Key West in May

Key West Gratitude

2010-05-28T20:03:00.006-04:00

A dear friend of mine suggested I spend the day in gratitude instead of in sadness. It's a lovely thought if not entirely my style, but I'm willing to give it a try. (There is a slight chance he didn't want to hear me whine about my last day in Key West, because there was some whining to be done! How could one not be a little sad over leaving such a beautiful place?)

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take a month off of work and travel to Key West. I never imagined it would happen. I have learned a valuable lesson though; if you tell people your dreams, sometimes they help you make them come true. My friends at work are some of the best people in the world. I hold them very dear to my heart.

I am lucky that my mother was able to come with me. (Although I must say I am a bit sad that my other family members were not able to make it, for various reasons, of course.) I only hope that I wasn't too much of a loner for her. I don't fancy myself a good travel companion since I tend to be on the quiet side, but I did offer up a nice room and an easy way to live for a month — even if I did hog all the trike time.

I am elated that I lost over 5 pounds on this trip. Simple, salt-free eating and daily biking helped with that. I will try not to mention that I will probably gain it back when I get home to my lazy ways.

And while some people thought I was nuts for renting such a big house, it was amazing. I never do anything in style; it's always on the cheap and this was fantastic. The yard and pool were great for relaxing and taking pictures. We ate out on the dining porch every night, never mind the hungry mosquitos. And while two rooms sat empty for most of the trip, it was nice to have them. It was even nicer when a guest came to fill the house with laughter and joy, giving the gift of companionship and charm, which he has in abundance.

I am so happy to have my camera and the ability to capture everything. Since I do tend to be a loner, most of my pictures represent a solitude of sorts; there are no people on the beach or on the streets in my pictures. I'm lucky that this town sleeps in and I could spend a couple of hours exploring the island by myself with only the occasional stranger asking me to watch cartoons.

I also fell in love with frangipani, which most people probably know as plumeria, the flowers from which Hawaiian leis are made. I love the smell of those flowers. I have yet to throw the final blooms that I collected away. Whenever I smell those flowers, it will always take me right back here to Key West in May 2010.

And bless the roosters, lizards, and cats. They make this place so special. I hope that they always have a place to live in this town.

I am most grateful to my faithful readers, mostly family mixed in with a few dear friends and some strangers who searched for Key West and happened to find my blog. I'm sure I bored you with beach pictures and talk of Larry, but hey, it's my blog. Thanks for coming on my trip with me. It was the most amazing month ever.

Goodbye Larry

2010-05-28T16:14:00.001-04:00

I took some final pictures of Larry. I'm certain he wants to be a model.

The worst part is when I take pictures of him, I have to sit on the rocks. And the no-seeums eat me up! Their bites last for days and itch like crazy.

Anyway, back to Larry, my superstar. He gets pretty close to me now. He'll probably miss the crazy lady who comes out and talks to him. I mean, how many crazy ladies do that?

Goodbye Larry, you were a good friend.

Oh the Color!

2010-05-28T15:56:00.000-04:00

I will miss the beautiful colors found on this island:

Trike Exchange

2010-05-28T14:00:00.001-04:00

Mom took pictures of the last ride of the trike.

Me in the front yard:

Me riding it down the street for the last time:

And me handing it off to Don (his friend Jack is on the left):

I'm really glad I found somebody cool to give it to.

Artists Gallery At The Red Door

2010-05-28T13:54:00.002-04:00

The Artists Gallery at the Red Door is on Caroline Street right across from B.O.'s Fish Wagon. I have been wanting to go to both places for a while. It's a fun shop full of the art of local artists. And the art is not all oil on canvas. It's wood and tiles and tin shingles and some canvas and matted prints as well. Really neat. I recommend going there. The owner is really friendly.

I bought this piece titled "Two Roosters and a Palm Tree":

I'm sure you can guess why! But really it's the picket fence that sold it for me. I love the roosters of course, but the picket fence is so popular down here, our house had one too.

And as an added bonus, the owner tells me that Jesse, the artist, is a really nice guy. How could I not buy the art of a really nice guy? I love this piece.

Side note: That's Dade County Pine behind the picture. That's what's on all the walls of the house. Very popular down here. Everybody who has come through the house comments on the pine walls.

B.O.'s Fish Wagon

2010-05-28T13:35:00.003-04:00

We had to eat there once! And we fit it in on our last day. I had the fish and chips. Mom had the burger. Good fish, nice light batter. And the fries are like those from Thrashers or Five Guys. It's one of the few shacks that offers a grilled option which is nice when you have eaten a ton of fried food.

Surprisingly cool (not hot) in that shack.

Throwing a Fit

2010-05-28T10:11:00.001-04:00

I wish I was three because I feel like throwing a fit. Kicking and screaming and swearing that I'll never leave.

Instead I have to pack. Ugh. Being an adult sucks.

Final Morning Bike Ride

2010-05-28T09:58:00.001-04:00

Well, I did it. I rode one more time to Smather's Beach and then I handed off the trike to Don. I think Don will really enjoy that bike. His friend Jack says he's the nicest guy on the island. Well, who better to give the trike to then. Mom went along with me to hand off the bike since it was her birthday gift that I was giving away.

Today at the beach the water was the bluest I have ever seen it. I think because the sun was partially behind the clouds and the ocean was reflecting the sky so much. Here are my final Smather's pictures, watch as the sun comes out for me, the beach totally changes:

Here's a front and back picture of the jetty, I walked all the way to the end this time (in my bare feet, those rocks are sharp!). From the edge looking to the right:

From the edge, looking back to the beach:

And this time, I saw many birds, some swimming and looking for food. And this guy was just enjoying walking the beach. I wish I knew what kind of bird he is:

Here's a closeup, maybe you can tell what he is:

I will miss the fluffy white clouds. Today the ocean was making a perfect reflection of them:

Yet Another Trike Compliment

2010-05-27T17:02:00.001-04:00

A man on a scooter pulled up beside me on Fleming Street while I was moving, looking for Grinnell. And then he complimented my bike, which is oh so cool if I haven't said that already. He's from Jersey but lives here now. We had a little chat but then he had to zoom off as he was holding up traffic. (I really don't peddle that fast as it's really hot out there at 3pm.)

