Rest Beach

"Bloody typical," I thought to myself, " it's time to turn Rest Beach into a public dormitory once again."Give me a con leche and twenty minutes to drink it and the chances are I'll ride down to this particular beach and spend my break looking south over the water at Cuba ( which lies below the horizon in case you thought Cuba is visible from Key West).I have frequently articulated my lack of fascination with wild chickens on the streets of Key West but as nuisances go they don't rate very high on my list of irritants which wouldn't be missed. Rest Beach is on Atlantic Boulevard, the thoroughfare that extends the Smather's Beach bike path almost to Casa Marina. As a result I also get lots of opportunities to photograph people cycling, which rates almost as high in my book of interesting things to look at, as naked women's breasts.The sight of people enjoying a leisurely pedal in mid winter dressed in nothing more elaborate than a t-shirt expresses to me one of the pleasures of daily Key West living. Naked women are just fantasy objects of the troglodyte element that reads this blog (stand up riepe, blame it on buffett, CPA1234, buffalo bill and bobskoot), bicycle riders are showing us the way to a new and happier future. Oh and coconut palms.Rest Beach used to be the place where they slaughtered cows brought over from the herds on Stock Island and the myth is you can still dig up bovine jaw bones and the like from ground. Hurricane Wilma worked a number along here in 2005 (before I was blogging else I'd have taken pictures of that cataclysmic event) and the city doggedly planted and molded a new landscape along this narrow strip of dirt. The landscaping has paid off and the little waterfront beach is lovelier than ever. The sea oats, those stringy plants that keep the beach erosion in check, are stronger than ever.

Cheyenne frequently enjoys just sitting as part of her walk. She's a dog that enjoys watching the world go by and I like to give her the time she needs. I hate seeing dogs hurried along when they get their brief outings to see the world.

I think living rough has to be the dullest most endlessly boring way to spend your days. Nevertheless we get lots of them in winter in Key West and Rest Beach is a favored hang out.

Name? Rank? Serial number? I am botanically clueless but they look pretty.

Coconut palms get lots of support in he pages of the paper from people who think that they represent Key West's tropical aspirations.

The more practical among us know they require endless work (non natives of all species are like that) and maintenance. The bicycle path is well used:

Some people are too smart to use the path and prefer to share the road with cars, the spandex and helmet crowd that is in too much of a hurry to amble among the cycling amateurs.

This winter's chosen cause to bitch and moan about endlessly in the Citizen's Voice is the parade of jet skis circling the island.

As annoying as they are banning them seems rather drastic but we live in an age where the more we crowd the space the more rules we have to pass apparently. Cheyenne is an object lesson in living peaceably with other species.

Behind the cyclist pictures below are the red earth bocce courts. It is quite the scene in the hours of darkness when the tournaments take place. I doubt they would much care to be photographed though one day perhaps I shall pluck up the courage go by and get yelled at for having a camera.

A family headed to the White Street Pier just before sunset.

Classic Key West cycling, cheap one speed cruiser, a basket and you have what you need and no more.

In mountain bike form:

Rest Beach, always a good place to take a break.