My wife and I took a little time to walk and talk one afternoon in a hot key West neighborhood. Cheyenne needed to stretch her legs and a dog walk is always a good excuse to get out of the car. We started out walking along the canal behind Poinciana Housing, the former Navy homes now devoted to low income housing for the city.
Looking down, for some reason I cannot recall, I saw this frog burnished by the sun and painted permanently into the asphalt. You just never know what you will see when you are out and about. In my left hand I was holding the extenda dog leash, in my right I held the poxket camera to my head. And all of that was preserved for posterity, in shadow, with the frog.
My wife ignored this foolishness as she communicated through her iPhone. Students came back to school Monday and teachers have lots to do, even after they leave the classroom, to get the new school year up and running again.
We took the broad median on 17th, a shady walkway back towards North roosevelt in the distance. It's proportions and trees remind me of the so-called "neutral ground" of New Orleans medians, those pieces of turf that used to separate the French from the Spanish neighborhoods of old.
I had previously photographed this garage door with a painting of an elderly Ford, and lately the elderly Ford has been on display with a "For Sale" sign on it. This day it was protected from the sun and hard to view.
I wonder what the value of this camera is to the occupant. These kinds of arrangments make me think that if the camera worked the sign wouldn't be needed. I wanted to scribble "so are you..." on the sign after I took the picture.
Time to collect the mail (or put a stop delivery order on the address).
Cheyenne was getting her money's worth on a short walk. She likes to walk even in this hot time of year but her energy flags much sooner than it does in the cool of winter. I keep a close eye on her when it is this hot.
We got back to the car, watered the panting dog before we set off for some shopping before heading home. As we drove off I noticed this car stop in the middle of the street. A young woman carrying a package or large envelope got out, left the door open and ambled up to a house as though to make a delivery. Meanwhile I observed in my rear view mirror that a truck was coming down the street and approaching the open door. It stopped, puzzled, and I snapped the picture.
It was the work of a moment for the truck to pull out and go round, but the puzzlement was justified. There was ample room for the young idiot to pull up to the curb, parked properly and make her delivery without this display of weird thoughtlessness. I wonder how we will cope as the stresses of poverty descend upon us and stretch our manners beyond the limit.
Looking down, for some reason I cannot recall, I saw this frog burnished by the sun and painted permanently into the asphalt. You just never know what you will see when you are out and about. In my left hand I was holding the extenda dog leash, in my right I held the poxket camera to my head. And all of that was preserved for posterity, in shadow, with the frog.My wife ignored this foolishness as she communicated through her iPhone. Students came back to school Monday and teachers have lots to do, even after they leave the classroom, to get the new school year up and running again.We took the broad median on 17th, a shady walkway back towards North roosevelt in the distance. It's proportions and trees remind me of the so-called "neutral ground" of New Orleans medians, those pieces of turf that used to separate the French from the Spanish neighborhoods of old.I had previously photographed this garage door with a painting of an elderly Ford, and lately the elderly Ford has been on display with a "For Sale" sign on it. This day it was protected from the sun and hard to view. I wonder what the value of this camera is to the occupant. These kinds of arrangments make me think that if the camera worked the sign wouldn't be needed. I wanted to scribble "so are you..." on the sign after I took the picture.Time to collect the mail (or put a stop delivery order on the address).Cheyenne was getting her money's worth on a short walk. She likes to walk even in this hot time of year but her energy flags much sooner than it does in the cool of winter. I keep a close eye on her when it is this hot.We got back to the car, watered the panting dog before we set off for some shopping before heading home. As we drove off I noticed this car stop in the middle of the street. A young woman carrying a package or large envelope got out, left the door open and ambled up to a house as though to make a delivery. Meanwhile I observed in my rear view mirror that a truck was coming down the street and approaching the open door. It stopped, puzzled, and I snapped the picture.It was the work of a moment for the truck to pull out and go round, but the puzzlement was justified. There was ample room for the young idiot to pull up to the curb, parked properly and make her delivery without this display of weird thoughtlessness. I wonder how we will cope as the stresses of poverty descend upon us and stretch our manners beyond the limit. 
9 comments:
I love the turtles - copper work is the only art work I seem to have a knack.
Pet peeve - people that park in the fire lane at the grocery (similar to your delivery girl).
Mr Conchscooter:
I thought that all the inconsiderate people lived up here.
Young people are weird everywhere. It's a function of me growing old.
Parking is everyone's pet peeve in Key West.
I too love those turtles!... As for the parking annoyances, I like to park in the fire lane as much as possible. Seems like a waste of a perfectly good piece of real estate when no fires are present.
If am in a store and find myself in the midst of a conflagration, I will surely run outside as quickly as possible, leaving plenty of time to vacate the fire lane for superfluous hosedraggers that are sure to follow. Either that or I will succumb to smoke inhilation and be crispy in short order...at which point, the fire lane ticket and tow fees will be someone else's concern.
Dear Conch:
First of all, I am writring to tell you that I did something on a motorcycle that you cannot. Yesterday, I rode to my mechanic's (50 miles or so) pushing 85 mph most of the way. It was my intention to get the engine red hot. The outside temperature was 76 degrees, and the superior cooling system on this Beemer (sans the fan) was still cool to the touch.
Legendary Beemer wrench Tom Cutter unwrapped a new cooling fan module, popped it in, and tightened everything up in less than 10 minutes. I then proceeded to ride home at the same rate, running up the engine at stop lights, to get the damn thing hot.
It never got beyond luke warm, at an outside temperature of 79ยบ I'd have to drain the coolant to get the motor hot enough to run the fan. This because the radiator on the K75 is three times larger than one found on lesser bikes. Just like the rider. (Beat you to it.)
I know how important all of this is to you. And I know how thrilled you are that I have three shops within 60 miles distance of my house.
Two days ago I ran to a hardware store to get some brackets to install an airhorn. When I got out, a brand new BMW sedan, worth about $2 trillion was prked 8 inches from the driver's door of my shit truck.
The owner of the car, an 18-year-old blonde with a dynamic ass in shorts, asked me if she needed to move it. I replied, "Only if you cherish the paint on the right door."
She backed out of the space, only so I could get in, and left the car half sticking out into the street. I was amazed. The guy with the tarp on the car is probably getting ready to move into it.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
I have no idea how hot my motorcycle gets. I have no tach and no temperature gauge. I just ride it.
dear blame: come on down and park everywhere. the city needs the fines.
Mr Conchscooter:
luckily I have a factory supplied temperature gauge. It's not that good being digital but it seems to always be at 3 bars, even in the heat of Bend or the freezing temps of Vancouver. It never deviates. The temp gauge is located just left of the factory supplied Tacho
Parking fines for out of province licence plates are usually excused by the City of Vancouver, that is, unless you get too many
bob
Wet Coast Scootin
Key West is one of a handful of towns where I abstain from taking liberties with parking(they are not nearly as benevolent as our friends in Vancouver!). I leave a tiny carbon footprint down there as I generally park the car and leave it until I need to point North again.
@Blame, I concur, at 2x4 miles for an island, you can walk to any nook and crannie.
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