Briny Breezes

My wife and I have a couple of road trips planned this year, one in North Carolina in June and another going someplace in July. We will pack our dog and our tent and put the Fusion to the test. We don't want to get embroiled in spending vast sums visiting Italy this year, irony of ironies when the Euro is as low as it has ever been. So we are going to take three weeks out of July and drive around a bit, destination uncertain. We like driving together and Cheyenne did very well on her maiden trip to Birmingham a few weeks ago. So far, with 1200 miles driven in South Florida the Fusion seems to be doing okay.

After we bought the car we stopped by Denise's beach house in Briny Breezes. Denise was away so we had the place to ourselves. We brought a picnic dinner and sat out under the stars enjoying the sea breeze in her front yard. In the morning the dog imperative took over and I walked Cheyenne. Denise lives across the street from the Briny Breezes trailer park, a slice of Old Florida.It was hot and stuffy and breezy all at the same as we walked towards the water. I noticed some people will do anything to get an ocean glimpse. I can't imagine neighbors mean much to the owner of this ill- proportioned monstrosity...Trailer Park residents get to use this waterfront view point overlooking the beach.
This is stereotypical Florida, the one where old people come to spend their "golden years." I don't get to see much of this in the Keys. The trailer park is a haven for ordinary people in the middle of piles and piles of massive condo canyons along the waterfront. Membership has it's privileges and if you want to participate there is a trailer advertised for a cool $270,000.Bob popped out and asked about Cheyenne (not me). He noted down her name and city of origin because apparently he publishes the name of visiting dogs in the local paper. As odd an obsession as keeping a photo diary, one could say.I was proud of myself; I remembered to take his picture. Locally the way they protect the coastline is by making it as inaccessible to visitors as possible. Which is a shame.
A grand estate for you?Mind the chain link fence. In Florida beaches are public, so access is limited and parking is non existent. So either you walk or cycle or stay away. Friendly huh?
To be close enough to walk your dog makes you lucky. To own property that gives you access makes you a local. No bicycles?

These people have paid for their view and by God...etc.It's good to get out of town occasionally. It reminds you of the good and the loose at home. Not enough people leave the Keys from time to time to see how the rest of the country lives.

Circling Elizabeth Street

It may look easy, walking your dog and taking pictures but it can be trying, for Cheyenne as much as it is for me. At the beginning of the walk Cheyenne is all piss and vinegar and eager to get going, so stopping to observe some small thing that catches my eye leaves her straining on the end of the extend-a-leash and my camera hand wobbling. I like that home renovations continue apace, it seems like an act of faith in the future of the Keys.There are nights at work when I take a 9-1-1 call from a witness to a wreck or some other incident and I hang up the phone with a little silent prayer, something like this: "Dear God, if you exist please make sure this half wit isn't the only person on scene who sees me go down on my motorcycle." Please note wannabe 9-1-1 callers: if you don't know where you are don't call! Spending 45 seconds establishing that you are a tourist and don't know what the name of the street is, makes for 45 seconds robbed from the victim's time on Earth. Waive this rule if there is no one else around and I will work with you, I promise. (Note: Not every street in a Key West emergency is Duval Street). This is Elizabeth Street and Rescue Four was trundling up from Truman (the other Duval in every out-of-town caller's mind).My computer at work has every single business listed by location so if you say: "A green motorcycle is on the ground in front of Cypress House. The rider is unconscious and bleeding from the mouth." my colleagues will get rescue and a fire engine rolling immediately. If you say "I don't live in Key West and someone is on the ground and I don't know what happened." They won't. Sometimes Rescue gets held up by the narrow streets. Luckily this propane truck driver knew exactly what to do and did it. Please note that Elizabeth, for some impenetrable reason, is sometimes treated as a real two way street. A quick three point turn done by an expert in a hurry and Rescue Four barely had to slow down to get by.But I was not at work so I let Rescue rush by and Cheyenne and I had better things to do than worry about response times. More renovation underneath this tin roof. The debate continues as to whether roofs in Old Town should be allowed to be painted white as an energy saving tool. Some people argue that there is plenty of wasted electricity all over town and changing the nature of preservation in Old Town is a bad idea. I have some sympathy for this point of view, but somehow even if they allow white roofs I doubt many people will do it. My electricity bills have dropped by a lot (I'm still measuring them but perhaps 30%) since I tinted my windows and added insulation under the floor of my stilt home.This side yard, not much than a walk way really caught my eye. Some people know how to do a lot with not very much.

