A Stroll Along the Grebbe Line

Posted on April 24, 2026 by TheJessicaness

key developer in Dutch aviation, founder of Martinair, founder of KLM, president of Transavia ’79-’02
sculptures by Kees Verkade and bust by Servaas Maas in Schiphol Airport

I want to sleep on the flight into the Netherlands, but we’re too close to the toilets, so the lights keep strobing my eyes. It doesn’t help that the door isn’t easier to understand, either, as people push, pull, and pry at knobs and corners. I whisper to get their attention and then show a pushing motion with my hand for the middle of the door where the hinge runs down. Perhaps they were in a state of sleep that escaped me for hours while I tossed about. I’m woken to the sound of egg pockets and yogurt being distributed after three hours of taking advantage of the empty seat next to me.

My neighbor doesn’t want his yogurt, so I have that with coffee and connect with flight attendant Deborah over languages and travel. She’s looking forward to her day off in Amsterdam. While waiting in line for passport control, we talked with a kid from Ohio who made some international friends at track meet competitions and is coming to visit them for a month before his new job starts. It’s his first time out of the US, so he’s a bit nervous, but more excited to be old enough in Europe to drink in a bar. The agent scans our passports and sends us on our way without a stamp.

Gert was waiting in another area of the airport, where our first flight was supposed to arrive, so I suggested a toilet break before the excitement of a new country hit upon the exit doors. Caleb sees the questioning look on my face and replies, “I found a Dutchman!” to which there are a few happy responses from the other men within earshot who similarly identify as a Hollander. Gert was standing by our bags with a familiar smile and a hug. I thought we would be taking public transportation, but we got introduced to the highway instead.

Gert points out the NAP (Normaal Amsterdams Peil) at -3.8 meters below sea level. After a flood in 1675, measurements were taken daily during high tide for a year to calculate the minimum height of the sea dykes, set at 2.67 m above the AP. This system was carried over to other areas in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. An error was introduced in the 1880s, and once corrected gained its new name. This fact is interesting on its own, but it will mean more as we learn how this country continually keeps itself from literally going underwater while maintaining cities and farms with flowing canals.

Your World by Lorenzo Quinn at AFAS Software

Caleb and I both weren’t expecting so much countryside (even after our experience in other European lands with sprawling pastures). We passed fields of cows, sheep, horses (koeien, schapen, paarden), two IKEAs, a 1934 Packard 1108 Derham Sport Sedan (roughly $200,000), and a building covered in ivy with the windows trimmed. Anouska brings us coffee and stroopwafels while we make ourselves comfortable in the garden and meet Zulu, the tuxedo cat that likes to lounge in flowers, on the back of the couch, on the stairs, and on the bricks out front (so he can be let in instead of using his own door).

We move to the shade for some Rivella (bubbly apple cola) that was created in 1952 and is made with 25% milk whey. Anouska is unsure if I’m messing with her when I say I’ve never had it. I thought it might be similar to Vimto, a British mixed fruit drink created in 1908, which I was introduced to in Bahrain over ten years ago. With a drink comes snacks, and we have the choice of three dips — cheese pesto, garlic aioli, and sundried tomato. We are brought up to our room, where we will sleep under a wall-sized hand rendering of Mount Everest by Anouska (inspired by their trip to base camp).

Other wall decor consists of her painting the world map, so that they can see where they’ve been and where they want to go, every night at the dinner table. The printed PCT map is close by. They have concrete walls, so some paintings are hung museum style, and other walls are covered in square photos of their sons (now grown) traveling with them to beaches and mountain tops, the large animals seen in jungles and on savannahs, and of them smiling in the snow or anywhere they are together. We put our shoes back on and put our borrowed slides in their place on the shelf for an afternoon walk.

I found out where we were staying in December, but instead of researching anything about the area, I looked all over the country, and even into Belgium, for things to see and do. I’m grateful for the surprise of how close they live to history, shops, restaurants, and the bus stop, but I was unaware of how far that meant everything else was. We pass by some green alkanet (with bright blue flowers), a soccer field, and a playground on our way to the Aschatterkeerkade, constructed in the late 17th century. When I read that the Dutch flooded them for defence, I thought of moats, but this system was used to flood the landscape for protection.

