A good friend of mine is from Florida and has family in Key West, so I had a free place to stay and a host who knows the area well. A couple of his friends from up north came too, and they were a lot of fun. They all grew up on the coast and were really comfortable on the water, so I felt like a fish out of water (ha ha!) because the only boats I hang out on are in lakes. I never got seasick (thanks to Dramamine) and LOVED being on the boat. Honestly, I'm a little landsick still - I keep expecting the ground beneath me to sway with the waves and it's a little frustrating.
The second I arrived on Key West we picked up some snorkel gear and headed out to a reef. I saw the coolest key lime green moray eel, a bunch of fish, bright orange coral, and some huge conchs.
The next day we hung out on the houseboat and I sunned and knitted and ate sandwiches. The view from the boat was unbelievable, and the weather was perfect.
Shortly after that picture was taken, this happened:
Yup. Sprained my ankle. I wasn't even doing anything exciting. I was walking to the bathroom to pee and just slipped. I propped it up and iced it and took Motrin and watched the end of the Titans game (We're going to the playoffs! Woo Hoo!!!)
The next day we headed to an island a little north of Key West to go camping. It was absolutely gorgeous! The ocean was on one side and there was a little canal on the other, both teeming with all kinds of fish, shrimp, crabs, and other creatures.
When we arrived I sat in the shade to knit a bit and enjoy the view.
After exploring the islands collecting firewood, we went for a dip and made some dinner. The sunset was incredible. The rest of the night involved a little music, lots of stars, a decent amount of rum and a very exhausted New Year's countdown.
The next day we went back towards Key West again and did some more snorkeling. Back at the houseboat, we found a huge grouper hanging out. It looked like a dinosaur and was about 5 feet long. It stayed there all day.
The weather turned a little sour - no rain but the wind was blowing steady at 35 knots, and I think that's around 40 mph. It was cold on Wednesday so we just hung out, ate ice cream, and I finished the sock. I'm about 4" into the second one, thanks to a couple long plane rides and a 3 hour layover in the Miami airport.
That's it. This post could have been more eloquent but I'm super duper tired and cold and had a long day.
And JP - my ankle is much better, thank you. I consulted with my favorite medical professionals tonight (my bro and his wife, both ER nurses) and found out that we don't have to amputate. To quote bro, it's a "really gnarly lower ankle sprain" and the worst is over. It will take a couple weeks to really heal, and is very sore right now, but the swelling is down and it's starting to turn into really funky colors - at the moment it's the color of the Atlantic ocean - and I have to wear a brace for a while and rest as much as possible. Of course I can't find one single Motrin in my apartment and am way too tired to go to the store.
I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I actually accomplished last year's (tackle fair isle knitting). This year my knitting resolution is to actually finish the sweaters I start for myself, and make bigger projects in general. Although I knit every day, my attention span only keeps up with small projects and that will change.
My other resolution is to become a better photographer. Right now I take a whole lotta pictures and hope I end up with a couple of good ones. That will change too.
And right now I'm going to bed to dream of pretty sunsets and rum drinks by a campfire.
2 comments:
I am so glad that you will be able to keep the leg!
Your pics are nice, plus the sock looks great. It makes me want to go on a beach vacation and knit!
Wow, Em, what a great vacation... well, 'cept for that ankle thang. So sorry about that, but glad to hear you'll live. I lived in Key West when I was a kid, 6th and 7th grades (Navy dad). It was a great place for a kid and for parents that loved to fish. I think your grouper is the one my dad hunted for two years! :D Showing my age here... we were there during the Cuban Missle Crisis, which was scary as hell, and when Kennedy was shot, very sad. Other than the heat, it was a very interesting place. I've never been back, but hope to make it some day.
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