A BIG VISITORS WEEKEND

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Charles Kuralt considered Schooner Wharf the center of the universe. I believe it is the Chart Room. We may both be wrong. It may be Key West itself!

This weekend is a biggie for Key West visitors. Many notables.

Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson spoke at The Studios of Key West friday night. He had been here the whole week. His wife Avis is notable in her own right. She is an artist. Her work has been showing all week at the Studios.

The Blue Angels are in town! No one has to tell you! They can be heard. Several times a day for the past few days. Flying low over Key West. Low low! I stood on my second floor balcony to watch them fly over. I thought if I put my hand up, I could touch the planes. Some one commented the planes were flying so low, he could see the pilot clearly. The Blue Angels are performing this weekend at Boca Chica Naval Base.

My bocce partner Erika flew with the Blue Angels friday. Not in a jet. In a large C-130 cargo plane. Called Fat Albert by the Navy.

Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, and Tippi Hedren were in Key West friday evening. Perhaps you have to be my age to know/remember them. Sad if that is the case. They were big movie stars of another generation. My generation.

All three were here for an opening at Rote’s Gallery on Duval. All three friends of owner Adam Scott Rote. Reynolds and Dickinson drove up in a Rolls-Royce.

Burt was a big time male star in the 1960s through the 1980s. Comparable to Tom Cruise who followed him. Reynolds interestingly has a sort of connection with the Blue Angels who are performing this weekend in Key West. In 1960 and 1961, Reynolds appeared in several episodes of the TV show Blue Angels.

Angie Dickinson was a wow! The loveliest of the lovelies! A big time female star. She worked with all the major male stars. She also was engaged heavily in television. A close friend of Frank Sinatra, she starred in the first Oceans 11 movie with Sinatra.

Tippi Hedren is best recalled by The Birds. The beautiful woman being chased by an army of run away birds.

Last but not least, the Budweiser Clydesdales are in town. All eight of them. They made a delivery on Duval Street friday. They performed at the Blue Angels air show saturday.

Key West Lou was here, also. I never got to see or meet any of the luminaries mentioned. My fault. A shame.

This blog is very late this morning because I was up after midnight watching the Syracuse/California basketball game. Syracuse won 66-60. Syracuse once had a 14 point lead. It got widdled down to 4 thereafter. Syracuse’s defense won the game for them. They completely tied up California’s big time star Crabbe. He scored only 8 points. You could see the exasperation on his face.

Syracuse went 12 minutes in the second half without even taking a shot. Can you imagine! They were fouled constantly, however. It was not Syracuse’s evening to shine on the foul line. The team only made 15 of 41 foul shots.

Onward to the Sweet Sixteen! Either Indiana or Temple. Those two play this afternoon.

Jake. Made his first long car trip yesterday. To Miami and back. Lisa said he was very good. He either rested on the floor or sat in someone’s lap looking out the window.

I noticed something unusual about Jake friday. The way he runs. He bounds. Maybe leaps. Whatever. He is a small dog. Each bound/leap is good for five feet. He is fast. Ain’t nothing that is going to get away from him.

Key West weather continues to be fantastic! 83 yesterday. It will be the same today. No humidity. Such a pleasure!

Enjoy your sunday!

 

SQUARE ONE AND FAT ALBERT ARE NO MORE

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I started coming down to Key West some 25 years ago. Two mainstays then either are or soon will be no more. I refer to Square One Restaurant and Fat Albert.

Square One Restaurant opened its doors about the time I discovered Key West. I became an instant customer. For years as much as 2-3 times a week. In recent years, not so much.

Michael Hayes opened Square One. In Duval Square. The perfect place for a restaurant. You had to look for it.

Michael was the perfect host. Always the gentleman. Tall and thin. His shirts perfectly pressed. He did them himself.

The bartender from almost day one was Patrick Hayes. Also known as Patty Cakes. Patrick knew everyone in Key West. Whenever I was in need of anything, I would ask Patrick. He would tell me who to see.

Patrick and Lisa have a bond. Patrick is Lisa’s best friend.

Square One’s food was great! Always! The service equal to the quality of the food. The restaurant attracted an upscale clientle.

Square One closed last thursday. For all time. The word is Michael sold to Carmelo. Carmelo is an experienced Key West restaurateur. He started the original La Trattore and Virgilio’s.

Whatever you do Michael, I wish you well. Patrick, also.

There is a large white blimp  that hovers over Cudjoe Key. To the left of US 1 going north. It has been there as long as I can remember. Turns out it has been operational for 33 years.

It took years for me to find out what the blimp was for. No one seemed to know. Then I was told it was for Radio Free America to air in Cuba.

Actually, the blimp had a two fold purpose. Beam television freedom type shows to Cuba was one. The other was as a tethered radar station. Generally used in recent times to help interdict drug runners.

The blimp acquired a name along the way. Fat Albert.

We are in an economic crunch. One of the things cut from the federal budget was Fat Albert. As of March 15, it will be no more. Not even to be seen. It will be taken down.

Turns out there were two blimps rather than one. A smaller one. Way up, also. I never saw it. Do not know any one who did.

I will miss Square One. It is another piece of Key West to disappear that will never be replaced. Probably could not be replaced. I will also miss seeing the big white blimp as I drive north on US 1.

My first stop early last night was Don’s Place. Sat and chatted with Herschel quite a while. I enjoy talking with him. He is a political junkie as I am.

David came in for a moment. He has a new dog. Female, 9 months old. She was jumping a bit as young ones are apt to do. David will have her trained shortly and she will be the perfect lady. David is a dog expert.

I stopped at the Chart Room. Captain Peter was there. I spent a couple of hours talking with Peter. Worldly, a knowledgeable man.

I was lucky. Two unusually intelligent people with whom to communicate.

My neighbor Andrew has returned. Andrew owns the MTV home across the water. He has spent the past several months in Switzerland. He called yesterday. We are having dinner together tonight.

Enjoy your day!