Cedar Key - Day # 31 - Exploring

Sunday started out a little foggy (see picture in Saturday's blog entry).  TLE and I were thinking about going into Pat's for breakfast....I really wanted to try another of their omelettes.   I messaged Debby (Bill and Debby's Wild Ride) asking if they were up to riding bikes into town to Pat's and got a pretty quick reply "sure".

We met out front by Bill and Debby's site around 10:30 and began our ride into town bundled against the cold damp air.  Debby set a pretty brisk pace while we all chatted.  Arriving at Pat's it was still a little cold and damp, but we decided to brave the elements and sit outside.  We were rewarded within a few minutes with clearing skies.  We continued talking about travel experiences, favorite places, places we had both visited at different times.  Eventually it was time to mount our two wheel steeds and begin meandering around the back roads of Cedar Key.  We passed by a yard sale and stopped to see what they had....nothing caught my eye, but Debby spied a purple haired Barbie doll disembodied head that she could not leave without.....the price.....25 cents.  I had no idea what she intended to do with just a doll head, but the mystery was quickly resolved.

What is Debby pointing to at the top of her bike flag pole?

OH NO! Poor Barbie!

From the yard sale we rode over to the long boardwalk next to the local cemetery that takes you out over the wetlands and along the water for quite a distance, and bikes are allowed!

From there Debby took us to another cool boardwalk that is way off the beaten path, and apparently, if you don't know about it you would never know it was there.  It's not even a place you might stumble across....it is just not obvious as you roll by.

Now this boardwalk was only meant for walking on, and in one spot it was a little sketchy, but we all made it out to the end and back without mishap, although Debby came close to sliding off the sketchy part on the walk back to dry land.

All told we rode just under 8 miles, and had a fun time see some more things we hadn't seen before.  I think we arrived back around 1 pm, but don't quote me on that.  I did not look at my watch, so it could easily have been earlier, or later.

Upon our return I found a message from Pat Bonish wondering if I would consider bringing back to life his GT STS-l full suspension carbon fiber frame mountain bike.  In a prior life he was an avid mountain biker (similar to moi), and rode several times a week, but since he has landed here in Cedar Key has not had the time to ride (there is a certain lack of mountain terrain to explore here in Cedar Key), so the bike has been sitting for a long time.  His bike has "good bones" and I'm looking forward to getting her back into riding condition.  The question is "can I get it done in 8 days?".....well, you'll just have to follow along to find out.

We walked over to the Tiki Bar around 5ish to watch our 31st sunset, and it did not disappoint.

 Well, now we are the short timers......this time next Monday we will be rolling our wheels south from Cedar Key with the memories of wonderful times spent with amazing people tugging at our heart strings.   The wanderlust of the road calls, and it is almost time to change our view again on a regular basis.  The almost 5 weeks we will have spent in Cedar Key has been full of serendipity, and has seen the deepening of existing friendships, and the beginning of others.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cedar Key - Day # 20 - Wednesday, Wrenching & Walking

What a wonderful day Wednesday turned out to be!  I was sitting at my computer first thing Wednesday when I got an e-mail from Karen (Karen and Krash) asking if we were going to meet for breakfast in town......I had totally forgotten, but gave her a call right away and said we could meet them in 45 minutes at Annie's (right across from Kona Joe's, but Kona Joe is on a cruise this week).  If this had happened a year go, and I turned to TLE without warning and said "Hey, let's walk a mile and a half into town for breakfast" she would have probably asked for a "rain check"......not so now.....TLE is ready anytime, day, or night, for the unexpected.

Pat's has al fresco dinning!

The morning was beautiful....clear blue skies, with a slight chill in the air....even at 9:30 am.  Karen and Krash are renting the "Marina Guest House" in town, so they are about a mile closer to Annie's than we are.  By the time we caught up with Karen and Krash they informed us Annie's was not open on Wednesday's.  TLE suggested we try "Pat's" which is on 2nd street right near the Island Hotel.  We've walked by Pat's a few times and had meant to try out the place for meal, and what a pleasant surprise......EXCELLENT omelets!!  We sat right outside eating, laughing, talking.....getting to know each other better.  After breakfast we walked around town, and walked by the home Karen and Krash rented last year....what a cool looking place on the outside......looks like something out of the bayou.  They said the interior has been completed updated, and is very comfortable.

And what a beautiful old tree...

We walked back to their rental home and met their dog "Pipa", a very pretty cocker spaniel breed, then walked back toward Sunset Isle......we parted ways just before Low Key Hideaway promising to meet at Low Key for the sunset.

I spent the afternoon tuning up Brian and Maria's (The Roaming Pint) bicycles.....something I love to do.  Brian's bike, a 7 speed, was down to one speed due to corrosion in the cable housing, so I replaced that, and was able to restore 6 of the 7 speeds.....I think there is something broken inside the index shifter......one thing I've learned in the past year is do not let perfect be the enemy of good.....6 speeds compared to 1 speed is good.....not perfect, but good.  Then I worked on his rear brakes, which were kind of frozen up, and mostly non-functional.  I was able to get them working properly again, too.  Maria's bike is a little newer and just needed a little adjustment to the front brake pads. Thank you guys for letting me work on your bikes.....I had a blast!

I was pleasantly surprised to see that our "Mali Mish" friends had not left yet, so deduced they had decided to stay a 2nd day....that's the thing about Cedar Key.....once you get here it's tough to escape the gravitational pull of the place.....not that anyone tries too hard to do so....:D  After I took a shower I walked over to their Airstream and spent some more time talking to Dan and Marlene.  As I was getting ready to leave I suggested we get a fire started around 6:30 pm.....they, of course, said "yes!".

Around 5:15 TLE and I walked over to the Tiki Bar for our 20th sunset......they are all different, and with a mostly cloudless sky this one was completely different than we have had so far.

TLE and Cherie chatting

Ahhhhhh......

Eventually everyone began to drift out to the Low Key Hideaway dock to watch the sun dip below the horizon one more time......Karen and Krash, Chris and Cherie, their parents who are visiting for a couple of days, Maria, Brian, Kyeli, Pace, etc.  But wait.....there's more!

Thank you Kyeli for this great picture!

Around 6:15 we drifted back to Sunset Isle and while I got the fire going TLE talked with Karen and Krash....eventually the fire got hot enough to overcome the slight dampness in the wood.....I credit the dampness to the high humidity....and we sat down and chatted.  Over the course of the evening people came and went....Krash and Karen started their walk home around 8, and then we were joined by Dan, Marlene and family....then Forrest Clark dropped by, then Chris and Cherie.....near the end of the evening Kyeli (her picture above) and Pace dropped by....what an evening of serendipity.....another day lived well.....

You know, when we started our journey almost a year ago I was excited about all the new places we would see, and the new memories that experience would create, but in the end.....a year later......it is the people we have met, and spent time with along the way that have made the bigger impression on us.  We feel honored to be in the company of so many fine people.

Thanks for stopping by!