Hidden Big Pine Key

If you go from Pensacola to Miami you have pretty much covered the peninsula all 700 miles of it. Except here we are on a secret subdivision of Big Pine Key.


Big Pine is the second largest key in the chain of islands, much smaller than Key Largo, but it has plenty of pine forest to hide homes in.


These back streets are as quiet as you could want even in winter and I enjoy walking my dog here.


She gets to s off the urban streets, even if the economic downturn has emptied quite a few homes.


It's bee warming up and Cheyenne isn't too excited about that so she tends to take cover under the palmettos when she needs a break.


I watched for children and saw none.


I have mixed feelings about living out here. The peace and quiet is nice.


Its a long way from a job in Key West, an hour and a quarter at least.


And the turquoise waters of the Keys are far too far away. This is rural living.


The locals worry about trespassing as though hordes of visitors are constantly tromping through the landscaping.


Cheyenne and I don't really constitute a horde. We seek out strange places for our walks together. I never meet other dog walkers here in the middle of the day.


They say the seawater temperature is close to 90 already so hurricanes will be active somewhere in the Atlantic this summer.


It's hot enough already I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't South Florida's turn again this summer.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Big Pine Alligator

Everybody loves to be thrilled by the sight of a dinosaur.


In the Lower Florida Keys the easiest way to spot an American Alligator is to head over to Big Pine's Blue Hole and there it sits, the replacement for Bacardi the full sized alligator that choked to death on a plastic toy, tossed in the water by a thoughtless human.


There is that elemental fear of an alligator, even a little guy less than six feet long so safety signs abound at the Blue Hole.


The turtles seem to live harmoniously enough with the big predator.


The have an odd way of sunning themselves.


Unlike that other predator in my life who prefers the shade:


All in all it's a peaceful enough spot.


A good spot to sun yourself if you are the master of your domain.


And check this fish out, courting death:


How does it know that the the alligator's larder isn't empty?


The odd thing about (fresh water) alligators and (salt water) crocodiles (found further north in the Upper Keys and Florida Bay) is that they can't chew so they have to tear meat and swallow chunks whole. This means that alligators don't kill when they are hungry, but they drown their victims and store the bodies in "pantries," holes where the bodies can be wedged until the meat is rotten enough and soft enough to be torn off in edible sized chunks.


The fact is that unless you go into the water you are safe enough at the Blue Hole.


Cheyenne accidentally went for a swim once, dropping off the stone ledge of the old quarry and splashed around in the fresh water pool. I pulled her out with superhuman strength by the scruff of her very wet neck.


Another time she slipped down to the water's edge behind my back and said hello face to face with the gator. I keep her on a tighter leash than usual after that encounter.


It's a good spot to sit and commune with wild nature.


Me, my Crocs and my dog.


The Blue Hole...


...you wouldn't know what danger lurks from looking at it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Downtown Stock Island

My favorite Stock Island landmark, the soon to be renovated fire station on Macdonald.


The true downtown landmark on a suburban island with no downtown may well be the convenience store that has pretty much a monopoly on processed foods in this part of the world, Tom Thumb.


Macdonald becomes Maloney and turns south toward the marinas and fishing boats.


Stock Island has suffered lime everywhere else has with the shrinking economy and homes that sold for more than half a million are worth a lot less now. Well established businesses and lofty industry soldier on.


This is the land of trailer parks housing workers that find jobs in expensive Key West. There are also auto body shops, carpenters sailmakers canvas workers and electricians based on these streets.


There is a big old Baptist church here with a school attached.


Cabinet makers of long standing:


Stock Island is on the bus line of course.


And some streets have puddles to refresh a hot Labrador's paws.


West Marine has a store in downtown Key West, Marathon and Key Largo. Not forgetting Stock Island:


Trailer parks look exotic when they have palm trees waving in the wind.


And the hidden Hogfish Restaurant a favorite of visitors who want to go slumming with the locals away from Duval Street, has a couple of strategically located signs to guide the diners.


Cheyenne likes Stock Island, full of smells.


Urban enough to keep my Labrador's interest, messy enough to make it interesting.


It's a stereotype, the car on blocks surrounded by plastic wrappers blowing in the wind.


This is the other Key West, the one that keeps Old Town functioning.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Night Landmarks

I took this picture for reasons I cannot remember, perhaps because I haven't eaten there for a while and a night photo might make up for it.


Then I thought to myself as I rode back toward work, there are lots of night time landmarks in Key West, I wonder how many I can spot. The Truman-Margaret Laundry at the corner of those same streets (nothing to do with the late President's daughter):


Saint Mary's minor basilica further down Truman.


And here in Truval Village at the corner of Truman and Duval I saw the new burger joint coming to life. Its called Five Guys Burgers and Fries and it is much anticipated.


It will be across the street from a night time institution open twenty four hours, Denny's, never closed:


Heading outbound on Truman, Don's Place a dive that's open till 4 am and reopens at 7 am for people who need their beer in company at that awful hour.


Before I turned in to the Police Station I stopped on the sidewalk for a pause at the west end of Garrison Bight.


I'm not sure the Bonneville counts as a landmark but I wanted to include it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad