The shortage of roadways through the Keys forces a commuter to follow just one path to work if that commuter rides from the suburban islands to the big city. That is unavoidable but I do try to deviate from time to time and where I can. So, when I pass the Cow Key Bridge some days I'll turn left and head for Smathers Beach just for the view. Other days I might take Flagler to the police station. 
That being the case I would turn north off Flagler at the white wall shown above which marks Leon Street. The white compound was built at this location after Hurricane Wilma flooded the area in 2005. This house is located across Flagler from this landmark:
It's actually a shrine, not a kennel for a bad dog. And this would be as good a spot as any for the obligatory Key West cyclist photo, in this case one who appears to have mislaid his diminutive passenger:
Leon Street is a bit of a pain to negotiate between Flagler and Catherine as every single cross street has a stop sign...
...forcing me to proceed in a herky jerky fashion.
I have tried out alternative streets but they none of them seem any more direct than this the most direct street. Besides Leon has lots of greenery to make it pretty:
This house has always appeared mysterious and desirable to me, hidden behind it's trees and its high fence:
This house is much more straight forward and more traditionally Florida in style:
And here we have what appears to be a home closed for the summer:
And the usual crop of brightly colored flowers, some I recognize, others I can't name:
Those last are oleanders, poisonous to eat but used frequently in Italy in median strips on the freeways. I know it's necessary as everything has a finite lifespan but I hate seeing trees get cut down:
I'd rather see trees trying to provide inadequate cover for a McMansion like these spindly palms:
The community garden is visible from Leon Street at May Sands School:
This is a place where urban gardeners come to make things grow:
Stuff grows everywhere in the Keys given a little bit of soil:
There are some squat apartment buildings as well on this picturesque thoroughfare:
Before Leon dead ends into the parking lot at Horace O'Bryant Middle school, which forces me to go around three sides of a square to get to the police station on the other side.
Because the House of Brats is a formidable obstacle, even when the youngsters aren't in residence:
North Roosevelt Boulevard is a far quicker, far more direct route, though not so interesting.
That being the case I would turn north off Flagler at the white wall shown above which marks Leon Street. The white compound was built at this location after Hurricane Wilma flooded the area in 2005. This house is located across Flagler from this landmark:It's actually a shrine, not a kennel for a bad dog. And this would be as good a spot as any for the obligatory Key West cyclist photo, in this case one who appears to have mislaid his diminutive passenger:Leon Street is a bit of a pain to negotiate between Flagler and Catherine as every single cross street has a stop sign......forcing me to proceed in a herky jerky fashion.I have tried out alternative streets but they none of them seem any more direct than this the most direct street. Besides Leon has lots of greenery to make it pretty:This house has always appeared mysterious and desirable to me, hidden behind it's trees and its high fence:This house is much more straight forward and more traditionally Florida in style:And here we have what appears to be a home closed for the summer:And the usual crop of brightly colored flowers, some I recognize, others I can't name:Those last are oleanders, poisonous to eat but used frequently in Italy in median strips on the freeways. I know it's necessary as everything has a finite lifespan but I hate seeing trees get cut down:I'd rather see trees trying to provide inadequate cover for a McMansion like these spindly palms:The community garden is visible from Leon Street at May Sands School:This is a place where urban gardeners come to make things grow:Stuff grows everywhere in the Keys given a little bit of soil:There are some squat apartment buildings as well on this picturesque thoroughfare:Before Leon dead ends into the parking lot at Horace O'Bryant Middle school, which forces me to go around three sides of a square to get to the police station on the other side.Because the House of Brats is a formidable obstacle, even when the youngsters aren't in residence:North Roosevelt Boulevard is a far quicker, far more direct route, though not so interesting. 
