KEY WEST ROYAL POINCIANA UNDER ATTACK

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Key West’s beautiful, flamboyant, orange-red petaled Royal Poincianas are under attack. A plague. The culprit some type caterpillar.

The caterpillars just short of 2 inches long. Attack only by night. The Dracula of the vermin world. Eat the flamboyant flowers and foliage. Destroy the trees.

Major outbreaks occur every 10-15 years. This obviously is the year.

Treatments are available to protect against and/or control the caterpillars. Information is available through the County. Contact Michelle Leonard-Mularz. She is an Environmental Horticulture Agent. mularz-michelle@monroecounty-fl.gov.

There is a concern among some that the City of Key West itself may not be doing enough to help.

Yesterday another busy one. Began with lunch at Sandy’s Cafe. Followed by several errands.

A quick nap late in the afternoon.

An early evening start. Monday night so it was Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. Tom Luna and Rick Dery the best!

A decent crowd for August. Including Liz, Josefina, Mary, and Linda. Another Mary joined me. Mark Watson came hurrying through and gave a wave.

Dinner with Mary at Antonia’s bar afterwards.

Mary Lou Hoover and Charlie Waite at the bar, also. Good people. Mary Lou looked tired. She has been campaigning 9 months for election to the Key West City Commission. The battle over. Enjoying a late dinner.

We chatted a bit. As you are aware, I one hundred percent support Mary Lou. A more interested and concerned person I have never met.

Ran into an old friend I have not seen in years also at Antonia’s. Mary Ann Westerland.

Today is election day in Florida. For local races, today is the day. Not in November. If you are a Key Wester, please consider voting for Mary Lou.

Staying with the election for a moment, today is primary day for federal and state offices. I have been supporting Gwen Graham to be the candidate for Governor on the Democratic ticket. A member of Congress, she also is the daughter of Bob and Adele Graham. Bob the former Governor of Florida and a member of the U.S. Senate.

Politics is in Gwen’s blood.

Tuesday means podcast time for me. My podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine in the evening. A quick moving interesting half hour. I tend to rant and rave.

Join me. Guaranteed you will not be bored. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

A late night ahead. Being a political junkie, I will be glued to the TV for election results.

Love the Key West weatherman. Always a quip following his weather prediction. Today and tonight, showers. Following the report…..Free carwash.

I close with Trump. Not the disrespect and pettiness he exhibited with John McCain’s death. I did enough of that yesterday.

My concern at the moment is the redoing of the NAFTA agreement with Mexico. Yesterday, Trump in effect claimed victory. Similar to his announcement following the meeting with North Korea’s Kim. Not really a victory. Nothing finalized. Many items still to be covered.

Whatever, Trump got on the phone in the Oval Office. Seated behind his mammoth desk. Regal appearing. He called Mexico’s President. Reporters present.

I will not go into the details. They are all over TV and the newspapers today. Trump looked bad. Though a few points were generally agreed upon, it was obvious a deal was not yet close.

Typical Trump. There must always be a victory! A victory he made possible.

Trump already made a fool of the United States and himself re the Kim situation. I compare Kim and yesterday’s telephone call to Neville Brand when he got off the airplane in September 1938. He had rushed to Munich to have a face to face meeting with Hitler in a last ditch attempt to avoid war.

Chamberlain got off the plane waving a paper. “Peace in  our time,” he shouted.

World War II began soon after.

Chamberlain bullshitted as Trump has been. Sometimes Trump bullshits himself.

Enjoy your day!

 

A WONDERFUL DAY

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It is almost impossible not to have a good day in Key West. Short of being hung up in a hospital bed with two broken arms and two broken legs, every day is wonderful.

My yesterday was wonderful. In some instances, special.

The day started with lunch at Lizabeth’s home. In her shaded garden. A French salad. The name escapes me. Outstanding! Salmon, anchovies, eggs, black olives, potatoes, etc.

Accompanied by wine.

Good company, good food, good wine. What more can one ask for?

I enjoy Liz and our conversations.

One problem. I am not a wine drinker. Even a good wine. I went home a bit tipsy. Straight to bed. Slept three hours.

Must mention the wine. Bellini. Lizabeth and her husband used to drink it in Venice at Harry’s Bar. Owner, the famous Giuseppe Cypriani. Inventor of the the now world famous Bellini wine.

Another Key West resident frequented Harry’s Bar. Ernest Hemingway. His primary watering hole when in Venice.

I was refreshed after the nap. Decided to go to the Back Door and Mark Watson. Intended to meet Donna and Terri. Did. And many more.

There were a ton of women. Unusual for Back Door. Turned out it was a meeting of a group from Girls’ I Know.

If it’s Girls’ I Know, it’s Mary Lou Hoover time. The founder of the organization years ago. An organization that has grown to thousands and extends beyond Key West’s borders today.

