This Week on the Island 05/13/2007

'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.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are a PARROT HEAD you may recognize the pictures this week. One is Marine Bank in the old Dennis' Pharmacy building and the other is Henrietta's on Patronia just off Whitehead in Bahama Village where Dennis Pharmacy's restaurant moved.

This week I read 'Through The Looking Glass' by Carroll Lewis and 'Andersen's Fairy Tales' by Hans Christian Andersen on line at http://www.classicbookshelf.com/library/

The Weather: Same as it has been for weeks and weeks and weeks. Sunny, low humidity and in the mid 80's. In other words, beautiful but DRY. We are still under water restriction.

Duval Street is busy when the cruise ships are in, but it get pretty empty after about 3:00 PM when the ships leave. People in the tourist business are already having a 'slow' time, but I love it.

Sunday we were invited to a party at a friends house. They have a beautiful place on Riviera Canal. There was bar-b-que and beer and a band. The weather was wonderful and their place was full of friends. Life is good.

Monday morning it was cool with a strong wind blowing out of the north. We cut off the A/C and opened the doors and windows. It only got into the low 80's all day.

Tuesday morning I found that someone had egged the Hummer's new paint job. Spent about an hour cleaning it up. We are starting to get smoke from the fires in Georgia and north Florida. Andrea, the sub-tropical storm sitting off the coast of Georgia, is pushing the smoke down to the Key's. There are about 200 fires burning in Florida this week. It does make the sunsets even more beautiful.

Wednesday I did my first bicycle ride all the way around the island since my knee replacement surgery. The USS Enterprise is off Key West. The pilots at the Boca Chica Navy Base are doing practice takeoffs and landings on the aircraft carrier. Also the Buffett tour stopped in our living room. Seems the parrot heads on the tour wanted Tim to introduce them to the people that own the big red Hummer.

Thursday: can you say kayak.

Friday was my 63rd celebration of my birthday. Spent some time at Schooner Wharf listening to Michael McCloud. I carried a cake and shared it with my friends.

Saturday I spent a little time talking to the homeless guys at Mallory Square. They play a game call 'boot toss'. It is an old Scottish game with some homeless guy rules. It appears to be a little like horse shoes except that you throw for a line. Closest to the line wins, except when a boot lands upside down (sole up), then it is game over. No one here wears boots, so they play with a pair of combat boots.

And so goes another week of my life.

There are many wonderful things to view here: sunsets, the clear water, the multicolored fish swimming, happy faces enjoying their vacation, etc, etc. One thing I check every morning is http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html to get a look at what the Hubble telescope can see in space.

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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