It happened that I was in town in the car because even I have not yet figured out how to haul 4 cases of mineral water 26 miles to my home from GFS, the bulk food store, on the back of a Bonneville. So I was forced to park the car on Elizabeth Street, the street closest to Duval without meters, and walk, which is anyway a pleasure. I saw a few interesting little things that I recorded for posterity. The cleaners on Elizabeth street for instance, that I find reminiscent of an earlier time, the terrazzo floor, the big fan whirring and the couch for the customers!
I am one of the few in Key West that really enjoy the summer heat that is upon us. I like the bright white light of summer, I enjoy the sheen of sweat that comes so easily to one's limbs, I like breathing the hot sticky air as I walk, I feel as though I am swimming underwater. I took a picture of the ATM at Bank of America which shone bright white in the sunlight 
Cycling is still something that people do, like mad dogs under the summer sun. I liked this guy, looking tired but unbeaten by the heat, on Bahama Street:
On Fleming Street the city wants to remind people that bicycles have to follow the rules of the road, and I rather liked this sign so I took a picture for no particular reason:
For some people its getting too warm to use their bicycles so they park the in the garage during the heat of the day. This is a typical Key West,Old Town garage:
Or, if you rented an apartment in Old Town you might have a flight of stairs to climb, a long one too, like Jacob's Ladder. It looks romantic but imagine a 600 square foot apartment with uneven floors and funky cupboards cooled by a noisy expensive window air conditioner blowing cold air in one spot. And for all this at the top of these stairs, or any others like them, you could be paying $1200 a month. 
I mention it as an example, to remind those of you contemplating a move to the coolest city of a possible pitfall. Perhaps the person living in this Paradise pays just $500 a month and monitors the homeowner's cat. You just never know. On the subject of homes I liked the plaque on this porch, not to mention the balloon:
If I lived in Old Town I'd like a brass sign like that on my porch. I'd like friends who sent balloons while i was at work, too, though I have no idea what this is all about. When writing about downtown key West one feels a certain obligation to illustrate the streets with any number of pretty conch homes. Here's one of no particular merit or demerit for the record:
I like the combination of formal frontage combined with the greenery and the delicate porches; Tara meets Conch. There is a ton of them like this around town, you practically can't point a camera without snapping one.
When I did the essay on pocket parks I missed this one on Southard Street just off Duval. Its not a real park at all, its just a small open space with unfortunately no benches to sit on. But it does have a wrap/sandwich shop with pleasant open air seating and my doctor's waiting room looks out on Key Lime Square and he keeps some frigid air conditioning in his office:
Back up Bahama Street I saw a sight that I walk past unnoticed any day I'm on Southard Street except when I am on the look out for things to look at and photograph:
Some people don't seem to quite get the concept of old Key West, the narrow streets, the short distances, the lack of space to swing a cat in:
Others embrace Key West's preference for alternative transportation, an embrace that goes back far beyond the first stirrings of high cost gasoline:
Note the black garbage bag for a seat cover, the absence of a left hand mirror and the ever useful basket. These old Honda Elite 50s haven't been built for years but they keep on running. Mine carried me down the Boulevard at 38 miles per hour day after day on my way to work downtown. I regretted selling it when I went for the flashier and unreliable Stella 150. I view all Elite work horses with a certain fondness these days.
Recently when I did an essay on Fleming Street a reader pointed out that Key West may have one of the best needlework stores anywhere, so this time I stopped by. Julie, the owner laughed when I told her I had never seen her store- she's been in business here for 22 years, across from Faustos, and started on Duval in the mid 70's and says she still finds lots of people discover her for the first time. She thought my travels around town learning to look at things for the first time was cool enough but I was blown away by all her pictures and designs for needlepoint, an activity I know nothing about:
We had a good time reminiscing about the good old days, the baseball diamond on Peary Court and the commissioner who locked himself to a tree. And all that stuff about how regular people continue to live in Key West. She's thinking about closing for the summer now that her kids are in college and heading north to escape the heat.I had to high tail it out of there to get to my movie and there was but one more fleeting picture to be taken on the way:
This used to a Dunkin Donuts franchise but they withdrew from the city when the only people their local store seemed to employ was undocumented workers. The Feds made a very well publicized bust and the corporation seemed to get cold feet about the warmest, southernmost city. Now the outlets are on their own. Despite the fact I work for the Police department I have never been in since the changeover. I shall have to change that, as research, you understand, for this blog.
