KEY WEST DURING CIVIL WAR

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Spent three hours with Lisa and the family around lunch time yesterday. Read the Sunday newspapers and visited with Robert and Ally.

There is some sort of Civil War Days celebration at Fort Zach. Robert and Ally had been there the day before. They were excited in telling me about it.

Key West was a strange duck during the Civil War. Florida went with the Confederacy. Key West however remained with the Union. An unusual situation. Understandable when you realize how far Key West was from the rest of the Florida. There was no railroad or roads from the mainland. Water vessels were the only contact.

The Union constructed two forts to ward off invading Confederate vessels. They stand to today. East Martello and West Martello. They were never needed. The war never came to Key West.

Key West’s primary function on behalf of the Union was to take in captured Confederate  vessels and do whatever had to be done with them.

After the Fort Zach Civil War treat, Corey took the grandkids on a trip through the woods. Which, I do not know. Key West has all kind of woods. All kind of mangrove growings.

Corey is an archeologist. Educated and work wise. He was educated at Indiana University. Worked in the Middle East in evacuations. For the last 25 years has served as Mel Fisher’s Chief Archeologist.

I find it strange that Corey grew up never seeing the ocean. Yet in his adult life, makes his living exploring the ocean bottom.

Corey has told me many times that as a child when other boys were playing baseball, he preferred to walk in the woods looking for strange items.

Therein I suspect  lies the reason why Corey takes Robert and Ally on wood expeditions.

The Saturday trip proved fruitful to Robert. He found a dried snake skin. Head and all. He was all excited  as he showed it to me. Ugh! Made sure I touched it.

Ally discovered nothing of interest. Ally is taken with spiders. Would you believe! She picks them up outside her home.

I was coming down with a cold. Went home to bed for the rest of the day.

Watched the Syracuse/St. John’s game from the comfort of my bed. Syracuse won handily. They looked good. Southerland won his appeal and is back playing. He contributed his 13 points.

I have been down on the team. Perhaps I have been too harsh. The nice way of saying I was probably wrong. I was impressed with their play yesterday. Especially on defense. We shall see.

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday) is my blog talk radio show. The Key West Lou Talk Show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Seven in the morning my time. Early! If you are up and around, join me. Exciting stuff. Tomorrow I want to know what you think of drones killing Americans, Senator Lindsey’s rumblings re Benghazi, and whatever else tickles your interest. It is a fun show!

Have to hustle. Dentist again at 10 this morning. Feeling much better. Some minor problems yet to be resolved. I think my dental work is like the Jaguar of the 1960s. A lot of money and a lot of problems.

Enjoy your day!

 

ROBERT GOT A BASKETBALL

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Stopped at Lisa’s yesterday morning. Robert was on the porch. He had a basketball. We played catch. He threw the ball well. Caught it well, also. I had him dribble. Did well at that also. However, he kept looking at the ball. He told me that maybe his Dad was going to erect a basket on the palm tree in front so he could play. We talked. I told him it was better to go to Bayview to play on a real court.

Ally had no interest in basketball. The first time she has not wanted to do what her brother was doing. A sign of maturity. She is growing up.

Then to the Plantation Coffee House. Owner Diane working. A nice person. The place was busy. The sign of a good season.

Those of you who have visited my home know I let the mail collect for months on the kitchen counter. Looks terrible. Makes me look lazy. Yesterday afternoon, I cleaned it up. Went through the last 30 days. The rest got dumped.

The Chart Room last night. Another good evening! Sheila, Sean, and Peter. Met Katherine from Michigan. We talked basketball. She is an avid fan. Dorothy and her husband came in. I chatted with Dorothy. Turns out she, her husband and children were frequent visitors to Club Meds world wide. I did a few in my younger days. We compared notes.

It was time to eat. I walked across the Pier House property to the Wine Galley. Larry Smith was playing the piano and singing. Had a light dinner at the bar. While I was sitting there, Katherine from Michigan showed up. She was not following me.

College basketball continues to be crazy. #3 Michigan got beat by Wisconsin. Friend John at the Big Ten Sports Pub had to be excited. He is a Wisconsin  grad. Louisville lost to Notre Dame in five over times. Wow!

Syracuse plays this afternoon. At 3. St. Johns. I will be watching at the Big Ten Sports Pub.

Enjoy your Sunday!