GROUNDHOG DAY…..IT’S ALL ABOUT SEX

Key West is buried with chickens. All over the place.

Several years ago, I wrote an article in KONK Life about the chicken problem. One of the items covered was the rooster’s cock-a-doodle do.

Up to that time, I always thought the rooster cock-a-doodle-do’d to wake people from their long night’s sleep. No.

The rooster screech announces to the hens he wants to get laid. His sex call. He’s looking.

Place what I have just shared into practice. The next time you hear a rooster cock-a-doodle-doing, watch closely. The hens all run in the opposite direction.

Today is Groundhog Day. February 2 has been Groundhog Day since 1887. The first and most popular place to watch if the groundhog will remain or scurry back to his burrow is Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

What a name for a town.

The groundhog hibernates from the Fall to sometime in March. He does not come out on February 2 voluntarily. He is prodded out so Groundhog Day can occur.

The fable is if the groundhog comes out of his hole and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. The groundhog’s shadow scares him and he runs back to his burrow.

If no shadow, there will be an early spring.

A crock. Not true. Whenever the groundhog comes out, whether February 2 or March, he is looking for a female. He has slept the winter away and wants female companionship. Sex!

Man creates stories that last hundreds of years. After a while, fiction becomes truth. The fairy tale replaces truth.

Punxsutawney is not the only community celebrating Groundhog Day. There are others. Some form of rodent involved. Groundhogs are not native to every area.

Other places celebrating the day have named their groundhogs/rodents uniquely. Birmingham Bill, Staten Island Chuck, Canada’s Shubenacadie Sam, and New Jersey’s Milltown Mel.

Punxsutawney’s is named Phil. Phil since 1887.

The groundhog leaving his burrow has already taken place this morning in Punxsutawney and New Jersey. Phil saw his shadow and returned to his burrow signifying six more weeks of winter. Milltown Mel did not, thereby signifying an early spring.

Geiger Key for lunch yesterday. A while since I had been there. The place was packed!

Sat at the bar and looked at all the happy faces around me. Actually looked at the food they were eating. And enjoying!

Something snapped in my mind. Screw the diet! I did and ate! So good! The best, mashed potatoes covered with gravy. Ate last night, also.

A wonderful day! On top of which, I lost a pound!

The Chart Room first last night.

Enjoyed a few gins and popcorn. Delicious popcorn at the Chart Room.

John bartending.

Met Richard and Mary from Chicago. They have been coming to Key West one week a year for 30 years. Richard is retired from UPS. Mary an attorney and still practicing. Specializes in real estate and estate planning.

Mary’s lawyer background interesting. She is the last of her family’s law firm. Started more than 100 years ago in 1913. No family member to take her place when she retires.

John told me seated at the round table were vacationing women from Syracuse. Before I had an opportunity to talk with them, they were up and leaving. I shouted a Syracuse and Utica. They turned. We exchanged pleasantries including a little Syracuse basketballĀ and they were off.

The bartenders were waiting for me when I arrived later in the evening at the Chart Room. They had a copy of yesterday’s KONK Life. There I was! The whole of the front page. Standing with a row of shrimp boats behind me. The announcement of Irma and Me at the bottom of the page.

Inside on page 8 was another photo and a brief article titled: Petrone Writes Again!

Such drama!

Age takes its toll. The older I get, the worse pictures come out. Wrinkles, jowls, eyelids that only open half way, and no hair.

One of the comments this morning was from Anonymous. Wrote Congrats on KONK Life and Shayna Punim.

Shayna Punim? Googled it. Means a beautiful face. Thank you, anonymous for being so generous.

My thanks also to KONK Life owner Guy de Boer for running the photos and article.

A closing observation. Trump tells us the economy is good. He should make a trip to Los Angeles and tell it to the homeless. LA’s homeless has surged 75 percent in the past six years. From 32,000 to 55,000.

