Sunday Frivolity

I finally met the mystery cyclist. Russell was pushing his bike over Niles Channel, a forty-foot tall bridge 26 miles from Key West. There was no traffic so I stopped the kennel on the roadway, leaned out and told him to meet me at the foot of the bridge. So he did: Russell, who I have seen all up and down the Lower Keys on his bike had torn the rear tire and couldn't repair it. We stuffed the bike in the trunk and I delivered him back to the city. He is a substitute teacher looking for a permanent position in a less costly community, preferably Hendry County though he will settle on Broward County at the end of the school year. I shall miss him. He was born in London of American parents and says his favorite place to live was Parker Arizona. He likes tennis and says there is a butch tennis player who likes to wear pink shirts, so pink crocs are no big deal to him.

Next we meet Charles who was waiting outside the police station for a ride along with a police officer. He has read every entry in my blog which boggles my mind slightly and rides a 1991 Suzuki Bandit.I was thinking about a Bandit before I got the Bonneville, but I figured the new Bandit at 1250cc water cooled (with tach) was a bit too powerful for the Florida Keys, an assessment that Charles, a new Keys resident, seconds. I do like the Bandit, a well equipped inexpensive reliable tourer with a strong turn of speed, though the older models look much more classic which appeals to me, over the rather angular new models.

This dog was less interested in me than in my walking companion. Cheyenne is so cool- she ignores the pleading looks, the yelps of desire, the barks of desperation and walks right on by. A true cocotte. And she's mine, I sneer at the lustful hounds. I have a handful of pictures this Sunday that came out of camera whimsy while I was waiting for Cheyenne to stop sniffing Truman Avenue. These scooterists got in the way of my next picture. The terrible exposure doesn't mask, or perhaps enhances the concentration of the ride. I usually delete my "failures" immediately to make the photo downloads faster and easier at the computer end of the composition. This one survived so...here it is.

I took a dozen pictures of this little Pagsta chopper before I got the exposure correct with no extraneous in the viewfinder. It's, $1800 for a 50cc like this according to their website:http://www.rocketrogersmotorcycles.com/pagsta_choppers.htm They also come in 100cc and 250 versions. I think you need more balls to ride one of these in public than you do, say, to wear fuchsia sandals. Another tough lifestyle is living on the streets, and it's not the way to get the respect of your neighbors. For all I know this guy may be some land owning Conch eccentric. The beauty of Key West is you never can tell...

I am not a fan of pawn shops as I am not a shopper, but there are a few in Key West for needy people who need...money. This place I visited once as the owner wanted to buy my Yamaha Zuma motor scooter for himself. So after he paid my full asking price (Zumas are that popular in Key West!) I have a soft spot for this place. A dog's eye view of the Truman sidewalk. It's Spring, it's Sunday, go out and breathe some fresh air.