This Week on the Island 06/26/2011

'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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The first picture this week (click to enlarge) is “His and Hers Tricycle motorcycles’ parked on Lazy Lane behind Schooner Wharf. (The couple driving the tricycles was in their 70’s). The second picture is ‘5 Parrots in a Palm Tree’ award. The Third picture is from the Citizen Newspaper and is the ring from the Atocha.

"On this 24th day of June, the Office of Key West Honorary Mayor Gonzo Mays is proud to present Doug Bennett with the Honorary Mayor's 5 Parrots In A Palm Tree Award of Excellence for his outstanding 'THIS WEEK ON THE ISLAND' blogspot. Congratulations Doug and forever peace, parrots and palm trees to you!"

Weather: June 21, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of summer. It was in the low 80’s when I got up to walk the dogs. When I got back I was sweating because of the high humidity. The high was in the high 80’s for the day. There is not a lot of change in the temperature here between day and night. The waters around the island warm up and that keeps it from cooling off very much at night.

The book this week was ‘Free Range Institution’ by Michael Haskins.

School is out and lots of young folks are in town. There are also lots of families enjoying themselves. I ran into a group of young girls from Oklahoma. They had never seen the ocean before. They were having a good time and getting ready to go parasailing.

Key West had a law that no alcoholic beverages could be sold from 4:00 AM until 12:00 Midday on Sunday. Stock Island does not have that law. So on Sunday people went to Stock Island to get their beer, etc for their early morning fishing trips. The big deal was waiting in the bars until the bell rang at 12 noon on Sunday before the waiters could bring you a beer. That law has been repealed.

The HOB school in midtown was built at 60 feet in an area where the height restriction is 25 feet. The city has decided that there is nothing they can do, but the rest of the buildings must be built at ‘a more reasonable height’. Not at the 25 feet restriction but at ‘a more reasonable height’. What a sell-out.

Saturday two young couple from Charleston, SC set at the table next to me and Boca at Schooner. I enjoyed our conversation.

The Spanish Galleon, Nuestra Senora de Atocha, sank 35 miles off the Key West coast in a hurricane in September 1622. Mel Fisher and crew discovered the wreak and have recovered about ½ billion dollars in gold, silver, and precious stones. This week they brought up a rectangular 10 carrot emerald and gold ring worth about 1/2million dollars.
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And so my wife of 40 years said ‘What would you like for Fathers Day’? I thought: I want someone to love me and stay with me thru it all. I want a dog or two that love me and like to take walks. I want to be retired and have nothing to do but enjoy whatever I want to do at the moment. I want to live on a warm sunny tropical island. I want people to know me and be friends and like my company and come over to me to introduce themselves. I want a little junk car convertible (big enough for my wife and dogs) that gets me around my little island. I don’t want a lot of money, just enough to pay my bills and a few dollars extra to enjoy myself. I want good health and a good health system to take care of me when things go wrong.

And then she said ‘No, I meant what do you want to do for Fathers Day? I said let’s go to Schooner Wharf with the dogs and listen to Michael McCloud. We could get an adult beverage or two, some food, and enjoy the day. She said, ‘We can do that any day.’ I said, ‘Yes we can’. Life is good.

Key West, You have got to love it
'Living the life that others dream'
Doug Bennett
Lat 24.5591N, Long 81.8016W

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Sassi dancing to Schooner Wharf Bar Dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbxD3D-rPqo