Good Morning
We are back in Cocoa after a fun 5 days in Key West.   We celebrated Charlotte's completing her one year of  Chemo and Radiation with several of their friends at a fun Mexican Restaurant on Saturday before we left with an evening with good food and margaritas.  Sunday we just stayed around home and got ready for our trip  to Key West.   Tom, Charlotte and Bill love liver and onions so Tom cooked.
We left on Monday morning.  Stopped in Homestead, Florida at the Coral Castle.  Edward Leedskainin from Latvia came to the US heartbroken and saddened by the tragic news that his only true love canceled their wedding ceremony one day before the ceremony.  He was only 5 ft. tall and 100 pounds and amazingly built this castle of coral all by himself over a period of  28 years. It was amazing that he could move and place walls using handmade tools to move the rocks of coral that weighed  thousands of pounds and has been compared to the building of the pyramids.  We arrived in Key West about 7 PM.  Beautiful drive down.   The color of the water is such different shades of blues and almost green.   We stayed at the Coast Guard Base in Trumbull Point. There are three military bases on Key West.  It was the perfect location as just blocks form downtown Key West.  We were awakened very early to the roosters that roam freely. They are called Gypsy Feral Chickens and they have a population of over 2000 in the streets of Key West.   They are a protected species so cannot be harmed. I could not find anyone who knew why they are protected or any information on line about why they would be protected.  They don't seem to know that roosters are to crow early in the morning as they crow all day and night!!   Several times as we were having dinner, a hen and rooster would be walking about with anywhere from 3-8 chicks.  They are a pretty bird...except at night when you are trying to sleep!!!  While in Key West, we saw a beautiful sunset, ate wonderful food, enjoyed visiting the Butterfly Pavilion, walked nearly every street around the town and visited the beautiful Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church.  A beautiful Church with a grotto and an area set up like a rosary so you can walk the rosary.
Tom and Bill went out for an afternoon of deep sea fishing.   It was a windy rough water day.  Tom caught a  small barracuda.  Had to throw back as they are not good to eat.   Bill had a barracuda on the line but it cut the line just before got in the boat.   With the rough waters it can cause the water to be cloudy so not good for fishing.   But like they said..."any day out fishing is a great day".    We ate so much great sea food.   I am not a fan of Key Lime pie but must say that we did have some great Key Lime Pie!   We arrived safely with the Grace of God about 5 on Friday evening.  
It has been so good to spend this time with Charlotte and Bill. We have more favorite restaurants    here than back in Tucson!
It has been good to be able to do "Facetime" on the computer with Emme, Molly, Samantha and Kirsten.   Molly started soft ball and they have won both their games so far.   Grandpa Pete has been going to her games and said she "had a solid hit" at her last game.  Samantha will be 8 years old on Monday...they are growing too fast.   Emme turned 11 months this past week.  She always gives us "her Nana and Granddad smile" when we talk to her!  When we did "Facetime" with Kirsten the other evening she was not feeling good...have never seen her so quiet!!
It is so nice to just sit here on the screened porch at Charlotte and Bill's and relax and watch all the squirrels and birds.  Bill feeds them so they missed us when we were gone!!  There are about 5 different types of birds and about 15 squirrels.
Tom cooked us breakfast again today...
I have been doing a lot of reading...so far this trip have read 5 books and starting on the 6th....
We will leave here next Sunday and head to Panama City to see a friend we were stationed with in Hawaii and then stop on the Coastal Highway to Tallahassee to have lunch with a friend from Maryann's nursing school days.  Will spend a night in Savannah before head north.  
"Good friends and family, good books, a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.~~ Mark Twain
Have a blessed Easter week. We are keeping you all in our prayers.
Our Love,
Tom and Maryann
PS:  will try to send a blog with  only pictures....still having issues