Every other day I received a compliment on my trike. When I move here, I'm getting another one just like it.

John the lawn guy

2010-05-27T15:12:00.001-04:00

John is from Minnesota. One of his past jobs was driving a tour trolley. He has been here 9 years doing odd jobs. If he can do it, maybe I can do it. All kinds of people just seem to up and move to the Keys. And they are happy to tell their story which always sounds like a success story to me.

Morning Bike Ride: Thursday

2010-05-27T09:03:00.001-04:00

You guessed it, another beautiful day.

I rode around the Southernmost Point and there were NO tourists in line waiting to take pictures. Very unusual.

The Southernmost Beach is right around the corner from there. Here's a picture of the pier:

Just look at those fluffy white clouds. The skies in Florida are just amazing.

Then I road along the Casa Marina and then up the White Street Pier. Here's a view from the pier:

And here's a view of the pier, with that super cool trike:

Today for lunch we will finish our sandwiches from Sandy's Cafe that we got yesterday. I can barely finish half, they are made really big with a lot of meat. I'm a big fan of their Cuban sandwich. You order the Cuban Mix all the way.

There's no place to eat there except at the counters which can be pretty hot at noon. So we get our sandwiches and eat at home. They are only 3 blocks from our house.

I have to start packing. It's almost time to leave.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-26T15:00:00.001-04:00

Even roosters get hot. This one is resting under a shade tree on the corner of Truman and White. There's not much a breeze today so it can get hot in the sun. The shade is the best place to be.

Flower Tour

2010-05-26T12:06:00.000-04:00

On that same walk to the library, I took some pictures of flowers. They are taken with my point and shoot. I like shooting macros with the point and shoot, it's so easy! I just wish it produced high quality files.

Closeup of the flower on the orange tree:

Home Tour

2010-05-26T12:01:00.000-04:00

Mom and I took a walk to the public library on Fleming. It's a great place to pick up frangipani. It's also a great street to ride your bike on because there is a bike lane.

Here are some homes along the way:

Morning Bike Ride: Wednesday

2010-05-26T09:17:00.003-04:00

Another beautiful day here in Key West. (Is that getting tiring to hear?)

I went to Smathers. I thought I'd show you a different view. When I sit on the rocks and take this picture:

Here's what I see looking behind me:

It's a narrow beach, the main road is between the beach and that condo building. Today the entire first half of the beach was devoid of footprints. Weird, the truck usually makes a path, but I guess nobody was sleeping on the beach this morning, so he could wipe the whole beach clean.

All over the island these orange trees are in bloom. Here's one at Casa Marina:

And another in front of a house:

One in the cemetery:

One on Frances Street, where the first house I was going to rent is located:

One high up in the roof line:

And I came across these today:

They are the only ones I have seen in the yards here. I wonder what state buys the most flamingo lawn ornaments.

After my ride I stopped at the senior center. It seems that Don would love to have my bike. So I'll go back Friday and give it away. It's great to give the bike a new life, but sad to leave it behind.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-25T19:44:00.000-04:00

Key West Garden Club: West Martello Tower

2010-05-25T19:29:00.001-04:00

I went back today for some Tropical Backgrounds shots. People seem to like the flower shots better so here are a few of those:

These were just really cool and colorful. How can the plants have so much color down here?

Besides the frangipani, I don't know what anything is! I should have looked at the signs. But the lizards like to hang out on the signs and I spent way too much time looking at them:

Lizards still fascinate me. I swear two of them were fighting over me. Ok, I know I was imagining that, but they were both staring at me from different rocks and then they jumped on the same rock and started going around in circles. It's like watching American Gladiators, they bump and bump until somebody falls of the rock. The winner just stared at me some more.

Today, I saw a family of iguanas. They were so cool. First I saw one in the middle of the street and as I biked closer, I saw another and then three smaller ones. All bright green and running fast to get away from me.

This place is amazing.

Morning Bike Ride: Tuesday

2010-05-25T14:07:00.000-04:00

It rained this morning and was quite overcast when I went out, so no good pictures. But here's my trike at Mallory Square. I'll miss that trike. It's perfect for this town. The streets are wide enough for it to fit and the land is flat so you don't have to work hard to move that 62 pound bike around. I'm going to see if somebody at the Senior Center wants it. If not, I'll try the Boys and Girls Club.

Here's some rock just for fun:

Morning Bike Ride: Monday

2010-05-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

It's another beautiful sunny day here in Key West. Guess where I went for my ride today...

It just doesn't get any prettier than this. I'm sadly counting down the days until I have to leave.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

I played around with this picture a bit. I'll probably play around with it some more when I get home to see if I can make something out of it. I really like the textures in it.

My favorite sound in Key West: rooster crowing
My least favorite sound in Key West: leaf blower

Morning Bike Ride: Sunday

2010-05-23T09:53:00.002-04:00

Today, I went to where the cruise ships let out. Ugh, what a fake place. All shiny and clean with brick walks and fancy shops. It's not the Key West I know at all. There's not one homeless person, rooster, or stray cat to be seen. And not one single person says "Good Morning" as you pass by. I don't need to go back there again.

Then I went to Mallory Square, where you can see all the usuals.

Here's a stray cat I'm a little worried about. He sits in this spot every morning, right by the water. I think he likes the breeze and the sound of the gulf hitting the wall. That sore by his eye hasn't healed in a couple days. I hope that it does soon.

There's another cat in my neighborhood whose eye needs attention. It's probably just a little infection, but I'm worried that he might loose the eye if it doesn't get cleaned out. He's super friendly and still likes a good petting. People all over town leave out cans of cat food. I'm glad that the cats get some food.

I guess you can tell that I miss my cats. I have to go find stray ones to pet. I'm sure mine won't recognize me when I get home. The tan will really confuse them.

