Saturday, May 27, 2006

This Week on the Island 05/28/2006




'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 of 'Eyebrow' houses. In the old days in Key West, houses were built to stay cool. This construction opportunity lead to 'Eyebrow' houses. The house is 2 story but looks 1 story with the roof extending over the porch and covering the windows upstairs. This means that the upstairs window can remain open at all times and create a draft thru the lower floor and out the upstairs windows. 'Eyebrow' houses come in all sizes, from little Conch houses to mansions.
Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThisWeekontheIsland/ , click PHOTOS and then click EYEBROWHOUSES for a few more pic's.

The Weather: Billings, MT, 91 degrees; Dallas, TX 95 degrees; ST Louis, MO, 93 degrees; Key West, FL low mid 70's at night and high mid 80's in the day.

This weeks book was 'Portraits: Wooden Houses of Key West' by Sharron Wells and Lawson Little. It is mainly a picture book and gave me the chance to bicycle around the island and look at some of the houses in the book. Another book was 'Yesterday's Florida Keys' by Stan Windhorn and Wright Langley. It also was a picture book with some interesting photo's.

We have had some friends in town this week, Randy and Jean from South Carolina. We met them when we were members of the Sandlapper Parrot Head Club of Rock Hill, SC. We also spent some time with a group of Parrot Heads from Panama City, FL.

Sunday will be the 'Minimum Regatta' at Schooner Wharf. Each team of 6 people will build a boat from one 1/4 inch plywood, two 2x4's, a roll of duck tape and a pound of screws. No calking or glue is allowed, but the boat may be painted. The local Parrot Head Club will race the 'Drunkin Parrot' for the third time. We put fresh paint on it while we drank a few adult beverages. Pictures and more info next week.

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

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