Sunrise-Keys Style

 

Cudjoe Key, Florida (high 85, low 75)

 

It feels like summer.  The AC is running 24/7.  The winds are blowing though, so it helps to keep us cool. 

We decided to take a drive and watch the sunrise. It was nice and cool as the sun started to rise.  We need to do this more often.  It’s the very best part of the day.  (except maybe for happy hour)

We headed “uptown” towards Veterans Park.  The Overseas Highway, which is Highway 1 runs kind of east west, but in a southerly direction.  If we’re heading to Key West, we call it downtown, and to Marathon, it’s uptown.

Unfortunately, there were too many clouds for a great sunrise.

The birds were not complaining though.

We’ve been around oceans most of our lives and this is the first time we’ve seen this creature, and we don’t know what it is.

It’s not a crab, but he dug his way into the sand.  This would have been a good “the end” shot.

We think this is the same thing, but this one was dead.  It almost looks like an eye.  Do you see it?

There were Portuguese Man o War everywhere.

Aren’t they beautiful?

 

You always find a lot of life along the beach.

I’m not sure what these are, but they look similar to anemone.  They were in shallow water.

 

This boat was new since we were here last.   Notice the mast with the buoy on top?

 

Cuba is closer to the Keys than the nearest Walmart, and this is a very popular destination for refugees. 

 

Cuban refugees can stay as long as they have “dry feet,” when they arrive.

The wet foot, dry foot policy is the name given to a consequence of the 1995 revision of the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 that essentially says that anyone who fled Cuba and entered the United States would be allowed to pursue residency a year later. After talks with the Cuban government, the Clinton administration came to an agreement with Cuba that it would stop admitting people found at sea. Since then, in what has become known as the "Wet foot, Dry foot" policy, a Cuban caught on the waters between the two nations (with "wet feet") would summarily be sent home or to a third country. One who makes it to shore ("dry feet") gets a chance to remain in the United States, and later would qualify for expedited "legal permanent resident" status and eventually U.S. citizenship.

 

How would you like to take a “cruise” on this boat?  Here is the motor.

The exhaust and rudder.

You can see it wasn’t real spacious for the 17 people it carried.

 

These boats are all over the place.  There were two at the storage facility where we keep our boat.

 

We took a walk down the narrow strip of beach.  It was low tide fortunately.  The Keys aren’t know for their beaches.

Can you see the yellow object on the little mangrove island?

It looks like a kayak to me.  Wonder where the kayaker went?  We couldn’t get much closer without getting pretty wet and the breach dropped off into deeper water.  Since I had my camera, I decided I wouldn’t go any further.

It was a beautiful morning for a walk along the beach.  There were so many of these tiny shells that you couldn’t avoid stepping on them.

This next shell is a tulip shell. His foot was out and we wondered if he was feeding.  We usually throw them back further into the water, but left him where he was since the tide was coming back in.  These are beautiful shells, but this one had green algae on it

 

Coconut palms are the most beautiful of all the palms, I think. 

There is no shortage of coconuts this time of year.

There is a guy here who makes his living selling fresh coconut water.

Want a sip?

This banyan tree was huge and gorgeous.

 

We walked the beach for awhile, then over to Coco’s restaurant for a $4.00 breakfast.  (It’s in the Winn Dixie Plaza, Sherry and David)  They also have wonderful Cuban sandwiches.

We’re back home, with thoughts of working on the boat, but there is some rain coming, so we may have to have a nap instead.  :)