And just a ways down from Mallory Square is what I'm guessing is the tiniest beach in Key West, Simonton Beach. That's all of it in the picture, from the fence to the pier.

Eyecons at La Te Da

2010-05-22T14:11:00.002-04:00

Great show! It was super fun. I didn't think they would allow flash photography, but they did, so I missed my chance to take pictures.

It really is a lot of fun, I recommend seeing it. It's my first live drag show. The singing was amazing. Christopher really puts his heart and soul into his performances, and you can't help but be moved along with him. He also makes his own costumes, all of his talents are astounding.

I even got to see pasties in action on the female waitress which I must say is a little distracting. I wasn't sure what to look at when ordering my drink. Shawn recommended this show and I'm glad he did. Even Mom liked it and I'm certain she was prepared not to!

There's a two drink minimum for a 1 hour show so be prepared to drink up quickly!

I have a dream of doing a photo series of drag queens. I think the photos would be just gorgeous. Maybe someday, I just have to find drag queens willing to pose for me.

Bahia Honda National State Park

2010-05-22T13:40:00.003-04:00

Amazing beaches, just amazing. It took my breath away. I got Mom up super early to get there by 8 am when they open. We were the second car in. I sacrificed my morning bike ride for this trip.

I don't think my pictures will do it justice. You will not see how rich the ocean looks or how long the beach is. Just go there yourself and see. It's at Mile Marker 37, you can't miss it.

Today was perfect. Windy enough to take the heat off and sunny with those fluffy white clouds.

This was one piece of the ocean that I had to swim in. I hate self portraits, but nobody was out there to take my picture. Mom waited by the nature center for me to get back. (Look at those freckles! Everyday in the sun really brings those out. And although you can't tell, I'm actually tan, well, tan for me. It's hard not to photoshop out my real age, but there you have it, this is unedited.)

Next time when I go, I will need someone to go with me and hold my hand. Truth be told, I'm a little afraid of the ocean and what's in there waiting to bite off my toes. I need someone to push me to go out further and see more. The water I'm in isn't even up to my waist. But it was warm and clear and like being in a slice of heaven.

Tropical Backgrounds

2010-05-21T16:06:00.000-04:00

More tropical backgrounds. I haven't shot the Key West Garden Club, but I will next week. These are from my yard. I just love the colors. It's surreal to me that those colors are on trees.

And see if you can guess why I like this one so much (it's not photoshopped, nature wanted me to shoot this shot):

Morning Bike Ride: Friday

2010-05-21T15:46:00.000-04:00

Another trip to the beach. I should add some variety, but I like the beach and it was very sunny today.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

Mallory Square has a lot of them. I still find them beautiful.

Audubon House in the Rain

2010-05-20T14:13:00.000-04:00

I thought it was clear enough to venture out. Not quite. There was rain for about 1 hour.

It was pretty heavy. The streets aren't quite made for the flash rains. This is the view from the second floor porch. We sat on the rockers waiting for the rain to pass.

The garden we only did a quick tour of:

Before:

After:

It really gets pretty after a rain here.

Morning Bike Ride: Thursday

2010-05-20T09:16:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was our first rain day where it was gray the whole day. Today since there was a bit of sun behind the dark clouds, I did my usual route to Smathers. The storm clouds definitely add a different dimension to the photographs.

If I could paint, it would look like this:

Today's Rooster

2010-05-19T09:13:00.000-04:00

Beautiful coloring. Just beautiful.

Morning Bike Ride: Wednesday

2010-05-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

Today was very overcast, so no gorgeous beach shots. I did a trek around Mallory Square and Truman Annex and I collected frangipani along the way. I throw it in the basket on my bike and go.

I took pictures of backgrounds today. I'll probably use these images as layers in other photos to add depth.

More Lizards

2010-05-18T14:46:00.001-04:00

I can't stop taking pictures of lizards.

Larry is going through a change. There's some skin coming off of his nose. He runs out to greet me now. Except when I wear my sunglasses, then he runs away. I must look like a giant, killer lizard in those!

And another front yard lizard that let me get close enough for a shot:

And this guy let me get a shot as well but he was staring right at me like he was going to attack:

Grass Street

2010-05-18T10:26:00.000-04:00

This block took me by surprise when I first encountered it. You will look at it and think, what's so different? And that's my point. It doesn't look different from the rest of the America, it looks different for the Keys! There's hardly any grass much less a whole lawn down here. And there is most definitely not a large front lawn. Property is at such a premium, homes are built very close to the street usually with foliage or walls or fences surrounding them. Take out the palm trees and put in a few oaks and maples and this could be a street in my neighborhood.

Morning Bike Ride: Tuesday

2010-05-18T10:25:00.002-04:00

Ah, we are back to sunny, beautiful skies and quiet still water. Smather's Beach is my favorite place to go. I share it with only 1 or 2 other people early in the morning. It's like having my own private beach with the occasional trespasser. I guess I should call them a guest, it sounds more like the Key West style.

I tried some different shots, because I'm sure I'm boring you with beautiful beach shots. Here's a closeup of the rocks in the above picture:

Here's the ladies room wall at Smather's. Pretty cool bathroom with only natural light coming from above.

Here's some palm bark, I like the little heart shape:

And my all time favorite, seaweed, because even that's beautiful down here:

Hope your Tuesday is as beautiful as mine!

House Guest (Morning Bike Ride Skipped)

2010-05-17T20:55:00.001-04:00

We had our first house guest. Danny came up at 1:00 on Sunday and left on 5:00 on Monday. Mom and I did more touristy things in 24 hours than we've done in two weeks.

We had good Cuban sandwiches from Sandy's Cafe. I liked them a lot, I may rank them the best so far. We then went to El Siboney for Cuban dinner. Danny's Cuban so I figured he could help us pick out the good stuff, but it's really like taking an American to Ruby Tuesday's. While it wasn't much of a treat for him, it was a big treat for us.

Then we walked down Duval Street at night. It was a beautiful night, not hot! Always a bonus.