We see a Speckled Wood butterfly on a piece of rotting wood amongst the fallen brown leaves next to an old German bunker used during WWII. There will be a few along the dyke that is now used as a scenic walking path. We get to walk in the trenches lined with wood and fortified with sandbags made of concrete. We cross a road, and there is a toad tunnel to ensure the migrating amphibians safely find a partner in another ditch or pond in the spring. We pass by some female mallards, greater stitchwort (named as a remedy for a pain in the side), and Creeping Charlie (a purple perennial ivy).

I’m dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and capri tights when I see a cow’s breath and wonder if I’m underdressed. Caleb reminds me that the temperature is in the 60s °F on this beautiful day, and though windy (which is always the case in this flat country), the 1500-pound Holstein Friesian is full of more hot air due to her four stomachs than I am. It makes sense that tall people would have tall cows; this breed originates from a Dutch province and a German state. The Grebbe Line had ten basins that could be flooded individually, but froze during the French invasion of 1795, failing its defensive purposes.

Passing a neighborhood park is an information board that lets us know that the chiffchaff (lol) and the song thrush are the only birds (vogels) that can be seen and heard here, only in the summer. The other twenty-plus species are found all year round. There are some Clematis montana (pink flowers and buds) and Spanish bluebells to finish off our return to the house. Anouska has gone ahead of the three of us to prepare dinner: beef with prunes and apricots (a Moroccan dish), a salad with chicken and quinoa (Mediterranean-style), and sesame bread with garlic aioli (Chinese-American fusion).

We are plied with seconds, and though the taste pairings are unique and delicious, I took what I thought was the last of the bread… from that pan. Dessert is honey walnut yogurt with muesli (Greek and Swiss staples). Having been taken around the world physically and gastronomically, it was time to take turns choosing songs by artists from the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Scotland, and the US, to name a few. Then we got to watch the local news about people being nominated for the King’s Medal (aka Royal Honours), which go to some 4500 volunteers annually for their exceptional service to society via arts, science, and community service.

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A Struggle Over the Sea

Posted on April 23, 2026 by TheJessicaness

I wrote my monthly update, then went through the packing list again; the first time to make sure we have everything (cleaned and charged, etc.), and the second time to make sure it’s all in the proper bag or pocket. I shower, and we go for a walk as we get antsy waiting to leave for the airport, which our neighbor, Sarah, is actively doing with her daughter, Carrie, as we pass by. I received a text at 2pm that our 8pm flight had been delayed an hour, which was to be our layover time in Atlanta, so while Caleb got busy messaging the airline, I asked Pat, who was taking us, if we could leave now.

She grabbed her husband, Mike, and their dog, Tulie, and drove over to ours so we could toss our carry-on suitcases and backpack/purse into the trunk. Caleb is able to get us onto a 6pm flight to Detroit that will get us to the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands an hour earlier. Carrie mentions to Sarah how lightly we’re traveling as we quickly walk past them while they’re checking their bags, so we can get to the airline counter for new boarding passes. While we wait, we weigh our bags, and they are both 22 pounds, well within the 15-35lb carry-on limit for most airlines.

We didn’t have to take our shoes off or stay with our bags while going through security. I notice a person’s belt under the bag conveyor, but it’s too close to the X-ray machine for me to reach. We’re able to get an agent to grab it so I can return it to its owner. We were told to check in an hour before our flight, but there’s already an agent at the desk as an earlier flight is preparing to leave, and the two agents are able to put us on standby and print new boarding passes. The flight was scheduled for 415pm departure, but it would be another hour before we got on the tarmac.

Being the last to board, there were bags loosely tossed in the overhead bins, so after moving some around, I was able to find space for our bags two seats back. I’ll take the headphones offered since I had planned on having time to open my bag and prep for the flight at the airport. I’m not trying to do that now and delay the flight further. We watch Zootopia 2, deboard, check out the Freedom Center (with Skittle-flavored drink mix), and go to dinner at Tap and Pour to watch the sunset. After takeoff, we will be served dinner before midnight, and I will pack mine for a later time that never comes.

There’s a troublesome passenger who stretches his legs, touching the attendant’s legs during take-off, but he moved them when asked. Another attendant would come by later, and she would trip in the dark, wondering if it was leg or luggage, and would get a kick in return. The man claimed it was a reflex and refused an apology. She said he shouldn’t be in an exit row if he can’t control his legs or if there is a language barrier to safety. He knew full well what he was doing and felt entitled, as the coworker acting as mediator asked them both to come to an understanding.

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Three-fourths of the Fourth Month

Posted on April 22, 2026 by TheJessicaness

We’ve managed a nice walk together every morning, except the day we skipped and the one we went on in the evening. We walked to Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and Publix on different occasions. I meet Priscilla (who loves to garden) and Marjorie (from Buffalo, NY), and walk a few laps with Mary Jo (and her swollen knee), which leads to coffee at her house. I changed the insoles in my Altra Lone Peak 9+ shoes a few months ago, but the soles are finally wearing out after their designated lifespan.

I logged almost three times their max mileage of 500, but some of that walking was done in flip-flops, slides, and barefoot (so definitely not an accurate measure of usage). It’s a good thing I’m replacing my shoes before a trip, unlike when I went to Japan and walked myself into foot pain (possibly plantar fasciitis and runner’s toe in an attempt to avoid the first injury). I walk Sarah’s dogs seven times, and we’re leaving for Europe the same day, about two hours apart.

Great Egret

Coming from the pool, I talk with Diana, who is usually on the phone while standing around with her dog (an ancient version of Toto). I spent some time with Sue C., had a glass of wine, recycled some large boxes, and was offered a large bird painting. I talk with Christine B. and check in on Dar and Grace while she’s away at a waterfront home watching a little dog named Lucy. I get more cookies and conversation from Penny, and a book to borrow from Jan, along with a swimsuit to try on. I’ll return the bikini to her at her 59th birthday celebration.

She had planned to bake her own cake, but with a busted thumb, Adrian helped squeeze the lemons for the two layers of curd and put the coconut frosting on top. I talk with Jen G. and admire the peach fuzz on her scalp in preparation for surgery. Then I met Jen H.’s husband, Ed, and their daughter, and her dog. I spent a few hours listening to Deb Y. talk about tailgate parties, travel in Mexico, and plastic sand. I sat for a couple of hours in Tina’s garage, entertaining Mike R. (over 80 years old) with my youthful energy.

Cuban tree frog

Roberto invites me to stay for pineapple because of the memories he and his wife have of getting such a sweet treat from a delivery truck in Brazil or Colombia. An invite to their home is never without aconchego or gemütlichkeit (a balance of inviting warmth) to the point where we have to walk away while chatting. I’m grateful for the time spent with them, never in a hurry but always busy. I chat with Susie while her 19-year-old cat Molly gets some outside time. Amanda tells me about trips abroad with her class.

Dawn shows me the latest homemade dress and towel set for the grandkids while I sacrifice my legs to mosquitoes. I sit with Linda on her lanai and discuss books, friends, and injuries. I hang out with Delight for a bit while she sells a lamp, one of a few she doesn’t need anymore. I finally met Dallas’ adult nephew while he was cleaning his truck. My talk with KaraLee is interrupted by a call from Helen. We spent two hours on the phone this month.

Dar and Grace

Anytime I see Tulie (a Cavapoo), it gives me an opportunity to chat with Pat and Mike about gardening, grandkids, and gnomes. I return Gary’s books and tell him I’ll wait to return from my trip to borrow more, but I’m glad I didn’t, so that I could enjoy another Sam Kean book, The Icepick Surgeon, before departure. I finished Life by Keith Richards and gained a new perspective on the musician’s lifestyle. I quickly read Maisie Dobbs for the book club by skipping the middle flashback, and was excited and disappointed by Trail of the Lost because I have a love/hate relationship with the PCT.

