Key West Winter 2013

Some random photos from, oh, the last few months…

I volunteered to go to Key West Botanical Garden on a kindergarten field trip with my kids’ class. I didn’t realize we were going so the children could look for and identify native SPIDERS. I found one with the back of my neck. *shudder* I hope you’ll forgive my shaky camera work.

Here I am, out for a morning ride last week or so. Gorgeous weather, getting my thighs tan again…

The Atlantic Ocean was like a lake that day. Here is the view down into the rocks of the White Street Pier. I saw a dad with a little boy; the kid  was on a cell phone telling his mom about all the kinds of sea creatures he could see from the pier today.

Winter means that Debby comes down from Maryland and gives me classes in glass beadmaking! Here’s the view of my workspace with the blowtorch, mandrils, glass rods, and all kinds of cool supplies she was showing off!

Unrelated: somehow I blew a blood vessel in my eye. Didn’t hurt, but it looked like it did.

The Boogedy rides for joy, now, and wants to use the bike to go everywhere. He got this new big-boy bike for xmas and I just bought him his own rear- and headlights as well as a cable lock. He was thrilled that he got to choose his own combination.

 

 

Flood Day

School was closed for the Boogedy this morning due to weather conditions throughout the islands. The temperature was about 81 degrees and only lightly raining after days of downpour and nights of lightning shows. So we hopped on our bikes and went across town to check out the flood.  Here are Zach and the Chibberty at the intersection of Frances and Eaton streets:

(Oh yeah, that is the swimsuit Zach was wearing when he got kicked out of the water park in Utah this summer).

Here we are in the middle of Simonton and Front streets:

The Chibberty enjoys a floating take-out meal.

Dog and boy agreed that this is the Best. Day. Ever.

 

Mid-January

Holy Cow!! I’m knitting lace! I’ve been attempting lace for years, but am just now experiencing success.

Mosca and Weasel

This is how we get our laundry to the laundromat around the corner. Yes, we wear our helmets.

The incredibly cool Island  Bike Shop loaned us this balance bike for a week for the Boogedy to try out. He’s getting better, after biffing it a few times.

The coolest Key West rooster I’ve ever seen. The main post office seems to host the prettiest breeds.

Some giant (18-30-inch-tall) colored glass bottles at ROSS. I wish the purple one would withstand the 3000 mile shipment to my sister in Salt Lake.

Surprising Little Island

This little (4- by 1.5-mile) island keeps surprising us. We took a few outings lately and ended up here:

The Key West City Paintball field. It appeared abandoned and unused, and to me really dreary and depressing, but Zach is already getting excited to play, if he can get anyone to believe it exists.

Down a virtually unused, dead end road, and inside the black net fencing:

We took the Boogedy to the cemetery to make gravestone rubbings with crayons on paper. I remember doing this with my mom as a kid. The Boogedy thought dancing on the graves was good fun, and I wasn’t ready to explain why he should be solemn and respectful, so we didn’t stay long. I wonder if Grandma will enjoy receiving our rubbings.

Last week the Power Boat racers were in town and we went to Fort Zachary Taylor to watch them from the rocky shore. We didn’t pull the little guy out of preschool to go, but we will next year because it was awesome! The boats appeared to just skim the water. I thought of my nephew Mike and his family’s love of car racing. I wish he could have seen this!

My camera couldn’t get good photos of this event, but I sneaked a peak over a fence and shot this baby with matching trailer waiting her turn.

While we were there, we toured Ft. Zach (notice the MOAT!).

And marveled at the difficulties of using Cannons to try to hit Ships.

Family Weekend

On Wednesday, the Boogedy was babysat and we walked to our beach for a lovely sunset

And went to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse, where they cook the food on the grill at your table. I did not photograph the chef, but will show you the fountain outside.

On Thursday, we found a listless frog on our porch. He allowed his head to be pet, and I picked him up and placed him under the bushes. He wasn’t there on Friday.

On Friday I took Zach a picnic lunch at work. It was pouring rain, so we asked permission to sit at one of the tables outside the coffee shop, under the eaves.

On Saturday, we rode our bikes hard for 8 miles, then stopped at Thomas’ Donut Shop across the street from the beach.

And tried something I’ve never seen in donut form, Red Velvet.

We bought an umbrella because the rain has started to be just a little chilly, and it looked like it wouldn’t stop.

While we were at the farmer’s market picking up raw milk, the Boogedy rolled down the grassy slope in the rain, getting completely soaked.

There was some puddle twirling and jumping.

And we grabbed Pizza at Brunos, which has the most wonderful garden/swamp in the back of the building.

To finish the day, the dog was wrapped in blankets and piled with pillows.

