A day of relaxation and photography

Today we decided against fishing because of the high winds that were forecast and besides, I was still feeling knackered after walking around Key West the day before. I was particularly keen to get some shots of Humming birds. I was quite pleased with these considering they are in their unedited form.

It has been a good break but I am ready to come home. The fishing wasn't as good as I had expected and the high winds and anchoring the boat a source of great frustration.

It was an enjoyable stay at Egret Cove, an experience made all the more pleasant by the good company that I was able to enjoy.

Lost in Key West

Yesterday I took a trip to Key West. The plan was have a look around, take a few photos, relax, chill and be back before dark. I'm not too keen on driving in the dark these days, particularly on roads that I am not familiar. Well the first bit went ok, I looked around, had a bite to eat in Sloppy Joes, listened to a little music and took some photos. It was getting late so I decided I'd set off for the villa. That's when the problem began, now where did I park my car? I thought I had parked near Fleming Street. When I eventually got to Fleming Street there was nothing familiar about the area, I had no idea where the car was. I stopped and asked one of the locals if he recognised a photo that I had taken soon after leaving my car, he said he did but it was a long way from Fleming Street. He gave me directions and I found this area that seemed familiar but I still could not find my car. One helpful american later I found my car. I felt like kissing it. So I set off for the villa an hour and a half later than intended.

Not a fishing day for me.

I'm just not in the mood for fishing today, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since I was last in Florida and I think I'm feeling a bit homesick.  I took the boat out to Bamboo Key with the intention of photographing the pelicans diving. The problem I had was the wind preventing me from being able to hold anchor. The anchor and chain they supply is just crap.

It is overcast here today, very humid, a 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms predicted. I'm quite looking forward to the thunderstorm. Tim and Chris are out on the dock fishing away. There is a large Barracuda out there that Chris is determined to catch.

So, now I'm snapping away with the camera like you do when you are on holiday. I was hoping for more bugs and creepy crawlies to photograph, they seem to keep so well hidden. We have only seen one scorpion and that one paid us a visit one night in our villa. I wish now that I had photographed it, I thought I would see more, maybe I will. The snake made an appearance this morning but I was too slow to capture it on the camera. There are plenty of lizards here, mainly small ones. I have them on my bed every day, I don't see them on the bed but I do see the pooh that they leave behind. I had a shower with one the other day. Don't think he enjoyed it much so I let him out, squeaky clean.

Thinking I might go to Key West tomorrow, they have a music festival going on over the next few days that could be interesting.

One of the smaller fishing craft

A bad days fishing is better than a good day going to work.

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster on the fishing front. We decided to fish a mark on the Atlantic side of the Keys. We are staying on the gulf side of the keys and the sea was fairly calm and were not expecting it to be so much worse on the other side. We travelled probably half a mile out with the boat getting airborne a couple of times, the rest of the time it was slamming against the waves making for a very uncomfortable ride. So, we abandoned that idea and went to fish on the Gulf Coast. It wasn't that rough but anchoring proved very difficult. Either we were somewhat lacking in our skills  of anchoring or, the anchor and chain just were not up to the job, something heavier would have made sense. Eventually frustration got the better of us and we gave up fishing for the day.

Tim and I went off for an hour around bamboo keys for some photography .

Today was a similar story except we did not head for the atlantic side of the Keys. After numerous attempts at anchoring we settled and caught a few fish, we took a couple home and had them for our tea. As I type, Tim and Chris are on the dock fishing for shark, me, well I've had enough for the day and I'm just chilling'.

Chris and his bonnethead

You ain't nothin but a hound fish.

cap'n Tim

Me and my baby Cobia

cap'n Mick

Pelican Dive

Cheeky seagull 

Heron

Me and my Bluefish

Swallowtail Butterfly

Red Crested Cardinal

Grassy Key Sunset

Bamboo Banks

Yesterday was good. We started out for a bit of shark fishing by Bamboo Key a short distance from where we are staying. It was a bit slow but it did give me chance to get a few shots of the bird life around us. Bamboo Key is like a little bird sanctuary, Cormorants, Frigate Birds, Pelicans,Vultures and Egrets in abundance.

Chris caught a nurse shark which was a bit of a disappointment because they are certainly not the feistiest of fish when you compare them with the black tip.
So, we gave up there and went back to the villa to drop off my big camera and get some food.

Next we headed out to Bamboo Banks which is about 5 miles offshore. Once the chum was down and doing it's work the fish came thick and fast, the only thing was that they were too small. A great variety of species which made it interesting none the less.

So, it was back to the villa for more food. Since we had no fish to eat we had to make do with a bit of surf and turf or, in lay-mans terms, Steak with King Prawn. It all went down nicely with a drop of wine.

Finally it was back to our dock for a bit more fishing. Chris got himself a nice Black Tip shark which ended the day nicely.