Keys Kaleidoscope

Photos posted between 2006/1/1 and 2007/8/19.

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It's Coming Down...Finally The shops next door to The Quay are down already, that took about 10 minutes, but now they are taking down that landmark restaurant and I think it will take a little bit longer to dismantle. These buildings have been falling down ever since Hurricane Wilma, and they really needed to be demolished. I know a lot of you have some great memories of special dinners at this long-ago famous place. I think the bar out back was Banana Tiki Bar, or something like that. The city had to send in trucks to tear it down, but I am sure the Gus Boulis Family Estate will pay for it ultimately. Most of you know that Gus Boulis was also the one who owned Sun Cruz Casino, the Quays, The Greek Fisherman, and Perrys,and then was shot in the head at a stoplight in Ft. Lauderdale after selling Sun Cruz to Jack Abrahamoff and some other inverstors who weren't paying him The city would like to buy the land for a park, but the $5 million price tag for that little strip of land is way too high. I believe the city did get the boat ramp. Well, this photo did come with a small price tag. I was filling up at the Citgo on the corner because the gas was a low $3.03 a gallon and while thinking about taking this photo, I forgot to replace my gas cap, went back to look for it later, and can't find it, so now it is a trip to KMart for a new gas cap. The good news is that I took this photo from the turn around lane while no one was behind me, and I did not get rear ended. Unfortunately, my niece has gotten me into taking photos while driving, but I swear I am going to give it up from now on, too dangerous!

Breakfast out, Keys style. My teacher friends, Arlene and Riet and I meet here often to start the morning out with breakfast on the water. Keys Fisheries has everything you would want from a breakfast sandwich, to the lobster omlet. If you fall in love with the lobster omlet, you can come back at lunch for the lobster rueben. Prices are reasonable however you do have to put your order in at the window, give a favorite movie or song title, and wait for them to call you back to pick up your order. Coffee is serve yourself. Also, they have a new upstairs bar, called "The Upper Deck" for happy hour, but we haven't tried this yet. As you all know, it is down the street from the Stuffed Pig, right next to the elementary school. How handy is that for us part-time testers? Great friends, great fun, and you can check out who's going out fishing for the day, oh..."'Love Me Tender' is up", time to go get my order.

It's a new store...for those of you who like to cook your own. "Lobster Monster" selling meat and seafood. Yes, I know, you can read the sign. It's located on the south side of A1 across from Walgreen's. They had fresh yellowtail advertized today for $4.99 a pound, probably the whole fish, Bill says. I haven't been in yet, but plan to go next week after the commercial boats start pulling traps on August 6th. Let's see, they are supposedly going to get $5.00 a pound for their catch, so I could expect to pay $10.00 a pound for lobster? That may be wishful thinking, or as they say down here, "fishful thinking". I'll let you know how the pricing goes, and what else they have there after I check it out. I love the marine blue paint job on the outside. It really sets it off from the other stores around, and you can't miss it when you drive by.

Mini-season ends tonight at midnight. They warned me to stay away from the 25th Street boat launch, Kmart fishing section, and the beer aisle at The Winn Dixie. Did I listen? No, but it was pretty tame during the day while everyone was out on the "bug-hunt". The FWC was out in full force with boats, heliocopters and even a lobster-sniffing dog. It's too crazy out there for most of the locals. Me? I'll wait until August 6th when the regular season starts. Hopefully Jim and Pat Janda will take us out on their boat; They know ALL the spots.

The rush is on! Lobster Mini season starts tomorrow, and there are tons of people down here. The ocean is full of boats. There are pickup trucks and boat trailers everywhere. The Marathon Lady has been doing lots of fishing trips daily. The signs are up, no lobstering in the canals or water around Key Colony, but the boats have been going out daily looking for just the spot where all the lobsters will be when the season starts. Now, if only the lobsters will cooperate for them and stay in exactly that spot when they start the hunt, they will be all set. Here at The Cay, it is very quiet as usual. We have only our usual summer residents, and even Marie is in France for a few weeks. The only noise here is from Oscar doing his spalling work, and he is working at a fast clip. He finished our parking lot side of building 4 this past week, and is now rounding the corner of Snavely's. From my uneducated view, he is doing an excellent job AND he has been very neat, cleaning up as he goes. What a guy! While is is quiet here, not so at Sunset Beach next door. They do a lot of short term rentals, and have lots of families fishing off the peer, swimming in the pool, etc. It's nice to see so many groups having such a good time this time of year.

