Night Time

I have not been drawn to downtown Key West much lately and I'm not sure why. Perhaps its the crowds that are now proving Key West to be a year round destination. Perhaps it's the heat which has been stifling us for the past month. I love the heat and sunlight of the Keys but I have to say that this year the heat and humidity have sapped my will to do much.

Every time Rusty and I go for a walk I come home saturated in sweat. Thank God  we have a washer and dryer in the house because I use it every few days, between going to the gym six days a week and walking Rusty twice a day and then keeping back some clean-ish shirts and shorts to wear around the house without me smelling more than usually feral...All that going on so you have to consider my consumption of sweat free clothing is enormous.

Air conditioning is what makes the southern United States bearable, that and cheap electricity. Let's face it: without cool dry homes to live in and cool dry cars to drive most of us would give up. Some people take pride in not using air and they are welcome to their pride. I enjoy being outdoors because when I get warm I have a cool cave to retreat to, and you can call me weak but I like it that way. 

Rusty does the same thing. He hangs out outdoors where we have no fences and no restraints but he likes to park himself in the driveway, sunbathing on the bricks for a while. Then he retreats to a shady bush and later he will pop back into the house, his magnetic plastic dog door sounding a characteristic slapping noise as the magnet closes the plastic flap behind him. Home Depot sells a variety that fit in sliding doors, LINK  HERE.

Anyway I got a bit side tracked there, let the night photography continue. The pictures in The Meadows I took with my iPhone 8 in black and white mode, while the second half of this essay was photographed around Duval and Front Streets which pictures I took in automatic mode with my Lumix FZ300 bridge camera a couple of nights later.

A lot of these homes in Key West are cooled by window units which work but they are decidedly loud and rather crude as they blow air pretty much continuously and thermostats don't work really well with them. As we roll into another hurricane season and watched New Orleans sink under the weight of all that water I wonder how we will get through this 2019 hurricane season. Storms don't really get serious until late August and September when the ocean waters are nice and warm and conditions are ripe for us to get pasted. 

I have to say I would be really happy if for the next three years we skipped any hurricanes in the Keys. I'm hoping to retire in 2022 when I will be eligible for Medicare (health care coverage has suddenly increased in importance in my retirement planning!)  and I will admit I've had enough of dealing with storms.  At least when I'm retired I'll be able to button up our rented home as I don't need the headache of owning a house in a hurricane zone thanks, and drive off in our future camper van  to watch the proceedings from higher ground. That will feel luxurious.

I was looking back over my collection of Hurricane Irma pictures remembering what  a colossal pain in the backside it was to not have running water or electricity or fuel for days on end and I was lucky in that I was in the police station with a generator and food even though I had to sit up all night standing by to answer 911 calls that were not very frequent as there was no cell coverage and not many functioning land lines. It was an interesting experience but, like my time in the hospital I've done it and I don't feel a need to repeat it. Speaking of which this landline at Bayview Park looked solid but there was no dial tone:

I do not lament the passing of the payphone. I still think of the pain it was to use, even with a calling card which at the time seemed like a brilliant innovation instead of throwing coins in the slot. I hear people grumbling about always being connected which seems like a silly argument to me, as all smart phones come with an off button. If your job requires you to be available I hope they pay you properly but for the rest of us cell phone time outs are socially acceptable as far as I know.

It may be because I like to travel that I love my cell phone. The ability to use mapping to almost never get lost is wonderful. I  like being able to look stuff up when I'm on the road too and my wife is a demon when it comes to finding decent lunch joints when we are on the road. There is no need to eat crappy tourist roadside junk anymore, not when you are equipped with apps and ratings and reviews like my wife is these days. 

Come to think of it Key West  itself is actually a much lusher and prettier place than it was formerly. I know one is supposed to revere the past but if you look at pictures of Key West a hundred years ago there was not a lot of greenery. I am told lack of water was the problem which is understandable when you remember people had to collect their own rain water off their tins roofs and store it in cisterns. There wasn't much motivation to water plants and grow ornamentals when you risked running out of water and the horse drawn water supplier charged an arm and a leg to tide you over a  drought.  

In World War Two Key West became an important Navy Base and the whole collecting rainwater game was considered inadequate for the increased troop deployment and activity at the Naval Base. So a water pipe was built from the mainland aquifer to the city of Key West, shared between the Navy and ultimately the civilians too. In wartime so many innovations spring from the spigot of military invention and war funding. With a secure supply of water, increased in 1982 with the new wide road and a larger diameter pipe, trees shrubs and gardens sprouted on the formerly barren island. 

So when I find myself tooling down the road at ten miles per hour under the speed limit straining to get to work or the gym on time I have to remind myself things are better than ever and success requires we all pay a price to live in this flourishing tourist destination. And really if I get used to allowing an hour for a 23 mile journey, as absurd as that sounds, I can always get to town on time. It's funny really how the big wide highway has ended up producing travel times much closer to the old narrow awkward roadway built directly on top of Flagler's defunct railroad! I remember it took me five hours to ride to Homestead in 1981.

I was walking around Simonton Beach watching a  sailboat glide into the harbor at four in the morning and there was a crew member on the foredeck lighting up the foresail with a flashlight. It actually looked quite magical even though I knew what he was doing. Rusty was investigating a man sleeping in the sand who was so deep in shadow I couldn't figure out what had attracted his attention. And then as I turned around I noticed the Pier House hotel overlooking the little beach, and it was lit up in a particular symmetrical way. So I photographed it, above. There was one person on a balcony nearby but Rusty and I and the sleeping drunk were pretty much alone on the ground.

These last two pictures illustrate something that struck me as we walked, Rusty and I. The truck making the delivery on Telegraph Lane at six in the morning is a reminder that sometimes streets are blocked in this narrow little city.  City workers, utilities, delivery vans, trucks, tour trolleys garbage collectors, they all work on narrow streets and if you drive you need patience. Or useful knowledge of alternatives. 

And then of course we have garbage. It's hot as I mentioned and these bags must be moved daily. I walked away pondering how much stuff we throw out, me included. I am not at all convinced recycling gets recycled as everyone around the globe seems to be overflowing with garbage everywhere around the world. But I keep doing what I do and it helps me feel good  when I see the huge blue bin at the kerb all full, while the smaller black bin is not close to being full of actual garbage. Maybe we're doing some good with recycling that ends up who knows where, but we do throw out a lot of trash. 

Bimbling On The Overseas Highway

I have been commuting Highway One, known as the Overseas Highway, since  2005 when I moved to a house on Ramrod Key at Mile Marker 27.Much of my commuting I have enjoyed on two wheels and its been pretty good most of the time as I work at night and I ride against the main traffic flow. However the highway has suffered a massive deterioration in the quality of Keys life and I am not alone in noticing this state of affairs.

What's happened is that more and more working people have moved out of Key West as house prices have spiraled up and my choice to live in the suburbs 25 miles from the city was once seen as eccentric and has now become main stream. Traffic jams on Stock island are the order of the day around eight o'clock in the morning as workers stream into the city all at the same time. Leaving Key West before five pm is a requirement if you want to avoid long back ups on the roads that lead to the one bridge out of the city.  

Once you mix into this scenario winter snowbirds who think its a good idea to move about during rush hour and tourists who are in no hurry to stop paying attention to the scenery and get on with their driving and you have a highway filled with mixed motives and motivations. The problem is that all these people are driving the only road across the county. You can't choose to drive the freeway if you are in a  hurry and the main road has to double as the scenic route at the same time.

It used to be that the jumble of cars on the highway was reserved for the winter months but nowadays it seems like we never get a break  from long lines of cars. If I want to get to the gym on time during the day I have to allow at least 50 minutes for a thirty minute journey.  Bad enough I suppose but it gets worse. People from the mainland who think passing one slow poke will solve their problems end up passing recklessly because they don't know where the passing lanes are and they don't care so you find yourself being tailgated by people who don't know how to pass on a two lane highway and crowd you. Or you find yourself stuck in a long line of cars held up by one lone slow driver with a line of cars a mile long behind them. No exaggeration. Passing one or two cars when you face 25  stuck in line makes no sense and you drag your way into Key West at 40 miles per hour.

I understand the voices of people who say it's better to slow down but finding yourself surrounded by road rage is a lot worse. There is a law on the books fining people wh "impede the flow of traffic" but I live in hope of ever seeing it enforced. Check out this sequence of photos I caught by putting my camera on the dash and shooting off  a string of pictures to edit later. I was ready for this scenario as I saw them coming and as usual I pull over when faced with being tailgated. I've paid my dues to distracted driving thanks. I let them get on with it.

 There were several cars racing and in the distance in the photo above you can see number one passing in a no passing zone and then number tow passing me as I slowed down to avoid getting caught up in an accident.

Nothing deterred he took off again determined to pass two vehicles who are already on a double yellow line with the flashing yellow light at Sugarloaf School right there.   Meanwhile boy racer number three in the red car was hot on his heels as he drove through the left turn lane ahead of us. How there wasn't a wreck I don't know.

This sort of thing happens all the time. Granted they are idiots but getting stuck ten or more  miles an hour under speed limits that are already pretty restrained gets tedious even for the more patient among us. On top of that the state keeps reducing the passing zones and it seems like not many people have been taught how to pass safely on a two lane highway so impressive lines of impatient car drivers pile up behind one inconsiderate slow poke. I never see anyone pull over to allow faster vehicles by but it doesn't stop me from doing when I find someone suddenly looming in my mirror.

Florida has a strange law called Speed Limit Plus Five which allows only for a written warning if you are stopped for speeding five over the limit. Obviously driving recklessly or too fast for conditions or any other thing can come into play but it gets tough sitting behind some dork doing 48  when he could be doing 60 and you are commuting. Holding up traffic creates road rage and it gets ugly. Lots of people are personally offended if they are passed even though they themselves have no intention of passing, yet they expect others to travel at their slow pace. Riding a scooter or motorcycle makes it worse and I no longer much enjoy riding the Overseas Highway if I'm honest. I want to get to retirement without another major wreck if possible.