I met Chris D.’s grandson on his way to the mall to get his sunglasses fixed with his grandpa. I see more of Lisa walking with Harper or Lucas, sometimes both, dressed for her tennis court visit. I talk with Christine R. about Spanish (she’s also on Duolingo) and gardening (a popular pastime). I spent almost four hours on the phone with Fallon and close to 42 minutes talking with Dad on his birthday. I managed to finish four short posts about the rest of the trip from August 2019. We get invited to Al’s heated pool, and I enjoy talking with his son, Grant, about calculus while the guys move a table.

Sandhill cranes

I’m learning the difference between alsjeblieft and alstublieft (informal vs formal, please) so that I may ask for een kopje koffie while in the Netherlands; not that they won’t speak better English than me. I spent a few days working on two 1000-piece boat-themed puzzles while still working out some travel logistics for our time in Europe. I haven’t played the piano for but two hours, but I love having it available for when I’m in the mood or a friend who plays comes over.

I called USF, since it has been months since I first applied, and the delay is that they “lost” my one-class transcript for five weeks in their online system. I’m not sure how this happens, and it doesn’t give me hope, but others have assured me it’s difficult to get into a Florida university; that, or people simply move on to another school that is willing to do the work on time, so they can coordinate their schedules and get on with their education and the rest of their lives. I might be taking another business degree if I haven’t been accepted by May.

North American wheel big nymph

We go paddleboarding at Sunset Beach, and I see a sea turtle, a cute medium one with barnacles on its back. We both see many sting rays, some calm and others disturbed by the giant shadow passing over them, causing them to stir up sand in their getaway. It was a lovely high tide, and we beat the crowds. I look forward to going out again next month and also going to the park to paddle among the gators. We eat at Fireside again, and after we learn that it’s Dawn’s favorite place that she visits weekly. Our neighbors are super supportive of our upcoming trip and are looking forward to the photos.

I moonlight as employed on a Sunday, so that Mitchell, whom I haven’t seen in a year, can take his new fiancée (also named Jessica) to get baptized at a beach over an hour away while I watch his two kids, Layla and Brodie, five and three years old. I give them a ride to/from the park, which is only a few minutes farther from their old house. They have moved at least four times in two years. They have fun playing in the fountains for an hour, so they change when we get back to the house for an evening of making chalk rainbows, helping cook eggs, playing with magnetic tiles, and hide-and-seek (in front of me).

Caleb rotates the tires on the car, as he had forgotten how difficult it was last time with the size jack we have. At least we are remembering to get it done with these tires. Caleb is gifted a bread-loaf-sized eggplant parmesan, so we cook that for dinner. That vegetable is difficult to cook, which is the same reason I don’t make hash browns. Caleb will throw two soccer or volleyballs back into a schoolyard just for there to be even more when we pass by the next morning. It’s too bad the guard can’t add that simple task to his list of duties. Caleb gets a haircut because he’s not used to having it on his neck.

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In the Nictate of an Eye

Posted on March 31, 2026 by TheJessicaness

I’m still on a learning streak on Duolingo, 176 days. Although I can tell my Dutch is improving (Mijn olifanten dragen een broek, which means ‘My elephants wear pants’), I’m not sure how I will use this vocabulary in the land of tulips, canals, and windmills. I have learned klompen (clogs). I’m excited about this trip, though we have plans in between that distract from my usual full focus on this itinerary alone.

snail and white-marked tussock moth caterpillar

I can tell the temperature is increasing, and though we spend time outside, our walks have been decreasing. Perhaps when our neighbors ride their bikes, we should hop on ours and join them, since someone is always putting on a helmet and going. I was maintaining my running, but that too has fallen off the to-do list, and the same goes for my workouts that leave my legs sore for days.

Sunset Beach

I’ve been writing about the road trip I took in August of 2019 after I graduated from SDCC (San Diego Community College) and met up with Caleb’s family in Virginia. A lot of memories were made, and I’m glad to recall the great times had by all, as the kids would otherwise only have photos to know they were there at all.

