How Big????

It has been some time, eons in blogging terms. I am about 3 trips behind and have no excuse except I seem to have needed a lot of sleep!


I will try to keep it short and sweet for each one (yeah right).

21 in Key West and Miami (no not me…). This was my gift to Riona. Arriving 2 days before her birthday on 25th I had a full schedule ready.

The first being a fishing trip. Here she is at the wheel shortly before hitting the throttle and almost casting our host Ryan into the sea…he was at the front of the boat identifying a shoal of little fish to catch a big fish…..

My plan was to get strapped in to a captain's chair, tinnies in the cooler, feet up on the rail, sun on your back for at least 20 minutes, Jaws alarm rigged ... live bait attached by Riona and Phil independently,

Roisin and Sharman waving hands squeamishly at Ryan ...the best hook is through the eye...EEEEEEEEEUUUU!

Lower the hook, fix the rod in the fisherman's belt...what? Well its like a weight lifter's belt, you know the one that keeps all the tackle in place and acts as a back up to the jock strap and deep breaths.

Where was I?

Oh yes

Seek out the chair...settle down

Not a chance 2 chuffing minutes and Riona gets a bite and so it starts. Numero Uno:

Numero due - I thought mine was prettier (no not the face obviously)

Numero tre -

I resist the urge to comment when all P's are much smaller.....

And as if the sea knows Riona is having a birthday

Some sisterly competition

But now we start the serious stuff

I start to see the point of a belt and we (Riona) are 10 minutes in to the struggle. Ryan is beginning to think she is catching the bottom of the boat and will, with one mighty heave, tip us over, I'm thinking the Cracken (??) out of Pirates of the Caribbean..(that's pronounced Karribee Ann and not how normal people pronounce it Carrybeun).

I believe my bioligical identification skills are about to be proved superior

and we all, except Riona and Ryan, back away from the side of the boat...

20 minutes and Riona is about to put her back out hence the net and then we have a giant ugly bug..

25lb Goliath Grouper

P does his level best with a pink one but is upstaged by Roisin's bigger pink one but she is still not touching it...

 

Merrily we continue and after an hour of all the colours of the rainbow and snappy mackerel none of us has noticed that Roisin is missing. Riona is baiting up again and looking over the back of the boat:

Riona - Are those lots of little fish bits spat out by a bigger fish?

Ryan - Nope, I think thayt's yurrr sisturrrr

All eyes turn to the side of the boat and there is Roisin heaving her guts up over the rail in the most quiet lady like manner ever.

Time for home thinks Captain Birds Eye...

Oh and ok P did catch one biggish one....

Evening and the birthday girl legally knocks back a Mojito in one of the kookiest restaurants ever - Blue Heaven, Key West - does great jerk chicken

 

Day 2 - Snorkelling and kayaking from an Oyster schooner

A clown fish......

 

Accompanied by the dolphins

And of course the sunset..though this time I didn't cry

See didn't cry

So to Miami, the principle being that the girls could both now party in South Beach. I had forgotten how cute the buildings were:

And at night:

 

The party girls who managed to party until .....10.15 pm except one night when it was ooooohhhh 11.45

And it was Miami's equivalent of Gay Pride week so there was lots of partying, much flesh, oodles of mince and the odd person

Taking odd photographs.......

Our final day needed to be on the beach with all manner of creatures

And to finish the odd CSI Miami shot taken by Riona

Next stop Big Sky, Montana