West Summerland Key

This parking area was closed for some considerable time as construction crews worked on infrastructure here. Recently re-opened it's become a bon fide park with all sorts of facilities, including fencing and benches, though the trash cans were always here.

I tried to take a panoramic shot from the furthest corner, to mixed success. The trail on the right is actually a continuation of the trail on the left and not a right-angled turn...

Rusty has become a lot more self confident on his walks. He spends  less time looking over his shoulder for predators and more time sniffing and enjoying his walks like a dog born to it, not a stray adapting to a settled life of security and love.

 It was hot out but Rusty wasn't too bothered.

The new walkway has replaced the rather sketchy trail I used to walk through the bushes and I suppose that's a good thing. It's  a pity though as, rather selfishly,I liked it more when no one knew it was open through here. Now we have an elevated foot freeway:

 With not much shade.

This island used to be called West Summerland Key which was a strange name as it is far east of Summerland Key. However there are a couple of scout camps on the island so they changed the name to Scout Key, which may be worthy but is very boring compared to the impenentrable riddle of it's original name. So I use the original name and rejoice in the fact that one of the Scout camps is called "Camp Wesumekee" ironically named for West Summerland Key which no longer exists!

Camp Wesumkee is an 11 acre oceanfront camp on Girl Scout Council owned property. It is a beautiful camp on the Atlantic Ocean for experienced campers and offers snorkeling, tidal pool observations, swimming (you must provide your own lifeguard), nature and marine study.

 And quite scenic views:

They've even gone to the length of protecting us from ourselves with heavy duty aluminum fencing cemented into the seawall: 

In Cheyenne's day it was rather less secure.  

I don't know that any angler ever fell in. Which was good as climbing out would be hard as the seawall is properly tall:

With Rusty I was rather glad he couldn't fall in even if he wanted to:

 But he got up to his own antics:

I took this picture of Cheyenne walking up the old stony trail to the Highway One parking area:

Now it's all paved like a proper bicycle access parking area, with a lawn even: 

There were people standing at the top of the hill enjoying the view so rather than bust them up I include these picture form previous forays of the old bridge connecting West Summerland Key to Bahia Honda Key. 

The Old Bridge to Bahia Honda State Park is collapsing in bits and pieces by the day:

Of course Cheyenne and I used to come here a lot and I never worried about here falling off the edge.

 

The old honey badger used to stump around here and clearly understood the danger. She chose her time and place to die and here wasn't it, though she looked contemplative back in March 2013.

I miss that dog but Rusty is doing great and I am bonding with him every day. He was perfectly behaved on this walk though I did put him on the leash around people and near steep edges.

A few views of the south side of West Summerland Key. Above the remains of the old water pipe installed in 1942 to supply water to the military first and civilians later:

 Tide was out.

We climbed the bank and took the short cut back to the car across US One. Rusty's speed and obedience made the crossing a piece of cake. 

Lunch At Schooner Wharf

The idea was to take Rusty into town and have lunch a in a dog-friendly environment.  As it turned out Rusty wasn't in the mood so I turned up dogless to meet Sheila at the dog-friendly lunch spot. Oh well.

Dog Bennett of This Week On The Island also showed up. He said this is his favorite table at Schooner Wharf; a good view towards the music and Michael McCloud, plenty of cooling breeze and a good spot to people watch on Lazy Way Lane outside the bar:

Sheila got a hamburger and I got fish tacos delivered in tortillas. A "fish taco wrap." Fair enough. It was actually quite good. Doug had a fresh air sandwich.

Our conversation was a little weird at first. We got on the subject of dead pets, what with Cheyenne dying recently and Dog having lost more than one dog and Sheila coping with a new cat after a recent bereavement....

The waitress showed up to take our orders and there we were looking into the distance each with misty eyes.

We switched subjects and I offered that raising height limits to improve the housing situation was a silly idea but Sheila disagreed, saying the plan would allow for worker accommodations on the new stories of buildings in New Town. Doug ruminated on the meaning of homelessness in Key West and how to differentiate between a  chosen lifestyle and working poverty.

It was very pleasant and the air was cool with the breeze. I wished I could have had a beer and a longer pause but I had appointments to keep.

The tourists kept an eye out on the tarpon swimming in the shade of the docks, I said my goodbyes with a promise of a longer more languid rematch soon, and off I went into the heat to do battle with website developers.

Schooner Wharf bills itself as the "last little piece of Old Key West," and perhaps that's true though I would argue it is not alone in the distinction. There are other spots that might qualify...

...but there is at least a schooner or two at the docks making the name real. A schooner is a two masted boat where the front mast is shorter than the back mast(s). That's as much as I want to say on a page not dedicated to sailing pursuits. If you are a purist and want greater precision there are sites for that sort of pedantry. I have done my share of sailing but this isn't the spot to get tangled in jargon.

I never cease to surprise myself. I quite liked Schooner wharf. I would never have guessed as I am bar-averse. Usually.

Dorn Road, Big Torch Key

I took these pictures last week on a cloudy gray day that threatened rain, and Rusty won't get out of the car if it's raining. A product possibly of too many nights as a stray in the rain.

Dorn Road is about five miles long zig zagging from Middle Torch Key to the very end of the road on the northern tip of Big Torch. It's among the longest side trips from Highway One as the total road is over seven miles long between Big Pine and Key West. Sugarloaf Boulevard to the end of the road is six miles long, a mile shorter than the road crossing Middle and Big Torch Keys combined.

On the half mile causeway that joins the two Torch Keys is a little spur pointing south. I wondered if Rusty would enjoy it.  It turns out he did very much. Enough to bore me rigid so started playing with the iPhone camera shooting clouds and water and mangroves, and of course my Carolina Dog..

He had fun, running and sniffing and checking stuff out. I waited for the rain...

I wouldn't know a Torchwood Tree if it reared up and bit me in the face, but apparently it is a hardwood that burns well, hence the name. The shrub also gave its name to three islands in these parts known as Little Middle and and Big Torch Keys.

Little Torch sits astride Highway One nearer to Big Pine Key and it's not that Little compared to Middle Torch. Also Little Torch is the most heavily populated. Big Torch has a few homes on it but it is largely devoid of humans and the last couple of houses on Dorn Road don't have electricity. When the light poles run out you know you are close to the end of the road.

 A coconut shell carefully placed on a mangrove branch.

 Why did the dog run down the street?

Because he had places to explore.