A Day at the Beach

Marvin Key was the desired destination on the Friday morning, the last day of vacation for my sister Judy, niece Katie, and her fiancé Kyle, but the tides had covered the sand bar washing away any possibility of relaxing in our beach chairs under the blue sky filled with summer clouds. "Snipe Point?" I suggested and it was agreed. The high tide made it easy to boat in close to the beach, unload the chairs, umbrella, coolers, snorkels, masks, towels, and dogs. Below, you can see Wayne (the white spot in the water) guiding Zuzu and Tootie towards the beach as I backed out anchored the boat in deeper water.

The boat appears to be further out than it actually was, but it still was a slow walk through waist to knee deep water back to the beach.

Wayne had Tootie's attention as he scanned the beach for shells, or maybe a tasty tidbit for her.

Like anxious children eager to play on the beach, they looked to Wayne, the master of ceremonies and dispenser of treats. We think the girls see a gleaming Roach Coach when they look at Wayne who is seemingly always ready to hand out copious amounts of boiled gizzards and chicken bits to his devoted vizslas.

There wasn't too much activity, simply a quiet morning at Snipe Point. There was another dog, Chrissy, just down the beach from us, and a few more dogs even further down and around the bend. Zuzu and Tootie set off to greet them and to see if they had any delectable handouts. No luck, so they returned to our "camp"knowing lunch would soon be served.

Tootie loves the boat, loves running through the water, and loves exploring these mangrove islands in the back country. She doesn't love, however, lying on wet sand. She has her standards. The incoming tide made it even more difficult to find a comfortable dry spot for as soon as she lay down, the waves crept closer and eventually surrounded her.

Wayne decided to move his beach chair into the water near a piece of driftwood. The perfect spot to prop his feet up and take a nap.

Tootie eyed an opportunity to lie on something high, soft, and dry. Wayne's stomach.

Now, Tootie is not a petite girl. We are trying to help her shed some pounds. She's no longer 60lbs, but she's still north of 50.

Around and around she went trying to find the most comfortable spot atop Wayne. Zuzu looked on thinking either Tootie had lost her mind or she was very resourceful.

Ah...that's it...she found her own private island.

She just had to be sure this perch was stable before curling up for a nap.

The swells were still coming in. The only dry spot is further up on Wayne's chest.

That's were she wanted to lie down. Zuzu, however, was quite happy standing in the water.

There, the princess has found her spot. Too bad Wayne didn't bring any treats with him. I'm sure Tootie would have liked a gizzard or two while resting on top of Wayne.

I remained on dry land, and eventually Zuzu and Tootie joined me under the tree.

They enjoyed their relaxing afternoon on the beach at Snipe Point.

Visit from Aunt Judy, Katie and Kyle

Zuzu and Tootie's aunt Judy, Katie, and Kyle came down for a visit. It was Kyle's first visit to the Keys, and deep sea fishing was on the top of his to do list. Katie's adventures involved dry land. Shopping along Duval Street. The soon to be newlyweds spent time exploring Key West and it's neighboring islands, while Judy relaxed on the lanai with her iced tea and Kindle, happy to be back in Florida.

One afternoon, we sent Katie and Kyle off in the kayak and we took Judy into Key West for some sightseeing. It was the last day of June, the last day some attractions are free for locals. Having already done the Conch Tour Train, Aquarium, and Ship Wreck Museum, it was time to round out the list with Truman's Little White House.

It was a fantastic and very informative tour. Photos of the interior are prohibited, but the house feels like you stepped back into the Truman era. A must see if you haven't been.

After the tour, we walked lower Duval and ended up at Amigos, a fairly new mexican restaurant on Green St. across from Captain Tony's Saloon. The motto of Amigos, "Once you've ruined your reputation you can live quite freely," a fitting motto for this town. Their claim to fame are their square tacos on tortillas handmade daily. 

You can check out their website at http://www.amigoskeywest.com/amigos/

Judy quenched her thirst with a well made margarita on the rocks with a salted rim. Wayne and I were more conservative with our ice waters. We enjoyed our perch at the counter watching the tourists pass by while we nosed on our taco chips, very yummy salsa, guacamole, a chicken taco, and a shrimp taco.

On their last day, we planned a trip to Marvin Key for some swimming and relaxing on the sand flat. Tides were higher than anticipated, completely inundating the sand flat, so we set a course for neighboring Snipe Point.

 We dropped off the passengers, dogs, and gear before pulling the boat to deeper waters for anchorage.

Wayne and Tootie enjoying a stroll in the warm water along the beach.

Chairs and umbrella are set. Let the relaxing begin.

Judy, Katie, and Kyle snorkeled the shallow waters searching for shells,

while we relaxed in our beach chairs under the shade of a tree.