I have been realising how much I miss riding,especially on Highway One which has been plagued with people doing very little to get out of my way on my commute. It's getting warmer too so I have been thinking about my last trip up to the Everglades with Bruce on his BMW: 
So naturally I look around and feel envious of people who are riding. Like this overloaded BMW looking like an Andean llama in the parking lot at the end of Front Street:
The machine was covered in dirt and stickers which gave the barest hint what the rider might have been doing:
Here today, gone tomorrow: seen Key West, cross that off the list...
Nearby I saw one my preferred scooters, an Aprilia Mojito, known as a Habana in the rest of the world that doesn't embargo Cuba. I like the Vespa-like looks with the low comfortable seat:
They don't import these scooters anymore which is a shame. I guess Piaggio which owns Vespa and Aprilia doesn't see any point in competing with it's own products, but there are a few of these machines left in Key West. This orange one was in Casa Marina:
This one was near the High School:
The Mojitos were offered with 50 or 150cc engines and with classic handlebars like these or with extravagant chrome motorcycle bars in the "Custom" version. I prefer the restrained good looks of a classic Italian scooter:
The one good thing about being stuck in the car is that one gets added opportunities to take pictures at random. This one I snapped in the mirror as I was driving down Eaton Street:
Of course I never wore a helmet when I was a child. Heads were harder perhaps or we hadn't been trained to be so fearful? And talking about the past I got a blast of history when I crossed paths with this shopping cart lurking on Thomas Street:
So, how long ago was it that Eckerd Drugs sold out to the national chain that goes by the rather bland initials of CVS? This cart reminded me why I keep this blog, because change is endemic to Key West. But somethings don't change much, including the wildlife, seen here on a sidewalk.
I stopped to let them clean their plates and immediately some other pedestrian stepped right into them. People need more vacation. that includes Giovanni, seen here in the mountains abaove Amalfi, south of Naples. 
We had a good time riding there last year. A couple of years before that I took my vacation in Corsica where we rode his BMW R1150 all over the island for two weeks. I even forgot to wear my helmet in the lonely fastness of Corsica's rebellious mountains:
On that subject we were at the doctor's recently where my wife was setting up an appointment for surgery on her shoulder which she injured at work. The secretary peered at my raw knee and asked what happened.
And working in that office she knows exactly which bones go where. They call this demonstrator skeleton Mr Bones which I think is rather cool so I snuck a couple of pictures when they weren't looking, I also took a peek inside the skull cavity which was, unhapppily, empty. Mr Bones' bones are all numbered and he grins all the time.
It must be exhausting being a skeleton. Just hanging there grinning madly.
And when I say "handkerchief" that's exactly what I mean:
The sand is quite decent, and the palm trees make for a shady spot to hang out in, so, despite the size or lack of it, Dog Beach isn't an awful spot to hang on a hot afternoon. Especially if you are a dog:
Some dogs have the misfortune to be owned by dorks, like this guy who brings his dog to the dog beach but won't let the poor thing play:
So the energetic young thing gets to hang out with a listless bunch of humans:
It can be a busy spot, Dog Beach, with vehicles on the street...
...and of course, this being Key West, wepresent the the obligatory cyclist:
And a well patronised bicycle rack as well:
Not forgetting the eccentrically decorated van:
Out at sea the tourists were getting their rides aloft:
And up the street at Vernon and South I spotted a tableau featuring a collection of touring vehicles to be seen on many Key West streets:
Waddell Street by contrast was empty:
Well, not quite:
Waddell Street dead ends into a rather attractive little alley which is made of sand and reminds me of places typical to mainland Florida which unlike the Keys, is made of sand:
But back to the point of the essay,this is a dog beach though it's not the only one these days. There is a fenced in run for dogs at Higgs Beach and across from that, between the White Street Pier and the West Martello tower (home of the Garden Club) dogs are allowed to run on the beach. Water access is a bit awkward as there is a seawall there but the beach area is open to dogs, on that county operated beach.
And once the dog is walked my wife says the tapas at Louie's Backyard right next door are excellent.
Prices at Louie's make my nose bleed but she says sunsets there are excellent.I doubt the dogs would care much one way or the other.