There doesn't seem to be an answer to the dangers and awfulness of the modern Overseas Highway. Modern drivers seem to get no training at all in passing, managing center turn lanes, maintaining a safe distance (the two second rule), or pulling over to allow faster traffic to disperse ahead. There are too many people commuting, the number of tourists and winter residents is increasing not decreasing and the highway is as wide as it will get. I even see bicyclists ignoring the bike paths and riding o the narrow shoulder  which is their right but certainly seems to me to invite death or dismemberment considering how crappy modern driving standards have become. I can't recommend the road  really though if you come just once and choose to drive it you have been warned. It sucks.

Old Town Villas

I don't suppose affordable housing was ever an option on a piece of land a block from the fleshpots of Duval Street, also a block from the alluring waters of the Key West Bight, known as the charming Historic Seaport. I think these townhomes were offered for something close to two million dollars if the grapevine was correct. Even though the term "affordable housing" has never been properly defined in Key West these homes were nowhere close.

The reason I perked up and noticed these townhomes was the sign out front. If you want one it's too late. It appears from the picture Mercedes Benz and Porsche cars are welcome here so that disqualifies me.

There is a certain uniformity to the design though the ground floor parking would be useful and might reduce parking complaints from irritated people who buy expensive homes and then discover they can't park close by. They call 911 oftentimes to complain so I know that situation bugs them.

 I'm not sure who the generator is for butit is raised properly as a reminder this area floods.

 And the sidewalk got torn up too. This section of Greene Street is a hive of activity.

 The townhomes dominate the horizon a bit.

 And yet lobster pots are still stored here in defiance of all modern attempts to deindustrialize Key West's waterfront. They can be smelly things lobster pots. I wonder how long they will last.

 Lots of people out booking boat trips. The townhomes are squarely where the action is.

Sammy Creek

I saved these images for a nice slow Saturday layout, more pictures fewer words.

 I like Sammy Creek on Sugarloaf  as Rusty does his thing and I get to point the camera.

 The canal that goes up into the island produces a very satisfactory current under the road bridge.

 Teaching the next generation the important life skills to live in the Keys:

 Seagrass:

 They have a billboard showing the original house on the land which the family donated to the state to create the park. Oddly enough I remember the building but never photographed it myself:

 The creek recently disturbed by a boat:

 Rusty exploring the road. There are a couple of houses the other side of the bridge.

 The road ends about a mile further along. These empty roads are where youngsters come at night to let off steam and burn rubber: 

 Rusty the headless dog:

It doesn't take much to keep my dog and I amused on a sunny afternoon.

Sugarloaf Hike

The skies look a bit bland during periods of overcast but there is an absurd little filter on the camera that increases the drama. It was dramatic enough at ground level hot and sweaty with hardly a  breeze blowing over he mangroves.

Rusty was there dodging through the shady bits checking out the stuff dog check out. I was off that night so I wanted to take him on a long walk and go home ready for both of us to sleep and I ended up putting myself out at least. And in the morning let it be noted it was I that woke the dog up at fully 8:30,  two and a half hours after he usually sticks his snout in my face ready for a walk. A success then, this nearly three mile walk.

As you can see it was a calm afternoon, the ponds among the mangroves were flat and still. It was quite beautiful. The trail is at the very end of Sugarloaf Boulevard at the opposite to the more well known and frequented Sugarloaf Loop wherein lies the jumping bridge.

In the distance to the north I could just make out Highway One shimmering in the heat.

There's not really much to photograph in this wilderness especially as the greenery tends to tower over the trail and cuts off any possible views at sea level.

It was hot and sweaty, which I like especially if the alternative is snow or frost or fog.

I wanted to prove to myself I could walk a decent distance as i have been feeling more secure on my feet. So I took my cane and ambled my way about a mile and a half out, and it was rambling, as the walk took an hour and a half each way.

You make your fun where you find it. And pretty soon it found me. Rusty came back to me quivering with excitement and stared down the trail expectantly. I had no idea what was coming but sure enough a man and his dog appeared up ahead. We exchanged pleasantries and the dogs did the same and he walked off in the direction I had come. He spoke as though he knew the trail and had his plans to walk all figured out. Rusty and I pressed on toward the car. I wasn't walking that fast and sure enough the stranger and his dog caught up and we started talking. My limp brought up the motorcycle accident and he told me about all the bones he has broken over the years. It was a long and horrendous list of arms legs shoulders and ancillary parts. We then shared commiserations on the standard of driving on Highway One, and the young man told me a horrendous story about a car brake checking him on his sport bike and causing a three vehicle accident on the highway. 

Oddly enough as we walked and talked we found a connection to Santa Cruz where I used to live and where his father graduated university in California. The other truly odd thing was he recognized my voice from calling 911. That was slightly freakish I have to say. We were alone on the trail and it was a pleasant way to spend a few minutes in company when I had expected to be alone. He had a nice young dog too which I forgot to photograph. The sad pat of the story from my perspective was his acceptance that to deploy his own university degree he was going to have to leave the Keys where he grew up. But, as he pointed out hey will always be there to come back to.

A big gin and tonic and a short drive home. And we were both done.