Zuzu and Tootie hung out with us at first, but then set off to explore the beach. When we arrived, we were the only one's on the point, but within a half hour, another boat arrived followed by another, and new four legged friends were running along the beach. Zuzu and Tootie quickly became friends with Chrissy, Weasel, and two other dogs.

It was a very nice, lazy, relaxing morning that bled into the afternoon.

Zuzu and Tootie enjoyed the beach and laying in the sun.

Judy never left the water. She said, at first, that she couldn't do this everyday. It would get too monotonous. But then she quickly changed her mind and decided that yes, she could do this everyday.

So could we.

Stay tuned for more from Snipe Point.

Camp Sugarloaf for Cheyenne

Sunday, July 3, 2011

9:30AM

Layne turns down the lane towards the driveway gate in the Fusion, Michael not far behind looking very Italian on Layne's cream colored Vespa. They are leaving for a three week holiday in Italy, leaving their beloved behind with us. Summer camp, Wayne called it for Cheyenne.

Michael gives his pooh bear a loving farewell hug, parks the Vespa alongside his Triumph in the garage, and brushes away a tear (a farcical embellishment of Michael rubbing his eye) as they get ready make the 120 mile drive north to the Miami International Airport.

Zuzu, Tootie, Cheyenne, Wayne and I wave to our traveling friends...
"ARRIVEDERCI!"
"BUON VIAGGIO!"

And we walk quietly up the walk towards the front stairs, Cheyenne checking back on more time to see if it's true, they really did leave...

The afternoon was spent relaxing and napping.

Then it was 6:00PM, time for dinner! Wayne assembled the girls' bowls, filling them with handfuls of dry kibble, cooked brown rice, and chicken gizzards.

After dinner, Cheyenne and I walked down the bike path along Sugarloaf Blvd where she checked out the new smells and left her mark around a few coco palms and scaevola bushes. Once back at the house, we all settled on and around the sofa for the 1959 doomsday film, "On The Beach."

July 4, 2011
Independence Day

Cheyenne slept soundly on her bed last night until 7:15. No motorcycle arriving at 6:15, no walk around the Ramrod Pool, just a brief stump around the house before breakfast, more kibble, gizzards, and rice. After breakfast, Cheyenne settled on the lanai with us as we read the paper and downed our first cup of coffee...then we all headed down the bike path for a morning walk before the storms rolled in.

And the storms rolled in with thunderous fanfare. Zuzu and Tootie nervously paced around the house searching for a small hiding spot, ending up in the closet while Cheyenne dozed in the middle of the floor.

We are only a week or two into our rainy season, and a tropical wave is poised to the north of Puerto Rico possibly drifting our way bringing with it round after round of rain and thunder. Maybe Zuzu and Tootie will get accustomed to the thunder.

They could always look to Cheyenne for guidance. She knows how to pass the time during a thunderstorm.

Red Dog Routine

Zuzu and Tootie are all about routine. Up at first daylight, outside to do their morning business, back in for a breakfast helping of warmed brown rice with either chicken gizzards or thighs mixed with some dry kibble, then off to the lanai for the post meal nap. 

One could accurately assert that Zuzu and Tootie have developed their daily rituals by observing our routines. We are very much creatures of habit and find comfort in the predictable. Up at the same time every morning, feed the girls, relax on the lanai with a cup of coffee and read about the latest dysfunction or the newest scandal reported in the Key West Citizen as well as savor the comments of the daily grumblers and malcontents in the Citizen's Voice column.

The morning routine.

It is very familiar to Zuzu as she heads for the patio door (which is sadly closed during the humid summer months) after she eats her breakfast and patiently waits for us to open it with coffee cups and newspaper in hand. 

Zuzu and Tootie will spend the morning either hanging outside and sleeping on the lanai, or sprawled out on the bed in our bedroom. Occasionally, they'll hang out with us in the office while we work.

Lunch time...back on the lanai where we eat the usual, granola, plain yogurt, and a piece of fruit, and Zuzu and Tootie are at our heels knowing they'll get a little snack, too.

Tootie has a built in clock set perfectly to her stomach. Starting around 5:30pm, she'll come into the office and start barking, letting us know that it's time for dinner. We tell her not now and five minutes later she's back, barking once again. This continues until their dinner time, around 6:00pm. After dinner, the ritual continues with a mandatory car ride and, when the mosquitos aren't too thick, a walk around the Bat Tower. Tootie and Zuzu enjoy their car rides as they get to tear into a cardboard box or tube filled with gizzards and treats during the ride. 

Zuzu and Tootie have come a long way from their days spent hiding in the closet only making an appearance at meal time. The slowly progressed from the closet to the bedroom to spending more and more time with us. Now, they follow our every move and sometimes compete for our laps and attention. They are still not without their issues. Zuzu still fears the dark, needing a lot of encouragement and the lure of a gizzard to go outside before bed. Zuzu also fears thunderstorms, but her reaction to storms is improving. She no longer runs and hides in the closet at the first sound of thunder; instead, they retreat to the kitchen or find us for comfort and reassurance.

