SPIT IN BABY’S MOUTH

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I was enjoying a quiet Saturday evening meal last night at Roostica’s. A large bottle of water was on the table. A drink, of course. My meal. Braised short ribs over a bed of brown rice covered with some greenery. Delicious! The ribs especially. No bones. Small chunks of meat that had fallen away from the bones during the cooking process.

My date was a tablet. I was reading yesterday’s New York Times.

An article on the Iraqi/ISIS/Mount Sinjar situation caught my attention. Heavy stuff!

There are 30,000 people on Mount Sinjar. They have been there for a week or two. No water, no food. The article reported that parents are spitting into their children’s mouths to provide them with some liquid.

Most of the 30,000 are Yazidis. A religious group. Neither Muslim nor Christian. ISIS is grabbing women and young girls off the mountain. They are offered a choice. Convert to Muslimism and immediately marry a jihadist. Or die. Most convert. Some prefer death.

Mount Sinjar is a humanitarian crisis.  As is the Mexican border crisis in the United States where some 70,000 children have come into the United States this year alone. Congress has failed to act to help these kids. Obama has reacted to Mount Sinjar and is having food and water dropped.

There is another aspect to the numbers. Kurdistan is part of Iraq. Technically. However it acts independently and governs itself. ISIS is causing havoc in Syria also which is next to Kurdistan. Between refugees from Syria and those who are trying to escape the Iraqi war itself, 580,000 refugees have arrived in Kurdistan. Two hundred thousand since last Monday.

Some in the U.S. complain about 70,000 children. Look at what Kurdistan is dealing with!

I spent most of yesterday laying in bed watching the PGA. Great golf! Some of the finest I have seen. Most of the players are on in 2 and regularly sinking long putts. Today’s final round is going to be some contest. Any one of a dozen players can win.

This weekend has been Lobsterfest time. Today is the last day. Featured is what has been described as a decadent lobster brunch. Included are lobster tails, lobster ravioli, lobster benedict, lobster paella, lobster lasagna, lobster mac and cheese, and more.

Plus water.

I started this blog with 30,000 people on Mount Sinjar without food and water. Now a lavish Key West spread. Hard to relate the two. Life goes on.

Today is Captain Tony’s birthday. He was born August 10, 1916. There will be a birthday party tonight at 8 at Captain Tony’s.

What a life the Captain had. Four wives, 13 children, a saloon keeper, booze runner, boat captain, gambler and who knows what else. Even mayor of Key West. One of his campaign managers was Jimmy Buffett.

Enjoy your Sunday!

VIETNAM AND IRAQ

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The major similarity between Vietnam and Iraq is that we were misled into each war. President Johnson with regard to Vietnam and Bush 2 with regard to Iraq.

We all know the Iraq lies. Some may not be aware of the Vietnam ones. Johnson wanted to expand the Vietnam war. He wanted to be viewed in the same light as Roosevelt and World War II. He misinformed the American people. He claimed that on August 2 and 4 1964, North Vietnamese ships shot at American vessels.

The August 2 engagement was not as described, although something did happen. The more serious event was August 4. The problem was it never happened.

Two Presidents, two lies, two long term conflicts.

What I find sad, besides a President lying, is that in both instances the Congress voted almost unanimously in providing the Congressional authority to proceed. Does anyone seek truth in the halls of government?

Obama has sent planes this past week to bomb certain areas of Iraq. Congress is not involved in the process as yet. I am not passing judgment on what Obama has done. I do not know enough at this time. There does however appear to be humanitarian interests to support his intercession.

Vian Dakhil is a member of the Iraqi Parliament. She spoke to the problem two days ago before her Parliament.

“For the past 48 hours, 30,000 families have been besieged on Mount Sinjar, without food or water. They are dying. Seventy children have died so far of thirst and suffocation. Fifty elderly people have died because of the deteriorating conditions. Our women are being taken captive and sold on the slave market.”

My yesterday started with a quick visit to the dentist, Dr. Linder. An implant required adjusting.

I spent several hours writing my KONK Life column which will be published this week. It concerns an issue I briefly wrote about several days ago here and spoke of at length on my blog talk radio show tuesday night. The column is one of the most revealing I have written. Be sure to read it. An eye opener!

The title of the article is Abortion, Sterilization, Contraception, Female Discrimination…..Tools For Population Control.