I spent 5.5 hours on the phone with Fallon, 55 minutes with Dad and Caroline, 32 minutes with Uncle Chuck, 11 minutes with Christine B., 9 minutes with Sarah, and less on various other calls. We watched the Predators (2023) five-part docuseries about cheetahs, lions, pumas, polar bears, and wild dogs (which are the cutest). I read: The Secret Life of Sunflowers and Heartbreaker: A Memoir, and listened to I am Malala, which focuses on art, music, and education, respectively.

I manage 4.5 hours on piano, and I’m ready to learn some new songs or play these familiar tunes until I have them memorized. I walk Snicker and Doodle 18 times so that their usual walker could have a week off. On one of the walks, Chris and her son and his wife will walk with us to get Snicker moving, as they are neighbors and know how stubborn the dogs can be about walking in the same direction. Sarah gifts me some homemade rice krispies.

Christine R. will be dog-sitting the same week, so this allows us to chat more than we usually do. I also get to walk a lap with Helen and her black golden doodles, Ramona and Frankie, twice. I’ll walk the dogs a lap one afternoon, so come the planned evening, after a lengthy conversation with Sarah, I forget to grab a poo bag, but luckily Mike (Tulie’s dad) had just gotten home, so I knew which door to knock on. We have plenty of pet owners in this neighborhood.

We’ll spend many hours and a few coffees at Mary Jo and Roberto’s, mostly in the shade of their lanai. Caleb helps Pat move his washer and dryer, and Chris will lend me some brochures for Key West. I see more of Amanda, so she thinks of me for the book club meeting when she gives me some free appetizer footballs for Carrabba’s, even though she’ll be too busy volunteering to make it this time, either.

I chat with Jen, gift Penny an apple, stop by Jill’s, meet the new Dave, and say hi to Harper, Lisa U’s three-month-old granddaughter. I’ll meet my neighbor Tammy, get introduced to Laurie and her dog, get invited in to see Deb Y’s feathers and mirrors, and Dawn’s many craft spaces. I talk with Gary and Joyce, returning one book and getting three more, with Rick about his daughter finishing med school, and with Jan about her bread and visiting the beach.

Shawn Mackey

Helen gives me a box with some outfits she hasn’t worn in twenty years, and is happy to see how well one of them fits on me. This encourages her to give Caleb a shirt with rhinestones that her husband used to wear. We ride bicycles to Cool Beans with Jan for coffee, and we will have to go back once they get more of their menu on offer. Holly invites us over, and Tina’s garage is always open for conversation. I met Susan, another new resident, with two cats, a bird, and a 14-month-old grandson.

Caleb and Mr. Slithers at Fireside Pizza

We go to Sunset Beach to listen to OysterBone with Fallon and her daughter, Addison. We have the perfect stage-side view to watch the dancing crowd and our bikes to escape on before the vehicle rush. This also gives us time at her place for me to play with Zeus and feed him treats. I’ll spend the next weekend with Cheryl, Amy, and Asta at Lucky Lobster listening to Frank on vocals and guitar, and Señor Rita’s eating overloaded bowls of chips and swinging from their rafters.

Caleb, Jordan, Tristan, Kris

My legs are still sore, so we’re taking it easy on our 18th anniversary. That, or neither of us planned much, so we spent the morning reading with coffee. We’ll walk around our favorite park and see gators and deer, and then find a bench in the shade where I can watch the tufted titmouse family flit about while Caleb reads. Our REI dividend from all our PCT purchases arrives in time for shoes (we still have more than we need), a magnet and bra for me, and socks and stickers for Caleb. Dinner is had at Brick House so we can try their fried deviled eggs by their fireplace.

We only visit the hot tub once, as just being outside now can be cause to rinse off. Caleb’s dad is officially diagnosed with dementia, which I thought meant losing your memories, not creating mean ones to excuse behavior and throw tantrums in public. I spend time coloring and looking through a National Geographic from 1997. I called the university because it’s been four more weeks and they still haven’t reached a decision. Class registration opened on March 25, but I’m told I can sign up in the summer, so we will see how that goes.

