Sailboat in Key West

 I did dress in a wetsuit, choose a plastic "worm" to keep me afloat, and stand on the top step of the ladder leading from the sailboat into the ocean.  I didn't actually get in.  It was a bracing spring day in Key West, with the water temperature in the low 70s.  My desire to snorkel was strong, but my flesh was weak.  Luckily, the returning, shivering snorkelers told me, "There wasn't much down there, anyway."

 The boat trip itself was phenomenal.  Dave and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale for our Panama Canal cruise two days early.  We spent those days driving to Key West and booking a day-long sailboat adventure.  Our skipper was a former skier who headed south after nearly dying in an avalanche in the Colorado back country.  He sailed with the passion and delight he used to devote to skiing. 

Key West was clogged with spring visitors, but the bay south of Key West was empty and gorgeous, with blue sea and blue skies. 

 In addition to snorkeling, we kayaked around an uninhabited island, among the mangroves.  Our guide pointed out exotic birds, including ibis and cormorants diving for fish.

 Back in Key West, we sampled hot sauce and ate a dinner of coconut shrimp and mango sauce, accompanied by a steel band. 

 We strolled through Mallory Square in the twilight, watching the sunset and a Jamaican fellow slitting coconuts.  He slipped a straw into each coconut and the cocktail was ready for sale.

 We had time, before boarding our ship in Ft. Lauderdale, to stop by a temple close to Lisa's heart.  The Ft. Lauderdale Temple is just a few minutes drive from Lisa's former home in the Coopertown suburb.