Today I went parasailing, which I've never done before. Mom didn't go, but she did make us call her as soon as we landed.

Here's Danny and I on the boat out:

Here's the view from up above. It's amazing up there. I was much better with the parasailing then riding in the boat. It was very cool. There are two cruise ships in today; they are bigger than the buildings on the island.

This is the view of Danny at 300 feet in the air:

After parasailing, there was a dip in the pool and lunch in town at a seafood restaurant and a nap. It's not Key West if you don't nap at some point. I'm sure Danny wanted to do more, but it's a much slower pace here in the Keys. We had already done too much!

It was sad to see him leave, but he made sure we got goodbye photographs:

I believe he and Mom are BFFs. Soon he'll be texting her to tell her he made it home safely.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-16T17:51:00.000-04:00

This rooster is running as fast as he can away from me. First, he flew right at me and then he ran away down the street, and FAST! I didn't know they had it in them. I guess he's camera shy or he just views me as one of the annoying rooster paparazzi.

Morning Bike Ride: Sunday

2010-05-16T17:49:00.000-04:00

It was rainy and overcast today, so I went out late for the bike ride. Not much to report and no spectacular pictures.

I think I saw a pelican:

Here are the tracks of the truck that helps out my lone raker man. Together they rid the beach of seaweed.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

I don't see to many of the white ones. Mostly black and brown.

Ernest Hemingway House

2010-05-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

Mom and I went to the Ernest Hemingway House today. We had to drive, which was tricky because the parking is next to nil around there. I took this picture from the wedding garden. It's a nice place to have a wedding, that's for sure.

Here's one of the six toed cats named Charlie Chaplin.

And here are some flowers from the garden, the house has an amazing yard:

And, although he's not as cool as Larry, I did make another lizard friend:

He's on a banana tree. Kinda neat to see those in person.

Morning Bike Ride: Saturday

2010-05-15T15:26:00.003-04:00

Today was traumatic. I started off with a flat tire. I walked to the gas station and filled it up. I tested it and it stayed full for quite a while so I hoped I was good. But I knew better. I chose today to ride all the way out to Fort Zachary Park. When I get there the tire seems a little low but not too bad. I walk around the beach for 30 minutes and come back to a completely flat tire. The only snack stand isn't open. The umbrella guy can't help me with the tire. But as I am starting my walk out of the parking lot, I find a dime. Lucky dime. (Pennies are not lucky for me, dimes are.) Then I see a woman at a car with bikes on it. I ask her if she has a pump. She does!!! How exciting. I can at least put in enough air to get to the bike shop. I bike as quickly as I can to the bike shop who repairs my tire in 5 minutes. Great shop. For $11, I am back to biking around town.

They say it's a very rocky beach and it is. I'm glad I had flip flops on, although water shoes would be better as I had to chase my flip flop in the surf and those rocks were tough! This is the beach:

This is looking out from the pine trees:

This is standing in the water a bit:

And although you won't believe me, I didn't stage this picture. It just appeared this way. Nature set it up for me:

Nature also set this one up for me, with a little help from mankind:

My Pal Larry

2010-05-14T19:31:00.000-04:00

I love this lizard. He's the best model ever. Until he runs away.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-14T18:55:00.000-04:00

Why did the rooster cross the road (Olivia Street by the cemetery)?

To get to the other side:

Morning Bike Ride: Friday

2010-05-14T09:07:00.000-04:00

Today was our first rain since we've been here. I got wet on my bike ride, but it was a quick downpour so I can't really complain. Paradise in the rain is still paradise.

This is the most popular sign here (more popular than "Don't block the driveway" or "It's 5 o'clock somewhere"):

It's impossible to drive on all the little one way streets with all the closures. Luckily I don't drive much. Detouring is easy on the trike.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

Take Time to Stop and Smell the Frangipani

2010-05-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

Every night I walk around the neighborhood and pick up the frangipani off the street. Unless they have used their leaf blower to blow it all away, there is usually plenty on the streets. The tour bus driver said cleaning up after flowering trees is about as much fun as raking up oak leaves.

I put the flowers in a cup with water and they stay fresh and fragrant for a couple days.

Warning: There are some that just flat out stink. I found one last night and had to throw it back on the ground. The yellow is the most fragrant, the pink is nice, and the pink and white is ok.

Pirate Seafood Located at the Chevron Station

2010-05-13T17:43:00.000-04:00

It's right around the corner from our house so we had to try it!! And it was good. Really good. The seating area is behind the blue truck. The white truck is a customer waiting for food. He sells raw and cooked food. We were going to take it home but decided to stay for the ambiance. We had to get our own drinks in the Chevron Food Mart. If we knew that, we could have brought from home!

Mom had the fish and chips (although not many chips because I forgot to ask him to make them without salt). I had the coconut shrimp with an orange marmalade sauce. And we had our first conch fritters, which are a lot like hush puppies.

He talked us in to coming back for the conch sandwich. He says it's really good and I believe him. Truly, I trust him because his steamed shrimp are made with Old Bay, he gave us a taste. (I brought my Old Bay down here with me to use for home cooking. I put it in almost everything - but not Mom's food as she can't have salt.)

Morning Bike Ride: Thursday

2010-05-13T10:08:00.000-04:00

Back to Smather's Beach. It's a nice bike ride in the morning. It's windy as heck down here. But I guess that's what keeps the clouds rolling in and looking all light and fluffy.

I think I saw a heron. I don't know birds, but perhaps that's what this is. Very tall and elegant.

Last night we went to the White Street pier. It was windy then as well:

Here's a picture of me and mom together. I'm the shadow in the front:

You can always tell the shadow a DSLR owner, that high elbow!

Larry's Friend

2010-05-12T21:55:00.000-04:00

Sometimes Larry gets bumped from his spot by a bigger lizard, but usually he's not far from the cow and will jump back on once his friend leaves.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's possibly a rooster in the making. I can't tell. Spring must be chick season, there are tons of them at various ages. The older ones spend more time alone.

