Paradise

Before the wind began to blow and the rain began to fall there was Friday.

The sun was shining.  The bright robin's egg blue sky was dotted with cotton ball clouds and the absence of our typical south westerly breeze made it a perfect day for getting out on the water.



Even Captain Kid was smiling.



We left the shelter of our canal, made our way under the Jolley Bridge and pointed the bow south, through the mangroves towards Goodland.



You never know what you might see in this quaint "drinking village with a fishing problem."  (Their motto, not mine.)





Eventually we cleared the no wake zone and hit open water.



Did I mention it was a perfect day?

Pelicans may be my favorite shore bird but without a doubt dolphins are my favorite sea creature.  On this day there were at least a dozen feeding in the warm Gulf water.  We stopped for a spell mesmerized by the silver dorsal fins popping up willy nilly all around us.



Eventually the dolphins moved on as did we.

We hadn't been in this location in nearly a year and were anxious to check out the state of the infamous dome house built by an enterprising family in the the 70s or early 80s on an uninhabited island south of Marco.  I can't imagine the time spent and the cost incurred to resurrect the six domes in the middle of nowhere, Florida.



The locals say there were many yards of sandy beach between the house and the gulf at the time of construction.  It took a direct hit from category three Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and lived to tell about it. But as you can see neglect and mother nature have taken its toll on the now abandoned structure.

We didn't dally long and were soon skimming across the water making our way north to Marco.  As our island came into view I couldn't help but fall in love all over again.

Blue sky.  White sand.  Turquoise water.



Paradise