700 William

William Street does a weird jog around Charlie's Groceries, one among a gadzillion inconvenience stores in Key West though this one has been around a while.

The white concrete block building marks one of the more tortured intersections in a city that struggles with right angles in streets and in construction generally. The 19th century cemetery was designed to sit on the edge of town when it was built in the middle of the island. It seemed like a good idea at the time owing to a hurricane that blew open the beach side cemetery scattering corpses and coffins. In those far off days this area was on the very limits of the urban development of Florida's wealthiest city. So they put the dead people out here and then, over time, the living caught up to them and now the dead are surrounded by a maze of awkwardly shunted streets. The seven hundred block of William is marked by this magnificent structure, the add-on to the original shown by the completely different roof line.:
Vehicles clutter the street as they always do in Key West especially in winter.

Though some few lucky souls enjoy the benefit of Off Street Parking. On an island 2 miles by four (3km x 6km Canadian) a structure this size could easily be rented for living space. I doubt the owners need to violate zoning laws to pay the mortgage.

Once you get behind the palisade of parked cars you can frequently find some lovely homes: Did I say parked cars? I should have included parked boats. This one is technically off the street but it makes for a nice botany experiment to amuse passers by. Who needs a daggerboard on dry land anyway? "We seceded where others failed" is the theme of the well worn mutiny against the Border Patrol in 1982. Conch Republic Days will be upon us soon to mark the end of snowbird season when all the unoccupied homes will be rolled up for the summer and some sort of somnolence will sink over the city until schools get out and the next wave of visitors shows up to save our city budget by spending money.

Yes indeed we could use blue skies this winter. There has been far too much rain and cold temperatures. A friend was looking wistfully out at the storm clouds mumbling about how in winter we used to be able to sit with the doors and windows open enjoying sunshine and a cooling breeze. Oh happy, lost, days!

This next picture reminds me of a saying they used to have in Marin County north of San Francisco, the county where Mercedes are as common as dirt and half the price. Conch cruisers will rule the streets again soon. Summer has to be coming.
The 700 block ends at Bill Butler Park, the open space with no benches to prevent vagrants hanging out in it. A Kermit chair would do nicely here as Cheyenne roots around in the shade.

Several months ago I noted in an essay that a stray pair of women's knickers were dangling mysteriously from a bush. Well. I am glad to report they are still there, a little sun bleached but hanging defiantly. Rubber gloves anyone?

One last view up William Street from the park.