Bahia Honda to Big Pine Key

Today we moved about 15 miles from Bahia Honda Key to Big Pine Key.   We are anchored now in a spot where we won't move for several days.  A big blow is about to hit the keys and this is a fairly protected area.  
Here at big pine we visited some nature areas and did much walking.  We also walked the walkway at Seven Mile bridge.   Feet tired.  Feet sore.  Feet blistered.  And with a sore back... Tomorrow will be less strenuous.    

As you can see above we also saw our first alligators.  You would think we would have seen them in the rivers of Alabama or the ICW in the panhandle or the nature preserves around cortez.   None.   But today we found one...
the deer on big pine are called Key Deer and not afraid of people.  They are tiny, about the size of a dog.

Since rain is coming I suspect we will do less outside stuff tomorrow and probably won't post a blog.  We don't intend to move (other than swing on our anchor). 
The last time I was in the keys I was two.  I don't remember it.   But we would have crossed this bridge since it was the only option in the day.  It's hard to believe two trucks could pass each other on this thing.  Now it's nice to walk or bike on and see wildlife crossing under. 

We didn't see much ..  but I did catch this sting ray where the bottom was sandy and there was good contrast.   No sharks etc.  

We did see lots of dolphins today on our 13 mile journey to the Newfound Channel between Big Pine and Little Torch keys.  

It is nice to be in an area with clear water and less barnacle growth.  (Less boat exterior maintenance).   
Everything is covered with salt though.  The boat needs a bath - something it won't get until we are in a marina in a while....

This is Fred.  Fred is a tree.   He grows out of the old seven mile bridge and is not a native plant in North America.   I'm told he's front Australia and his seed got here on the insides of a bird where it was deposited on the bridge, took root and survived hurricanes.  Go Fred the Tree!

Enough for today.   It sure is nice here.  We got Pizza with Norm and he shuttled us all over after we took the 30 minute dinghy ride to his house.   We also took a 39 minute ride back in the dinghy with the lights on in the pitch black of night.   SO many stars here.   

Life in the keys is good.  


We won't be moving for several days but plan to do local adventures in the keys...

We plan to hunker down here since big wind is coming.    These storms happen in the cool of an El Nino year..  We are a tad frustrated we are as far south as you can get in the US and it's still somewhat cool outside.  (72 for high, 67 for the low.   Oh the variation.  Lol) 

See you in a few days!


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