Tavern ‘n Town last night. A delicious prime rib. Chatted with manager Judy. Ran into Jenna and her Boston intern. They were attending a 40th birthday party for Ruben Gabriel Navarro, the singer. Ruben came over and joined the conversation. He invited me to join the party. I begged off. It was time to go home.

Mike Emerson provided the entertainment. It was a big night for him. His grandkids are visiting and watched him perform.

Met Susie yesterday. Susie Puskedra. Susie does estate sales. Short for she cleans your house out by selling everything. A good person to know. Her business name is Susie’s Key West Estate Sales.

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal carried an interesting piece of information. The article represented that doctors misdiagnose 5 percent of patients a year. Does not sound like much in and of itself. However, the 5 percent amounts to 12 million persons a year. That is a problem!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

KEY WEST OFF BROADWAY

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A new off Broadway show opened recently. Drop Dead Perfect. Key West and a drag queen.

The show stars Everett Quinton. He plays an eccentric Key West matron.

The show itself has been described as a tropical hotbed of heathens.

All a perfect Key West fit!

Quinton plays Idris Seabright. Who is/was Idris Seabright? I do not know if there is a connection. However there was an authoress of some renown by that name. A bit eccentric in her day. She and her husband frequented nudist camps and were members of Wicca. Idris’ real name was Margaret St. Clair. Under the name Idris Seabright, she wrote science fiction..

Stopped at Joy Gallery again yesterday. Visited a bit. You should stop in. Jim is good company. Sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with him.

The Chart Room first last night. Emily bartending. Fred from Louisville there again. Fred is the gentleman I met last week. A nice guy. He owns a parking lot at Churchill Downs just a few yards from the main gate.

Jean Thornton stopped in. Looked fantastic in her new short hair style.

I only stayed for one drink. Decided to walk over to Kelley’s for wings. On the way, I realized it was not yet 7. Kelley’s happy hour lasts till 7. Happy hours are not my thing. I was on Duval at the moment. Burger Fi was just across the street. I crossed.

The very lovely Alex bartending. I had not been in burger Fi for a month. She remembered me and what I drank immediately. Alex has been a Burger Fi main stay for quite a while now. She is the single mother of six year old girl.

I like Alex.

While I was enjoying a double cheeseburger and onion rings (to die for), I was leafing through this week’s Conch Color. Christopher Rounds was featured.

Chris is one of the new owners of La Te Da. Previously, he owned Antonia’s. Chris is renovating La Te Da. Business is ongoing while the work is being done.

I have been a visitor and resident of Key West for 26 years. La Te Da has always been a part of my life during those years. It is that kind of place. It has gone through several owners and several renovations. I have a feeling Chris will make it the best ever.

Chris is originally from Boonville, New York. Fifteen miles from my hometown Utica. He comes from good stock!

Enjoy your day!

 

FAST BUCK FREDDIE’S

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All good things come to an end. Nothing is forever.

Fast Buck Freddie’s closed down three years ago. Support for a store of its quality no longer existed.

I loved Fast Buck Freddie’s! Great stuff! Expensive prices! Nothing cheap. It was not a place you shopped in often. Anything purchased there was a treat.

I recall 15 years ago buying my wife a mask for Fantasy Fest. A gold eye mask with big green feathers. Looked terrific! It should have. Cost me $125. The mask sits to this day on my bedroom dresser on top of a glass head. I got it in the divorce.

Whenever I made a Fast Buck purchase, it was based on impulse. I walked in one day and saw this elephant chair. Short. Heavy. I could never have lifted it. With a pair of two foot tusks. I knew immediately where it would look good in my living room. $1,000.

My Boston granddaughter Samantha was visiting. She was 12 at the time. Grandpa offered to buy her a tee shirt. Why or who or what directed us to Fast Buck Freddie’s for the tee shirt, I cannot recall. I remember however that the tee shirt for my 12 year old granddaughter cost $60.

I am not listing complaints. I loved every minute I spent in Fast Buck Freddie’s and every penny I spent. The place was the Taj Mahal of Key West!

Its street windows were long and huge. The best window displays in Key West! I doubt anyone would dispute the representation.

Over the years, the building housing Fast Bucks was owned individually or jointly or whatever by Tony Falcone, Jimmy Buffet, and David Wolkowsky.

Tony Falcone operated Fast Buck Freddie’s for 37 years. The store has been empty for three years. Falcone has done everything possible to get a Key West type occupant in the store. To no avail. CVS is going to open a drug store in place of Fast Buck Freddie’s. Falcone feels bad. However, he had no choice. No one can blame him. Money is money. He hung onto an empty store way too long.

