This Week on the Island 05/17/2009

'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 picture this week (click to enlarge) is ‘The new boardwalk’. I peddled across the island on White Street to White Street Pier and took a left toward Smathers Beach. About ½ mile from Higgs Beach I saw the city had finally completed this little boardwalk. It leads to a nice little sandy beach on the Atlantic side of the island.

Weather: Mid 80’s in the day and mid 70’s at night with some humidity. We actually have had some rain at night. I guess the raining season is getting here before June.

The book this week was ‘Training Your Human’ by Tess the dog. It was listed as ‘The Definitive Guide for Dogs’ on ‘How to bring out the best in your human’. I think Sassi helped write it.

Things Tourist Say: ‘What kind of money do you use here?’

Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM was the start of ‘Shrimp Tuesday’ on the Sunset Pier at the end of Duval. Shrimp were unloaded from the shrimp boat and served with corn and slaw for $5. We enjoyed ourselves and the sunset was as beautiful as always.

There is a bull shark swimming just outside the bight and Mallory Square It is taking the fish off the lines of the anglers. He has a reputation of butting the boats. I think I may put off kayaking for a few days.

A mangrove tree grows in the salt water and puts down tangled roots that trap sediment that in many years will develop into an island. The interesting thing is that it needs fresh water to survive, so it pulls in the salt water, sends the salt to a leaf and the rest of the tree thrives. The leaf with the salt will turn yellow and fall off and another leaf will be selected to receive the salt. Small creatures use its root system to hide from predators. http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4H/Red_mangrove/redmangr.htm

The Schooner Halie & Matthews is docked in the space that used to hold the Schooner Liberty Clipper which has gone to Boston. That same space used to hold the Schooner America which has gone to California. http://www.schoonerhaliematthew.com/

There was the second annual KEYS100 Ultra marathon last Saturday. A race for runners starting Saturday at 6 AM in Key Largo and ending 100 miles later in Key West. There were 300 competitors with some running the entire 100 miles, some running 50 miles and some with 6 person teams.

This week was the 125th celebration of Truman’s Little White House here in Key West.

It has now been 10 years since I last went to work, way back in the last century (May 1999). Life is good.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.55967N, Long 81.80169W

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Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow_l9kgPmuQ