I don’t know about everybody else, but the weather has been fighting with me all month, and most of the end of last year. I’ve lived in the Florida Keys for 24 years, 22 of which have been in Marathon. I must admit, I’ve become a cold-weather sissy. When the temperature goes below 70 degrees, my fingers hurt. It’s a little embarrassing. But that’s just the way it is. Well-meaning friends ask, “Maybe you’ve got arthritis?”
“It’s not arthritis,” I retort.”
kAm%96 H62E96C 7@C642DED 7:?2==J 925 8@@5 ?6HD[ D@ x 42==65 >J 7C:6?5 y677 2?5 =:?65 9:> FA E@ 7:D9 H:E9 >6[ @? %9FCD52J[ @? E96 t!\a] %96 |2C:?6 u@C642DE 42==65 7@C `\ E@ a\7@@E D62D[ H:E9 H2C>:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D E9C@F89@FE E96 52J] x H2D 6I4:E65 23@FE E96 A@DD:3:=:E:6D @7 7:?5:?8 2?5 42E49:?8 =@ED @7 7C6D9 7:D9] |J H:76’D 72G@C:E6 7:D9 :D J6==@HE2:= D?2AA6CD[ D@ x 2DDF>65 D96 H@F=5 36 92AAJ 23@FE E92E]k^Am
kAm%96 A=2? H2D E@ 2?49@C E96 t!\a @? @?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 J6==@H\E2:=\D?2AA6C W*%DX H2JA@:?ED] %96 =2DE D6G6C2= E:>6D x E2C86E65 J6==@HE2:=Dj x 925 ?@ =F4< 2E 2==] $@[ x 564:565 E@ AFE EH@ 3=@4<D @7 49F> 2E 2 E:>6 :? E96 49F> 328 C:89E 7C@> E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 52J]k^Am
kAm(6 >@E@C65 @FE E@ e_ 766E @7 H2E6C] %96 D>2== 3FE DE66A H2G6D H6C6 G6CJ 5:77:4F=E E@ 7:8FC6 @FE] %96J H6C6 4@>:?8 7C@> EH@ 5:776C6?E 5:C64E:@?D] x H2D DFCAC:D65 E96 t!\a DF556?=J 492?865 5:C64E:@?D] (6 :5=65 2C@F?5 E96 H2JA@:?E =@@<:?8 7@C 7:D9 @? E96 $@?2C D4C66?] (6 DA6?E 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 F?E:= H6 7@F?5 D@>6 962GJ DECF4EFC6 2?5 C65 >2C<D @? E96 D4C66? 56?@E:?8 7:D9 36EH66? C@4<D 2?5 @E96C F?56CD62 @3;64ED]k^Am
kAm(6 E9C6H E96 2?49@C[ 2?5 E96 t!\a 42>6 E:89E @? E96 =:?6] x AFE EH@ 3=@4<D @7 49F> :?E@ E96 @G6CD:K65 49F> 328] x FDF2==J 5@?’E CFD9 E@ 86E 32:ED :? E96 H2E6C] x E9:?< E9:D >2<6D E96 7:D9 766= >@C6 D64FC6 2?5 F?27C2:5] (6 E9C6H 92?57F=D @7 @2ED :? E96 H2E6C 2?5 H2E4965 E96 4FCC6?E 5C:7E C6=2E:G6=J BF:4<=J 2?5 CF??:?8 5:C64E=J 369:?5 E96 3@2E] |J J6==@HE2:= 7:D9:?8 7C:6?5D D2J 2 =:G6=J 4FCC6?E :D 2 >FDE] x’G6 366? 5@:?8 E9:D 7@C ad J62CD 2?5 2 5625 4FCC6?E :D 2=H2JD 325]k^Am
kAmy677 2?5 x H6C6 D>:=:?8 =:<6 A2:?E65 4=@H?D] (6 9:5 E:?J 9@@<D :? D>2== A:646D @7 32==J9@@ 2?5 DE2CE65 42C67F==J 7665:?8 E96 32:E65 =:?6D E@ 5C:7E 369:?5 E96 3@2E] y677 9@@<65 2 4@FA=6 @7 3=F6 CF??6CD E92E H6C6 C6=62D65] w6 H2D 92G:?8 7F? 2== E96 D2>6] y677 92D 7:D965 H:E9 >6 D6G6C2= E:>6D 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96> H6C6 723F=@FD H:E9 3:8 >29: >29:D 2?5 3=24<7:? EF?2D 42F89E]k^Am
