THE SHAME OF IT ALL

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Key West weather is strange. Perhaps weather along the ocean everywhere is.

This morning is absolutely beautiful. Serene best describes it. Nothing moving. The sun bright. The sky blue with a smattering of isolated white clouds.

The weather man says it is not going to stay that way. Predicts 80 percent chance of rain later this afternoon. Hard to believe!

Lobster mini season next week! A big deal! People come from all over to dive for Florida lobsters. The season starts tuesday. Three days. Each day an armada will pass my home as it enters the ocean. The only way to describe it. Each year it reminds me of what the English boats must have looked like heading to Dunkirk.

Poachers show up. I call them thieves. 200-250 lobsters reside under my dock. The dock is 144 feet long. When I go out at sunrise on tuesday, there will be a black rubber suited swimmer picking at my lobsters. One year, I poked the guy in the head with a pole. He shot up, looked at me, and swam away like a thief. Which he was.

I did write next week’s KONK Life column yesterday. The Shame Of It All. About the Detroit water situation. My purpose was to share facts that normally do not appear in the national media. An interesting story. Obviously revealing. Read it when published next week. You will enjoy.

I wanted the column to be a double header. I wanted to explore the children immigrating into Texas also. Shame, again. The two subjects combined would have made for too long a piece. De Boer limits my words.

The children problem is a perfect example of how dysfunctional our government has become. A shameful episode thus far. It is clear the Republican House may do nothing or come up with a bill that will be dramatically short in dollars. Tea party members in the House are flexing their muscles.

Regardless how the problem occurred or whose fault it is, the children are here. A fact of life. We have to do something to care for them. The media generally now is showing the pictures of how these children are living. What happened to the compassion parents and grandparents in the House normally have? Children are children.

If the House fails, Obama must show he has courage. Immediate courage. He must act. Even if he bends the rules a bit. It would not be the first time for him nor the first time a President has done so.

Recall Reagan  and Iran Contra.

Drones are frequently in the news these days. Never in a good way. Yesterday was different. An 83 year old Wisconsin man had been lost for three days. He had Alzheimer’s. A drone was sent up to hopefully locate him on the third day. It did. In 20 minutes. The man was lost in  a bean field.

Drones apparently do have a good side.

Enjoy your day!

 

CHARLIE ROBINSON

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A Key West neighbor died. Charlie Robinson aka Charles Robert Robinson.

Whenever we met, we greeted each other with…..Hi neighbor! We were not geographically close, however. We both lived in Key Haven. I at the end of Cypress Terrace, Charlie on Key Haven Road. A half mile separating us.

We first met at Antonia’s or La Te Da. Charlie and his charming wife Regina would occasionally visit Key West haunts. Both always smiling, always friendly.

About two years after I started writing this blog, I ran into the two of them at Antonia’s. Rachel put together that I was Key West Lou. She was so excited! Not because she met me. Because she enjoyed reading the blog so much. She told me she went back to the beginning and read it all. Loved her!

Charlie was a Key West fixture. An icon. He owned a motor/scooter operation on Truman just below Duval. The one with the big American flag flying over it.

Charlie was active in an antique car club. Big time! Antique cars were his thing!

Charlie and Regina lived on one of the best streets in the Key West area. Homes in Key Haven can be special. Theirs was. As were those of their neighbors. Charlie needed a place to park some of his antique cars. They could not be left outside subject to the sun and salt. Charlie bought a piece of property directly across the street from his home on Key Haven Road. The property was located on open water. Charlie built a four stall garage. He did it right, however. I am sure he did not wish to insult himself or his neighbors. It was built like a house, at quick glance looked like a house. and was always well maintained.

A Key West luminary is gone. His star now shines in the heavens.

Did a little Mel Fisher Days yesterday afternoon. Walked the closed off streets. Listened to a bit of music. Enjoyed a sausage sandwich.

