This Week on the Island 07/19/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The pictures this week (click to enlarge) is ‘Part of Mallory Square that has been removed’ and ‘Atocha Coin’. The coin was given to a friend; he gave it to his son. His son took it to Mel Fisher’s Museum and found it was worth over $7,000.

Weather: Sunny and hot. It hit 90 again this week.

This week’s book was ‘Murder on Houseboat Row’ by Susan Whalen. Houseboat row used to be on the sea wall on South Roosevelt near the airport. Sadly it is a part of the old Key West that no longer exists.

Things Tourist Say: ‘If there are 42 bridges on US #1, which one do I take to get to Key West.’

‘Mel Fisher Days’. Mel is the guy that found the Spanish galleon Atocha. So far his crew has discovered over $400 million in valuables. The party kicked off at Schooner Wharf on Thursday night. Then Friday was the parade down Duval. It started at Ricks and went all the way to the Bull and Whistle (a whole block). Saturday was a card party (poker) on the Sunset Water Sports Party Cat. Sunday the fun moved to Dante’s. More on Mel Fisher at http://www.treasurenet.com/found/melfisher/

The city has approved the Steam Plant condos for occupancy. It sits at the end of Caroline Street across from the Ferry Terminal and just outside the Navy’s Trumbo Point. The part of the Key West Bight that it overlooks used to be called the ‘toxic triangle’ when the steam plant was in operation. Units are about $3 million each.

Speaking of big money. Power Ball was worth $49 million and I was a big winner of four dollars. Florida Lotto was worth $15 million and I was the winner of five dollars. I think I will take my $9 winnings and take my wife out on the town. ‘Life is good’. There is a 100% chance you will not win if you don’t buy a ticket.

Kathy from Norfolk, VA, dropped by to visit. She is a fan of ‘This Week on the Island’ and was in town with her husband for the weekend.

There are bad storms in the Sahara Desert in North Africa this time of the year. Some times they help in producing hurricanes and some times we get a lot of dust in the high atmosphere here in Key West. The Sahara dust makes for beautiful skies after the sun sets.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/
Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 07/12/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘The Little White House’ in Truman Annex. Truman used to enjoy coming to Key West in the early spring. He would fish in the day and play poker at night. The government built ‘Truman Beach’ which he never used because he liked to be with the people. He also spent time walking around town and talking to the locals. The last President to stay at The Little White House was Clinton.

Weather: warm and sunny. It actually got to 90 degrees this week.

This week’s book was ‘Rule of Thumb’ by Tom Parker.

Things Tourist Say: ‘Is there anything to do in Key West?’

‘Summer time and the living is easy.’ The days are hot (high 80’s) and the nights are humid (low 80’s). The sun is bright and most of the tourists are staying home. We still get a cruise ship almost daily and there are still tourists all over town, but not like in the winter when the temperatures are more enjoyable and the island is packed. This is the time of year that most of us locals love Key West. We live here because we like it hot. It is a great time of the year for bicycle riding and kayaking. I can even move the car and find a parking place when I get back.

Did you know that U. V. light from the sun can dry rot your tires. I noticed the tires on the Hummer were cracking so I had to start applying ‘tire dressing’ to keep them from getting worst.

Next week starts ‘Mel Fisher Days’. Mel is the guy that found the Spanish galleon Atocha. http://www.treasurenet.com/found/melfisher/

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/

Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 07/06/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘HMS Iron Duke’ in the Truman Waterfront Dock. The Brits are enjoying leave time in Key West. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Iron_Duke_(F234)

Weather: warm and wonderful. Still in the 80’s and cooler than lots of places up north.

This week’s book was ‘It Happened in the Florida Keys’ by Victoria Shearer. A great collection of short stories like the day Key West burned, the sponging industry, the ship wreak of the Alligator, massacre on Indian Key, the train to paradise, etc.

Things Tourist Say: ‘Are the gay people real or actors?’

Hope you had a great 4th of July. We had fireworks at the Casa.

Last week was Jo and my 38th wedding anniversary.

Damn Good Food has closed.

The place that burned next to Margaritaville has been torn down and removed. It now has a security fence around the area.

We took another road trip 50 miles north, across the 7 mile bridge, to Marathon to visit Sassy’s doctor. She is much better but her feet are very tender and the pads have changed from black to white. They are doing a biopsy on her feet pads and we purchased some dog boots.

Jamie owned Boca (the husky) before we did. She came to visit this week. She and Boca had a family reunion.

There is a new young homeless couple in town. They have a bright yellow chain around his neck and she leads him around town. The locals don’t pay them any attention. Just another couple with a weird act. The tourist seems to think they are strange.