CVS in its new location will be blight on Duval Street. Such is progress!

My house was shown two times yesterday. No one bought it.

There were two highlights in my day yesterday. A visit with Jim Wallace at Joy Gallery. He has my Jack Baron’s for sale. The other was dinner with Lisa and the family last night.

Cameron is back from Turkey. He brought Robert and Ally each a fez. Bright red with a tassel. Robert wears his all the time, except when sleeping. He looks Turkish. Ally was not thrilled. She never wears her fez.

After dinner, I did something I never do. I was driving home. Suddenly had a desire for a soft chocolate ice cream cone. Dairy Queen! Oh, so good!

Enjoy your day!

BREAST FEEDING

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Good morning! I am at Lisa’s this morning doing the blog. The realtor is showing my house.

There was a breast feeding event saturday in Key West. I was unaware of it till this morning. Not that I would have gone. My involvement with breast feeding is a thing of the past. One of my daughters did it. If ever I will observe the activity again, it will be with one the grandchildren.

There is a national organization known as Big Latch On. A fitting name! A world wide event takes place each year. The day was this past saturday. Forty five babies breast fed publically at Higgs Beach. The purpose obviously to promote breast feeding. No question, the right thing to do. Healthy. Great for the baby. Comforting to the mother.

Respect for Peter Anderson is ongoing. It does not seem to fade into the sunset.

Last April, Renier Rodriguez visited Key West from Cuba. He joined the Conch Republic, received a passport and obtained a Conch Republic flag. All from Peter Anderson himself.

Rodriguez lives in Candelaria, Cuba. This past week the Conch Republic flag flew over his home in memory of Peter Anderson.

Yesterday afternoon was spent in final preparation for last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Did the show at 9.

One of the topics involved the OPA. Not the OPA of World War II. The OPA of today. The Office of Population Affairs. A federal agency. It is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The OPA has been in business as a federal agency since 1970.

The OPA’s purpose is to control/limit population growth. The thought is that some day there will be too many people and not enough to feed them all.

The agency is pro-abortion, pro-sterilization, and pro-contraceptive use. It also has a Family Planning Clinic, one of whose purposes is to get rid of unintended pregnancies.

Plans contemplated are extremely discriminatory as regards women. Additionally, the agency has researched the legality of its proposed programs. The programs are referred to as they would be at an appropriate time. Compulsory Population-Control Laws. The suggested laws are claimed to have been legally researched. The agency’s conclusion is they can be constitutionally sustained if over population becomes sufficiently severe so as to endanger society.

The agency has a budget. In the past several years, it has averaged between $280 million and $298 million. Recall, the House of Representatives controls the budget. They decide what agency of government gets what and how much.

I find it difficult to understand how the Republicans in the House who are anti-abortion and anti-contraception can vote yearly to fund this agency and at the same time fight like hell against abortion and contraception

It does not make sense to me. Gross inconsistency.

OPA was the topic last night that garnered the most interest.

In between preparation and the doing of the show, I had dinner at Roostica. The lovely Megan took care of me.

A public official in  Ankara, Turkey is as anti-female as some of our legislators. Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister wants to prohibit women from laughing in public. He claims women who laugh cannot be honorable women. Turkish women are aroused. They have filed a discrimination complaint against him.

My column in this week’s KONK Life is titled Black Jesus. It will be available at 5 today. Read it. You will find the article interesting.

The San Antonio Spurs announced yesterday that they had hired Becky Hammon as an assistant coach. Becky is female, as her name connotes. A terrific move. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Enjoy your day!

LA LA BELLE

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Another Key West luminary passed on. First, Peter Anderson. Now, La La Belle. La La Belle was L. A. Meyer’s professional name. Meyer was a female impersonator. One of Key West’s best and most popular.

Meyer was a community activist, one of the first public supporters for gay rights, and very active in charitable fundraising. Meyer at one time also hosted a popular TV talk show, The Southernmost Queen.

Meyer had the distinction of being both Queen and King of Fantasy Fest. Different years, of course. He was Queen in 1997 and King in 2000. The Key West Citizen this morning referred to Meyer’s death in the following fashion…..Key West lost a member of its own royal family.

I am going to be critical for a moment. My complaint is aimed at both the Key West Citizen and KONK Life. Peter Anderson was as big as life! A Key West icon. So popular that two separate celebrations of his life were held. The second celebration was the parade down Duval and party thereafter saturday night.