Tropical Backgrounds

2010-05-12T13:09:00.002-04:00

New Photo Series!! I'm very excited to be working on a new macro series called Tropical Backgrounds. I have taken a million pictures of the plants in my yard. And I'm hoping to do the same at the Key West Garden Club. I'm so glad I brought my macro lens and extension tubes!

Here are a couple of my favorites. Both closeups of palm tree bark. Different palms of course.

The second one took many, many tries to get right. Since it's in the shade it's hard to get enough light in there to avoid camera shake. I was using a tripod and a shutter release, but even still. Plus the wind doesn't help. We hardly ever have a still day here. And it's such a small area to focus on. But I got the shot and I just love it.

Morning Bike Ride: Wednesday

2010-05-12T09:10:00.001-04:00

Today I went to the gulf side of the island. From there you can see Sunset Key which is only accessible by boat:

Also, you can see cruise ships when they are in port. I've never seen one in person. Those things are huge!! Almost in a scary way.

Ocean City is 1326 miles from Key West. That seems a bit far. Notice the trike in the left hand side. Cool, no? A jogger actually complimented my bike this morning.

I met a man named Melvin who was going swimming on a tiny little beach between the Hyatt and Pier House. It's the best swimming he said. He swims there every day. He had a sad story to tell about DC and I listened and thought that perhaps paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be. Melvin told me I was beautiful as we parted ways, so I only have nice things to say about Melvin.

Butterfly - Oops Moth

2010-05-11T20:14:00.003-04:00

I almost squished this guy. He was on the ground by a tree I was photographing. When I put my tripod down, the leaves moved. Then I figured out it wasn't leaves. Excellent disguise!! I've never seen anything like it in person. Those wings look like a painting.

EDIT: Thanks to a loyal blog reader, I have learned that my specimen is a moth. All I know of moths are the ugly little brown things that fly into lights.

Today's Cuban Sandwich

2010-05-11T20:12:00.002-04:00

In order to know what is the best Cuban sandwich, I have to try them all. Today's came from Jose's which is 1/2 block from our house on White Street. The sign outside says that it's the best Cuban sandwich in town; it was very good.

My previous Cuban sandwich came from this place (as seen from our Conch Train tour):

That's 5 Brothers on the corner of Southard and Grinnell. I wrote about them earlier.

For some reason I want to try Sandy's Cafe. It's literally a hole in a wall with a ledge outside to eat at. Their signage also advertises a Cuban sandwich.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-11T17:30:00.001-04:00

Looks like a whole family in this shot. I went down to the Post Office on Whitehead. More roosters than I can count down there. One momma had over 10 chicks following her around. I like the chicken and chick in the tree. This tree is low, but those chickens and roosters can get up pretty high.

Buy Me a House

2010-05-11T12:02:00.002-04:00

Will someone buy me a house in Key West?

I like this one because it has a yard full of frangipani trees:

If you buy me this one, you can have your own room. I'm not sure but there might be a guest house that you can have:

Both are for sale in the neighborhood behind me. Let me know if you want the realtor's name, I'll be happy to send it to you. Oh, and it would be great if I could have it by June 1, so I never have to leave.

Key West Garden Club: West Martello Tower

2010-05-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

I think I found my new favorite place on the island. It's the West Martello Tower run by the Key West Garden Club. It's on the beach and so amazing. I asked if I could come back with my tripod to get even better shots and they said sure, so I'll have more pictures.

Here's the entrance:

It's one of the few brick structures on the island. And all the plants are just gorgeous. I found frangipani:

And mini frangipani:

Some cactus by the beach:

Some flower I didn't see a name for, but it's probably so common I should know what it is:

And just so you know, Mom is going along on these day trips, she's wearing a new beach hat and a new Florida t-shirt:

Morning Bike Ride: Tuesday

2010-05-11T09:39:00.000-04:00

Today I did a similar route as yesterday. I wanted to see if I could get the fluffy clouds behind the lighthouse. Instead, what I got was an offer. This man, after impressing me with his muscles and asking me to take his picture, offered 5 minutes of Scooby Doo watching. I turned that down. I also quickly dodged a kiss and left the lighthouse area. I'm certain I have plenty of pictures of the lighthouse and will not need to return.

I also wanted to see if I could get a picture of this sign for Scott. We passed it on our Conch Train tour. I just had to find the street again. I know he would like to hang something similar at the Fibre Space shop on Fayette (but it would say 4 cars can fit here):

I did manage to find a young frangipani tree. That's the only way I would be able to take a picture of the flowers in the tree, otherwise they are always over my head:

Today's Rooster

2010-05-10T16:50:00.001-04:00

was kind enough to dress to match his decor. I still love the sound of a rooster crowing. What's odd is they don't really live in our neighborhood. The first one I see in the morning is usually two blocks away from my house.

Beach at High Noon

2010-05-10T16:28:00.008-04:00

We tried something new today, we went to the beach at noon. Mom wanted to put her feet in the water. First we stopped at Higgs Beach. It was pretty empty. And the water was almost too warm.

Then we rode up to Smather's. There was a lot more happening there. Beach volleyball and such. But not as crowded as you would think.

What is neat about the beach at noon is the color of the water. It really turns into that tropical green color with the sun high in the sky.

The garden club at Martello Tower was closed today, but it looks gorgeous. It's right off the beach as it used to be a fort. We're going back to walk around there tomorrow. How could I not go? It's one of Key West's last remaining free tourist attractions.
Here's the website

Morning Bike Ride: Monday

2010-05-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

I tried something a little different this time. I biked to Ernest Hemingway's house. It's all behind a big wall, so there's not much to see unless you pay to go in. I'll save that for another day.

But I did see the lighthouse which is no where near water. Key West is a funny place. They like to pick up buildings and move them.

EDIT: Actually I just read that they didn't move the lighthouse. When the old one was crumpled in a hurricane, they decided to build the new one 1/2 mile inland. Since then the island has built up around it so it seems to be much farther from water.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

Here he is, down by the beach. When I went to pull out my camera, he came walking right towards me. I then felt bad that I had no food to feed him, as I am certain he thought I had food.