Homeless all over the city. The lawn in front of City Hall and across the street from the Los Angeles Police Department a homeless day camp. Tent cities abound. Even in the best of neighborhoods. Two hundred twenty two at last count. Three out of 4 live in cars, campers, tents and leantos.

Enjoy your day!

 

WE’VE MET THE ENEMY, AND IT’S US

 

KONK Life is a local once a week publication. It has an ancillary publication. E-Blast. E-Blast publishes daily on the internet. Solely on the internet.

This morning’s E-Blast had an interesting Letter to the Editor. By Key West local Roger C. Kostmayer. A man seasoned by years, knowledgeable and frank.

The letter titled Listen to Pogo. Pogo being the famous comic strip philosopher.

Kostmayer began with two factual happenings. One that the U.S. is under attack from without by Russia and from within by Congressional Republicans. The other is that the attack has resulted in a self imposed crisis.

He concludes with a famous Pogo observation…..We’ve met the enemy, and it’s us.

Spent most of yesterday afternoon working on Growing Up Italian. My grandparents were met with a difficult world in their early years here. The anti-Italian sentiment significant.

I enjoyed a 30 minute happy interruption while working on the book. Jean Thornton called. She was taking a walk in Birmingham and decided she would like to talk with me. Just pass the time of day.

That’s Jean!

It was cold in Birmingham. High 40’s or low 50’s as we were talking. She told me the evenings were in the 20’s. And I complain when it is in the 60’s!

Jean is on a diet also. Weight Watchers. Walking part of the routine.

We covered a multitude of items. Every Key West tidbit I tried to share, Jean already knew. She has her finger on the pulse of Key West constantly.

Jean and Joe will soon be off for a three week stay in Hawaii. Return home for a few weeks. Then the big one as she describes it. A month somewhere in Europe.

I could have been out with a lovely woman last night. Instead, I declined. Wanted to watch the Syracuse/Georgia Tech game at home.

I should have gone out. Could not get the game on TV. Later in the evening, the sports news reported Syracuse lost 46-41. Not a good year!

I spent the evening reading How to Win a Fight with a Conservative by Daniel Kurtzman.

Page 179 contains a brief passage titled: The Koch Brothers, GOP Corporate Overlords. The passage concludes: “…..Republicans from every state will line up at their door to grovel at their feet and ask for campaign contributions, a practice known throughout political circles as “sucking Koch.”

I initially considered leaving the quotation out as it appeared tasteless.

Turtles are taking a beating in this cold weather. Florida waters unusually cold this year. The Marathon Turtle Hospital and similar Florida facilities bursting at the seams. An overflow. Turtles everywhere.

Marathon recently took in several more turtles. From North Florida waters. The turtles described as cold stunned. Last year, Marathon flew up to Cape Cod and returned with a large number of Cape Cod turtles that were suffering from the cold waters there.

Cold water slows a turtle’s metabolism. Making the turtles vulnerable to infections and illnesses. One of the problems associated with exposure to cold waters are tumors. Some bug/virus creates the tumors in the turtles.

The hospital stay for cold stunned turtles is generally one year. Tumor resolution the primary reason for the long stay

One of the best loved men in Key West is Joseph Lyles. Affiliated for many years with the Hot Tin Roof. His most recent position as Manager.

Joseph had back problems. Underwent an operation to correct the problems. The result not good. Still has back problems, needs a cane to get about, and cannot move swiftly.

So much for continuing as a restaurant manager.

Joseph has been reemployed. At the Casa Marina. As a concierge.

Go, Joseph! All of Key West is happy for you.

Guy de Boer just telephoned. Did you see it? What? This week’s KONK Life is out. You and Irma and Me are on the front page!

As soon as I finish the blog, I will go out and get a copy.

This morning’s Key West Citizen in its Keys History section had a piece of information regarding Ernest Hemingway. On this day in 1935, Hemingway and two friends went fishing on Hemingway’s boat. All three caught a sailfish.

An unusual occurrence.

Enjoy your day!