A friend drives one of the peddle cabs in town. He got a ticket for ‘drunken boating’ on Duval Street. I think he may be able to beat that one (wrong charge).

‘Uncle’ rides around town on a Harley with a large American Flag and a parrot named Killer. I am sorry to say that Killer died this week.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/

Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 06/28/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘Crane at Mallory Square’. The crane is driving pilings for the work to improve the area of Mallory Square that hangs over water. Behind and to the left of the crane is the Atlantic, behind and to the right is the Gulf of Mexico, straight behind is Sunset Key. The very dangerous channel in between moves water from the Atlantic to the Gulf and back depending on high or low tide.

Weather: Monday: 98 degrees in Miami with rain and 101 in Columbia, SC. Tuesday: 96 in New Orleans and flooding in Miami. Wednesday: in the 90’s in Chicago, more rain in Miami. Thursday: over 100 in Texas, rain in Miami. Friday: 99 in Des Moines and rain in Miami. In the 80’s all week in Key West, lots of sunshine and an ocean breeze.

This week I finally completed ‘Body of Evidence’ by Patricia Cornwell.

Things Tourist Say: ‘Where do the homeless people live? (hint: If they had a place to live, they wouldn’t be homeless.)

Answers from last week’s picture. (1) Yes, waterspouts do look like tornados. (2) that is because waterspouts ARE tornados at sea. (3) Yes, waterspouts can do a lot of damage. (4) The good thing is they usually break-up when they hit shore. (5) Yes, we can have many waterspouts at once. The most I have ever seen at one time is seven. (6) The Florida Keys have between 400 and 500 waterspouts each year. (7) You don’t want one to hit your boat.

Hand Print Fabric, on the corner of Green and Simonton, has closed after 49 years in the business.

Had some folks from Louisiana drop by this week. They had been over to the Atlantic side of the island and found the wooden walkway I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Boats are not allowed to anchor on the reef (the anchor destroys the coral). You must hook your boat to a ‘mooring ball’. The Sarasota Parrot Head Club will be placing 7 club reef balls and a ‘Captain Tony Reef Ball’ at Parrot Head Reef (in Sarasota) on July 18th. More info from apalumb2@mac.com

Why did pirates wear stripped clothing? Old wooden ships had wooden decks. The cracks between planks were patched with tar. When pirates slept on deck at night, because of the heat, they slept port to starboard. (If you slept forward to aft you would roll off the ship as it rolled at sea). This put tar stains that ran horizontal on their clothing. Also in the hot tropical sun, all clothing becomes bleached by the sun and salt so they slowly turn white. Thus pirates wore faded clothing with strips.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/
Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 06/21/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘Jim, Sandy, Coconut, Tim and me’. Jim was celebrating his birthday at Schooner Wharf in Key West. He, Sandy, and Coconut are from Jacksonville and are living on their Schooner Morgan Glory as they are sailing around the Keys. Their blog has lots of good pictures. http://coconutandcrew.blogspot.com/

The second picture is a waterspout out from the Key West Bight. It is waterspout season and the Keys are the waterspout capital of the world. http://www.mthurricane.com/Waterspout%20Clips.htm

Weather: Wonderful.

This week I am still reading ‘Body of Evidence’ by Patricia Cornwell.

Things Tourist Say: ‘Are the coconut trees real?’ Which reminds me, the city is cutting all the coconuts from trees on city property in preparation of hurricane season. A coconut at 150 mph can do some damage.

Last week was ‘Swim around Key West’. It is a 12.5 mile swim and the 6 team winners did it in 4:46:5, the solo winner did it in 5:14.02.

Sunday morning while sitting on the porch in my rocker working on my Sudoku’s for the day, Bill and Bob came by to chat a little. They are local Florida guys in town for the week. We agreed to meet at Schooner later in the week.

Monday the entire Bennett family took a road trip to Marathon to take Sassi to a different vet. She has another hot spot (fungus infection) on her other side. She now has both sides shaved and wears a t-shirt when she goes out. Her feet problem seems to be getting better. –Saturday—Sassi is getting much better. She is playing and ‘woo-wooing’ again. I thought I was going to lose her.

I spent some time putting up a white picket fence on the property line between my house and Sam’s. Sam passed on Good Friday and his daughters have put the place up for sale. (about $850,000) If the house sales and if the new neighbors and ‘nice’, I can always take the fence down.

