From atop the Galleon Resort ... still to come, the famous sunset at Mallory Square! 

But always ready ... the US Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk is one of the rare WWII ships that are retired, yet fully operational.   She resides in Key West FL as a Memorial Museum and wishes more Key West visitors would come visit. 

After being commissioned in 1936 as a US Coast Guard Ice Breaker, the USCGC Mohawk WPG-78 was reassigned to the US Navy for the duration of WWII.  She routinely patrolled the Arctic Sea and northern reaches of Greenland and Scandinavia. 

According to Wikipedia, one of Mohawk’s most famous deeds was being the last ship to radio General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the day before the Normandy invasion confirming that the weather was going to be clear enough to proceed. 

In Everglades City, the same catastrophic time bombs that we were trying desperately to avoid sailing to the Keys were strung at various seafood companies as "art".   They were pretty here, they're not so pretty in the thousands littered all over Florida Bay waiting to ensnare us!  A boat sailing to the Keys at the same time as Winterlude caught one on his rudder and had to get in the water with a mask to free the boat.  Crabs are really tasty, but they present a major hassle to sailboats!   See the latest Winterlude Update (next tab down) for

After we dropped the hook in Russell Pass behind Indian Key (in the Everglades National Park), we bit the bullet and put the dinghy in the water, despite the rushing current.  Luckily we didn't lose the dinghy and even managed to explore some of the local islands ... here's Winterlude's dinghy pulled ashore at Indian Key.  

The beaches of Cayo Costa are full of beach birds running to & fro chasing the waves, running from the waves.  Too much fun! 

As you may know, I don't see many sunrises.... and as a matter of fact, David took this photo while we were anchored out at Cayo Costa!  

Wow!  So tonight we came back from Atlanta and took a walk to visit my baby Great Horned Owl!  He/She's out of the nest and looking much the part of the adult!  Her ears are still a bit small.  Mom was sitting in a tree close by ... no doubt waiting to swoop down on dinner for herself and this "baby"!   :)  I need a better distance lens!

Rowan's mastered all possible uses for his pacifier! 

OK, so this isn't a great photo, but there's an ultralight flying along the beach with an inflatable RIB dinghy as the landing apparatus?   Wow!  Does this look li