This Week on the Island 05/21/2006

'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.
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Key West: a city of change. The pictures this week are (1) 'The La Brisca' on the foot of Simonton Street. It was built in 1896 and was 'THE' Key West gathering spot to dance, swim, and listen to band concerts. (2) 'The La Brisca' after the hurricane of October 1910. You will note that a small house floated down the street with the tide and was deposited in the street in front of the building. The 'Sands Restaurant and Beach Club' would later be built on this spot. The Pier House with the Chart Room now stand on this location. In 1896 Simonton was the main street thru Key West and Duval Street was still a salt pond. The salt pond was filled in after this hurricane and Duval Street was extended to the Gulf.

The Weather: It started raining Monday night and rained all day Tuesday and finally quit on Wednesday. It was a slow steady rain so most it soaked into the coral ground. Just the kind of rain we needed. The first in 6 months. It was wonderful, I guess the rainy season has started. So you see, we do have seasons. The dry season, the wet season, hurricane season, etc.

This weeks book was 'Tempting the Tempest' by Nikki Wood. It is about a future hurricane, Hurricane Noel that hits Louisiana in 2006. I enjoyed the book although most of it deals with a madman trying to kill the two women that are part of a news team that is covering the hurricane.

Jo decided to 'remodel' the kitchen. She picked out new cabinets, had them delivered, hired some guys to install them, and then went up north to America and left me with the construction crew. The end of the week is here and the cabinets are up and the kitchen looks good. Now it is time to order the counter top and sink. It look like at least a 5 week delivery time. I think I will reinstall the old sink on a plywood counter top for the wait.

Turtle Kraal's is having the old lookout tower removed. It was in pretty bad shape and had been closed for a few years.

On Saturday we had some folks having wedding pictures taken in front of our hibiscus in front of our house.

We like to call Key West a 2 x 4 island because it is about 2 miles by 4 miles. The Key West that most people see is Old Town which is south of White Street. That narrows the Key West most people know to a 1 x 1 place called 'Old Town'. The grid for the streets here was laid out and many of the houses built well over 150 years ago. After the great fire of April 1886, most of the homes were rebuilt. So although Key West keeps changing, it is about the same as it has always been. If someone returned from early 1900's they would find all streets and most buildings to be the same as they remember them. They may find a pizza place in their old living room, but the house will still be there.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conky Tonkin'- Jimmy Buffett
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.5597N, Long 81.8016W

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