Larry the Lizard

2010-05-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

I've named him. He is always there on the cow. Always there to look at me sideways and he never runs when he sees me approaching. He's my new model and by the time I leave, I'll have a million pictures of him.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T15:05:00.002-04:00

We started off with "surprise" salt-free blueberry pancakes. Mom brought the recipe and bought all the ingredients, so I'm pretty sure she wasn't surprised.

We walked to the newsstand for the Sunday paper. Then we went into town to do the Conch Train Tour, owned and operated by the same people who do DC Ducks. There's something. The tour was 1.5 hours and we seemed to go around and around and around the town. Here's a picture of our house from the train:

Notice that our car is missing from the driveway as we parked closer to town. We actually found a free spot by mile marker 0. We lucked out with the spot as I made a wrong turn and had to go through the Post Office, which is a haven for roosters. Anyway, Mom got to see mile marker 0 which was the only thing on her list to do. So now we can go home.

Here's a picture from our house, watching the tour train go by:

That train goes by our house every twenty minutes and turns the corner at our corner. It used to be annoying, now I've gotten use to it.

We got off the train and got some free Mother's Day ice cream at Mathieson's. Very good. Then we spent more time in a souvenir shop then we should have. Some very fine Russian 21-year old boy was flirting with us, more with Mom than me. He actually counted the number of flamingos that were on her shirt. (Need I say where those flamingos were located?)

After that we headed to Kelly's for lunch. It was highly recommended, so we had to eat there. It was nice eating outside. Here's Mom's lobster BLT:

I ate some of the bacon for her, so she wouldn't overload on salt.

And thanks to Shawn, we had to stop by Kino's. Now I owe yet another pair of sandals. For $12 I couldn't pass them up! They are made right here in Key West. http://www.kinosandalfactory.com/

What a great Mother's Day. I'm so exhausted, I have to go float around in the pool for an hour or two before dinner.

Front Yard: Trike

2010-05-08T19:30:00.002-04:00

This is our front yard. It's not very wide, but we can park our trike right there. Don't be fooled, it is locked to a tree. Apparently bikes and front porch furniture are easily stolen around here. It's why our porch is barren, I believe.

Dream House

2010-05-08T14:32:00.001-04:00

I picked my dream house. It takes up about 1/2 of a city block. It's peach in color with a peach wall that surrounds the entire house. It's two stories and the third story has a roof deck that I'm sure you can see the Atlantic Ocean from since it is only two blocks to Higgs Beach. It's one of three or four houses on that street so it's really quiet. I'm guessing behind that peach wall is a pool that is an oasis. And I'm pretty sure it has a guest house. The foliage that hangs over the wall is stunning. That's where I want to live.

Here's a house that's probably out of my price range:

Lizard!!

2010-05-08T14:16:00.000-04:00

Here's another one. This one hangs out on the plaster cow that sits in our front yard. It's known as the Cow House because of that life size cow. Anyway, this lizard is there all the time. I think he likes the white background. And he's not afraid of me, all the other lizards in the yard run away.

Frangipani

2010-05-08T11:07:00.001-04:00

I think I have found my favorite flower down her. Frangipani. It grows on a tree and it's incredibly fragrant. I'll have to try and get a picture of the flower still on the tree. I just pick them off the sidewalk as I walk by. The colors are gorgeous as well.

I didn't know what the name of the flower was. On our morning walk we stopped in a shop and the lady behind the counter said to me, "That's a big Frangipani you got there." I assumed she was talking about the flower and that she wasn't hitting on me.

Morning Bike Ride: Saturday

2010-05-08T09:40:00.000-04:00

Today, for some reason I looked like the person with all the answers. I was approached by two people. The first, a man in search of a coffee shop. I don't drink coffee so I was of no help. The second, a girl in search of a topless beach. Also a topic where my experience is nil. The girl, however, was in the mood for a chat. She told me all about her trip from Colorado. This week alone she's gone parasailing, snorkeling, night diving, boat riding and all I could say when she asked what I've done, rode my bike to the beach and floated in the pool. Hmm... am I doing something wrong here?

Here's the lovely girl looking for a topless beach:

Today, the sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds. So I had to go to my usual spot on Smather's Beach and take pictures. Aren't the clouds just perfect?

What I love about the beaches in Florida are the food shacks. In Maryland your lucky if the ice cream truck comes to the end of the beach. In Florida you can order full meals right there on the beach.

And here is my rake man, the lone guy in charge of removing all the seaweed from the beach. I see him every morning. What a job.

Lizard!!

2010-05-07T21:16:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love lizards. They are the cutest things ever. I smile every time one runs past. This one stayed still long enough for me to get a picture. I just have to learn to sit and be still, then more lizards will come to visit me.

Welcome to Our House

2010-05-07T21:14:00.000-04:00

Most of you have seen the rental images, but here are some taken by me.

Our front door:

The second floor porch that I am constantly locking myself out on:

The formal living room:

The media room:

It really is beautiful here. More space then we know what to do with.

Cuban Sandwich from 5 Bros.

2010-05-07T13:40:00.000-04:00

I had the cuban sandwich from 5 Brothers today. It was very good. We had to eat it at home because the shop is barely big enough to hold the employees. The cashier tells me the coffee is awesome, but I'll have to take her word for it since I don't drink coffee.

Don't worry, Mom had the tuna sandwich. Probably not totally salt free, but less salt than this sandwich!! Oh, and she thought we were eating at Five Guys. Perhaps this is the Cuban version of a hamburger and fries.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-07T10:28:00.000-04:00

I caught in mid-crow!!! How exciting.

We are down by the tennis courts. Sometimes he stops and watches the game and sometimes he runs away like the balls are going to come through the fence and hit him.

Community Garden

2010-05-07T10:26:00.001-04:00

My Mom and my nephew Jordan have a plot in a community garden back home. I hope Jord is taking good care of it while we are down here.

