another try for trumpet and file fish photos

Attempt to post pics.

Key largo and homeward

I got back to Key Largo Monday after an uneventful sail up the North side of the Keys. I thought I was going to have a restful couple of days to put Harvey to bed, etc, but things didn't turn out that way. First, Chase and I took Harvey out Tuesday (Lou was working) and had a delightful sail and a GREAT snorkel at Molasses Reef. I saw two remarkable fish--a Filefish which was just breathtakingly beautiful, and a Trumpetfish, which can change color to blend in with its surroundings. This one had made itself the same yellow as a stand of coral it was in, standing up vertically so as to look just like a stalk of the coral it was hiding in.

Later we heard that the Marine Mammal Conservancy was calling for volunteers to help with 5 pilot whales who had been beached on another Key and moved to Largo for treatment and rehabilitation. The animals were too stressed/injured/sick to take care of themselves, so they had 2 persons holding up each whale, keeping its blowhole above water and keeping them wet in 4 hour shifts. Chase and I took a 4 to 8 AM (yes, AM!) shift and it was really rewarding. Our whale kept squirming, and they were talking to one another with the high pitched whale squeals that you've heard recordings of. The MMC people travel all over for situations like this, and a crew of marine veterinarians from Sea World Orlando were there also. Photos attached, hopefully. Back to Nashville tomorrow.

Morning commute--Key West Style

I'm in Key West for one more day before heading up the ICW towards Key Largo. One of the nice things about my stay here has been my dockage spot--in between the dinghy dock and the anchorage. The dinghy dock is completely full by 9:00, and folks come and go all day that work in Key West and live aboard. You'd be surprised how many have dogs that make the trip with them.

Key West!

I can't believe I finally made it to Key West--about 1200 miles from Oriental! My son, Patrick, has been with me all week and we've had a fabulous time. Sailing and snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Keys with my son--how good can it get? We sailed down from Newfound Harbor yesterday, on a broad reach with 20 knots of wind and made 24 miles in less than 5 hours. We had a pod of dolphins stay with us for a good 5 minutes, playing in Harvey's bow wave and jumping all around us. I took many photos, but never caught one in the frame--amazing, seeing as how there were a dozen of them.

Last night we took in the street performers in Mallory Square. Patrick got pressed into service to hold up a ladder used by some gymnasts. And we saw the "cat man"--yes, he's still there. We went out to hear some good music after that--a great time.