Love tuesday nights! Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My show, my time. I can rant and rave to my heart’s desire.

A multitude of items to be discussed. The Mueller Report, Attorney- General Barr, Trump continuing to bring us to the brink of war, Pompeo and Bolan dangerous warmongers, Conch Republic Sea Battle saturday night, etc.

Fun time for me. Hopefully, interesting to you.

Join me at 9 my time. A fast moving half hour. Guaranteed you will enjoy. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Night of nights last night! A fun evening!

Began at 5 with a manicure by Tammy. Lee Nails in the Habana Shopping Plaza on Flagler.

Love Tammy! She and her husband have been working hard for 15 years. Manicure, pedicure, etc. business. Own it today. About 10 employees. Tammy works 6 days a week from 9 in the morning till 9 at night. Even sundays when an employee might be out sick.

Tammy an immigrant. From Vietnam. In the U.S. 15 years. Went to work right away. Today a proud U.S. citizen. Besides the business, owns a lovely home with her husband. Two children. Two cars.

The American dream fulfilled.

Tammy is representative of the immigrants Trump seeks to keep out.

Surterra Wellness has opened in Habana Plaza where Tammy’s business is located. Surterra a medical marijuana store.

I decided to take a look inside.

How beautiful! The anticipated cash flow must be terrific. Tons of money went into the renovation.

Staff professionally attired. Business attire.

One of them came up to me. I told her I was there to look. She asked if I had a medical prescription. No, I said. Just curious.

I must have dulled her enthusiasm. I was not a live customer! Only could be with a prescription, which I did not have.

She gave me a quick tour and bid me adieu.

A money maker. Had to be at least 10 people wandering around selecting purchases. The store has it all!

Amazing! Two years ago people were arrested, many sent to jail for pot possession. Today, legal if medically prescribed. Two years from now, will be legal for recreational purposes.

The world is in constant change.

Next stop the Chart Room. I had an hour to kill.

John bartending. A small crowd of locals. We chatted the time away.

Vino’s at 7. Another celebration of Frank Holden’s life. The place packed.

I rarely go to Vino’s. Clayton and Valerie run a terrific business. In fact, they now have 4 additional wine bars in other parts of Florida in addition to the Key West one.

I do not drink wine. Nor beer which they sell. I am a hard liquor man.

interestingly, I never drank till I was 45. Not even beer. Went on Dr. Atkin’s diet. Carbohydrate free. After 2 weeks, could drink scotch or gin. Both carbohydrate free.

Bought a bottle of each. Disliked the scotch. Gross. Love the gin! The medicinal taste. Plus gave me a quick kick.

The gin was Beefeaters. I have drunk nothing else since.

Great diet!

Knew many in attendance at Vino’s. Jean and Joe among them.

Joe told me something I never knew. Before my Chart Room days, Valerie was bartender at the Chart Room for 5 years.

Alan Randall stopped by to introduce himself. From London. Has taken a home in Key West for a few months. Reads my blog.

We had a short but interesting conversation. Hope to run into him again before he returns to London.

I must admit I am embarrassingly pleased when people introduce themselves and tell me they read the blog. Touches my heart!

Met the lovely Kellee. An interesting woman. Has had her battles with cancer. Enjoyed spending time with her.

I was still on the go. Dinner scheduled at 8 with Mary at La Trattoria.

Carrie bartending.

A light pasta meal. A couple of gins.

Besides Mary, ran into Dink. He introduced me to Linda.

Grunt’s was a bar at 409 Caroline (between Duval and Whitehead) for years. At least 20 plus. Not always open. The owner had money. Did not enjoy working full time. Was reluctant to sell.

It appears Linda is a person who either bought the building or is renting. The bar now a restaurant of sorts. Inside and out. A food truck in the back.

Linda has renamed Grunt’s Hank’s Hair Dog Saloon. After her golden retriever.

She is proud of the establishment. Provides good food and fine music.

A third person with Dink and Linda. Rob Benton. A musician of some notoriety.

I got confused at this point. Billy the Squid and the Sea Cow Drifters came into the conversation. A new name to me. A popular musical group. Perform at Linda’s new place.

My confusion is whether Benton and the Squid group are part and parcel or separate. I think separate. If I’m wrong, I apologize.

Getting back to Linda for a moment, she lives on Sunset Key. Bought her home about the same time I purchased mine in Key Haven. 1998.

Back in ’98, a lot and newly built home on the waster on Sunset Key cost the same as the one I bought in Key Haven, gutted and renovated. I was reluctant to buy on Sunset Key. Access was only by boat. Did not turn me on.

Linda made the right choice. Twenty years later, a Sunset Key home was worth twice that of a Key Haven home. However, still had to take a boat to get from Key West to Sunset Key.

Key West is in the midst of Conch Republic Week. Today the 37th anniversary of the establishment of the Conch Republic. On this say in 1982, the newly elected Prime Minster Dennis Wardlow officially announced Key West’s secession from the U.S. and the birth of the Conch Republic.

Learned something new. Seems I always am. Concerns Harry Truman.

Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West to this day continues to love Harry Truman. During his Presidency, he spent 175 days over a period of 11 trips in Key West.

So what’s new?

Discovered there is a Harry S Truman Presidential Bridge near mile marker 61.0 off US 1. Duck Key area.

Easy to find. Turn off US 1 onto Duck Key Drive. One mile straight ahead and you are on the bridge.

The bride so named because in March 1964 Truman visited Duck Key and walked across the bridge. The bride short and narrow. Cow Key Bridge huge in comparison.

Duck Key renamed since then. Now Hawks Cay Key.

In addition to the Truman Presidential sign, there are 2 others. One “No Fishing From Bridge.” The other, “Golf Carts 10 MPH.”

I wrote yesterday concerning Christians being under attack world wide. Sri Lanka and China having motivated me.

I follow up today with factual data.

A study indicates that 105 Churches and/or Church buildings are attacked and burned every month. Such breaks down to a little more than 3 a day.

The study further indicated that 345 Christians are killed for faith related reasons every month. The number not stable. Continues escalating.

The study agreed that the news media continues to ignore the problem.

Don’t forget to join me tonight on my podcast.

Enjoy your day!