TED WILLIAMS

Ted Williams was a spectacular baseball player. One of the best. A Hall Of Famer.

On this day in two different years, he made his mark. Among many other achievements.

It was season end in 1941. Williams’ Boston Red Sox were playing the Philadelphia Athletics. A doubleheader. Williams was close to ending the season batting .400. He needed a good day.

Williams went 6 for 8. Ended the season batting .406. The first player to do so since Bill Terry in 1930.

The last game of the 1960 season. Williams last game. He was retiring. At his last time at bat, he hit a home run.

Williams lost 5 years out of his major league career. A Marine fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War.

Now the real reason I bring Ted Williams to you this day. Williams lived 18 years of his life in Islamorada. He was a fanatic fisherman. He purchased the home in 1960 the year he retired from baseball. On the bayside. Lived there till 1988.

The story is Williams left Islamorada when he had to wait because of traffic to cross U.S. 1.

Yesterday found me glued to the TV set. The Judiciary Committee hearing involving Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford. I missed about 45 minutes when I had to run off to the dentist.

I will go through all that occurred. Most of you watched. My impression simply was that the hearing wasdisgusting. Shameful. Our government has fallen to a new depth.

I happen to believe Ford. I found her testimony credible. I was unimpressed with Kavanaugh. He lies. He lied as to other issues in his previous hearing. He lied again yesterday.

His belligerency left much to be desired. I would not want him on the bench deciding my client’s fate.

Justice Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh attended the same high school. Georgetown Prep. Though not classmates, they were there at the same time for 2 years. Recall and compare Gorsuch’s testimony before the Committee last year. Says it all.

The American Bar Association sent a letter to the Committee last night stating an FBI investigation was required. The letter has been ignored. The Committee votes at 1:30 today.

The American people keep getting pushed around. Government is no longer for them. Most know it. The November elections are the first battleground. If things do not begin correcting themselves in the next few years, it will be the streets.

Last night, Blue Macaw. One drink only. I wanted to get out. Enjoyed the drink and company of Andrea and Joe and Paul and Ron. Then home.

The New York Times paid tribute to David Wolkowsky. A lengthy beautiful obituary.

The ocean surrounds the Keys. Locals try to take care of it and those that live in the waters. Turtles, for example..

The Marathon Turtle Hospital announced 2 more turtles will be returned to the sea tomorrow. Healthy and fit.  Cafecito at 10 am at Sombrero Beach in Marathon. Buddy at 1 at Higgs Beach in Key West.

Both loggerhead sea turtles.

A massive crowd will be at each location to wish them  God speed and bon voyage.

The Key West City Commission knows how to put it to people. The Commission just raised the parking rate from $3 to $4 an hour.

The excuse was it was that or raise property taxes. The budget deficit was $418,000. The parking increase will raise $1.26 million. The $842,000 excess will go to increasing the salaries of the city’s lowest wage earners and to restoring the City’s reserve fund depleted because of Irma.

What about those who live and work in the lower Keys who are not receiving raises. Irma’s impact still being felt. People still trying to catch up. Everyone should eat, or no one.

People’s savings were wiped out by Irma. Where do they get the money to replace the lost savings?

Today and tomorrow, the Ryder Cup. I was up at 5 this morning watching. Tomorrow, at 3. Great golf!

Tomorrow, Syracuse/Clemson. Clemson a 13.5 point favorite. The spread has dropped considerably during the week. Going to be a great game!

Enjoy your day!

IRMA AND ME

I have compiled a book re Irma. May call it Irma and Me. Not sure yet.

The book is a compilation of my daily blog from September 1 through September 15. A few minor changes. Some pictures added. An introduction and an ending.

Obviously not everyone reads my blog. Those that do are daily loyalists or sporadic readers. Most who follow my Key West Lou Live video on Facebook do not read the blog. Those who follow my tuesday night podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou do not generally read the blog.

My audiences are varied.

There are those also who never heard of Key West Lou who will see the book listed on amazon.com or on the stands.

I am excited about the book. My publisher hopes it will be the first Irma book to hit the stands. Could be completed, proofed, printed and available for sale within two weeks.

Started yesterday with a morning business meeting. Then to Bank of America.

During Irma, the Bank screwed up with my Social Security check deposit. I had a $25 charge I could not understand. Wanted to get it corrected.

Went to the Bank of America on Southard. Several waiting to make deposits. No one waiting to see an officer. Only one bank person dealing with those wanting a meeting. Several waiting in line to make deposits, withdrawals, etc.

And the manager.

As I walked in, she asked what I wanted. Standing in the open Bank area. I was standing looking at the empty glass enclosed offices at the time.  It was obvious I wanted to talk with someone.

I told her my problem briefly. She neither understood nor cared. Said I would need an appointment. Too busy to see me today. Would have to be tomorrow.

Her attitude condescending. I was bothering her. Who did I think I was?

I made a one o’clock appointment for today. Just cancelled it. My time, even if I do nothing, is worth more than the $25.

The system in effect sucks. Bank of America in Key West is not big deal. I cannot believe major transactions take place. Its clients working people.  And retirees like me.

I consider it an insult to have to make an appointment for a bullshit item. I consider it an imposition on their working customers who do not have the time to return another day. Especially when there is no one else waiting to be serviced.

Bank of America is one of the banks that gave us 2008. The Bank’s attitude remains the same. It cares not for its customers. Only the Bank’s bottom line.

The mechanic with the new battery did not arrive till after 6. Finished his work at 7:30. I remained outside with him while he worked.

The humidity got to me. I was too tired to shower and go out afterwards. I will tonight!

Being a tenant is not bad. I rent my new home. Never want to own again. Irma and this morning proof of the pudding.

I lost 5 trees. A big one in front, 4 smaller ones in the back. The landlord just had a crew come by to do the cleanup. At the landlords’ expense, not mine.

Nor did I have to worry about finding someone to do the work. A task in itself.

Key West and the rest of the Keys reopen to visitors October 1. RV parks, some hotels and some restaurants may not be ready. But come anyhow! Key West need life breathe into it.

Ted Williams. One of the greatest baseball players ever.

This day in 1941  was the end of the season. Williams was close to batting .400. A feat not accomplished since 1930. The Boston Red Sox were playing a doubleheader. Williams went 6 for 8. Finished the season with a .406 batting average. Not equaled since.

Ted Williams’ retired to Islamorada. He was a fishing enthusiast. An expert. He lived on Islamorada 28 years. He sold his home when he had to wait to cross US 1 because of traffic.

Trump should be ashamed the way he is treating Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are us. American citizens.

I would like to know what motivated him to treat the island people so poorly. Might be interesting.

Enjoy your day!

TED WILLIAMS / CROSSING US 1

Baseball great Ted Williams was a fisherman. Loved it! Spent many years in waters off Islamorada fishing. While still a major leaguer and then in retirement.

One of Williams’ favorite haunts was the Lorelei. An on the water eatery and bar on the Gulf side. My favorite lunch and watering hole when in Islamorada.

The Chart Room at the Pier House is of historical significance. Many stories have emanated therefrom. One being that Jimmy Buffett got his first paying job playing and singing there. Buffett has always credited David Wolkowsky for having given him his first paying job playing and singing in the Chart Room.

The Lorelei has its stories also. One involves Ted Williams. It is said Ted Williams sold his home and moved out of the Keys when he had to start waiting for a break in traffic to cross US 1.

Accepted as true.

Getting back to David Wolkowsky, on this day in 1967 David began construction of the Pier House Motel. Fifty units. The predecessor of today’s Pier House Resort. David built the Reach and many other properties in Key West. He is now 97 and still active.

Key West and Jimmy Buffett might not have been were it not for David Wolkowsky.

Yesterday was sunday. I spent it as the Lord’s Day. Did nothing. Never left home. Laid around reading and napping.

Till 6:30. Syracuse/Georgia Tech time. Georgia Tech’s time definitely. Beat Syracuse 71-65. Syracuse played a poor second half and deserved to lose.

Oh Syracuse, my Syracuse! Please win the next and last three league scheduled games!

Early American colonists may very well have invented scalping. Not Indians.

On this day in 1725, a group of American colonists engaged in scalping. A posse of New Hampshire volunteers came across a band of encamped Indians. The colonists took 10 scalps.

Ten being the most significant number taken to that date by colonists.

Boston colonial authorities were no longer good neighbors with the Indians. They were paying a bounty of 100 pounds per scalp.