I like Seven Fish, a place with not much ceiling insulation. It is extra cosy during a summer thunderstorm. The food is excellent and I am trying to remember why I haven't been back in a long while.Two Honda Helix scooters, brilliant machines in production for decades, which epitomize sensible riding. However 70 mph is as fast as they will ever go so for me, perhaps they are not ideal. I don't ride at 70mph much at all but a motorcycle's top sensible cruising speed is measured (or used to be when I was a youngster) at 80% of top speed, which means a Helix is good for traveling at 55mph which is a bit slow for me if you imagine trying to pass a car doing 50mph. I love their rugged, sensible good looks though.Dade County Pine, Florida's answer to indestructible teak for exterior construction. So oily and effective is Dade Pine that it is no longer available in Dade County but can I am told, be purchased at the cost of an arm and a leg from places in the panhandle. It is impervious to tropical weather and insects and looks quite lovely without a lick of paint.My colleague saw this home for sale and is thinking the market is low enough he might be able to secure a property for his old age in the city. The home is on Simonton Street at Olivia and is a hollow shell.It has three bedrooms and a bath in 1200 square feet (110 meters) and needs a lot of interior work. In Key West this would be almost move in condition with a cot and a toilet. Keith's Dad the handyman might have to plan some extended vacations in Key West if the bank which owns the house ever bothers to return Keith's calls of inquiry.Keith is hoping the asking price might be south of $250,000 based on some quick market analysis he has done. He's be across the street from Bobby's Monkey Bar, one of the few gay establishments that doesn't specialize in loud music, so Keith figures he will still be able to get some sleep.Further up Simonton Street I spotted this fully finished house apparently for sale, according to this well posted sign. I guess if they really wanted to sell it they might be a tad bit more... energetic?I got some odd looks from these people striding up the street. Either it was because Cheyenne was circling some interesting smell and failing to walk in a straight line, or perhaps my clothing (the pink things) seemed disturbing to them.Their dog walked in a straight line however anyone walking around with a lily pad on their head has no business wondering about my pink footwear. It is said that pineapples are a symbol of welcome in Key West so everyone wants to join the move to appear sociable (why?) thus we get pineapple art everywhere. Me? I'd stick the pineapple on your chair after you'd worn out your welcome, and dare you to sit on it. I actually have two rather nice pineapples growing this year but my strawberries haven't done shit. So I am more grumpy than usual about my fruit.

I forgot my newspaper in the car and I wanted to snatch his but that seemed churlish so I took his picture instead, envying his enjoyment. I love reading the paper.Mind you, he's wearing black socks and no shirt so perhaps I should have called the fashion police instead. "9-1-1? I'm somewhere in Key West..."

Oil Cometh

The fishing outside the Dry Tortugas National Park has been closed down owing to the proximity of the oil sheen in the Gulf of Mexico. The newspaper says it's a hundred miles north of the National Park which is seventy miles west of Key West accessible by ferry or seaplane. They believe the oil sheen may come within 50 miles (80kms) by the weekend.

The waters of the National Park, where fishing is never allowed, are spawning grounds for fish and coral which help keep the decrepit reef along the Keys resupplied with wildlife. Now this too is on the chopping block.I read the oil is coming out of the seabed at 13,000 pounds per square inch pressure and may not be stopped before the end of the year. I think there is ample time for everything to get nicely coated this summer, no matter what propaganda BP or their government lackeys put out. I took these pictures when I was camping there last Thanksgiving. I'm glad we went when the going was good.

