Long Key Day 3

We had a cooked breakfast this morning – biscuits and sausage gravy. Jane baked biscuits in the electric skillet and the sausage gravy came in a can but it was pretty good for a beach breakfast! After breakfast we left on an excursion – we had 4 goals – explore the rest of the park; find a Laundromat and wash clothes; find some shrimp or fish to cook for supper; and find a Wi-Fi location. Well 3 out of 4 was not too bad because we did not find the Wi-Fi. We had to drive back to Islamorada to find the Laundromat and we found shrimp and stone crab claws – that will make a great supper. There is not really much to this park besides the campground, one hiking trail, a canoe trail and a short board walk. We explored all but the canoe trail in a short time. We ate lunch, sat in the sun a little while; Jane read and collected some more shells. Ben explored out in the water with his mask and snorkel reporting fish, coral and more sponges. We took a while cooking supper. Jane had bought a bottle of shrimp scampi sauce and it was easy to prepare with some brown rice and tasted great. The Stone Crab was good with some melted butter. Cleaning up and packing the cooking gear took a few minutes longer than usual since we leave here tomorrow morning.

Ben had been watching the guy next to us fish and fish – he would catch the bait with a throw net and then fish and fish. Ben had brought all his Dad’s salt water fishing gear which I doubt had been in the water in 25 years if not longer. Ben spent some hours working on it all getting it ready to fish and we agreed he could have 1 maybe 2 of my pound of shrimp to use as bait – no more! He was not happy that I had shelled and cleaned up the entire pound (half of which we will eat tomorrow night) but it was all he had for bait! So I watched him walk way out in the surf to cast and then come back in to camp to sit in his chair and wait. Well I had been in the Sprinter maybe 5 minutes putting the cooking gear away when I heard the commotion – out I came with my trusty camera to see him land a bonnethead shark about 2 feet long! What excitement – the guy next door helped him filet it – half for them and half for us. We have it soaking and will eat it tomorrow I guess. Ben was very proud of himself as the photo will show and says this now cinches the deal – he has to come back each March. I have more photos but this one shows the shark best.

A little computer work and reading as well as packing up everything will fill the rest of the evening. We have made reservations for the boat to Dry Tortugas on Thursday and at the same campground where we stayed last year for Wednesday and Thursday nights. Friday we will head back up the coast to somewhere north of Miami – or see how far we get – maybe we will have a surprise and one of the parks will have an opening Friday night – that would be a miracle – everyone has been full every-night.