool little cafe and decided that I would return later and pick up Cool Pa and I some Brunch

I love the trees in Key West

I turned a little corner and found a little building that said it was the HOME of Pan Am, the first International airline in the US. I bet this was a happening place back in the day.

One of the streets I wandered

 I loved the chair on this porch.

All in all I walked about 4.2 miles.  As shops opened I meandered in a few.  I bought few items.  Some lovely soap, a peace sign scarf,  and a summer dress ($5 on clearance).  I did go back to the 6 Toed Cat and ordered Cool Pa a steak and egg wrap and I got a roasted turkey panini.  

It was a beautiful morning.  One of those experiences where you felt like you met yourself and took a walk.  I was happy for the solitude, I was happy for the health that carried me through the steps, I was happy that there is still life to live.  

Key West - Life

We had a couple days of traveling and no Internet connection to speak of so there was no blogging to be done   I will try to catch you up.  We said goodby to my family on Saturday. I had a lot of mixed emotions that day.  I was teary-eyed actually.  One I had reached the one year anniversary of my health calamity and two, I just had this feeling I would never be at Sanibel again.  Although my family and I are ready to try someplace new, I was sad.

Out the car window, leaving Sanibel. feeling Melancholy!

 Dale and I headed to a hotel just down the road from where we would catch the Key West Express.  Since we had to start boarding at 7AM I figured every minute we could shave off travel would be MAJOR.  You gotta love Cool Pa, but he is GRUMPY in the morning.   He said he loved me for finding good lodging close by.

The Key West Express Boat

3.5 hours due south from Fort Myers Beach to Key West

Flowers Cool Pa picked for me today!

Cool Pa chilling out on the ride to Key West

Coming into Key West

View in the harbour

We decided to forgo the Taxi and took a Pedi Cab to our destination.  That is a bicycle with a little cart.  That guy peddled his ass off.   I feel for that guy.  He had me, Cool Pa and all our gear.  It was hotter than blue blazes.

We ended up at the Rum Bar while we waited for our room to be ready.  This is a picture of the gingerbread on the house.  It contains rum and wine bottles in its design.  The house it is in is the Rum Runner.  It apparently was a speak easy during prohibition.

We went to our room and we were...well a little under whelmed ... AND it was HOT.  We talked to the property management firm and they moved us to a lovely COOL property.  If in Key West, deal with Key West Vacation Rentals.  They take care of issues and make sure you are happy.

Little Pool outside our room

Our Courtyard

You can't see them, but there are several cages with little tropical birds.

We have a two story unit that is just wonderful.  It really accommodates our separate sleep schedules.

Beautiful fragrant flowers outside our door

We went for a little walk and encountered STREET CHICKENS

We went out for another cocktail.  Poor Cool Pa, his 6 am wake-up call is kicking his ass.

We went back to out room and called it a night.  We were just plain old tired.  We have been running for weeks.  Ahhh....but I am gonna get up early tomorrow and kick some ass learning the lay of the land around here.