Flying

 We were able to check an item off our bucket lists.  There is a local who owns a biplane and gives rides to the public.  We have wanted to go up for years but either scheduling or cheapness kept us from doing it.  This year we gladly forked over the money and took a marvelous trip over some of the middle keys.  We are both licensed private pilots but haven't flown since we sold our plane in 1987.  We both miss the feeling but finances just don't stretch far enough to fly across the water and the skies.  No regrets but it was fun to be so close once again.

The pilot, Phil, was a great pilot and a great guy.  He flew a few

times over the harbor to give us a chance to fine our boat.  We also took 

this shot of what is pretty much the main part of the city of Marathon.

Sombrero Reef lighthouse.

The reef.  All the dark spots are coral.

Not sure if it's natural but definitely these mangrove clusters

look hedged.

Happy people

I included this one just because it was cool how it caught the prop.

One of the many canal neighborhoods.

Still happy but better view of the plane.

Zoom in on this one.  All those white stripes are where boat have 

cut through the grass flats.  We saw so many turtles and fish even from

the air.  Sad to think their habitat is being destroyed by speedboats.

We had old aviator's helmets with headsets so we could talk to each other.

Boot Key harbor.

This is Boot Key.  An unoccupied island but great for exploring

the mangroves through Whiskey Creek.

Blue Moon is the boat at the middle bottom.

The next key up.

The well cared for Waco.

This sign has lured us for years.

The old and new  bridges stretching away from Pigeon Key.