We meet 'Island Boy'

While we've been in the Keys we have met so many people from so many parts of the world. However we found two of the most interesting people living right here in Marathon.
Bo & Brende have lived in the Keys for most of their lives. We met them by chance at the Marina, struck up a conversation, and discovered that Bo was the author of two books about life in the Keys, based on his life and love of these islands. The books are aimed at the young teenage age group. We decided to buy copies of 'Welcome Home Island Boy' and 'Rescue in the Gulf Stream' as gifts for our grandsons. Of course, with the author living so close by, it was obvious that we needed to get the books signed by their author. So one afternoon we were invited over to Bo & Brende's house, had the books signed, and were given a fascinating tour of Brende's garden, which was filled with plants and trees native to the area, and often used as remedies or simply as herbs in cooking.
We were shown the huge staghorn fern which was planted by Bo's father in 1938, and delicately beautiful orchids growing on the trees. Then, of course, we could not resist reading the books before we gave them to our grandsons! Apart from being exciting adventure stories, the books told the story of lives spent in an enviably beautiful, but not always safe (as in hurricanes) part of the planet.