SO HERE IS WHATS HAPPENING UNTIL I FIGURE OUT WHY I AM HAVING A PROBLEM UPLOADING PICTURES.

WE TRAVELED 6O MILES TO KEY WEST ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND REASONABLE SEA CONDITIONS BUT HAD TO DODGE THE POTS ALL THE WAY. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF MARATHON KEY IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE AND I MUST SAY WE GOT IT AS SOON AS WE PULLED INTO "CONCH HARBOR MARINA" THE MARINAS ARE PACKED IN EXTREMELY CLOSE SINCE THE DOCK SPACE IS A VALUABLE COMODITY IN DOWN TOWN KEY WEST. WE ARE PAYING A PREMIUM TO TIE UP HERE BUT WE FIGURED THIS WILL BE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT.

WE HAD TO STERN INTO OUR SLIP WHICH WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT AND HAS NO FINGER PIERS BETWEEN EACH BOAT. ON EITHER SIDE OF US ARE BRAND NEW $3 MILLION DOLLAR SPORTS FISHERMAN THAT I CERTAINLY DONT WANT TO SCRATCH. UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY WAY TO GET ON AND OFF THE BOAT IS ON THE STERN WHERE WE HAVE OUR DINGY AND THE LIFT MAKES IT QUITE DIFFICULT SPECIFICALLY FOR MY SISTER WHO IS A PRINCESS IN WAITING.

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY SPENT SIX WEEKS IN KEY WEST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER?

WE CAN WALK TO DUVAL STREET AND ALL THE ACTION WITH IN MINUTES OR WE CAN SIT ON THE BRIDGE AND WATCH ALL THE PEOPLE DO THEIR "PARTY THING". THE TOWN IS ALIVE THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH EVERYTHING FROM SNOW BIRDS , TO SPRING BREAKERS , TO CRUISE SHIPS , AND OF COURSE TO STREET PEOPLE.

THE FIRST NIGHT HERE WE OF COURSE HAD TO HIT SOME OF THE POPULAR HOT SPOTS LIKE "SLOPPY JOES BAR" AND TO OUR SUPRISE FOUND OUT THAT THIS WEEKEND WAS "3RD ANNUAL PUT IN BAY DAYS IN KEY WEST" FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DONT KNOW WHERE PUT IN BAY IS I WILL EXPLAIN.

PUT IN BAY IS ACTUALLY A TOWN ON MIDDLE BASS ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF LAKE ERIE . IT HAS SOME HISTORICAL VALUE BUT ITS CLAIM TO FAME IS THAT ANY BOATER IN THE GREAT LAKES ENDS UP THERE AS OFTEN AS THEY CAAN SO THEY CAN PARTY , PARTY , PARTY. THE ISLAND IS FULL OF BARS (JUST LIKE KEY EAST) AND IT HAS A REPUTATION ALL ITS OWN JUST LIKE KEY WEST.

THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC BANDS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE PUT IN BAY THEIR HOME AND PLAY MOST WEEKENDS DURING THE SUMMER. ONE INDIVIDUAL HAS BECOME NATIONALLY FAMOUSE AND HAS QUITE A LARGE CULT FOLLOWING .
PAT DAILY LOOK HIM UP ON HIS WEB SITE. IRONCALLY PAT DAILY AND MAD DOG ADAMS WERE PLAYING AT SLOPPY JOES TO A PACKED HOUSE OF PUT IN BAY REGULARS AND WE GOT TO HEAR IS OPENING ACT . IT BRINGS BACK MANY MEMORIES OF THE 10 YEARS WE SPENT BOATING AND DRINKING AND THROWING UP IN LAKE ERIE.

(DAN JOEWRIGHT , DAVE KESSLER , ROGER MORRIS , BEN BALL "EAT YOUR HEART OUT)