I was happy to run across the community garden in Key West on one of my bike rides. It was locked, so I couldn't go in and look at all the strange tropical vegetables - it's possible that ALL vegetables look strange to me. Mom and Jord's garden is wide open, no barriers whatsoever and right next to a skateboard park. They are lucky that skateboarders are not vegetable stealers.

And that sky, unedited and no polarizer filter. The blues are crazy down here.

Morning Bike Ride: Friday

2010-05-07T10:21:00.001-04:00

I went to Smather's Beach again. The water was a warm as bath water. That's my feet in that super clear water. That's as far as I can go in with my camera. One day, I'll have to leave the camera home and go for a swim.

I am fascinated by the seaweed. It's pretty and there's tons of it. Although I am getting up too late to see it covering the beach, as the man with the rake is there before I am. Here is evidence of him:

I know he is not alone in his quest to rid the beaches of seaweed. But it's a romantic notion to think one man cleans the entire beach by himself. They say in Ocean City, MD (where I always vacationed as a child), the beach cleaning trucks haul away mostly cigarette butts, here it's seaweed.

This is a part of the beach that hasn't been cleaned off. There's quite a difference.

And here is my homage to the one set of footprints poem:

Some pictures you just have to take! You'll notice that mine includes seaweed.

Mallory Square

2010-05-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

Well, we had to do it. Mallory Square at sunset. That's Mom with a drink in hand. She fit right in.

There was a huge crowd, lots of performers, tons of stray cats and plenty to eat and drink. I liked the guy with the trained cats the best. The Silver Man was a bit creepy.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-06T14:52:00.000-04:00

is a bunny. The Southernmost Hotel has bunnies running loose on their property. You never know what you'll find running around in this town. I'm hoping to get a photo of a lizard, but those suckers are fast.

Eddie and Helvetia 08

2010-05-06T09:41:00.002-04:00

Do you think they are still together?

Morning Bike Ride

2010-05-06T09:11:00.002-04:00

I seem to like to ride to the beach in the morning. Here is a picture postcard image of Higgs Beach. I was there late (after 7am), most of the seaweed had been transported away. I wonder what they do with it.

And this is an image of the water. Look how clear it is! Water shoes would definitely come in beneficial here if you want to walk around in the water, unless you have feet of steel. And those ripples are all the waves you'll see out here.

Amelia Street

2010-05-06T09:04:00.002-04:00

Last night we took a tour of the island by car. We weaved our way around to Amelia Street and just had to take a picture. I wonder if it's foreshadowing that Amelia is on the corner of William.

84 degrees at night

2010-05-05T22:36:00.001-04:00

It's 10:30 and 84 degrees. That's a little warm. I can't imagine what summer is like.

I Work Best Here

2010-05-05T21:26:00.002-04:00

Maybe I am like Tennessee Williams. But I know there are some who would say that I DON'T work anywhere much less here!

Key Lime Pie on a Stick

2010-05-05T16:50:00.001-04:00

I'm going to say this even though I think it will get me kicked out of the Keys. I hate key lime pie. I confirmed that today when we stopped and had key lime pie dipped in chocolate on a stick. How could anything dipped in chocolate be wrong? Well, it just was. At least we got that out of the way.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-05T16:44:00.001-04:00

is a chicken and her chicks. She was traveling with two roosters (and two stray cats), but they wouldn't all get together and pose for a group shot no matter how many times I asked them to say cheese.

Truman Annex

2010-05-05T11:58:00.002-04:00

To me, it's like Disney's version of Key West. If they had a Key West street in Disney World it would look just like this. It's so perfect, you felt out of place walking down the street, like people didn't belong there. I'm sure cameras were following us the whole time making sure we weren't there to steal something. I won't tell you what we did steal.

Smather's Beach

2010-05-05T11:55:00.000-04:00

I biked there this morning at 7am. Just gorgeous. This is my vision of heaven. The sky really is that blue, I didn't have my polarizer filter on and I didn't edit the picture as I forgot to bring all my Photoshop actions.

I like that there's a bike path to the beach, so I don't have to bike on the road. Although everybody does it here. There's more bikes than cars I think, and there are a lot of cars. I love the trike I got for my Mom. And she loves it so much she wants to take it home. That might be a problem.

Tour Stopped

2010-05-05T09:10:00.001-04:00

Had to stop the tour of Truman Annex to take a call. It's like traveling with a teenager.

Sandals

2010-05-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

What is it about a beach town that makes you want to buy sandals? I brought every pair that I own and I still managed to buy another pair yesterday. And it's Day 2. Unbelievable. I'm now certain I'm coming home with 15 Key West t-shirts, 5 key chains, 2 magnets, 1 car sticker and some shell necklaces and anklets. Oh, I might have to buy a Key West baseball cap as well.

Today's Rooster

2010-05-04T20:00:00.006-04:00

Here he is. I caught him down at Mallory Square. What a handsome fella. He wasn't skittish at all. I guess when you choose to hang out at the most popular tourist attraction in Key West, you learn not to be skittish.

I thought they only crowed at dawn. It's not true, you hear them all day long. City people, what do we know?

First House I Booked

2010-05-04T19:53:00.003-04:00

Some of you may remember the first house I booked about a year ago. I was coming here alone and only needed a one bedroom house. And this was it:

It looks so small now! I upgraded to another house when my Mom was suddenly retired (not the one we are in right now, that house was changed to the one we are in on the Thursday before we left).

That small house is on Frances Street right across from the cemetery. Which was quite neat to bike around in. I took the trike. I figure we can share the bike. I like taking pictures down here, the skies are always gorgeous.

After every bike ride, you need to go in the pool. Here's Mom:

And her self portrait of her green toes which she painted just for this trip (you would hope anyway). That insanely pale person you see to the right is me in the shade trying not to burn.

Pool Side in Key West

2010-05-04T13:59:00.004-04:00

I'm attempting to upload video. If it works, you'll see our lovely pool with fountain. You also notice, my one coke a day by one chair, and by another is my book and ice tea. There's my cell phone case, as I'm required to work while lounging by the pool, and some things that float. We brought the noodle from DC, because one thing you can't find here is swim noodles. (???)