We've been gone for a month, but now we are back from the great Up North, and it looks like we may have a MAJOR BANANA PROBLEM right below our balcony. When we left, there were two little trees, planted there last November. We return and one of them has massive amounts of bananas on it! How exciting! The problem is that there just aren't enough people around to share them all with, but don't worry, they aren't ripe yet anyway. We have had a few families here enjoying the 4th festivities. The Sables, the Winterichs, to name a few. The beach is peaceful and the water is warm...very warm. It's a good place to contemplate some recipes for the future. Let's see, banana bread, banana daqaris, banana margaritas, bananas Foster, banana creme pie...

Are They Catching Anything Down in The Keys?

You bet they are...on The Best Bet. Check out these dolphin that Dave and Doris got last Wednesday. They had a great time and brought back plenty of fish to share with their friends and family. They worked hard to haul in this catch, sore muscles, a few cuts and bruises, but it was all worth the effort! They'll be serving lots of dolphin meals in New Jersey this summer. Mmm-mmm, start up the barbie and cook up some fresh Jersey corn to go with it.

A Mural Comes to Life

Last week on Thursday when I was working at Stanley Switlik Elementary, a big cherry picker truck pulled up to the bare white wall in the outside hallway at the school ( down here, all of the hallways are outside). Next they brought in about 20 gallons of paint, and then the work began. It has an interesting local flavor to the story. The artist, Yoslan O'Farrill, went to Stanley Switlik when he came to Marathon from Cuba in the 6th grade. He graduated from Marathon High School and is now an artist in Daytona Beach. His mom works in the school as a janitor, and his brother is now a 4th grader. They convinced him to come down and paint the mural. He said he painted it as a testament to what Keys students can accomplilsh. It was fun watching him work. By Friday afternoon it was almost complete, and Monday he came back to finish the dolphins' eyes, and sign his work. The dolphins are the school mascot, of course! This young 23 year old artist is married and has 2 kids. He says his next project is a gaming mural at Bellagio in Vegas. .

Deck Party Trivia

Can you name the members of this partyin' group?. Hints: Three generations, 4 different families, two are related, one's "just a renter". They all had a great time being together in April.

Farewell Party

Yes, it's that time of year when the last of our friends head North, or East, or West, and it's also time for them to clean out the fridge and share some of the best recipes with friends on the deck. These are the kind of people who can take off their sandals in a second to head to the sand for a photo op by the water. These are the people who show up in whatever they are wearing, be it bathing suit, holey shorts, or bathrobe, to spend time together. We are sad because some of them are leaving, but there will still be a few hearty souls here through the month of May, and maybe beyond. Good bye to Carl and Dana, Carlo and Sharon, Dee and Verne, Sophia and Bill (yes, they made it in one piece to Columbus once again). Hello to summer, absolutely no goosebumps when you enter the ocean, more dolphins and manatees to swim with, and still some parties on the deck...they may be smaller, but they will be just as lively, and guaranteed there will be more fish to fry. Save that jug of Carlo Rossi, Warren. We will get to it sooner or later.

Marooned in Marathon...if you haven't gone North yet, you must stop in and see this very Keysee store, and if you are there on Wednesday, this very Keysee lady, Arlene. They have every chatski, googa, item that you could possibly think of, including cigars (Tom, don't you dare get one and smoke it on your porch!). We especially like the redneck horn, but all of the new sandals and purses are also very tempting. A rainy day, a sunny day, you don't have to be marooned to stop by and spend some time shopping and chatting.

HARDTOP MOPED Seen yesterday in Key West. With gas prices up to $3.02 a gallon, this doesn't look so silly to me anymore. Would you consider it? What if gas prices were $5.oo a gallon, then could you give it a try? I couldn't tell if it had windshield wipers or not, but that would be a must. I'd definitely give it a go on Key Colony Beach, but no way up on the turnpike. Guess I better keep my Element for a while.

The ODD COUPLE of The Cay.
They call themselves "The Odd Couple", if you know them you won't be wondering why. Felix and Oscar, you know who's who. One of them takes pleasure in straightening up the lounge chairs every day. The other one wouldn't be concerned if there were no lounge chairs. One of them will order a cuba libre with a twist of lime at cocktail hour, while the other goes for a Jack Daniels on the rocks. On of them can be spotted wearing an argyle sweater and docksiders on his way to the evening social hour. The other will don his "U Da Man" hat as his going out attire. While Felix loves to light the tiki torches for an event on the deck, Oscar loves to light up a cigar to smoke on his porch. One of them cleans out the fridge daily, the other still has Easter eggs left over from last year. The ying and yang, the woof and warp, the surf and turf, they compliment each other, they are best buds, and when one or both are gone, it seems like things are just a little off center here at The Cay. They will be missed when they leave for the season, but they'll be back next year to keep things on an even keel again.

Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmm-Mmm. It's a sign that the Easter bunny is on his way. Kids are at the pool, parents are on the beach, and Sophia is in her kitchen baking up her pecan rolls! If you haven't had one, let me tell you, you can't resist a taste. I had to lock Bill out of the condo so I could grab a photo before he got into them. I can't reveal her secret recipe, but I know that the butter, honey and cinnamon definitely add to the flavor! Bon apetite!

St. Patrick's Day at The Cay, and everyone had a great time! Drinks were served by Roger and Bill, the bartenders of the evening. Everyone wore green (because we were told to). The appetizers were wonderful, and we had a chance to catch up with everyone, and discuss basketball, the parade, and the cancelled flights that grounded a few people and extended their vacation for a few more days. We missed Jack, who would have been singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling". Who is that short man in the furry St. Pat's hat? Here's a hint: His 86th birthday was celebrated yesterday with family and friends. Cheers to all, and here's celebrating another happy season we have spent with our friends here at 601 West Ocean Dr.

Carl's 80th, and we celebrated with an informal gathering of close friends and anyone else who was wandering by at the time. Yes, it was his birthday, but more than that, we were celebrating his return to us after unexpectantly being away for 2 weeks. It just wasn't the same without hearing his voice as he greets everyone on his way down to the beach for his daily swim, seeing him and Dana ride their bikes at 7:30 every morning, and enjoying the sunset on the deck in the evening. Our internal time clocks were just all screwed up while he was gone. And now, we are so thankful, blessed, and just plain lucky that we have him back at The Cay. So welcome back, Carl, and please don't leave us again in the middle of the season unless you have a very good reason. We can't live without you!

LOOK OUT! Portuguese-Man-of - War on the beach! The wind switched around last night, and now it's out of the south. That means lots of seaweed on the beach and also Portuguese Man-of-War. I took this photo this morning about a half hour after they raked the beach. They look innocent, but their 30 foot tentacles can give a nasty sting. I see not even Carl swimming in the ocean today. Smart!
The south wind also brings in Cuban rafters. Last week the new commander of the Navy in Key West stepped out his front door to find 18 of them sitting peacefully in his front yard waiting for someone to process them. Wet foot/ Dry foot law. If you make it to shore, you are free to stay. They came over in an old boat. What happens more often, is that wealthy Cubans pay, what I hear to be between 10 and 20 thousand dollars each for a go-fast boat to bring them over. This of course is illegal, but quite a money-making venture if you have a fast boat, and want to take the risk of getting caught. Last week two groups of 20-30 Cubans were dropped off close to shore in the early morning hours. One group came in on Sombrero Beach, and the other at Coco Plum. Maybe one morning it won't be just the Portuguese Man-of -War greeting me on the beach. "Habla Espanol?" Does all of this have anything to do with the uncertainty of the political situation in Cuba right now?
The talk in Little Havana is all about celebrations that are planned for the impending death of Castro. There are plans for a big blow out at the Orange Bowl, with dancing and partying. The city of Miami is trying to keep out of it, but says they will provide security if there is an event. Is the death of a much hated person a cause for celebration? I don't know.
Wet foot/ Dry foot, Marange or Mourn? All I know is I'm glad I speak a little Spanish. I may be in the minority down here sooner than I thought.

Field Trip!

Last week we went to Homestead to KB Orchids, the orchid farm! We picked up a dendrobium, two phalaenopsis, and a bromiliad that looks like a big orange and yellow flag just waiting for an iguana to take a bite! We keep them indoors. They don't like the direct sun, don't like the varying temperatures outdoors, and don't like air-conditioning...picky, picky, picky. But they sure are beautiful. It's a long ride, but worth it to see all the choices, and then struggle to pick out only a few. Hopefully these will last us for the season. If you've got the time, it's a great trip. Steve or Bill can give you directions on how to get there.

Now THIS one is getting just too bold!
We watch the iguanas walk around on the beach as if they own the place, and we know they enjoy spending their early afternoon in the sun and then marching past us to get to their favorite palm for a late afternoon nap, and that's OK with us. We can tolerate them on the beach, but our porch? Our porch on the second floor? Right next to our sliding glass door and our living room? Now that is an invasion. We draw the line at the bottom of the stairs, and when they cross it, we feel that we have a right to claim our territory and call it trespassing. This is a warning to all iguanas big and small, "If you come up on our porch again, it will be an ice water cocktail for you! We will have no mercy, even if it forces you to bail out from the porch to the ground, we will not be responsible for broken legs or necks, you have been forwarned."

Yes, this is Key Colony Beach, and not Athens. It seems that there are almost no vacant lots left on the island, so...time to start taking down old homes and building new, bigger ones. This house was on 1st street. Someone has plans for a big- foot palace with a view of Bonefish Towers across they way. We live on an island, but we can't seem to escape "progress".

Happy New Year from The Cay!