The Florida Chronicles...Part 3...February

After a hectic (but fun) December and January, things have settled down for February. House cleaning continues...I have finished with my bedroom, bath, kitchen and living room. While I was away for the Sugar Bowl, I had a local contractor come in and re-screen the outside patio and refinish the frame...looks good. I also had another contractor in to clean the tile floors (which were filthy)...floors look great! After two months, I've settled into a comfortable routine down here...work on the house for a few days, then go do something fun. I've camped again at Jonathan Dickinson twice this month. I go out for dinner every Friday night...then usually head over to the local Moose Club for a few beers (at $1/glass...can't beat it). I go out for lunch every Wednesday...usually Toojay's, the local deli. The rest of the time, I'm cooking at home...lot's of fresh seafood from a local seafood market. I found a great recipe for grouper...seared in a cast-iron skillet and served with a sauce of caramelized onions, bourbon, orange juice and heavy cream...yum! I've also made large batches of gumbo, spaghetti sauce, chili and pulled pork, so the freezer is stocked with meals that I can prepare quickly with a minimum of effort. Grocery shopping here is fun. In addition to the aforementioned seafood market, there are lots of places to shop. I can't say enough good things about the local grocery chain, Publix. The stores are clean, well-lit, and fully-stocked with a wide variety of standard, as well as ethnic, items. The staff is very well-trained...if you ask an employee where something is, they stop whatever they're doing and take you to where the item is. They even offer to take your groceries out to your vehicle. There are also a lot of Latin groceries with cool Mexican and Caribbean ingredients. I do have to go all the way south to Palm Beach Gardens to get to a Costco, but that's OK...I usually combine a Costco run with a trip to Palm Beach Gardens Mall. It's been "heaven" for the cats down here. They never liked the winters up in Michigan...way too cold. Down here, they can lounge in the sun on the patio during the day and curl up in a warm chair for a nap in the evening. Nola has adjusted well, and she's running the other cats ragged...good...they need the exercise. I thought that I might have guests over for the Super Bowl, but it ended up being just me and the cats. The "Super Bowl" calls for a "super meal", so I went all out this year. I bought two pounds of fresh lump crabmeat...some for a salad with heirloom tomatoes and homemade "Louie" dressing...some for a savory crab bread pudding which was spectacular. For dessert, I made a Red Velvet layer cake with cream cheese frosting and fresh vanilla ice cream using the ice cream maker that I gave my mom and dad years ago. As the month draws to a close, I'm planning a special camping trip. Dry Tortugas National Park is on an island about seventy miles from Key West by ferry. There are only twelve campsites and, obviously, you've got to bring everything you need with you in a backpack and cooler...good practice. Then, when I return from Dry Tortugas, I can also camp for a few days at Everglades National Park before heading for home. So...in the last week of February, I head out for Marathon, in the Keys, to spend a few days with my friend Mark. Mark and I have had a bet for many years on the outcome of the Michigan/Ohio State game...the loser buys the winner a stone crab dinner. For many years, when John Cooper was Ohio State's coach, I was awash in stone crab as UM went 10-1-1 over a twelve-year span. Then, OSU hired Jim Tressel, and I suffered through a nine-year "drought". This year, all is right with the world again, as UM was victorious again under new coach, Brady Hoke. So...on this visit to the Keys, Mark is serving stone crab to the victor (me). On the morning of the last day of February, I'm up at 4:30AM and on the road to Key West to catch the ferry to Dry Tortugas. Campers have to be at the dock to load their gear at 6:30AM, and it's about an hour's drive from Marathon to Key West. All goes according to plan, and I've got time after loading my gear to have breakfast at a little cafe before the boat leaves. I love a boat ride, and this one is three and a half hours on a perfect day. Upon arrival at the Park, I strap on my pack, grab my cooler and head for a campsite. I'm lucky enough to find a comfortable sight with some nice shade...and...for the next hour or so I set up camp. I pitch my tent, set out my sleeping bag, unpack my cooking gear...the "usual". At 3:30PM, the boat heads back to Key West, and I'm on my own...along with a dozen or so fellow campers. On this trip, I've brought along my first "backpacking" meals...freeze-dried dinners in pouches. You add boiling water to the pouch, seal it back up for ten minutes or so...and eat. This first night, I'm having Beef Stroganoff...the Russian Tea Room in NYC it's not...but I've had worse...and I'm hungry. I have also had the foresight to bring along two big "boxed" of red wine...a California "field blend" (Big House Red) and a nice Australian Shiraz. After dinner, I read for an hour or so, then watch an absolutely gorgeous sunset. A few more cups of wine...reading by the light of my tiny lantern...before heading to my tent for bed.