Neither paper reported on the parade to any significance. The Citizen published a photo of it yesterday. KONK Life did likewise today. Hey guys…..You both missed the boat!

Both papers did print lavish reports following Anderson’s death. Especially, KONK Life. Never the less, the parade deserved more recognition than it got.

I lost my gold star! The air conditioning broke down again. I went two nights without air. Water was leaking. I had two big pans and a huge towel catching the leak. All fixed now. Not major. A pipe plugged somewhere and a minor thermostat problem. Not fun during the two nights I slept without air. Fortunately, I had a ceiling fan which helped.

Tuesday again! My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick half hour of political and social commentary. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Tonight’s discussion will include commentary re the net worth of Americans having dropped 43 percent since 2007, the fact that the recovery claimed is not a recovery for most, the U.S. Office of Population Affairs support of abortion and sterilization to stem population growth, an example of police arrogance.

Join me.

Jim Brady died. May he rest in peace.

Brady was President Reagan’s Press Secretary in 1981 when Reagan was shot. Reagan almost died. Brady was hit by a bullet, also. The bullets used were the type which would explode when in its target. Of the several shots fired, only one exploded. The one that entered Brady’s head. He was never the same again.

Brady and his family became big time advocates for gun control. In 1993, Clinton signed into law the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act. Probably the last time there has been any significant gun control legislation in the United States.

Spent last night enjoying food and drink at the Hot Tin Roof. Enjoyed good company, also. Andrea.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

WE DRINK SALTWATER

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Water has become the topic of the day. Detroit recently. Followed by Toledo. The drought in southwestern United States. Now Fairfield, Texas is in the news.

Fairfield has water problems like other areas of the United States. They came up with a partial solution. They drink wetlands water. Yes, the place where snakes and vermin crawl about. Fairfield filters and treats the water chemically. The result is good drinking water.

Key West and the lower keys have been ahead of the game. I have had a home in the Key West area for 16 years. From day one, I heard that part of the drinking water was desalinated salt water. True!

Key West and lower keys’ water comes from two sources.

The primary source is the Everglades National Park. The four thousand square mile Biscayne Aquifer is located there. The water is extracted, treated, and then sent 130 miles via a pipeline to Key West.

Key West recognized many years ago that the water coming in was not sufficient to meet Key West’s needs. A process to convert salt water to fresh water came into being. Two desalination plants were constructed. One on Stock Island, the other in Marathon. The process is known as Reverse Osmosis Desalination.

The bottom line is that up to 4 percent of the drinking water in the lower keys is fresh water converted from sea water.

You never know by drinking it!

Bertha still  out there. No significant damage or injuries yet. Bertha has missed directly passing over the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas. There is rain, however. Everyone everywhere needs rain so that is good.

Speaking of rain, the last three days have been rain, rain, rain here in Key West. It will rain again today. Each storm a storm! Heavy rain, thunder and lightning. During the night, I could hear the rain slap hard against my bedroom windows. The power went out. Did not mean it was always dark in my bedroom. The lightning came right through the closed wood shutters.

Two golf observations.

Poor Tiger Woods. His back again. He had to withdraw from the Bridgestone Tournament. You could see him hobbling.

Tiger has not been the same since the scenario with his wife several years ago. Though he has won a few tournaments, he is not the Tiger Woods of old. Everything seems to not work properly. Age is a factor. He is now 38. I doubt he will ever be the golfer he was.

The new Tiger Woods appears to be Rory McIlroy. A youngster relatively speaking. I think 25 years old. He has already won three majors. He won the Bridgestone yesterday.

The gauntlet has passed.

Enjoy your day!

 

LIONFISH IMPOSSIBLE TO ERADICATE

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When I purchased my Key West home 16 years ago, few had ever heard of lionfish. Then 2-3 years ago, we all did. It was beware! Lionfish are here! They are bad! Eating everything up! Which ironically was followed by lionfish being good to eat and that we should all eat lionfish. The demand and fishing for them would help with the problem.

Appears ain’t nothing going to help eradicate the lionfish population. Eat all you can and there still would be too many left. Human consumption is not occurring regardless. People have not taken to consuming lionfish.

The problem with lionfish is that they impact the ecosystem. Negatively. They eat small grouper and snapper. Eat the underwater food normally consumed by grouper and snapper. Feast on other type marine life, also.

Lionfish are not common to the Florida keys. They originated in the Pacific Ocean and Red Sea. Today, they are all along the Atlantic coastline.

