It's a heat stroke start of the day. August 19, 2013

[Cleo]

Don't think I've ever been so exhausted from being out on the water for two days.

We went down to the Keys at the last minute after a friend offered to let us stay at his vacation home for the weekend. Loaded up the car with kayaks, bicycles and snorkel gear so that we had toys for whatever we ended up doing.

We went for an early morning bike ride on the first day waiting for everyone to arrive, before the heat of the day kicked in. The ocean was too choppy to do any snorkeling so on the first day we just went out on a power boat and spent the day floating on pool floaties in the Gulf. Second day we kayaked around the mangroves on the Atlantic side of the Keys.

Probably wouldn't have been so exhausting if we had gotten out both days early before the hottest part of the day but the house owner, along with his two war vet friends on disability, weren't morning people so both days we didn't get out on the water until mid day so it was well over 100˚F in the sun.

The two war vets were interesting. Both are on PTS disability after being in the service for 20 years, one also has a brain injury. One can't remember meeting people so each day you get to reintroduce yourself and the other one is a bit scary as he is a very large Jamaican man that was an MP with anger issues.

Had a great time despite being cooked in the heat. Might have stayed down another day but the A/C on his house died for good the second day.

Lots of gear to wash. Lots of stuff to be put away. Have to drop off a VHF radio at UPS for warranty repair (are any waterproof electronics really waterproof). After all that going to try to get some work done.