This morning’s Key West Citizen carries a major front page article on drones. They are not only military. They are public, also. Two drone companies have already opened in Key West. They fly over where ever and take pictures.

One hit a spectator during the July 4 fireworks.

Privacy laws are involved. As well as federal regulations. If drones are to be part of our everyday lives, they must be controlled for the good of the public. I would not want my picture taken as I lay by my pool bare ass for the whole world to see. Nor is it anyone’s business who I am out with.

When it rains big time in Key West, certain streets flood. Sometimes deep enough for kayaking, sometimes for swimming. I have a dear friend in Novara. Milly. I met Milly on my first trip to Italy three years ago. Milly unfortunately had a bad stroke in her 30s. She is still in her 30s. The stroke left her with some disabilities and discomfort. It did not affect her sense of humor, however.

Milly posted a photo on Facebook this week. It was of a flooded Novara street. A young man was standing on a surf board. Milly’s comment was…..Surfing in paddy fields no longer fashionable.

The Novara area is replete with rice paddys. As far as the eye can see in any direction. The area is one of the largest rice growers in the world. The reason is that the land is always flooded. There are natural springs below the surface which constantly feed the ground. Rice fields are referred to as paddy fields.

I met Germana and Nini on the same trip. They own the biggest parcel of rice paddys in the Novara area. Miles of it. They also own and operate a golf course.

Nini told me the golf course parcel was too hilly for a rice paddy. So he built a golf course. This man of affluence is hands on. I can see him working on its construction. He also worked on maintaining the golf course after its construction. He cut the grass on occasion. On a large tractor mower.

Two years ago, the tractor tipped and pinned Nini under it. Many broken bones. He spent two months in the hospital and then close to a year at home. He still has pain. However, he is up and about again. I do not know if he cuts the grass anymore.

Milly, Germana, and Nini know each other and are friends. Great people all. I am pleased to know them and call them friends, also.

Enjoy your day!

 

CHINA OWNS EVERYTHING

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Joyous news! The giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a baby panda that survived! Weighed just under 5 ounces. Amazing that such a huge mother delivered such a small baby.

It is reported mother and child are doing well.

The delivery was at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

This is one of those did you know items. Were you aware…..China owns all pandas in United States zoos? China does. As well as us. The United States owes China so much money. We will never be able to pay it back.

Stopped at the Bank of America ATM yesterday. Out of order. I tried the drive in one and fortunately it worked. I was down to $2. I can recall an occasion when all of Bank of America’s ATMs in Key west were down. A tragedy.

Interestingly, Bank of America does not own and operate its ATMs. Nor do most banks. Brinks owns and operates them. I found out once when the ATM would not return my card. Bank of America was no help.

Stopped at Salute around 5 for a drink. A change moment.

Good crowd! Busy! Especially out doors.

I was impressed at the cost of my drink. $6 for a Beefeater on the rocks. Good sized. A bargain in Key West. Most places are in the $8.50-$10.00 range. Except for Don’s Place. $4.50.

Stopped next at Don’s. Only 5:30. Nate bartending. Only 4 people at the bar. I did not know any of them. Chatted with Nate a bit and left. Did not have a drink.

The Chart Room was next. Mary bartending. Me and tourists.

I enjoyed the parting conversation between two couples. They had made plans to meet tonight at Garden of Eden. They were all giggly and excited.

I have only been to the Garden of Eden twice in the many years it has been open. It is a clothing optional bar for adults on a roof top on Duval. I am a voyeur. I was disappointed. Never saw anyone without clothes! Not even a topless woman!

Since Larry Smith has stopped playing, I have not been to the Wine Galley. I walked to the back side of the Pier House to visit last night. The outdoor hostess asked if she could help. I asked if the Wine Galley was open. She said, yes. It is our formal dining room. She insisted on entering with me.

What a joke! A sad one.

The room is the same. Except for three tables and the piano. Gone. The room was deserted. It smelled strongly of disinfectant.