Life is tough down here.

Sightseeing on Duval Street

2010-05-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

My favorite part of Duval Street was the St. Paul's Episcopal Church. They had their holy water in a shell. How appropriate for this town. Beautiful church open to all for prayer.

May is a bit hot down here, so the trick is to do all your touristy stuff before 10am. And then stay inside all afternoon!!! That works out for me. I'll get in a walk and a swim and do any work I have after that (as I am suppose to be working part time down here, but with all the touristy stuff and blog writing, I have very little time for real work. Don't tell my boss.)

I also stopped by this recommended place. I didn't eat there as it was 9:00 in the morning. But I did get a picture. I hear it's good.

Mom tried out the trike again while I went walking. I told her to get out there before the heat comes back! She managed to go up a couple blocks on White Street. She says there is lots of nice shops up there.

After I took a picture of this house, I learned that it's a $5 million home. It has a mosaic pool and a guest house in the back. Did I mention that the people are friendly down here? I can't stop them from talking to me. It's time to learn to be social.

What day is it today?

Salt-free Dinner

2010-05-03T19:40:00.000-04:00

How come when I cook in Key West it's the same as when I cook at home? It's not totally the same, Mom added the vegetables, and that beer - it's hers not mine. And that colorful blue plate is different. But the chicken (on sale - my family will appreciate that) and rice is same. The grill here is much nicer than mine. Twice as big too.

The foliage is the view from our outdoor eating area. How nice. It's very green here. John, the lawn guy says it's overgrown and messy. But what do we know, we're from up north, our weeds look different there. The weeds here look like ferns. As for John, everybody talks to us here. EVERYBODY. They are some of the friendliest people I've ever met.

As it happens, I have my first sunburn. It's not bad, just a little pink on the arms. I have to remember the sun screen. I didn't think I was out there very long, but it doesn't take long this far south!

We put the trike together. That was a chore outside in the intense heat. I felt like quitting 16 times, but we finally finished. The reflectors rattle and the seat swivels. Mom gave it a short test drive, but then gave up because it was so incredibly hot. Hopefully, she get up early and go for a early morning bike ride. I think she'll really enjoy the morning weather and lack of traffic.

Went swimming twice, changed clothes three times. The second shower in my bathroom I use solely to hang my bath suit in. My bathing suit has it's own room. Is this what it's like to be rich?

Roosters!

2010-05-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to actually see them. I heard them all along my walk to the beach, but then I came upon this house that had 6 or so walking around. The are a little skittish and were not fond of me getting close but I managed to get a shot. Apparently I'll get many more chances to take their picture since they run wild all over the island. That's just so cool.

See, I'm Actually in the Keys

2010-05-03T09:52:00.001-04:00

The beach is beautiful in the early morning. I read about the amount of seaweed, so I wasn't surprised by the quantity of it. There was even a man raking it down by the pier. Seems like an endless job for him.

1st Day Observations

2010-05-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

Before most of you got in to work, I walked to the beach and took a swim in the pool. These pictures are taken from the pool. One is looking over to the house and the other is looking to the neighbor's house. I took it with my underwater housing. I have other fun shots, but I thought you might like to see a bit of the house first before I get all arty with my shots.

Here are my morning observations:
1. All trucks that go through Key West must travel down White Street.
2. Single pane milk glass, while historically accurate and beautiful, is not sound proof.
3. The homeless in Key West ride bikes and have back packs, as opposed to DC homeless, who push shopping carts and have trash bags. (One nice man told me the devil is going to shatter my camera lens, and I should avoid looking directly in the devil's eyes - which has always been a mandate of mine, but I still thanked him for the early morning reminder.)
4. I knew it was time to get up by the sound of roosters on every street corner. Fascinating.

So far I plan on never leaving. So if you want to see me again, you'll have to do it in the Keys.

We're Here!!

2010-05-03T02:09:00.000-04:00

I'm glad you can walk anywhere on this island, because I'm not getting in that car ever again. That is one long drive. I feel like I've left a part of my butt in that seat and I don't mean that in a good way. (?)

I will have pictures of the house tomorrow. It's crazy big. I've already locked myself out on the second floor porch and my mother couldn't figure out where the knocking was coming from. I lost my mother twice in here. She keeps shutting doors so she doesn't accidentally walk in the wrong room. I'm not kidding. I should be, but I'm not.

The pool water is just perfect, I've put my feet in already. I laid in the hammock, it's perfect. I've lost some things already because I can't remember what room I put them in. It took me 10 minutes to find the bread that Mom made me bring from DC. Bread. And you all think I'm bad. Speaking of things my mother brought... remember her one bag limit? Well, she managed to stuff about 5 bags in my car along with a bread machine. See why I have limits? I should have charged her an extra $20 per bag, she might have packed more judiciously.

This town looks much better in person that it did on Google Street View! I've spent a year touring this island on google, but nothing compares to being here in person.

Tomorrow brings more adventures, I'll be sure to tell you what they are. Assuming I can find my way out of this master suite and I haven't lost my mother in one of those closed off rooms.

95 Looks the Same in Every State

2010-05-02T13:03:00.001-04:00

Except for the palm trees and the road kill in Georgia is armadillos.

Guess Where We Ate Today

2010-05-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

Rest Stops

2010-05-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Florida's rest stop is the nicest by far. Big, clean with free orange juice. Only 6 hours to Miami. 4 more hours to Key West.

Georgia's on Our Mind

2010-05-02T07:27:00.001-04:00

Only one more state and we're there. Luckily is a short jaunt from here.

Charleston

2010-05-01T21:03:00.001-04:00

This is all we got out of the car to see in Charleston. After 9 hours in the car we weren't up for sightseeing. But we did do a car tour of downtown which was beautiful. We followed a tourist trolley and went through some amazing little neighborhoods. And the mansions along the water are just gorgeous. I can see why people like it here. But I'm just going to sleep so I no longer have to see the decor of this room!