Happy Sunday!

Another great Key West day in the making!

Yesterday started with a maritime conference at the Weston. It was sponsored locally by Mel Fisher Museum, together with other maritme organizatons. Son in law Corey chaired the five person presentation.

Very intertesting! Glad I went! In spite of the fact that I had to get up early to be in downtown Key West by 9 am.

Corey’s lecture on the sunken slave ship Guerrero was outstanding! Not just because he is married to Lisa. Corey knows all about sunken slave and pirate ships in the Caribbean.

One of the lecturers spoke of the shipwreck trail along the Atlantic side of the Florida keys. Nine sunken ships have been identified and located. They are a part of a 100 mile underwater trail. Not all of the ships are of 200 year vintage. Some are as recent as World War II.

After the lecture, I headed to Duval. Poker Run Weekend. I was not disappointed.

There were motorcyles parked in a perfect line up and down both sides of Duval. There are so many in attendance this year, that the sides streets were also being used for bike parking.

The street stands and tents struck me as unusual. Most street sellers generally peddle the same wares one festival to another. Not yesterday. There was a decidedly more upscale product being offered. Quality stuff. Prices reasonable. However, still more expensive than normal. Which proves my point that most of the bikers are an affluent group consisting of doctors, lawyers and accountants.

The tent with the bigges and happiest crowd was the one selling some sort sex enhancement/better feeling drink. It was doing a big business!. Young lovelies in bikini type attire and cowboy hats doing the selling You bought a can and drank it on the spot. If it worked, a lot of peole had to be running back to their rooms for a short respite!

One tent featured leather clothes products. Some good stuff. Other than a leather jacket, I have no leather attire.

These were biker designed clothes. One was a black leather vest. Cool! I was tempted to purchase one for our Winter/January season when a sweater is required. Thought the vest would look good with jeans.

I did not buy the vest. Decided it was not me.

My car was parked in the Pier House lot. As I walked down Front Street to the exit gate, I observed this small lady sitting on an artist’s stool, painting. A wide brimmed straw hat hiding her face from the crowds and the sun.

I walked over to see what she was doing. A water color of the buildings running from where she was sitting upwards to Duval.

I recognized the artist. It was Christine Cordone. We kissed and chatted for a few months. I told her she looked the part of an artist. Why not! She is  a recognized Key West artist. Her works are selling big time. Soon her husband, Larry Smith, can retire and live off her efforts.

Christine has blossomed as an artist in her senior years. She puttered around at it for years. All of a sudden a coupe of years ago, she began devoting more time to it. Voila! In short time, she has become well known for her work.

Interestingly, This is Christine’s third career. All are running concurrently. She is also a kindergarten teacher and a well known island singer.

My blood pressure yesterday morning was out of whack again! Too high! And I was on adjusted medication. Also, my ankles were starting to swell. Bad. Meant I was retaining fluid.

I had a call into the doctor’s office. His nurse Susan returned the call while I was in the pasta section of Publix. She is becoming as concerned with my blood pressure as I am.

Susan upped my pill dosage and told me to go home and take a water pill. I was instructed to go to bed. Not directly for the blood pressure problem. Rather lying prone makes the diuretic work better.

It was home to bed. Spent the afternoon and evening watching football. As I did, the additional pill volume and the water pill did their work. By evening, my blood pressure was on the low side on top and normal on the bottom. My blood pressure this morning is good.

Syracuse football last night. We took a hit! Killed!

The exact score escapes me. Not important, however. Southern California ran all over Syracuse.

Except for Syracuse’s initial series of downs in the first quarter. I thought…..just maybe this team can do it.

It was not to be.

I have a new internet friend. T. J. Brown. He hails from northern Indiana. TJ, as he refers to himself, is hopeful that in ten years, he and his wife can retire to the keys. He wrote me the other day that he has three idols. One is his wife for putting up with him. The other two Howard Livingston and me. Thank you, TJ. I am going to have to start going to Church now to maintain my image!

TJ writes a blog. It is called the Life of TJ Brown. No punctuation after the T and J.

In today’s blog, he makes mention of wanting coconut palm trees. No TJ, you do not want coconut palm trees. Once you have spent some time in the Florida keys, you will understand why.

They are a pain and expensive to upkeep. The coconuts fall. On the heads of those sitting in the shade of the tree. The branches have a tendency fall more than other palm trees, also. There is clean up.

At least once a year, coconut palm trees have to be trimmed of their coconuts. Each tree has many. There are specific rules involved as to their removel.

Garbage cans can only be filled half way for removal purposes. Other wise, the garbage men cannot lift them. Weight is further involved. If the total weight of the removal exceeds a certain weight, the garbage men will not take the coconuts. It becomes your headache and expense to get them to the dump. Where, of course, there is a dumping fee.

We all make the same mistake when we come to Key West. We want coconut palm trees. My landscaper warned me. I knew better than him. I did not care. I wanted coconuts.

There is a palm tree that looks exactly like a coconut one. But, no coconuts! Between hurricanes and old age, I have been replacing my palm trees with the denutted ones.

Sunday afternoons in the Fall means pro football at Don’s Place. That is where I shall be this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!