Snow Birds in Cedar Key

We decided to pretend we are snow birds and spend a few weeks full-time in Cedar Key. It is a delightful change of pace and we are getting as much, or more, done on our cheese book project as we were at home. Of course, I have been falling behind on the project to re-paint the doors and windows onto the porch. Oh well….

Each day we have taken a longish walk around town. We tried to walk out on the island toward the Museum. But there is no leash law here and having loose dogs chasing after our leashed one wasn’t much fun. So we limit ourselves to downtown. Even if we walk from home to the far end of the island it is only 2 miles or so in either direction. Downtown, we meandered into a 2.5-mile route that takes in most streets, up one and down the next. It lets us note of the funky houses, and look for cool yard art.

We look at the ducks on the Gulf, visit the people fishing on the pier, chase all the feral cats … only one of us finds that very exciting … look at the sailboats, fishing boats, and kayaks going by, and watch the ospreys, skimmers, pelicans, and collared doves. Feral cats actually are about as exciting as Cedar Key gets, which is part of why we like it.

On Friday, I went on a Ranger led paddling trip to Atsena Otie, the closest island and only one with full public access. All the islands in the area are part of the Wildlife Refuge. It was a nice paddle over to Atsena Otie and back, and a pleasant walk on the island. The mosquitoes are not out yet. Saturday we’ll do another kayak trip on a couple of creeks with a Friends-of-the-Refuge group.

There is a yoga class in town now twice a week, so I have been going to it. And, last night we went to Tony’s Seafood because we’d gotten hungry for clam chowder and fried oysters, walking by the sign every day. Nice.

Judging by license plates, Cedar Key is full of real snow birds, not pretend ones like us…Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maine, Alaska, Washington, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana. Happily, unlike them, we are not here to escape from snow. It is nice to have the island quite full of people. When we walked today we noticed that most of the places have “no vacancy” signs out. We’ll post some photos showing what we’ve been doing over here.
Our house

Working on the cheese book

On the boardwalk to Cemetery Point Park, a stone's throw from our house.

At the water's edge when the tide is out.

In town, where one local in this red state is ready to "impeach Obama."

A more friendly local wishes us all good fishing

Funky houses and buildings

Jake meets new friends

The Gulf of Mexico, as seen across the bow of Peg's kayak. And,the kayaking group with the Ranger.

Birds we saw on our walks.