Marathon 7 Mile Bridge

Sallyann riding her bike to the entrance of the old 7 mile bridge which connected Marathon with Pigeon Cay and Big Pine.

Motor vehicles are not allowed on the old bridge.

On the left of the photo is the new bridge.

The Captain snaped a photo of the bridge as he biked across it.

He either pulled over or fell over to get this shot.

2.2 miles down the 7 Mile Bridge ends.

The Captain is calculating the speed needed to make the jump to the other section 150 feet away.

We decide to go back to the marina to ponder the jump over a cool drink.

When we got back a pelican was perched on pylon guarding our boat.

It's time to leave Naples

Naples is great but at some point you get bored.

When the Admiral gets bored she decorates me.

I liked this look.

This look is easier to maintain.

I'm dreaming of the engine roaring,

and the Admiral smiling

as we pass palm trees with Christmas lights on their trunks in Naples bay.

NAPLES BAY ! Roaring engine ! Smiling Admiral!

Good bye Naples!

Wash Day in Naples

At 0700 I tried to sneak by a pigeon on my way to the marina laundry area.

He caught me!

The structure on the left is the Naples City Dock Pavilion. Every morning a dozen elderly men gather here to discuss weather, politics and the past. All subjects they can't do anything about.

The building on the left is the bath house. The washer and dryers are outside, protected by a roof.

The set up is flawed. Here is the set up: folding table , washers and dryers with left hinge opening. Think about it.

What is this lizard doing on the dock in such a pale state? I found him on Andrew's shorts as I was emptying the washer. Don't call the A.S.P.A. he lived. By the time our clothes were dried the lizard was moving. Lesson Learned: If you launder a lizard, using a warm water setting, the creature's recovery time is 50 minutes after the spin.

Weather in Marathon

It's so hot here. The outdoor temperature reading is 97.5. It not much cooler inside the boat, currently 83 degrees. The weather station's reader is installed on the deck ladder, under a rung. Andrew put a meat thermometer in the sun to validate the the reading. According to this reading we're well done at 94. 5.

I don't need an accurate reading to conclude that I can not live in Marathon year round. That's one more city, where I can't afford to live, crossed off my dream list of retirement places.

11.09.09 we kayaked in the Fanny Keys and 7 mile bridge area of the Gulf. The water is shallow enough to see bottom. Andrew saw a 5 foot reef shark. I'm glad I didn't.

11.10.09 at 0830 we rode our bikes over the old 7 mile bridge. According to the locals the span that ends at Pigeon Cay is 2 miles from our marina. In the heat it feels like a much longer ride. I had to stop and call some friends in chill (6 degrees) IL this morning just to cool down.

It's just too damn hot! We may have to leave the boat here and fly to Alaska until the heat wave is over.

Marathon

We made it to Marathon Monday 12/07 . It's hot here. Today the heat is expected to hit a record high. I don't know what the record high was. I do know it's 83 degrees at 0900. Marathon may be too hot a place for us to winter.

I'm going kayaking.

Low Tide at Naples City Dock

This is high tide at the Naples City Dock. Tut can get on and off the boat easily.

This is low tide.

Life below the dock

I have a two hour wait to get off the boat.

I can't reach the dock at 0700.

0736 Andrew makes his first attempt.

He makes it! Tut and I will wait until noon to get off.

Ft Myers, Cabbage Cay

Ft Myers Police Station

Sunshine Bridge

Andrew has already taken 1000 pictures. I think he should publish a photo book of sunsets and sunrises called 'Today and Tomorrow'.

Ft Myers

If we owned this house we'd invite all our followers for a weekend.

Royal Palm Marina in Englewood Florida

Royal Palm

Andrew Singing to the Dolphins

Mullets

Cabbage Cay Slip

Cabbage Cay Gift Store

Cabbage Cay water supply

Strange looking ship we saw near the Matanzas Bridge in Ft Myers Beach

U.S. Coast Guard station at Ft Myers Beach

Pelican watching us while we waited to take on fuel

Ballard Oil Co Ft Myers Beach the cheapest diesel on this part of the coast. The owner, Jim was very friendly. He told me that his 2nd wife is very thrifty. He begs her to buy shoes.
She's worn the same shoes for 12 years. His first wife spent all his money buying shoes every 12 minutes.

The bulk of Jim's business is fueling shrimp boats. At one time the building was an ice house. The ice was made on top of the building and shot down five inch pipes into the refrigeration areas of the shrimp boats. Then came modern refrigeration and business hasn't been the same.

Ft Myers Beach

Water reflections and Reflection