TURTLE DIED, PRESIDENT DID POORLY, MY BEARD IS GONE

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Three items to be discussed this morning. The turtle that died, last night’s debate, and my beard. Each will be discussed in the order of their importance. Importance from my perspective.

The turtle. Good Hope. Found August 24 on a St. Croix beach. Beat up, cut up and sick. Pregnant. Airlifted to Marathon Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys. Several surgeries. Carrying over 100 eggs. C-sectins done to extract some of the eggs. Sand brought from the St. Croix beach to the hiospital and placed with the eggs in incubators. The mission…..Save the mother and the eggs!

Good Hope succumbed yesterday. From her injuries and pneumonia. Previous to her death, 61 eggs had been removed. After her death, 58.

When the eggs hatch, the new born turtles will be flown to St. Croix and deposited on the same beach where their morther was found. That evening, the turtles will walk into the ocean guided by the moon light. The hatched turtles must be returned to the St. Croix beach within 24 hours of their birth or they will expire. Plans are in place to see that the transfer takes place in a timely fashion.

The mother Good Hope made a valiant effort to survive and give birth to the eggs within her. Roughly six weeks. Over 100 of her eggs will become turtles. Thanks not only to the courage of Good Hope, but also to the Marathon Turtle Hospital and all others involved in the effort to save the mother and her offspring.

The debate. Romney finally arrived. The President fell far short of what was expected of him.

No question. Romney out did Obama. He still spoke of many things inaccurately. However, his enthusiasm and the President’s lack thereof made Romney’s misrepresentations go unchallenged and not noticeable.

The Predident was bland and sluggish. Rarely inspiring. He failed to take advantage of the many openings Romney gave him.

I sensed from the start that Obama was going to have a bad night. The first question had to do with how would you improve the economy. The first item Obama duiscussed was education. Where was the infrastructure bill? The bill provides an immediate kick in the ass to the economy. Education is important. However, in a hierarchy of things, it is not near the top at the moment.

I still do not trust Romney nor would I want him as President. Was last night representative of how Obama has been conducting his Presidency? I cannot belikeve it.

My beard. The third item on today’s agenda in order of importance. The beard is gone!

I purchased beard trimming equipment. I took too much off on one side yesterday. Tried to balance the appearnance by taking a bit nmore off the other side. Kept screwing up. Kept going back and forth. Beard kept getting smaller. Continued to look unbalanced. Finally I said…..Screw it! I took the whole thing off!

I enjoyed having a beard. I will return to one some day.

Woodward’s The Price of Politics continued to absorb my attention yesterday. I continue to read of a President less capable than I thought. I continue to read of a Vice Presidnet who is an extremely ingenious individual. Cantor has not chaged. He continues to be a worm. Valerie Jarrett is an excellent keeper of the President’s back, but too hyper. She sees shadows where none exist.

There will be no Internet show tomorrow morning. The Key West Lou Legal Hour will not be broadcast. Sorry. The show will return next week.

My mornings are always busy. A haircut today at 10. Lori and me. An enjoyable time. She will be shocked when she sees me beardless! Lori trimmed and shaped the beard before I purchased the equipment and started doing it myself. She was responsibe for the beard’s initial shaping and development. Looked pretty good till I screwed it up.

Jean Thornton is back! Key West the better for it. Key West loves you, Jean!

It just started raining. No, pouring! the rainy season seems to me to be more than normal. In past years, it was usually five minutes a day around 1 in the afternoon. This year it pours big time several times a day.

Enjoy your day!

A TURTLE STORY

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There is talk on the street. Local media is commenting. Key West’s daily newspaper the Key West Citizen reported the story in detail.

A pregnant turtle fighting for her life.  Turtle professionals fighting to save her and the more than 100 eggs she carries.

It is a story of love and compassion.

Isaac did its damage throughout the Caribbean. The U.S. Virgin Islands were hit. Isaac ran over St. Croix and its surrounding waters.

A beat up sick turtle was discovered on a St. Croix Beach. The turtle was pregnant. The St. Croix persons involved hoped the mother and eggs she was carrying could be saved. The pregnant turtle was airlifted to the Marathon Turtle Hospital here in the Florida keys.

The turtle was badly hurt. She had wide wounds on both shoulders. Thought to be from gaffing or shark bites. She was suffering from drowning. Her lungs partially filled with fluid.

The prognosis is not good. Obviously the hope is to save the mother and her eggs. If the mother cannot be saved, it is still hoped the eggs can be. The eggs then hatched. The baby turtles surviving.

So far the staff at Marathon Turtle Hospital have induced labor and the mother has released 15 eggs. It is hoped more will be able to be induced. If it is determined the mother cannot survive, a caesarean will be performed.

The released eggs are immediately placed in incubators. The incubators have sand in them from the St. Croix beach. This is so  as the eggs hatch, the baby turtles will feel they are in their natural habitat. It will help them to survive now and when they are returned to St. Croix.

Within 24 hours of the eggs hatching, the baby turtles will be flown back to St. Croix. They will be released in the sand and hopefully walk into the ocean and a full life. If the mother survives, she also will be returned to St. Croix.

Why so much time and effort for a pregnant turtle that will probably die anyhow? The reasons are two fold.

First, why not. Saving the mother and eggs is humanitarian. Some believe there is an obligation to help God’s lesser creatures. That is why we have a turtle hospital here in the keys.

The other reason is that hawksbill turtles are an endangered species. Ergo, there is a need to save as many of the eggs and subsequent babies as possible.

That is the story. I will keep you advised.

This turtle story is more important than anything else I could report today. More important than my beard trimming by Lori yesterday,  working on friday’s show and the trip photos, drinks at Don’s Place with Don, David and Herschel, dinner at Pepe’s, Clinton’s eloquent speech,Womanfest, and bocce tonight.

Enjoy your day!