Backyard Visitor: NOT a Joke!

Today's backyard visitor at the Mancuso house is a little cuter, furrier, and more real than the one that visited on April 1...

Just a few more shots!

A Great End to a Great week!

We finished up our trip in Islamorada at Robbie's, a restaurant and tarpon-feeding joint. John and the kids fed the tarpon, while the hungry pelicans looked on.

Bahia Honda Key.

Enjoying the wildlife and sights at one of Florida's most beautiful state parks!






























Up close and personal with a family of manatees...













Hawk in flight...

The World is our Classroom.

We spent part of our last day in the Keys visiting the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. We learned all about the five species of sea turtle found in the waters of the Florida Keys, toured the hospital, and visited and fed the hospital's 40 or so patients. After the educational program ended, we decided to adopt one of the sea turtles that has injuries so severe they cannot be returned to the wild. The kids decided on Rebel, a 200 pound Loggerhead rescued on 8/10/91. His back flippers are paralyzed due to a collision with a boat. You can check Rebel out (and learn more about the volunteer turtle hospital) at www.theturtlehospital.org.

Modern Day Miracle.

Jack has updated his blog.

Last Day.

What a great vacation. We will be heading home tomorrow, when we get there we will share more stories and pictures!

Key West.

Only 90 miles to Cuba! This buoy represents the southernmost point in the continental US of A!















Amy's Tour of Graveyards turns up this classic at the Key West Cemetery!

And, no trip to Key West is complete without celebrating the sunset at Mallory Square!



















We also drove by Ernest Hemingway's home... the kids wanted to see a few of the 60 six-toed cats that live on the property, but alas, house tours close at 5pm. Next time.

The Fort.

Fort Jefferson is a massive fort built in 1846, although it was never finished. It consists of 16 million bricks. President Lincoln designated it a federal prison in 1861, and, coincidentally (or not), the fort housed the prisoners accused of conspiring to assassinate Lincoln - most famously, Dr. Samuel Mudd.














The other thing to do on the Dry Tortugas (there are no restaurants or running water) is snorkel.































It was definitely a fun trip and a great experience! More pix when we get home!

The Not-So Wet Turtles.

Otherwise known as... The Dry Tortugas.

Yesterday was a day of fun and adventure, as we made our way to Key West. We explored a bit of the Old Town before heading to the airport. Here we caught our seaplane, which took us low over the Florida Straits and on to The Dry Tortugas, a National Park featuring Fort Jefferson. The seaplane ride was awesome! From the air, we could see dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles, along with a few old shipwrecks.


**I have MANY more pictures, which I will upload when we get home, and let you know where to find them.**

Another Day in Paradise!

While they were out.

Some more photos from yesterday... while the big kids were out fishing, Will and I explored Sombrero Beach, a great snorkeling area that we will revisit with the others. There were these large iguanas running around - I thought maybe we had found our way into Juraissic Park for a minute there. Will had a fit when we left... he just loves being in the water and hates getting out! We also went to the Children's Museum, which I can describe this way: ever been to the Boston Children's Museum? (best anywhere) Well, just take every exhibit out of the Boston museum, and put in a few empty fish tanks and some seashells, and this museum is just like Boston's! Actually, Will had fun running around free, looking at the shells, and coloring. Right now we are enjoying a lazy morning. We told Leah that since she has had to get up really early the past few days, she could sleep in today, all the way 'til 10am. Her response: "only ten?"

They're back!

Jack reeled in a 37 inch barracuda all by himself! Leah, with some assistance, also caught a barracuda. They also caught yellowtails, and a pod of dolphins swam next to their boat. They had a great time!

And they're off!

Will and I dropped John, Leah and Jack off at the Key Colony Marina at about 7:30am this morning... they are going offshore to fight the fish! (*Grandmother Disclaimer: Seas are very calm, weather is beautiful, not going very far out, very experienced captain, life jackets aboard, etc.) Will and I are planning to hit the Crane Point Hammock Children's Museum, and then pick up the crew around noon. We will report back later!

The Key to a Great Vacation...

... wireless internet!

I tried posting a picture but Blogger is being uncooperative at the moment... anyway, we made it to Marathon in the Florida Keys, and have settled into our new "house." If you want to see photos of where we are, here is the website for our resort: http://www.tranquilitybay.com. I will attempt to post photos later, though. Hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

**In other exciting news, Leah has updated HER blog!**

Funny of the day.

Behold the Weirdness.

Yes, it IS pouring.