Swimming Iguana

 

Florida Keys  (high 76, low 68 – rain)

 

We got a few drops of rain yesterday morning, and then the sun came back with a vengeance.   It’s starting to feel a lot like summer down here, and I’ve started dreaming of the mountains. 

The predicted rains finally started coming through last night, bringing some very nice cooler temperatures.  No wind, light rain, and cool temps.   It feels wonderful and it was so nice to once again sleep with the windows open.

 

Yesterday afternoon, we took a drive down to Cudjoe Key  and decided to stop at our favorite restaurant for some of their wonderful hogfish.  The last time we were there, all the tables were full, so two gentlemen asked if they could share our table.  We didn’t mind and enjoyed getting to know them.  They asked what we recommended to eat and when we told them hogfish, I think they were a little turned off by the name.    We convinced them to give it a try, so they split a sandwich.  Once they took a bite, they were wishing they had the entire sandwich and both thought it was going to be their new favorite fish. 

The next picture is one I borrowed of a particularly big one that this guy got while spear fishing.   Most aren’t quite that big.

We love to eat at waterfront restaurants and Geiger Key Marina is one of our favorites.

This is our view from our table.   If you notice behind the boat, is a travel trailer.  What a view he has.  He is backed into that site, and what you don’t see is that there are two more rv’s directly in front of him (to the right).  If he wanted to leave, two others would have to move.   Yikes….but what a view!

In the water right below us was a moray eel, and a Nassau grouper.  A few feet away were some mangrove snapper and parrotfish.

I wasn’t feeling my best yesterday, so I only took one picture of the fish.

While we were sitting there, I noticed something strange in the water.  It was moving very fast and at first I thought it must be a cormorant.

I pulled my camera out and saw this.

It was a large iguana.  I heard these guys can swim well, but it was the first time I saw one swimming.  He was booking it across and I had just enough time to snap a picture and no time for any camera adjustments, so the picture isn’t great, but it was fun to watch him.

Here is a better picture of one that I took last year.

Another thing we like about Geiger Key, is the fact that it’s very near one of the Naval Air Station runways.  You never know what you’ll see flying in the skies above.

These fighter jets are so fast, I was lucky to get even this blurry shot.    I always get goose bumps when I hear these planes.  The sound of freedom.   I think that would have been my dream career.   

We enjoyed the pretty scenery, and delicious meal and then decided to head home.  By this time, I was starting to get the sneezy, runny nose symptoms that I’ve been fighting. 

You never know what you’ll see in the Keys, so I always keep my camera with me.

This sea plane was parked in the water right by the highway.

 

It’s cloudy, drizzly, and cool today.  It makes me want to go outside and enjoy the cooler weather.  It might be a good day to watch the jets take off from the Navy Base.