kAm*6==@HE2:= D?2AA6CD 2C6 G6CJ A:4<J 62E6CD] x7 E96 32:E65 9@@< 5@6D ?@E 5C:7E E96 6I24E D2>6 DA665 2D E96 =@@D6 49F>[ ?:?6 @FE @7 E6? E:>6D E96J H@?’E 62E E96 32:E]k^Am
kAmy677 H2D FD:?8 3:886C A:646D @7 32:E 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 96=5 E96 =:?6 DE:== :? E96 H2E6C] q@?:E2D H6C6 :? E96 2C62[ 2?5 E96J DE2CE65 9:EE:?8 9:D =:?6] w6 H2D =2F89:?8 2?5 92G:?8 2 8@@5 E:>6 3C:?8:?8 E96> E@ E96 3@2E E@ 36 42C67F==J C6=62D65] x H2D E2C86E:?8 *%D @?=J] $@[ H6 DA=:E E96 3@2E C:89E 5@H? E96 >:55=6] x E@=5 y677 96 D9@F=5 7:D9 @? @?6 D:56 @7 E96 3@2E 2?5 ECJ E@ 42E49 2?JE9:?8 96 H2?ED E@]k^Am
kAmw6 D>:=65 2?5 D2:5 96 H2D 2=C625J 7:D9:?8 @? E96 3@EE@> H:E9 962G:6C 862C] x H2D ~z H:E9 E92E 2?5 C62==J 9@A65 96 >:89E CF? :?E@ 2 3:8 >FEE@? D?2AA6C 5@H? E96C6] %:>6 925 A2DD65] %H@ 3=@4<D @7 49F> H6C6 2=>@DE 8@?6] (6 925 42F89E 2?5 C6=62D65 6?@F89 7:D9 E@ >2<6 y677 92AAJ 2?5 x 925 42F89E 2 4@FA=6 @7 D>2== J6==@HE2:=D E92E x C6=62D65 2=@?8 H:E9 y677’D 7:D9]k^Am
kAm(6 925 2 =:EE=6 49F> =67E 2?5 E96 4FCC6?E H2D DE:== CF??:?8[ 3FE ?@E 2D DEC@?8=J 2D 62C=:6C] {:?6 DF556?=J 7=6H 7C@> >J @A6?\32:=65 !t}} ed__ $A:?7:D96C C66=] xE’D 2 AC6EEJ D@=:5 A:646 @7 6BF:A>6?E 4@>A2C65 H:E9 @E96C DA:??:?8 4@>3@D] x 4=@D65 E96 32:=[ E96 7:D9 H2D 42F89E[ 2?5 E:89E] {:?6 4@?E:?F65 E@ CF? 2?5 H2D AF==:?8 282:?DE >J 2C>D] x <6AE E96 =:?6 E:89E] xE E@@< 2 H9:=6[ 3FE x 6G6?EF2==J 8@E E92E 7:D9 E@ E96 3@2E] xE EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 2 362FE:7F=[ 3:8 “7=28” *%] xE >62DFC65 aa :?496D] %9:D H2D 2 9:89\BF2=:EJ EC@A9J 7:D9[ 2?5 2? 6I46==6?E A9@E@ E@@]k^Am
kAmx AFE 2 ?6H 32:E :? E96 H2E6C] %96 @2ED 2?5 32:E 5:5 ?@E >@G6] %96 4FCC6?E 925 EFC?65 E@ 5625 42=>] (6 7:D965 E92E DA@E 7@C 2 H9:=6 H:E9@FE D66:?8 @C 9@@<:?8 2?J 7:D9] (6 564:565 E@ AF== 2== E96 C667\7:D9:?8 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 D6E @FE 2 H29@@\E2C86E65 DAC625 @7 962GJ 32:ED 2?5 =FC6D]k^Am
kAm%96 @462? H2D 7=2E 42=>] %96 DF? H2D D9:?:?8[ 2?5 H6 925 ?@ =F4< H:E9 E96 EC@==:?8 862C] $@[ H6 962565 9@>6 2 =:EE=6 62C=J] }:46 H62E96C :D 7:?2==J 96C6n xD E9:D =@?8\E6C>n p== :? 2==[ :E 5@6D?’E >2EE6C] x’> AC6A2C65 E@ 7:D9 H96?6G6C x 42?] (92E 4@F=5 36 36EE6C E92? E92E]k^Am
kAmp?5 =:76 :D 8@@5 :? E96 u=@C:52 z6JDj =:76 :D G6CJ 8@@5 :? E96 u=@C:52 z6JD]k^Am