Tristan and Vicki

I spent a weekend by the pool meeting more neighbors and eating cupcakes, brownies, and chocolate mint cookies. Roxy made us a loaf of apricot-walnut bread, and though Caleb thanked her for it, I’m not sure he even got to try any. I met Serena, who is moving her parents in so they can be closer to each other. I’ll talk with Toni, Linda, Pat, Agim, Leo, and Sue. I planted a crown-of-thorns and an aloe plant in the little space under the garage window. We had basil and a Poinsettia, but they didn’t make it.

Jordan and Tristan

I take a box of Sarah’s books to donate, as all the little libraries are full, including the one by our pool. I vacuum Dar, Christine’s cat, while Caleb helps her hang some art. I ride with Helen and Linda to the book club, and Deb F. asks some good questions: What would you want to find in a mystery box? What would this chapter of your life be called – vacation mode. It was a nice way of getting to know more about each other while still discussing the book by Marta Molnar.

view from The Great LEGO Race ride

We scrub the pollen out of the car’s crevices and order a car cover. We take a trip to Key West, which is another post. My blog no longer supports the pink and gray background, so I changed to blue and yellow. We have dinner at Fireside Pizza, and Caleb plays with some dough, like the two kids at the table by us. He makes Gumby and Mr. Slithers while another kid is being told to read aloud. Sue invites me in to see the painting of her dog, Sugar, done by Sarah, and to play with the pup for a while.

Jess and Caleb in front of LEGO Kingdoms

Jan coordinates a successful lunch at Benedict’s with Sarah, Deb F., and me. Caleb and I will end the month by spending the day at Legoland with Kris, Vicki, Tristan, and Jordan. We leave the house before sunrise, have breakfast at Little Johnny’s Diner, where you can add two eggs for $2.75 or get a side of one egg for $2.95. You also have the option of a third egg if one over-easy is brought to the table broken. We park the motorcycle for $25, and the longest line will be the one at the gift shop eight hours later.

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Key West with Karley and Terry

Posted on March 23, 2026 by TheJessicaness

THURSDAY/FRIDAY
Caleb changes the oil while I shower, and then we drive down to Ruskin for dinner with Terry and Karley at Sunset Grill. This lets us sleep in on the boat and get mini burritos delivered via Karley (properly wrapped in a paper towel and foil) before the four of us, and Macaroni, make the drive to Key West, in two cars. We stop at Wawa to use a $25 gift card on gas, and since the milkshake machine is missing, we order frozen coffees instead.

Traffic slows down on the Overseas Highway so that each car has a moment to take in the man in a bucket hanging from a helicopter working on the power lines. We pick up our discount diving tickets and switch passengers after dropping most of our gear at the dive shop, Lost Reef Adventures. The guys gave the gate guard Karley’s ID, and he told them I was good to go as long as I’m not Argentinian. Not sure what the deal there is, but Caleb gets us checked in, and we walk to Waterfront Brewery for dinner.

We stroll into an art gallery, and as we have a look around, this group of four guys comes in. They are looking for their friend, and I say he’s the one putting something in his pants. They loved it! The gallery assistant wouldn’t let us leave until he brought us into a small room with a large sunset painting, by the artist, Shawn Mackey, working on another piece up front, and dimmed the lights to darkness, recreating the scene, something I would do if I also had the five grand to spend.

We continue on our way to the Southernmost Point as we attempt to get there by sunset, even if online says it’s temporarily closed. Mission accomplished, and we get to join in a couple’s argument in a fun way for us and a couple of guys who also hear the “fuck yous” flying by the count, “fuck you, three!” We’ll keep it up for the rest of our night in hopes we reach their ripe ages and become all right with arguing like that in public, but that’s still quite a few decades away, even by the oldest guy in our group.

Caleb and I remember finding the three-story bar for our first time and the view the rooftop provided, so we were looking forward to showing our friends, but the Bull & Whistle, with no changes to the live music stage on the first floor and billiards on the second floor, decided to add planters, benches, and speakers to keep guests a good two feet from looking down on Duval St. The Garden of Eden is a clothing optional bar, with no nudes this time, but a man dancing with a lemur. His pet is considered Class III and requires an annual permit to protect the most endangered group of mammals.

