Ramrod Fall Saturday

Last weekend was the run up to the much anticipated major cold front of the Fall. The first front a few weeks ago brought north winds and lower humidity but as usual the second front brings low temperatures and a wintry cast to life in the Keys.The wind was blowing when I took Cheyenne across Highway One for a neighborhood walk, starting behind Boondocks bar, land of greasy food and cheap been in folding plastic cups. The wind seemed to energize the dog and she ran back and forth doing her imitation of a vacuum cleaner, sniffing up all available smells in ther mangroves and the ditches. She has learned to come quickly when I see a car approaching. Pretty soon I guess we won't see the mail trucks on Saturdays, more's the pity, but I suppose the winding down of our cheap energy dependent world has to start somewhere.The city of Key West is debating hiring a cheaper ambulance service, and by cheaper one means the paramedics will be paid less to do the same job. One can only imagine what that economy will mean to all those small government voters having heart attacks at two in the morning. Already I see many more people electing to take privately owned vehicles to the hospital rather than face an $800 tab... a choice that isn't possible for some seriously ill people.
Wet dirt for sale, still, on the back roads of Ramrod Key. A friend was perusing the real estate listings on the West Coast of Florida and told me he found 14 pages of repossessed homes for sale for less than one hundred thousand dollars. A claim I found too depressing to verify. The county assessor says my canal front home is worth $215,000 and my wife and I only owe $380,000...Florida Amendment Four which would have required voter approval of changes to local land use plans went down to major defeat everywhere outside the Keys. The State Department of Community Affairs is expected to be abolished as part of the 2.5 billion dollar state deficit cuts, which could affect land use plans in the Keys which are under the jurisdiction of the DCA, the agency that has to approve development in the Keys. Until now these islands have been designated till now as an area of special concern and subject to development restrictions.

Thus far growth management has not exactly been a shining star of effectiveness but some really terrible development plans have been knocked on the head. For Cheyenne the issue of weighty moment is that exactly was it that died, or spilled sugar on this piece of the roadway?Back on the main street Cheyenne continued her snuffling shambling walk, on a leash because she is still rather unpredictable when it comes to wheels.

A passerby on Big Pine last week made fun of me for leashing pacific old Cheyenne, unlike the mad old bat last summer who berated me endlessly for having her off leash in the trails in the mangroves while the hag's nasty little rug rats snarled and bared their fangs at us, indolent middle aged strollers that we are...I just can't win with some people.

I rate the walk a success when Cheyenne feels the need for a rest. I guess I get two stars for this stroll.

Sometimes she just likes to sit and watch the world go by which is a fetish I am happy to indulge, while sitting in the car reading a book. She doesn't look that vicious to me.