Not the first time the colonists had abused their Indian neighbors.

In the 1600s, a group of colonists attacked and defeated a large band of Indians. Beheaded many of them. Then played a form of ice hockey down the streets using the Indian heads as pucks.

The colonists involved were mostly immigrated from Europe. Where did they learn scalping and beheading? Europe or the colonies?

Go Live LIVE! The several short videos I am doing on Facebook each day has already developed a significant following. Many comments. Interestingly, those providing comments are a different group from those sharing their views here.

Try to see and hear Go Live with Key West Lou. SHARE it with your friends. Help me to develop a following.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

I FOUND MY BIRTH MOTHER

I found my birth mother. A touching statement. Made not by me, but by another.

Let me share her story.

I was in Aqua last night watching Dueling Bartenders. Jean and Joe Thornton there, also. Jean introduced me to her sister. I was not aware Jean had a sister. A half sister. Her name Laura.

Jean was 37 when she received a telephone call from Laura. Laura then 25. Jean did not know she had a sister. Laura said, I am your sister, I am looking for our mother.

Jean was in Birmingham at the time. Laura in Nashville.

Their mother had not made Jean aware she had given birth to another child when Jean was 12 years old.

Laura was taken in by another family and eventually adopted by another.

Laura told Jean she wanted to meet her mother and Jean. Jean made the necessary arrangements and in due course the three met. Their Mother told Jean she had kept the birth secret.

A glorious meeting. Tears and joy. A unit since.

Laura is in key West visiting. She will be here till the end of the month. She now resides in Louisville.

Laura told me she refers to the woman who adopted/raised her as her Mom and her discovered mother as her birth mother.

Jean and Laura loving sisters. So they appeared and acted. Jean could not wait to introduce her sister to me.

God is good. He provided the path and determination for Laura to successfully discover her birth mother and sister.

A lucky threesome.

While still at Aqua, a lovely young lady approached and asked if I was Key West Lou. Her name, Pat Grady. A Key West resident. I am fortunate. A loyal blog reader. Thank you, Pat.

Great game last night! Clemson beat the perennial victor Alabama. By a touchdown made with one second remaining on the clock. The final score 35-31.

Wild!

Tonight Syracuse/West Virginia. West Virginia a 4.5 point favorite. I will stick my neck out. If Syracuse plays as it has in its last two game, Syracuse will win decisively.

I continue to learn.

Enzio Pinza was a great singer and movie actor in the 1950s. He was vacationing at the Casa Marina.

The mood at various times of the day at the Casa can be revealing, overwhelming. At some point one evening, Pinza was seated on the Casa’s terrace overlooking the ocean and moon. He was so taken by the sight, he stood and sang Some Enchanted Evening. A song he had made popular.

The Casa and Pinza singing a fitting combination.

I am listening to Session’s Senate confirmation hearing. Just began. Two Democratic senators have already spoken who have failed the Nation. Both were supportive of his nomination. Disgusting. The man is an obvious bigot. Will work to restrict civil and voting rights. Not support them.

I am ashamed of the two Democratic senators. They lacked the courage to do the right thing.

I have to hustle. Barb is visiting for two weeks. I pick her up at the airport in an hour.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

BEES NUKED / BEE-POCOLYPSE

What a beautiful morning! Key West at its best. Sun shining, sky blue. Water and wind quiet. The calm before the storm? It has been raining heavy most of the month.

There is a world wide war against mosquitoes. Especially, ZIKA causing ones. Even in the Florida Keys. Mosquitoes like you would not believe!

Until recently, I would have said we in the lower Keys have no problem. A terrific Mosquito Control Board. Now, problems.

ZIKA has driven everyone crazy. News of the ZIKA problem hit us in January. Everyone rushed to do something.

A decision was made by the local Board to test genetically modified bees. Basically untested. The test would be done on the small key of Key Haven. My home. The locals have been up in arms. whether such testing can take place is pending on the November ballot to see if we want it.

In the meantime, there have been a total of four ZIKA cases reported in the Keys. The Keys about 140 miles long running north from Key West to the mainland. The four cases not caused by Keys’ mosquitoes. All were contacted out of the area. Means in another country.

