Closely Observed Boats

I got a con leche at Cuban Coffee Queen and went out on the fuel dock at Key West Bight and watched the comings and goings on the water. It was close to sunset one day before work and I played with the camera and the light getting to know my Panasonic FZ300. There's lots to learn and luckily there was lots to see:

Key West Christmas Greetings

From Rusty

From the Mel Fisher Museum:

 The Turtle Museum sporting sort of Christmas Lights:

My office suitably decorated, Key West Police Communications Center:

 From the Westin Hotel:

Someone's home decorations:

 Happy Christmas to all and please keep the frostbite at bay!

 An alternative sleigh for Santa:

And because you can never have too many of Rusty:

December On Duval

A few pictures of the main drag in Key West, the lower end of Duval Street. Pictures without words I think for the holiday. Warm sunny winter days make a pleasant contrast to the cold Up North.

 Everyone photographs Sloppy Joe's the Key West icon.

 And Rick's one of the other bars...

 Out of business. Yours for $30,000 a month or more.

 The Duval Shuffle with nowhere to sit to discourage the bums (who sit on the sidewalk anyway).

 Shorty's a cross between a convenience store, a market and a bar.

 The flag in the service of commerce.

 Everyone sits on the ground as there are no better choices.

 And then around the corner on Front Street I saw his relic of a bygone scooter era, a tiny Honda Spree, apparently in perfect working order. Ideal for Santa's elves.

Merry Christmas to all.

A Night Out

This chain restaurant has been surviving on the seven hundred block of Duval and that had me surprised so we went for dinner last week. It was actually pretty good.

They have downstairs seating but we went upstairs and sat inside though they do have outside seating. My wife suggested next time we might like to overlook the street for people watching. Worth the wait for an open table.

We were going to a play and thus had a bit of a deadline. We shared a plate of mussels which came oddly enough sprinkled  with parmesan. That was a first: shell fish and cheese. Not bad.

 We then shared a plate of hogfish which was excellent. 

 The interior is busy.

 Service was good and we enjiyed the food.

 We will be back.

We stopped for cookies for dessert up Duval Street. They were actually pretty good even though they supposedly weigh half a pound and were far too big. We took them home and finished them with a glass of wine.

 The giant Mattheessen's cookies came with us to a performance of "It's Only A Play" at the Waterfront Playhouse. Great fun and a fine way to spend two hours.

A walk back down Duval to the car watching the street performers and artists...

 And noting that Mr Cheapee's On caroline Street has shut its doors forever. Another long time place  gone.

All change in Key West, always.

Sunset Sailing

The plan was to wander Mallory Square at sunset and see what pictures my new telephoto lense could pick up. In the event there was neither sun nor sunset and I never got closer o Mallory Square than than the Westin docks.

 However with a fresh north breeze blowing across flat harbor waters there were sails up and boats out and about. The Sebago catamaran "cattle boat" so called as it packs dozens of visitors and serves drinks from a bar on deck. Raucous times I'm told.

The harbor was the scene of one expertly handled J105 (Johnson 10.5 meters long or 34 feet) sailboat tacking back and forth across the north wind. 

There was also the ferry from Sunset Key, the palm covered island in the background. Years ago I applied for the job as it is secure year round employment with benefits. I wasn't suitable for the job though as I think I was rather too eccentric to be in essence a water valet to the obnoxiously wealthy.

The J105 has a good reputation in sailing circles and is much admired among amateur racers for its speed and handling qualities and it was putting on a good show in front of Christmas Tree Island. Almost made me wish I was onboard...

There is a rather grotesque disconnect between the vast cruise ships and their segregated onboard life tied up to our rather mundane municipal existence alongside. I watched a small child bouncing on some sort of  elasticated rope on the top deck, oblivious to his surroundings beyond the ship. I think that's part of the sense of aggravation that cruise ships inspire in city residents, as they are not part of Key West in any real sense, not even as true visitors.

I stood at the railing at the end of the Westin and looked over at Mallory Square with the cold front building behind...It looked awfully crowded. Better go to work. So I did.

Wishes and Fishes

I hate the new Seven Fish building on Truman. A friend ate there and described an experience akin to dining in the Hall of the Mountain King with noise reverberating around the room. I miss the intimate old Seven Fish on Olivia, now a boarded up empty building.

I find sometimes a successful restaurant can overdo the expansion and even  though I have no desire to eat in an airport waiting lounge Seven Fish has always been a good place to go if you could get a table.

The problem of seating availability is solved, but at what price? I guess efficiency trumps charm in our modern world.

The old Seven Fish was the modest  white building behind my motorcycle in the picture above. I wish they could have moved into a building more in keeping with the Old Town style with lots of room to work but a design that looked less garish, less suited to Miami Beach. 

Life is like that, things are going well and sometimes we make changes that derail our plans and a derailed plan can set our teeth on edge. I wish them well and I am sure the cooking will be up to their usual high standards but I liked the small intimate space that must have been inconvenient to work in. In a town where everyone knows everything and nothing is off the beaten path, Seven Fish was. Now it's not.