Jim, Sandy, and Coconut (picture above) were sailing one day this week and they caught a ‘square grouper’ and they weren’t even fishing. A square grouper is a brick of marijuana. They radioed ahead and had the police waiting on them when they docked. (When the drug runners are trying to get away from the authorities, they throw everything overboard.)

We had another little slider (turtle) show up on the front porch this week. I am sorry to say it didn’t make it, but the one that showed up last month is doing well.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/

Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 06/14/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘The Royal Poinciana or Delonix Regina’. In Asia and Africa it is known as the ‘Flame Tree’ and in the Caribbean as ‘Flamboyants’. Pictures and names thanks to http://ConchScooter.blogspot.com/

Weather: Wonderful (if you like blue skies, clear water, friendly people, oceans, palm trees, warm weather and cold beer).

The book this week was ‘Body of Evidence’ by Patricia Cornwell. A friend left it at the house. This is my second book by Cornwell and both required I keep a list of names of the many characters in her books.

Things Tourist Say: ‘How far is it between mile markers?’

Happy Flag Day June 14th.

Hulk Hogan was in town this week.

The city has begun work on repairing the last 25-30 feet of Mallory Square that hangs out over the water. It is suppose to be a 6 month job. In the meantime the entertainers have had to move away from that area.

The Superintendent of Schools made his wife the Adult Education Coordinator. There is lots of money missing and lots of questionable items charged on her school credit card. The case is before the Grand Jury. Many folks in Key West want both of then gone. Thursday afternoon the Superintendent of Schools was arrested and taken away in handcuffs.

Thanks to everyone that sent me ‘medical’ input for Sassi. She made another trip to the vet and all four feet were bleeding. After blood test etc, they still don’t know what the problem could be. We had given her a new flea/tick medicine, ProMeris, which she will not get again. We also think she is allergic to something (maybe ProMeris) and it is making her feet itch so she is pulling out the hair husky’s have between their toes. This may be causing the bleeding of the feet. I am giving her Benadryl twice a day to help with the itching while she also takes some antibiotics from the vet.

‘Pride Week’ has completed.

Parrot Head Stuff: Jimmy’s latest album to be named ‘Buffett Hotel’ http://www.buffettworld.com/2009/06/03/new-buffett-album-to-be-called-buffet-hotel/

This years MOTM (Meeting Of The Minds), the annual beginning of November gathering of Parrot Heads in Key West, will be called ‘Florida Days’.
http://www.phip.com/MOTM.asp

Buffett (1975) video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rE_37I4nzU&feature=channel_page

You have really got to be ‘tuff’ to live here and put up with day, after day, after day, of beautiful weather.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/
Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ

This Week on the Island 06/07/2009

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘Me’. Dressed for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. I have on my ‘Panama’ hat made in ‘China’, my ‘American Flag Shirt’ made in ‘Korea’, my cargo shorts, made in ‘Bangladesh’ my Birkenstock sandals made in ’Germany’, standing between my Suzuki made in ‘Japan’ and my Hummer made in ‘America’, walking my ‘Siberian’ huskies and living in Key West, FL that belonged to the ‘Spanish’ for about 300 years. It is truly an international world.

Weather: June 1st started the hurricane season and the rainy season. The forecast for the next 5 months will be ‘hot and humid with a chance for rain.’

No book this week.

Things Tourist Say: ‘Does the sun always set in the west here?’

Another slow week (not a lot of tourist), I love it.

Sassi (the husky) has visited the vet twice this week and cost lots of money. She went the first time for an infected foot and then again for a hot spot. So she couldn’t walk and she has a big spot on her side that is shaved. She is better now and the hair will regrow on her side.

The island of Key West is divided into 3 large areas: (1) New-town, from the triangle to the light at Palm Ave; (2) Mid-town, from Palm to White Street; and (3) Old-Town, from White to the water front. In Old-Town you have the Meadows (near the graveyard), Bahama Village (past Whitehead Street), Truman Annex (behind the fences), etc, and the different parts of the Navy property around town have their own names. It seems we like to divide and name things. I am sure it is the same in your town.

The graveyard. It was once over near White Street Pier, but a hurricane left a lot of bodies washed up so it was moved to the center (high point) of the island. The ground here is coral and very hard, and the water level is near the surface, so we bury many above ground in crypts. The graveyard is divided into many different areas: The Battle Ship Maine area (‘Remember the Maine’, the battle cry of the Spanish-American War), The Jewish area (religion after death?), and last but not least the crypt just outside the Jewish area with the epitaph ‘I Told You I was Sick’. Lots of people visit our graveyard and it is a very pleasant walk.

We started ‘Pride Week' this week (used to be Gay Pride Week). Lots of activities across the town.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

You may join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/

Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