Zuzu and Tootie still react to change with caution. They much prefer the expected, the routine. Any deviation from the routine is cause for concern in their minds, but change is good. With minor changes in the daily routine from time to time, they are beginning to realize that what is different, new, or unexpected is not bad. These experiences, we believe, will only make them stronger and more confident.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's almost time for the evening routine...relaxing on the sofa with Zuzu and Tootie snoozing on the rug at our feet while we work through the latest crime drama series available on Netflix instant view.

Dog Day at the Beach: Snipe Point

After a week of unpacking, sorting, and rearranging furniture, it was time to relax. We arranged a date with Michael and Layne, one that involved a boat ride to Marvin Key for some swimming and relaxing in the sun. I checked the tide table and set up a time to arrive at the sand flat close to low tide. I was doubtful, though, that the sand flat would be exposed since it was a rather high low tide. Sure enough, as we approached the back side of Marvin Key, there was no sand, only turquoise water. "Where to now?" I asked everyone. It was decided that we would meander out to the Gulf, our first trip beyond the back side of Marvin. And, who better to explore with than Michael and Layne, well seasoned boaters who sailed from Santa Cruz, California, through the Panama Canal, and explored most of the Caribbean Sea before settling here in the Lower Keys.

My apologies for the persistently annoying spot in the center of my pictures.
Unfortunately, it's unreachable somewhere inside the camera lens.

I had an vague idea where the channel was to the Gulf. I followed the chart and the GPS and found the narrow opening of the channel leading north to the Gulf. We then followed, at idle speed, a path of crab pots.

Layne, who learned how to read the waters sailing the Caribbean with Michael and their two dogs, kept a watchful eye of the varying shades of brown, green, and blue ahead, skillfully guiding us down the center of the channel. Michael was positioned nearby on the bow also pointing the way and recording the whole adventure on film (digital, actually) for one of his future essays in his blog, Key West Diary. He posted several about our trip. You can read one of them here at  http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2011/05/dogs-of-snipe-key.html.

Zuzu and Tootie have really gotten used to riding in the boat. We rarely keep them on a leash now while we're underway since they are usually camped out in the cabin or at my feet. We did buy them life jackets during our trip to St. Louis with a gift card from mom and dad. We now have to get into the habit of putting them on while they are riding in the boat.

We continued through the channel, which was fairly wide at this point. The lighter green then brown water, indicating shallow water, was comfortably off our starboard side. 

And there was plenty of wiggle room on the port side as well. Still, it was a leisurely trip through the channel towards the Gulf.

We weren't the only ones cautiously plying the waters. Just ahead of us was another boat heading towards the channel leading to Marvin Key. The captain of that vessel asked his companions to stand on the bow to keep an eye on the water depth.

We emerged from the channel and admired the open Gulf of Mexico in front of us. Off to our left we could see some boats anchored just off Snipe Point. It wasn't too busy and looked like a perfect spot to let the dogs run on the beach and play in the water. Comfortable with the depth, we planed out of the channel and headed towards the beach.

Wayne tried to get a picture of the pod of dolphins we passed, but he could only get a couple of fins peeking out of the water. They came pretty close to the boat. Afraid I was going to hit them, I slowed down abruptly (sorry Layne, I meant to warn you) to see where they were. Of course, they kept their distance and remained out of harm's way. They are probably quite used to the great number of boats buzzing around these waters.

The shallows extend quite a ways out from the beach. I putted in as far as I could, then shut off the motor, trimmed up, and let Michael pull us in as far as he could. The plan was to unload the dogs and gear and, as the tide was heading out, one of us would pull the boat back out to deeper water for anchorage. I managed to anchor the boat in 5 feet of water, in line with the other boats, but finding firm sand to plant the anchor was a challenge.

Back on the beach, the gang set up their chairs under a tree.

You can't beat the view looking out across the beach and the shallow water to the Gulf.

Wayne played the part of beach bum very well.

It looks like I'm consumed by my phone. I wasn't completely lost in technology but was merely trying to figure out how to send a picture or our view in a text. Once sent, I enjoyed the scene along with Zuzu and Tootie who kept an eye on the activity around us. It was rather quiet, unusual for Snipe Point as this is the preferred weekend destination for Key Westers and local teens. At this time of the morning, there was a group of three couples who were kayaking the back country (Zuzu and Tootie left to explore the beach...we found hanging out with them, sniffing their kayaks for food or treats), a woman was floating on her raft while reading a book, and a few people were swimming around their boats. 

It was a very relaxing morning at Snipe Point. We enjoyed the view, the sea breeze, and the warm water. It's hard to believe that this tropical island paradise is just a twenty minute boat ride away from home.