By Johna Till Johnson
It’s been cold and icy in the Northeast. Between the weather, and travel, I hadn’t made it out out on the water this month.
Now it was the last day of January.
I was in Key Largo for a work function, and had a free afternoon. The sit-on-top boats were piled in a stack on the beach. There were a few more hours of daylight left, so I rented one.
And so I found myself once again on the waters of Florida Bay in the waning afternoon light. I paddled southwest down the coast for a bit, until I came to a long stretch of mangroves. Then out into the bay, against the wind and a slight chop, heading back northeast.
Florida Bay never ceases to surprise. Although it was windy and bouncy out in the open, as I came up to the coastline and headed southwest once more, the water grew calm and glassy. And what was that ahead? To my astonishment, a sight more common in NY harbor: A tug and barge. I paddled up close, trying to discern what it was up to, but couldn’t figure it out. The sun was setting, so at last I gave up and headed back home.
I didn’t take the time to grab the waterproof camera, so you’ll have to make do with other photos from the trip. But 2019 started off on the right foot!
(And no, I haven’t the vaguest idea why this palm tree is strapped to a missile. That’s the fun thing about the keys: unexpected weirdness abounds!)
Someone is sending a palm tree to Mars – perhaps to create an oasis there ….😎
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I seriously have no idea!
And it was a real missile, or at the very least a metal facsimile. I rapped it with my knuckles to check!
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Well what would you do with an extra missile? 🤔😳🤪
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Love the light you’ve captured, as well as the quixotic! del 😘
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Thank you!
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😘
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Keep up the fine voyaging, Johna. V. well done.
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Much appreciated!!
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Maybe the palm tree and missile aew best friends 😂 Happy 2019, Johna. Keep paddling 😊
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I meant to say *are best friends
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I had my first 2 or 3 paddles in Florida this year. Have to say it was neat to kick off Paddling 2019 in a shorty wetsuit.
I say 2 or 3 paddles because I’m not sure which it is. My last day in Florida we took out the boats (2 recreational kayaks and a canoe) that were a very appealing part of the VRBO on a canal that my dad rented for us. Then my sister and I went to a barbecue joint for lunch and then we went back and paddled some more. So is that one paddle or two?
I’m sort of leaning towards 2 because I switched from kayak to canoe in the afternoon.
BTW I can now tell people that I’ve paddled with alligators. I didn’t see them that day but I’d seen them earlier in the trip and as I was out on my own for a bit while my sister got ready, I definitely scared 2 off the banks, great big splashes!
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