The rush to protect has not only affected the Florida Keys. People are going crazy everywhere. Reminds me of Ebola, which turned out to be a bust.

South Carolina was in a hurry to do something re the ZIKA problem.

Naled is an old time pesticide. Thought to be dangerous to humans. Rarely used. South Carolina did not care. On the last sunday of August for two hours, South Carolina had planes spray naled. In the Dorchester area.

South Carolina is also home to beekeepers. Beekeeping a business in South Carolina. Where sprayed, bees were killed instantly. Millions of them. One beekeeper had 46 hives. He lost 2.5 million bees instantaneously.

It is a month later and no one knows what effect, if any, the spraying had on the mosquitoes.

The bees nuked. Apocalypse for the bees.

Did my podcast last night. A half hour of interesting topics. Bees, included.

Before the show, stopped at Roostica’s for dinner.

Ted Williams spent many years in the Keys. He had a home in Islamorada for twenty plus years. Williams was an avid fisherman.

The story goes that Williams sold his Islamorada home when he had to wait to cross US 1. Too many people.

On this day in 1941, Williams was playing the last day of the season. He was close to batting .400. Had to have a good day to get there. Played a doubleheader. Went 6 for 8. Ended up batting .402 for the season. The last time a player has hit .400.

I am a history buff. Majored in history in college. William the Conqueror part of my education in grammar school, high school, and college. The year 1066. On this date in 1066, William, aka Duke of Normandy, invaded England. Historically noteworthy.

I am looking forward to lunch today. Liz invited me for lunch. She is preparing a special French dish for me.

Enjoy your day!

 

TED WILLIAMS HAD IT RIGHT

Ted Williams…..An All-American great!

Famous baseball player, Hall of Fame, World War II fighter pilot, and fisherman. It is the fisherman portion I am concerned with.

Williams loved fishing in the Keys. Especially for tarpon. He bought a home in Islamorada in 1943. Became a Florida resident. Stayed 45 years. Left in 1988.

The reason…..He said it was time to leave when he could no longer make a left turn on US 1 because of the traffic.

He will not be the last to leave for that reason.

I open with two great men today. The other is David Wolkowsky. Besides being my new found friend at physiotherapy, David is a Key West icon. Loves Key West. David is responsible for Key West’s development as a fun funky off beat place.

David is the reason for the Pier House. It was 1967. Where the Pier House sits today was nothing more than a ruddy dirty part of the waterfront. David was a visionary. On this day in 1967, construction began on the Pier House Motel. Fifty units.

Truman Capote was a guest at the Motel. Took over David’s trailer on the site. Capote referred to the Pier House Motel as “elegant inefficiency.”

The Pier House Motel was completed one year later in 1968.

Big trees from little acorns grow. Today’s Pier House.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Love it! One problem, however. I have a lot of get up and go when on the treadmill. Once I am off, I am dead tired.

I began researching for a subject to write about for this week’s KONK Life column. Came up with nothing. I will come up with a topic. Generally, a gem. But it is always last minute that it hits me.

Last night was Schooners and the Waterfront. Schooners packed, as was the Waterfront. Waterfront food great again. Fried calamari, wings, and fish and chips.

There was a traffic jam of traffic jams yesterday. Construction on US 1 in the Cow Key Bridge area. One lane traffic for about 300 feet in the north bound lane. Traffic held up on Northern and Southern Boulevards, as well as Flagler, as far as the eye could see and beyond. Down to Sears Shopping Center on Northern Boulevard, around the curve on Southern, Flagler to Habana Shopping Center.

A one to two hour delay at noon time.

Police directing traffic would have helped. The delay would have been less. Only one officer directing traffic. At US 1 and College Road. The one place an officer was not needed. The construction and one lane traffic ended at the College Road intersection.

Don called me. The team won 2 out 3 at bocce thursday night. Though not playing, I plan on following the team.

Syracuse/Pitt this afternoon. Syracuse a 3 1/2 point favorite. I think Syracuse will lose. Definitely if the team plays as it did against Louisville.

Syracuse needed Louisville and Pitt wins to guarantee a bid to the big post season tournament. If Syracuse beats Pitt today, Syracuse will be on the bubble.

The game is at 2. Dan Reardon, I will be watching the game at Don’s Place.

Enjoy your day!