Marathon for the Holidays or is that a Marathon of Holidays?

OK, you got to ask yourself, “What does an alligator biting an elf on the ass have to do with Christmas?” Good question, I have no answers other than, this is the Keys! Christmas in the Keys is pretty different. The decorations, which were plentiful, were mostly aquatic or tropical variations of Santa, elves, etc. Lots of boats and of course the above pictured alligator.

We went to a Christmas Eve candlelight service with several of our cruising friends. Pretty easy to pick out the cruisers with their shorts, tee shirts and Crocs. This would be our second year to enjoy the music at this service and it was great as usual. Christmas Eve dinner was wings at Hurricane, a local cruiser hangout and then back to the boat to wait for Santa.

Mary had decorated the mast with garlands and our ornaments and we awoke to presents under the “tree”. Goliath even got into the spirit as he tore into his gifts and later enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Christmas day we had dinner at the City Marina. Harbormaster Richard Tanner and his wife cooked the turkeys and hams and organized the entire dinner. It was quite an undertaking. No one went away hungry.

A week later, New Years Eve was celebrated aboard Camelot the catamaran with delicious food and good company. We retired early but did ring in the new year as fireworks exploded all over and boat horns sounded throughout the harbor.

Soon we will have to get done to the business of making preparations to go to the Bahamas.