And dad was forced to take his own medicine: The Bravery Test.

My bike gets a facelift

My beautiful white bike came with a white seat (a moderately silly idea) and white handlebars (downright ridiculous). They got dirty immediately, but I’ve been too scared to try wrapping my own handlebars. When, earlier this month, my tape started peeling up from the heat and humidity, I decided to do something about it.

Ta Da! Now she looks FAST! Thanks to this excellent video.

Yesterday we went sailing to the Old Pier with dad, but we had to wait for him to finish his hard work:

Today there was a city made of blocks, and a railroad, and way in the distance, the Old Pier, where boats go sailing with their friends.

These days, Zach’s cash is covered in seaweed.

We went to the hardware store today and the Boogedy spelled out the sign for me: “E.C.Diamond.Triangle”

Going into Town

On Wednesday I made a few phone calls, found a (relatively) local source for raw milk, and outfitted the cooler for a 45 mile round trip drive. The Boogedy and I drove into Panama City (braving a frog-strangler of a rainstorm) to the produce stand for 3 gallons of fresh milk, then to the other side of town to hit a few Asian markets I found online. We came back with fresh black-eyed peas, sweet basil, frozen lemongrass, juicy young coconuts, cellophane wrapped philipino cakes (polvorones), pink skinned lychees, black sticky rice, and a bunch of other Thai and Vietnamese products that looked good. It was so good to finally have the products I took for granted in SLC!

Some random photos. Here’s a gecko outside our kitchen window.

We had a HUGE thunderstorm. We have a great front porch for storms. The back porch is screened, but our roommates have claimed that as a smoking porch, so I avoid it. The Boogedy enjoyed the downpour:

And kept putting his body parts into the drip line:

I got myself some new glasses, as allergies are making contact lenses miserable:

with magnetic shades!

Here are the patrol boats looking for oil off the coast of Walton County:

Me in my anti-sunburn riding outfit with bike shorts underneath. Compare to the riding outfit of 6 months ago.

and a photo of the (suddenly camera-shy) boy I pulled 12 miles today to go to work:

Morning Trail 2

Here are pictures from this morning, a more gray day, but a little warmer. You may be able to spot the slight yellow tinge at the base of the mountains that signifies that, later in the day, there will be a pollution haze.

Here are the Canadian geese in the wildlife preserve. This section of trail smelled like duck poop.

A shot overlooking I-215 from the 4100 South bridge. I felt a bit of vertigo and had to refrain from throwing my camera over the edge, something a tiny part of me always wants to do when standing up high.

As promised, a shot of me in my riding gear. I have on santa boots, wool/silk socks, thermal pants, pajama pants, a tank top, a thermal top, and a 2-layer coat. I also wear a nifty orange balaclava.  I am NOT cold. With my lights flashing, I just hope people notice me!

Morning Trail

After a month of filthy air, and lung infections, and feeling like going outside would cause me to get asthma, I finally felt ready to ride again this morning. Here’s a 7am shot from the street, before I got onto the trail. At this point, I was going into a coughing fit, but by the end of the ride, my lungs were fine.

The air was clean and crisp, and the sunrise was gorgeous.

I’m outta shape, though, so I only made it 9 miles, than hopped on the bus up a little hill for the last mile. One of these days I’ll snap a photo of myself in all the gear that I pile on in order ride in 28 degree weather (I don’t have fancy gear, just lots of layers).

Day 850-Bike ride

Zach would like me to title this post: “Two and a quarter years after giving birth, Sara feels ready to hitch up the baby and ride”. Last Friday, I decided that I could take the burden from Zach, the Boogedy’s usual bicycle chauffer, and hitch the trailer to my bike frame to go for a 2-mile ride. It was easy. Piece of Cake. Of course, it was a fairly flat trail along the Jordan River. But now I’m sure I’ll be asked to do it more often.

I have carried the Boogedy in a maya wrap, a sling, dangling in a carseat, in my arms, in a backpack, on my hip, or on my shoulders for a large portion of his waking hours. I have done this even while pushing his stroller or a laden grocery cart because I have a snuggly boy who prefers to “HUGGY”.

Last week I gave my stripy red sling to a friend who just had her baby. As I was demonstrating it with the Boogedy, I was pleased to feel my toddler relax and curve against me again (we haven’t used the sling since last autumn). It was a bittersweet moment when I kissed my heavy baby’s big head, which used to tuck under my chin, and I realized that pretty soon, I won’t want to carry him anymore, and after that comes something worse: he won’t want me to carry him. Then I sighed and put him down, and helped my friend negotiate the wrapping and tucking of her 7.5-p0und treasure, whose head will someday bump against her cheek.