Rain And Wind

We had a sudden burst of huge wind and rain over the Keys.


This isn't the sort of place that enjoys endless days of gray and drizzle. I like the rain to do this:


And usually it doesn't drag on, but this frontal collision has produced a surprising amount of gray skies and falling water.


Traffic keeps moving albeit slowly. People are afraid of water.


I love riding in the rain and yesterday my wife called to suggest gently I take a car...


I geared up for rain and rode. The winds were strong enough to blow stuff around but I don't find strong breezes as scary as many seem to when riding motorcycles.


I stay loose on the bike, pay attention and don't hold the bars in a death grip. The Bonneville, like Cheyenne, doesn't let bad weather hold us up.


I prefer sun and blue skies but we need the rain, the tell us.


Our water supplies come from the south Florida aquifer so we really need rain on the mainland. Down here rain gets us wet and we try to come prepared.


Some people think Crocs are foolish footwear. I find them eminently practical. Gay men don't wear ugly shoes and fearful straight men won't buy them in pink so I get mine half price from stores eager to unload their backed up supplies


Water water everywhere.


What I like here is that even though i'm soaked and my dog is soaked we aren't teeth chattering cold, it's just refreshing.


So we walk together, companionably, with Cheyenne looking for and finding scraps, while I seek images to illustrate the rain.


We seem to do well together.


I am already anticipating my 27 mile ride tom work through the storm and my blood is tingling as I inventory what I will need to take on the bike.


A long gray ride over the water and through the water...


...to Key West!


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Margaret At Catherine

This block starts at United and passes under a tunnel of trees.


The houses on one side are pretty large by Key West standards.


With the endless parade of piratical nonsense.


There never were any pirates in Key West, no matter what line of commercial bullshit they keep on peddling.


A tree leafed one story home is more in keeping with what one expects to see in this town.


My pink Crocs don't look so gaudy in this town.


Buy this place, below, and you'd have a very short walk to a high calorie meal at the Cuban place next door.


This place across the street is having some work done.


But there is no doubt about one thing.


I know that when someone sees me taking a chicken picture they think I am some visitor enchanted by the wild chickens of Key West.


As it is I loathe the messy noisy smelly things. El Siboney is where one goes for Cuban food on this side of town.


The streets were empty on the hot summer afternoon...


...while the lunchtime parking lot at the restaurant was full, as always.


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Flagler At 11th

There is an odd open space along Flagler Avenue that seems to serve no purpose to man nor beast in the city, except perhaps the occasional illegal encampment.


As I recall Hurricane Wilma wrecked a chapel in this area in 2005 and plans to reconsecrate the spot have fallen through. The land is for sale.


The open space sits between 11th Street where the boat ramp gives access to the Riviera Canal, while on the west side Catholic Charities operates their soup kitchen.


In the middle we find a wasteland of mud, rubble and vegetation. It makes for good dog walking.


Cheyenne patrolled the perimeter and gradually penetrated the interior, nose to the ground, absorbed by the smells.


Through the trees we see the homes of the neighbors who undoubtedly will be happy to see this spot turned into something more formal than a mud pit.


Someone has been working to clean up some of the land:


I was quite attracted to the power of the chipper, an instrument of destruction that has never quite looked the same to me since I saw one used in the film Fargo.


You know what a shopping cart standing guard indicates...


...and sure enough behind the bushes we came across an abandoned camp. I know the cops are in the habit of patrolling this area so I wasn't at all surprised to find no one actually busy making a home in the shrubbery.


Potted plants make any camp a home:


Key West never ceases to amaze me.


A city where land is as valuable as anywhere yet someone owns this useless open space and here it sits, unused. All the better for Cheyenne.

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Dawn Reflections

Leaving work at six yesterday it was another clear sky dawn with a sunny day in the offing. The lights of Stock Island illuminated the sky to the west of Boca Chica bridge.


The day shift workers are always pouring into the job hub that is Key West as I leave town after a night of sitting up taking 911 calls. I was struck how the oncoming headlights washed out the sunrise.


As sun rises go it wasn't especially spectacular yesterday, though after half a century of waking up every day I am still glad I am here to see the day break, better yet from the saddle of my Bonneville.


These few pictures illustrate my commute, though usually I don't stop to admire the views. They are worth it.


Summer is a time of light winds, usually, and glassy calms.


Hurricane season starts officially June 1st and all the storms stories will be broadcast to get everyone's wind up.


The boring part about summer is how serene these coral waters are most of the time.


I have traveled the tropics and these scenes tend to remind me of those far off places


Palms tend to do that.


Looking south from Mile Marker 13, Overseas Highway.


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Old Bahia Honda Bridge

I haven't run a picture of my favorite seascape in a while so here's a quickie of the old Flagler Bridge connecting West Summerland Key to distant Bahia Honda State Park.


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