First Day of Autumn at Marvin Key

Summer came to a quiet and uneventful end on Friday, September 23. For us down here at the end of US-1, the first day of autumn resembled the last day of summer, warm and humid. No drastic temperature swings or sweeping cold fronts down here in the tropics. 

Our good friend Edie invited us for a late afternoon boat ride to Marvin Key on Saturday. It has been a couple of weeks since our last visit to the sand bar south of Marvin, and it would be nice to be a passenger not having to worry about the shallows, coral heads, and running out of gas, which actually did happen to us one hot afternoon coming back from Marvin. Edie was a phone call away and rescued us with fuel and a filter wrench!

This afternoon was worry free, just a nice boat ride on Edie's skiff with Kimberly and Ron and their three dogs, Oakley, Hooligan, and Jack, and Edie's dog Bart. Zuzu and Tootie were a bit restless during the twenty minute ride out. They were missing their cushioned cuddy cabin no doubt. But, once arrived, they leapt off the boat and were ready to run, play with the other dogs, and explore the island.

Zuzu seems to be more and more expressive everyday. Here, she's smiling for Edie who took these pictures and graciously shared them with us.

The light level was amazing, completely different from our usual afternoon sunlight. With the sun low in the sky, the mangrove islands popped even more against the blue water of Turkey Basin, and the water left from the receding tide on the sandbar shimmered.

We all took a long walk around the side of the island to look for small horseshoe crabs, which was a bit difficult with six dogs running and chasing each other, kicking up the sand making it very difficult to look for shoe trails on the bottom.

Once back at the skiff, it was time for pictures. With the sun setting behind us casting a warm light and stretching our shadows across the sand, Edie captured some excellent shots of the dogs. 

Zuzu and Tootie posed for the camera as if they were in a photo shoot for a Vizsla magazine. Their expressions are priceless. Zuzu on the right always on alert while Tootie on the left is probably contemplating the setting sun.

There, both looking in the same direction, fixated on some distant object. Is it the heron searching for his dinner in the shallows or the ever sinking orb on the horizon?

With each passing minute our shadows grow longer and the light more magical. Zuzu, however, wanted to remind us that it would soon be dark and she's not fond of the night.

Another sniff around the anchor, the favorite spot for dogs to leave their mark, before heading back to Sugarloaf Shores.

The setting sun was amazing. We had a fantastic sunset boat ride across Turkey Basin.

Absolutely magical as the sun sets on this first day of autumn down here in paradise.

Thank you, Edie, for the ride out to Marvin and for the fantastic pictures!

Swimming near Marvin Key

Summer is swimming season. The water temps have been very comfortable, in the mid-eighties, and the breezes have been gentle. About a month ago, we took the afternoon off to hit low tide at Marvin Key. It was mid-week and we had the place to ourselves. 

As I've mentioned before, we were more than surprised to learn that Zuzu and Tootie love boat rides and enjoying playing in the water. With each passing day, they become less fearful of the unknown and more confident to be curious and explore their environment.

Zuzu has become our guard dog, alerting us when there are dog walkers on the bike path across from our house. She is also our hunter. She is often chasing iguanas from the yard or on point showing us where the ibis are feeding under the poinciana tree. Yet, after the first sound of thunder, she's the first one to try to climb on the countertop, wanting to squeeze behind the microwave to disappear.

Tootie was a natural learning how to swim. We assume they never had the occasion to swim having grown up in a box in a barn of an old pig farm. We think they never saw the sun or the star filled night sky until they were bought at auction two years ago and brought to St. Louis for adoption.

The first time we took Zuzu and Tootie to Marvin Key, Tootie followed Wayne into the water and started to swim. She gracefully dog paddled around in the warm water. Zuzu, however, was more apprehensive and very much less graceful. Once we coaxed her in, she thrashed about with her front legs, frothing the water and clearing the area of all sea life. After a few more trips out to the sandbar and a few more attempts to swim, she has become more comfortable in the water and now swims a gracefully as Tootie.

They are inseparable. They sleep together, play together, eat together, and even swim together. Where ever Tootie goes, Zuzu follows, and where ever Zuzu goes, Tootie follows.

 They are quite the pair.

Zuzu is also in motion or on alert observing the world around her. I think a passing boat caught her attention here. Tootie, on the other hand, is usually at rest. We have a saying about Tootie. She never misses an opportunity to lay down, especially on a soft, cushiony surface. Being out on the boat is no exception, and she was thankful that we put the seat cushions out, too.

The tide was coming in submerging our anchor and covering the sandbar.

Zuzu was curious to see what we were doing on the bow of the boat. Tootie less so, still comfortable on her seat but keeping an eye on Zuzu.

It was time to head back home as the water quickly covered our spit of land. The girls moved for a minute to the cabin while we prepared for departure.

But Wayne leaving the boat brought them back on the bow to see where he was going and what he was doing. What does he have? A fish? A bird? No, it's just the anchor.

Our vizslas have become quite the salty dogs, but we're sure they aren't ready to trade in their land digs for life on the water just yet.