Christmas in the Keys - December 25

       
 Christmas Eve we went over to the KOA pub to celebrate with Susan and Charlie.

                                           Christmas morning forecast at the KOA marina!

We were awakened at about 8 o'clock by the sound of two young girls opening gifts, and having Christmas in the camp sight right behind us. Pam had a tree set up in the Rv, and lights and wreaths all over the site , which gave the place a holiday feel, even though we knew we weren't gonna have a white Christmas. Bud, Pam, and I had a small Christmas compared to our normal affair, but it was nice.

Check out our great gift from Jamie and Andi!!!  We LOVE it!

 We also traded gifts with Charlie and Susan. They gave me a Steeler biking jersey, and Pam got an alligator fan, that will really come handy in moving some of the air on the days when it is so humid and hot because of a lack of wind. Pam spent the day cooking, and we had a great feast on the picnic table. (Correction on this - I did get to spend some time on the KOA beach before I started to cook.  For months I said that I wanted to snorkel on Christmas Day, but the guys left me and went boating.)

While Pam was cooking, Bud and I rented a 17 foot motorboat, and Bud captained a trip thru some of the 'cuts' in the area, and we also went 6 miles out to sea to the lighthouse on the American Reef, and took turns swimming in the warm, opal colored water. What an experience!
We saw two sea turtles for a short time before they dove, and two dolphins, one of which jumped completely out of the water on their way by.

Captain Buddy!

Different view of the burned out bridge.

Canal or cut