Key West Gratitude

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

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!

I will miss the beautiful colors found on this island:

Trike Exchange

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.