Regis already posted about our most current adventure in the Florida Keys and I’m following up with some additional information.  I went paddle boarding Friday morning and it is astonishing how clear the water is.  I never knew the water was so shallow directly around the keys.  It was lovely and I would like to have stayed out longer but only rented the board for an hour and a half.

I attended a Seacamp on Big Pine Key from last Friday through Sunday.  It was a great experience.  I walked through sea grass beds to see the wildlife, went snorkeling on the reef, and walked through the mangroves.  I dissected a fish, entered the plankton races, and played shark jeopardy.  The snorkeling was my favorite.  I saw more varieties of fish in that few hours than all the fish I have seen all my life and I grew up by the Chesapeake Bay and fished a lot.  I did not bring a camera to the reef.

We are already planning our next excursion to the Keys.  We think we will go for 1-2 weeks and see if we can find someone to stay in our house and watch Dart.  The activities in the Keys are not on his favorite list of things to do.  Although, he does like the iguanas.  I’m pretty sure he thinks they are funny looking squirrels.

We thought the rain and thunderstorms were particularly amazing.  They don’t last long, but they can be wicked.  The lightning show is awesome.  As long as you are watching a great lightning storm off in the distance, it is nice to watch.  I am not comfortable when the flashes and bangs are happening on top of me.

Regis took this video of fish in the sea grass beds.  I think most of the fish in the video are Mangrove Snappers.