SATURDAY
We grab coffees for breakfast, everyone else having had camp granola in the room, and pack sandwiches for lunch. I’ll only be able to eat half of mine. We are one of two dive groups, the other being two dads, each with their son, and a lone diver who will join them. The first dive was stressful with one eye burning from sunscreen, but it went better than expected after a 15-month surface interval, and we returned to the boat after 45 minutes.

We see a reef shark on the second dive, but cut this dive short too, as the high current leaves me exhausted, so Caleb helps tow me back to the boat. I only use about half a tank on each dive. Usually, I stay fully suited, but today, I change out of my gear, leaving only my swim top on with a jacket over and sweat capris. After a short lunch on the pier, we are back to sea with a couple that is snorkeling. I’m wearing a 5/4mm wetsuit (thick body, thinner on arms and legs) with a 1mm sharkskin top while they float on the 77.8°F surface.

The third dive was the best. I get cold on the fourth, so I’m over it. We don’t need a safety stop as our max depth was 32 ft. I feel more confident in my diving and my ability to handle situations underwater. Karley and I will walk back to the room while the guys rinse and hang our gear at the shop. We can stagger showers this way and stop at Boat House for appetizers before moving on to Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar for rolls of Sassy Girl, Sunset, and JB. Karley and I head off again, this time to the Margaritaville gift shop while the guys wait for a to-go order of mango sticky rice.

SUNDAY
We grab breakfast from Old Town Bakery and return to the room to eat since our morning dive has been canceled due to a lack of available divers. Our friends are returning to Ruskin since one is still in the workforce and another is awaiting her first shift at a new job. Macaroni is ready for another car ride. We walk to Divers Direct to get Caleb a new pair of boots as he has outgrown our matching ones. I was going to get a slice of key lime pie, but we opted for strawberry pie on a stick instead.

Caleb and I will spend our first afternoon dive cutting fishing line that is choking out coral, but some of it is just too tangled for us to remove safely. I was surprised at the haul, but I know how much more we left, which makes me sad. We see a turtle before the second dive that magically disappears as soon as I enter the water. The visibility was six to 25 feet, but that’s just a measure of my poor gauge of length, as the internet says that March offers double and triple that distance. One of these dives, I’ll have to bring a tape measure.

On the second dive, we swam east for ten minutes and then flew by the boat in the other direction in three minutes. I checked on the boat’s location, stayed closer to the surface, and then called the dive when I realized how tired I was. I didn’t want to get so detoured again and have Caleb tow me back again. We were in the water for 98 minutes today and almost three hours yesterday. Upon return, I help Caleb rinse gear, we grab dinner, then walk to the room for showers and laundry, since the rental comes with a washer and dryer.

MONDAY
We packed up the room and were hoping to continue drying our stuff in the room for a couple of hours, but without a crew going out, the shop doesn’t open until 9. We’ll spend that time instead on checking out of the room, getting gas, and waiting for the MWR office to open so they can refund yesterday morning’s dive tickets. We grab our gear and head east. I stopped for an iguana to cross the road, only to have it hit by an oncoming truck while I watched. It’s those types of people that the famous slasher villains should be hunting down in their next film.

We stop in Key Largo at another chance at key lime pie, but this slice is lackluster. I’m not sure if my taste buds are changing or the recipes are different, but Caleb says the piece I got was frozen, which is why the texture was off, too. We’ll join Terry and Karley by their pool for a community dinner of tacos and dips. I appreciate being able to eat around our regular meal time, and we skipped the bar birthday party invite to continue home. Caleb finds us a detour around the parked train so we can unpack and leave all but our BCDs, SPGs, and regulators soaking overnight.

*Some of the sealife we saw: lizardfish, anemone, great barracuda, trumpetfish, French grunt, stoplight parrotfish, bluehead wrasse, damselfish, scrawled filefish, longspine squirrelfish, hermit crab, horse conch, canary wrasse, Christmas tree worm, flame streaked box crab, Atlantic blue tang, spiny lobster, reef shark, stingray, and sixbar angelfish.

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