Mary Lou has her hands in many things. One several years ago. Mary Lou was Fantasy Fest Queen 2007.

Mary Lou has had a concern for suicide victims and those thinking of committing suicide. Last year, she started Out of the Darkness. A group committed to suicide awareness and prevention.

A walk is planned. An Out of the Darkness Walk. Takes place Sunday November 6. Registration begins at noon. Speakers and entertainment scheduled.

This is no small time event. It has the backing of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The Walk already has several national big dollar sponsors.

Mary Lou and Charlie Waite are husband and wife. I envy them. One of Key West’s happiest couples. In love with each other!

I had enough to drink. Should have gone home after Back door. Did not. Instead joined Donna and Terri at Salty Angler. First time there for me. The ladies were going to play Trivia. Me play trivia?

I did.

Mary joined us. That completed our team. I knew next to nothing. Mary and Donna knew quite a bit.

I left before the exercise was over. I do not know where we stood in the rankings or if we won. We did come up with two special oral answers. For which we were rewarded with free shots each time.

Then home to bed. Slept well. A given after the wonderful day I had.

Enjoy your day!

PRESTON AND DEBRA…..LOVERS

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Nothing like a good love story.

I met two lovers last night.

Preston and Debra.

At the bar at Tavern ‘n Town. Their first day and first time in Key West. From Nashville. Celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

With one twist. Where ages are dramatically different, it is generally the older man marrying the younger woman. With Preston and Debra, it is the older woman who married the younger man. Debra is seven years older, Preston seven years younger.

I am not talking out of school. Sharing with you something that should not be mentioned publicly. I speak of their relationship because the two of them are thrilled with it. That’s all they talked about. Debra said no at first. Preston kept pursuing. Debra finally succumbed.

The two are having a ball! Enjoying life! Hung up on each other!

A lucky two some.

Preston wrote a book which touches upon their relationship. She’s My Favorite Song. Title says it all. The book available on Amazon Kindle.

A prominent Key West couple were at the bar, also. Mary Lou Hoover and Charlie Waite. Another much in love twosome. Mary Lou responsible for the huge success Girl’s Night Out. She and Charlie good people.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. I did not push it. Stayed at 4.5 miles per hour.

Then to Walgereens. Seniors doctor often. They are at the drug store more often.

Enjoyed a bad lunch health wise. A cheeseburger and fries at 5 Guys.

Don’s birthday party last night! A big crowd. Great entertainment. Larry, Christine, Skipper, Kathleen and Ray. Loud! A neighbor from a block away came to complain. When he found out it was Don’s birthday, he said enjoy. He recognized the special occasion aspect.

I see Jean Thornton everywhere. All over Key West. Never at Don’s Place. She was there last night for the party.

A large picture in this morning’s Key West Citizen of last night’s Lighted Bike Ride. Colorfully decorated bikes and attired riders. The event innovative.

The County Commission voted the Ragnar Relay Race down again last night. A proper result. This morning’s article spells out some of the numbers and dollars involved. I spoke to these items in my blog two days ago.

The Citizen reported there would be 6,000 runners. Revenue, $700,000.

I suspect most of the money to run has already been paid in the form of registration fees. Ragnar Races are popular events. I assume the $700,000 will have to be paid back. Some portion may have already been spent. The pay back perhaps difficult.

Two interesting Germany/Merkel items came to my attention yesterday.

I have been wondering why Merkel has been happy to take hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in and is prepared to take more. The answer appears to be that many of the Syrian refugees are educated professionals. Like engineers. Germany’s economy is booming. Qualified people are needed.

I read there are employers waiting to sign up certain of the refugees as they get off the trains.

First time I heard about this. Why hasn’t the media told us? The information is newsworthy and interesting.

The other item involves Merkel being named Times Person of the Year yesterday. A poor choice from my perspective. No question she has had a big year. Crucified the Greeks and is trying to mini manage the Syrian refugee program.

Merkel makes me uncomfortable.

The more terrible Trump’s utterances, the higher he goes in the polls. Is our country on the verge of going crazy? We may be in the process of going off the deep end. Trump is the Pied Piper and many are following him.

Some recognize Trump’s missteps and are not afraid to speak out. In 2010, Trump received an honorary doctorate from Scotland’s Robert Gordon University. As a result of Trump’s comments re banning Muslims from the United States, the University took back the honorary degree yesterday.

Some believe the honorary degree was awarded at a time when Trump was trying to build a golf course on Scotland’s east coast. Some locals were giving him a hard time. Somehow, the honorary degree played into the thing. Trump did get to build the golf course.

Grinch is coming to Key West! I am surprised. I can understand Santa Claus. Grinch, I do not know. Grinch will be at the Key West Public Library this saturday from 1-2 pm.

Enjoy your day!