Sailing Regatta Slicing through the Mooring Field, Dinner Key Harbor

There is a certain sameness about living aboard a boat and hearing the same sounds throughout the day while one is down below, is most certainly a good part of the sameness of it all. After awhile the sounds all just seem to blend in with one another and though quite audible are hardly perceptible.

These sounds for the most part consist of halyards gently and not so gently clanging up against the mast... all depending of course on just how hard the wind might be blowing that day.

Yet occasionally there are instances when an ever so-subtle-sound will immediately grab one's attention and have one springing up into action to check in on the source of an unexpected faint yet rhythmic sound.

One sound that never fails to bring a smile to my face is that of dolphins ever so gracefully swimming by the hull of the boat early in the morning and then surfacing to exhale and catch yet another deep breath of air.

Somehow I always find myself saying hi to the dolphins for whatever compelling reason as they swim on past.

Nevertheless one sound that happened to grab my attention the other day was that of what seemed to be a whole flotilla of sailboats swiftly gliding through the mooring field. I gotta believe that there's a marina regulation prohibiting boats from sailing through the mooring field but I certainly wasn't gonna complain about it.

In fact that was me wishing that I were sailing along with them while giving a thumbs up as they all sailed on past.

Dinner Key Mooring Field Shuttle...

There are times when winds pick up and blow out of the northeast resulting in a lot of chop in the water throughout Dinner Key Harbor... and it goes without saying that this most certainly makes for a wet and uncomfortable dinghy ride to and from one's boat.

Fortunately Dinner Key Marina does nevertheless offer a shuttle service to and from the mooring field throughout the day. It's kinda like a water taxi of sorts. The service runs at the top of each hour between the hours of five and eight. One just needs to call on VHF channel 68 and let the office know that you want to be picked up.

It's best however that if one does call that you don't conclude your radio transmission with "and Go Mavericks!!", or "Beat the Heat!!" or some-such because the response may well be, "Your in the wrong town buddy and if you want to be picked up, then you better get onboard with the Heat"...

(Go Mavericks!!, Go Mavericks!!, Go Mavericks!!.... out.)

Domino Park, Little Havana...

At the epicenter of Little Havana is "El Parque de Domino"... and all throughout the day, senior and not so-senior citizens can be boisterously heard playing dominoes.

A number of tables have nevertheless been set aside for those wishing to play chess and it is not uncommon to overhear a lot of "trash talking" going on as bishops slice across the diagonals and pawns zealously capture unsuspecting pieces.

Hanging Around Roosters in Little Havana...

While roaming the streets of Little Havana for the past couple of weeks, I've had the privilege of meeting up with a number of colorful roosters aimlessly wandering about as well.

And of course it goes without saying that I'm always happy to exchange a few pleasantries with these over-sized hens before heading off to my favorite Cuban diner for a lunch plate of "arroz con pollo".

It also goes without saying that I always purposely avoid any mention of what's on the lunch menu for fear of antagonizing any of my feathered friends 'cause I certainly don't want any of them suddenly going postal on my sorry ass.

Oh by the way just in case I haven't previously mentioned it... I'll have ya'll know that Cubans absolutely love Miami. But what ya'll probably didn't know it that they collectively love Miami because they perceive it to be so close to the United States.