Poinciana

To my surprise, it's that time of year and the streets of Key West are breaking out in disorganized bursts of orange again. You can't photograph a dog resting on a hot summer afternoon without cluttering your image with poinciana trees shouldering their way into the picture.Afternoon temperatures are in the mid 80's (30C) or higher and a dog in a fur coat no longer has the stamina she showed when temperatures were twenty degrees lower. I sat on a bench outside Five Brothers Cuban grocery and Cheyenne caught her breath.
Poinciana trees are brash and garish and dump quantities of rust colored dead blossoms everywhere so they are an unmitigated nuisance, but who can argue with their beauty?Some people can find fault with anything but I like these trees, not least because I like the bright colors and sharp contrasts that characterize colors in the natural tropics. I look out at deep blue skies, puffy white clouds and shiny green leaves. Some people like fog and drizzle and some like sun on a crisp snowfield. Me? This is my nirvana.I have noticed over the years that trees decorate wealthy neighborhoods. Poor people don't seem to merit the expense of foliage that occupies space that could be more profitably used in low class neighborhoods. Key West has plenty of wealth and thus plenty of trees.
The poinciana trees presage hurricane season and most likely I will have plenty to write about that fearsome natural event as summer goes along. The national weather folks are predicting a terrible year for storms and they may be proved right. I take predictions with a heaping of salt as all it takes to have a bad year is one direct hit by a major storm. That there may be a dozen storms tromping across the Atlantic between now and December doesn't mean much if they miss the Lower Keys. For now I plan to enjoy the splashes of orange and wait to see what storms head our way. Key West in summer is where I like to be. And we have a couple of road trips planned. Oh well, if we have to go out of state I plan to enjoy the drive, and I know Cheyenne will.
Last year's essay is here:

http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2009/06/flame-trees.html


Expect to see flame trees in the background of many pictures all summer long. Another sign that Key West should be paradise.

Cornish Lane

As you scroll down this essay you will see a prevailing color- gray. It's an illuminated gray offset by white and backed by blue sky but this lane is lit up by a summer sun. It was hot out there.Cornish Lane is another of those little colons off the main street...

...and easy to miss unless you are a Labrador with an inquisitive nose.Splashes of color come from natural things and this to me is the joy of living where the sun is bright and hot- everything is in primary colors. This is not the land of fog and subtle shapes and dimly seen landscapes. Even the Conch Train provides a lump of yellow as background as it passes down Grinnell Street toward the west.World travelers come home to roost and bring their dust catchers with them. Perhaps they are French Canadians with a winter place in the sun, or perhaps they spent a long wet weekend in Paris, city of gray skies and wet sidewalks. (Remember, Nowhere Is As Wonderful As Key West, wannabe Conch). Especially Key West under construction.

I have seen a few homes actively under renovation around town which seems as though someone around here believes the economy is getting better. Good for them and may they keep spending, right?Cornish Lane is named for Andrew Cornish known to his contemporaries as Sandy, according to J. Wills Burke's superb The Streets of Key West. He says Sandy Cornish was born a slave in the 1790s, and bought his freedom with his wife Lillah in 1839. Then God, in a mischievous moment intervened and the documents witnessing Sandy's freedom got destroyed in a fire and back Sandy went onto the slave auction block in New Orleans. Eventually Sandy escaped and cut himself up to make himself valueless as a slave and he and Lillah lived happily every after on the fringes of "civilization" (the Confederate States) selling fruit and vegetables with his wife Lillah in Key West. All's well that ends well.

So Cornish got a church named for him on Whitehead Street and a lane here in the outer 'burbs of Old Town. I love the decrepitude of Key West, a city where the elements conspire to restore the natural order of things. A plank after all is just a shaped piece of wood. It doesn't actually have to do anything.Tourists are frequently told that Key West homes were built from scavenged ship's timbers by wreckers who salvaged what they could off passing ships that landed accidentally (we hope) on the reef. It sounds romantic and it looks lovely. To live in?

I grew up in old homes and know intimately how complex systems in elderly stages of failure can be. I like modern conveniences and yes I know all about carbon footprints. Sigh.

I don't like photographing modern ranchette homes unless it is to tack on a tart comment. This stuff looks lovely but I don't want to live here. Got foundations? Hell no, we don't need no stinking foundations! A reminder this is a home in 21st century America. Can we please protect it because happily for us all there are people who not only like looking at these places but want to preserve and use them as well. They feel to me like old wooden boats. I love to look at them and enjoy seeing them around but ownership is not for me. This is blue sky, a daily Key West event.this is an exhausted Yellow Labrador. She too is a daily event in summer when heat at sidewalk level is not dog friendly. 15 blocks and she's panting, so a slow stroll on Cornish Lane was an excellent way to end the stroll.Two more blocks to iced water (princess does not enjoy warm water, it turns out), and an air conditioned car.