She was gracious. Asked if I wanted a drink. A bartender had suddenly appeared. I said thank you, but no. It would not have been the same.

The front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen had a photo of the drone the Mosquito Control Board is trying out. Small. Weighs only 2 1/2 pounds. I was impressed. Our Mosquito Control Board does a hell of a job. Were it not for them, people would find it difficult to reside in the lower Keys.

Another lapus lingua. I referred to Bradley Manning recently as Bruce Manning. Second time in a week I have made a mistake. The prior one was referring to George Clooney as Robert Clooney.

Dementia must be setting in.

Tonight Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. At 9. One half hour. Fast moving and interesting. Revealing on occasion, also. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I intend to speak about Bradley Manning and transgendedrism, China owning all pandas in the United States, and a proposal to urine test all high school athletes in Florida.

Join me.

Enjoy your day!

JET LAG

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It finally hit me big time. Jet lag! It is 2:30 in the afternoon and I am just getting to today’s blog. My head is not functioning, my body tired.

Interestingly, today is the first day I have knowingly experienced it.

I tried working on this week’s KONK Life column this morning. Good luck! No way, Jose!

I have been pacing myself since my Wednesday night return.

Yesterday, I worked a while with Sloan. A pleasure to have her!

Then visited the grandkids. I had not seen Robert and Alley in two months. They just returned from a two week vacation at their grandparent’s home in north Florida.

Both grew. Especially Ally.

They make me feel good.

Laid in bed and watched some golf. Hope Jim Furyk wins. I met him several years ago at the Indian Casino outside Utica. Turning Stone. He was staying there a few days with his family. Soft spoken. A regular guy. He has won 16 times on the tour. One of the wins a major. He has not won in a few years. A win here would be big. It would guarantee him a place in the Golf Hall of Fame.

The Chart Room was packed last night. Like sardines in a can.

Saw JJ, Peter, Jean, and Sheila. Met Dori, a friend of Sheila’s.

Though I was not able to observe, Dori has some sort of disability. Ergo, she has a specially trained dog to assist her. I met the dog.

Big!!!Bigger than that!!!

A great dane. Great being the operative word. He had to be the biggest dog I have ever seen.

White with black spots. Like a Dalmatian. It would take at least four Dalmatians to make one of him.

Very quiet and reserved. Sat by Dori. Never moved in spite of the people mulling around. Then laid down behind Dori’s bar stool.

When I went to leave after kissing Sheila good bye and meeting Dori, I stepped on the dog’s paw. He never moved. Lucky me!

A bug and fish are in the news.

The lower Keys has a Mosquito Control Board. It does an excellent job. Without the Board, living in Key West would be primitive.

This year the Board started introducing something into the mosquito population that made the males sterile thereby preventing the females from getting pregnant. Pretty smart, I thought. The results of the endeavor are not known yet.

Starting late in August, the Board is going to experiment with drones. Planes without pilots.

Water pooling is a natural habitat within which mosquitos breed. The drones will fly around and identify the locations so personnel can go out and get the pools cleaned up.

The Keys mosquito guys do not screw around!

Now comes a crocodile. The croc has been named Crocodolly. Keynoter recently reported the following.

Crocodolly is eight feet long. A female. She has been showing up in an area off Plantation Key since 2010. She has been captured three times. Tagged the first time so there is no question it is the same crocodile. The tag on her tail is #5 in case you run into her.

Crocodiles are endangered species. Each time Crocodolly was captured, the authorities took her far out into Florida Bay. Crocodolly returned each time. Like the dog that can find its way home from many miles away.

The people of Plantation Key do not fear her. They look forward to seeing her in their canals.

Crocodolly has over 400 friends on Facebook.

What a world!

I am back on the air Tuesday night. Blog talk radio. Nine in the evening. A quick interesting half hour. Greece and the growing power of the Greek Nazi Party will be the topic. Join me. I guarantee you will find the talk revealing. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your Sunday!