Adam Chasey climbs a palm tree in Key Largo to retrieve a coconut for his dog River
No one takes our winters seriously. Here we are, having to put on jeans and fleeces and I get no sympathy from my northern friends. It’s rough I tell you. My brother, Will, visiting from North Carolina for the weekend couldn’t believe we spent all day in swim suits and tank tops while lounging at a bayside park in the middle of January. While the rest of the country is bundling up and tucking their cold feet into the cracks of a warm couch, we’re firing up the grill and chasing sunsets. Two days ago I watched an excited couple walk through the neighborhood carrying a bottle of wine and a full couch to the end of a boardwalk in Key Largo. What a crazy thing. People scoff, saying, “Pshh, you have no seasons,” in a tone that sounds more like, “You have no soul,” but I’m okay with that. They can keep their gray skies and icy roads. I’ll stay down here with the other lost sun-kissed souls.
January 14, 2012 | Categories: Florida Bay, Mac Stone, winter | Leave a comment
Rainbow over the mangrove shoreline of Madiera Bay in Everglades National Park
We had our first bite of winter last week. It’s strange. One day I’m snorkeling in the Bay, the next, I’m wearing a ski hat and winter coat while boating to work. I love this time of year. Migratory birds are filling the skies and roseate spoonbills are starting to build nests. The mornings are electric with piercing warm light that seems to last for an hour. On the open water, crisp zephyrs rip across the Bay ushering in the seasonal shift. The wind is changing and there’s no better place to put it than a couple of sails.
Sailing on Florida Bay we met up with Jerry Lorenz on his boat, R. mangle
It seems like it’s my first weekend in quite some time where I’m not running around at a thousand miles per hour trying to juggle deadlines and catching flights. So when my friend Steve Pollock invited me out on his newly restored sailboat, it actually felt strange to say yes. Sometimes the grind keeps me going, it keeps me fulfilled knowing that my time bears fruit. Sometimes though, it’s just nice to turn off the motor and go slow for a change.
A pod of dolphins play behind the R. mangle
December 11, 2011 | Categories: Florida Bay, sailboat, winter | Leave a comment
Mac Stone Photography 