On the left Bobby, my massage therapist, on his left his partner Michael. They are locals. Their extravagant costumes epitomise the fun some people in Key West have with the whole Fantasy Fest thing. I am not one of them, I'm much more like this trim neat elegant observer of the local's parade Friday afternoon, though I am not nearly as trim, neat nor elegant. I'm pretty sure he isn't a local.
"I have no idea what's coming behind me," this apparition said as he floated off down Fleming Street. Neither did we though I had a pretty good idea...
There was music at the beginning though mercifully the overmodulated strains of the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction faded long before the parade was over.
The parade Saturday night down Duval Street (while I was working) is a carefully orchestrated affair and very fine it is too. I took some pictures when I was there last year. This year I couldn't be present at the parade so I dragged my wife to the informal local's parade from the cemetery to Duval Street. Informal is the theme:
Les was out, rolling down Fleming Street. He got married recently, but had to to go out of State to Vermont, I think, because he couldn't marry his partner in Florida. God forbid. Les you see, would ruin marriage for heterosexuals like me if he was allowed to get hitched in the Sunshine State. Surprising but true apparently. Congratulations Les.
It's the gay lifestyle they tell us. All that nasty exposure oif flesh and general misbehaving in the streets would just go rampant if we let them get married. Not like us normal people.
Rich was out and about being rampantly heterosexual. You last saw him in this blog singing his heart out in a scene invovling Officer Krupke during the Keys Chorale out door concert at the college. He stopped by and mentioned there won't be an outdoor concert this year which is a bummer. I liked his costume though. Enjoy the holidays in New Jersey, Rich, and remember to put something on before you go. 
Check out those pink crocs! I should have been in costume after all...but not like this:
And here's full length shot of Bobby and Michael. The sun was at an awkward angle, but the poor exposure does not I hope, obscure their superb outfits: 
Bobby hamming it up for the appreciative crowds:
I am reliably informed that is a man in there. Disappointing really. 
These looked like real women though I had long since lost my ability to figure it out:
Blood sucking bankers indeed. Glad they weren't left out of the parade. Bernie Madoff was in the crowd as well. I did not get the impression these guys were real poofs. They were wearing plastic buttocks in the rear.
Captain Jack took some pains to get dressed for the occasion:
Andy Griffiths, the chair of the School Board, well supplied for the trek down Fleming Street:
Oh.My.God..
Enough of that. We joined the parade when we had had enough and pushed the wife's Vespa to the nearest intersection to make our escape. Along the way my wife spotted Andy and Christina strolling along, she dressed as a fairy (I think) and he was pretty much naked I think, except that because I know him I felt awkward about taking a quick peek and asking if it was real so I kept eye contact, as one does with naked aquaintances, and chatted about boats, as one does and wished him a pleasant evening as we boarded the Vespa and buzzed back to the land of the fully clothed.
