This Week on the Island 07/31/2005

'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 Weather: Sunny and bright.

This week's book was 'Key West Tales' by John Hersey. Some of the stories were great and some I didn't enjoy. But I do enjoy reading about Key West. One short story was 'They're Signaling'. It was in the Indian days of Key West, the edge of town was Elizabeth Street (2 blocks from Duval going east) and Eaton Street (2 blocks from Sloppy Joe's going south). Everyone in town was getting ready for the Indian attack as the Indians beat on drums. Two men go into the brush to see where the Indians are located. They find the sound of drums beating coming from an old dog scratching fleas on top of a wooden cistern.

Mini lobster season was this week. Commercial lobster season starts Monday, 1 Aug. There are two days before lobster season (Wed & Thur) when people other than commercial lobster men can catch a few lobster. It is a real hassle. The tourist come here and raid the local lobster traps, they dive in private waters, they catch their daily limit and then go back out and catch their daily limit again, they catch too small lobster and don't throw them back, and all in all are a pain in the backside. Other parts of the Key's have made it illegal to dive in water less than 1 mile from shore and all cannels and rivers are off limits. We had lots of people arrested ( no license, lobster too small, shooting lobster with spear gun, too many lobster, catching lobster before sunrise and after dark, lobstering in private cannels, etc, etc), we also had 3 people drown, and 5 killed in wreaks on the highway (someone crossed the center line on the 18 mile stretch and caused a head-on between two vehicles).

Aug 7th: Battle of the Bars at Schooner Wharf

Key West, You have got to love it
'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conky Tonkin'- Jimmy Buffett
Doug Bennett