Fun in the sun with a splash of snow!

A ceremony to the wind Gods. 

Okay this has morphed into a seasonal Blog. Not that we don't have time to do a daily, weekly or even a monthly blog, it's just we are having too much fun and the time just keeps marching on and getting away from us. So now it's spring and the seasonal migration from Florida to the Bahamas is heating up. So before we sail off into the rising sun lets catch you up on our winter doings. We have been enjoying our "Dock Dynasty" friends in Marathon with frequent BBQ's, Happy Hours, Dinghy drinkin' and visiting the sites in Key West like the butterfly museum. Yes between all those Margarita bars there is a butterfly museum in Key West, go figure. See the pics.

We had a few visitors escape the brutal Midwest winter and come visit us. Cindy and John King came for a visit which was a blast. And if you are an investor in Corona you probably saw an uptick in their stock during the later week of January. The wind blew us all up to Key Biscayne for a beautiful week on the Bay. Then Cherie and I sailed up the West Coast of Florida to a great visit with the Martins in Punta Gorda.  The water up there is very shallow but we enjoyed our time with the Martins and the spectacular scenery and secluded beaches.  At the end of February we took a road trip to Kansas City plotting a course that would take us to every capital on the way. We find a State Capital building, stop for a quick tour then move on. Whatever! Kansas City can be summed up in a few words, cold, cold and cold. It was great seeing family and friends and filling up on BBQ. We reintroduced ourselves to our Doctors, Dentist and accountants while we where in town and with a clean bill of health and a full stomach we drifted up to Chicago for MORE family and MORE cold. We had an absolute blast with Sarah, Michelle, Danny and the dogs. All are doing great. So satisfied that our girls are well and really don't need us around anymore we caught the Sunbird down to Key West to continue our adventure on Pura Vida. See you in the summer with an update on our Bahama sail-a-thon.

Cayo Costa

Good Luck!

Punta Gorda 

Boy Toy

Poker run!

Deck party

That-a-way!

Butterfly museum

Bro's

Sister in-law

Nieces

Chicago Taxi

Winter in the Keys

My Sis

We brought up those pesky northerlies in our last posting; well they are still pesky and blowing like hell. As we sit in our comfortable secure slip it is blowing a gale today and who knows what the wind Gods will bring us tomorrow. Anyway Christmas has past and a new year is marching briskly along with these winds.

We have a new niece named Matty who was born in Key West at the end of November.  Michael’s sister Beth visited her new Grand-baby in Key West and came up to Marathon and stayed with us for a fun filled few days. We introduced her to Pura Vida (The Pure Life ) and I think she liked it, a lot!!!

Dock Dynasty lunch

Windy

And like the winds from the north our girls blew through the Key’s for the holidays. We have a blurred memory of our time spent in Key West with them but our credit card company called twice to confirm the frequent swipes there.  Sloppy Joe’s, Capt. Tony’s, The Schooner, Irish Kevin’s, Jack Flats, Smokin Tuna and of course Margaritaville.   If I could remember the rest I would but some things just aren’t possible. To dry out we took the boat out to a beautiful anchorage just west of Marathon enjoying the quiet sounds of a brisk breeze, the site of a Florida Key’s sunset and the stars so bright you could reach out and touch them. The following day we defied the weather (35 knots) and went sailing. The girls were brought back to their childhood memories of all the good times we had sailing off the coast of So. California when they were growing up. With the family together once again on the water it was tempting to just keep going to distance lands forgetting the new responsibilities they both had but like the cat in the cradle they had become us, young adults and had to get back to the grind to forge their own lives. So like a scene in a movie that keeps repeating itself we kissed them goodbye and watched them until they quickly fade away down the long ramp wishing all along that we could just keep them and sail away. Southwest giveth and Southwest taketh away. So we are left here alone to enjoy the daily dock parties, the frequent happy hours, the weekly golf outings, trips to the beach, Friday night pot lucks, Dinghy poker runs, fishing, lunch out because we never catch any fish, music at the Docksider and of course an occasional day sail out to the reef for some snorkeling. Oh well life is a bitch then….

Proud Papa

   HAPPY 2014!

Key West

Docksider

Sisters

Sailors at heart

Kew West sunset

Together again

Just the two of us

Golf teams

Poker run

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble !!

Sunset at Key West

Just pretty

Boca Chica Key

 Well, we finally sailed south to the Florida Keys after hearing for years from many of our fellow boating friends how great it is. And how right they are.

It was a fantastic Fall sail down here. With mostly fair winds at our back and kindly seas on the quarter. On our way we visited most of our familiar gunk holes like Vero and West Palm, Fort Lauderdale and Key Biscayne,and made a few new ones like Boca Chita Key and Rodriquez Key.  And now we are settled down in Marathon for the Holidays. At this moment in time we can't think of a better place to be to celebrate the 2013 Holiday season. It is a perfect place for family and friends to come visit if they want to escape from the cold for a bit. The first weeks of November Linda Haith came from Kansas City to join us on a sail down to Key West for a few days. She has some experience on the water so she was a great hand along the way. We had a fun trip out to the reef for some spectacular snorkeling.





Now settled in our slip in Marathon as the winter northerlies blow. Our Thanksgiving will be spent with fellow sailors at the newly opened Docksider Bar & Grill at our marina. It should be a hoot !!! We are thankful for so many things in our lives but especially our family and friends both old and new. But none of this would be possible without the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we give thanks and wish you all a happy and fun filled Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Marathon

Snorkeling on Sombrero Reef

The girls in Key West!

Ride with the Wind

When it come to cruising in Florida they say July stand-by, August you must look out, September remember, October it ain't over. These are words to live by around here and so far it's proving to be true. We are keeping a watchful eye out for developing Atlantic lows mostly coming up from the SW Caribbean as we continue to wrap up last minute boat projects, complete some super fun dental work, dig out the pre-cancer lesions from my skin and give departure notice to our gym and marina.  Finally we have filled the boat with food and liquor preparing to cast off the lines and sail south to the Keys.

Ahh but first we want to share some of the "summer fun" we had here in Florida. Family visits, road trips, day sails, museums, plus heat, heat and more heat.  Here is a visual documentation of Summer 2013 for the Kings, hope your summer was just as active.

Sand Play

Send him to Washington

                     

Nephew James at rest

                   

Pirates beware !

Flying high at NASA

Michelle, good seed:)

                   

Good friend from KC

       

Not so good friend:(

                     

Elvis is alive in Cocoa!

 

Chillin'

                                 

Mom & daughter

     

Tiffany!!

Next life

What can I say 

So there it was. Please follow us on instagram "PURELFE" through the Florida Keys the next couple of months.