They got here the same way the pythons did. Pythons you will recall were kept as pets in homes. Came the big #5 hurricane that leveled Homestead some 20 years ago, these pets were strewn all over the Everglades.  Pythons being sexual creatures, propagated. Till their numbers exploded. Today there is no talk of eradicating pythons. Control is the solution being pursued.

The same with lionfish. People kept lionfish as pets. When they tired of them, they dumped the lionfish into Florida waters. Now there are millions. Lionfish are sexual as well. They reproduce swiftly. Something like 12,000 to 15,0000 eggs every four days.

Lionfish can be found along shorelines and as deep as 1,000 feet. They are all over.

Authorities admit control is the order of the day. There are too many to eradicate.

The State of Florida has banned the importation of lionfish. Florida is the only state so far to have done so.

I missed the parade celebration of Peter Anderson’s life last night. I seem to have a black cloud over my head. First, my computer. Now, my air conditioning. The upstairs went. I figured it was the thermostat. Needed new batteries. Batteries turned it on again. The thermostat is one of those new super dooper ones. Does everything! Except keep the air conditioning running for me. The air would not stay on for more than 5 minutes. It took me three hours to figure it out. By the time I did, the parade was long over.

It was a bit late. Lisa telephoned and said meet us at Chico’s if you have not eaten. I had not. I had dinner with Lisa and family. Robert was present. Not Ally. She was at a sleep over.

First time for me at Chico’s Cantina. Surprising because I drive past it at least two times a day. The why is I am not particularly fond of Mexican food.

I was very impressed with Chico’s. The place was smaller that I had expected. Unusually clean! From floor to ceiling. Even the men’s room. I had a chicken burrito. Ok. Not thrilling.

It rained a lot yesterday and last night. Still raining this morning. Big time. Dark. I suspected it might be the fringes of Bertha. Bertha was to hit Puerto Rico this morning. If not Bertha, it had to be a usual Key West August day. August is mid point in the Key West rainy season.

I looked outside to evaluate the situation. You live in Key West long enough and you think you can predict the weather. The wind was from the northwest. I could tell because of the way my palm trees were bending. The clouds moving ever so slowly. They were moving northwest to southeast.

Bertha is to the south of Key West. Ergo, the rain had to be part of Key West’s usual rainy season.

I should get a gold star for my weather prowess and also ability to have finally figured out how the thermostat worked.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

BLACK JESUS COMING

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The title of today’s blog makes you step back and say…..What?

Black Jesus is the name of a new TV show which airs for the first time this thursday. The show will appear on cable channel Adult Swim. Adult Swim shares the channel with Cartoon Network. It is a Turner Broadcasting production. The show will be available in 96 million homes via pay TV.

The show is today in Compton, California. A ghetto neighborhood. Jesus obviously African-American.

The show claims to be a comedy that does not mock Jesus.

My next KONK Life column will be published this coming wednesday. The day before Black Jesus debuts. The title is Black Jesus, also. The column is not to announce the new show. Rather it asks a specific religious question. My purpose in writing the column was to stir the pot re the religious issue raised.

Met an interesting gentleman at the Chart Room last night. A friend of Emily’s. Emily does the Kentucky Derby every every year. She makes mention each time of a parking lot friend. The friend is Fred Stair, the man I met last night. He is involved with a Churchill Downs parking lot a mere 75 yards from the front gate to Churchill Downs. Called Captain’s Derby Parking.

Fred and I have similar backgrounds. We once were lawyers.

Fred is in Key West scouting a home. He is looking to buy a place here. Good for him! He will be a welcome addition!

Met Andrea at the Chart Room, also. Another friend of Emily’s.

Andrea grew up in Europe. She attended American University in Paris and then the University of California-Davis. She speaks several languages. Lives in Key West.

We got into a discussion of colleges. Turns out her mother went to the College of New Rochelle in Westchester County. I found it amusing. I went to Manhattan College in New York City. My friends and I used to pursue the New Rochelle ladies. Loved them. They were the best!

There is another Celebration of Life scheduled for Peter Anderson today. Loved by everyone! The celebration begins at 6 with a parade along Duval. The parade will start at Mallory Square and end at South Street. Followed by a party at the Southernmost Beach Cafe. Guaranteed the parade route and party will be overflowing!

The mini lobster season ended thursday. Unfortunately, a woman died. She and a friend were standing on their boat when it appeared another boat was going to hit them. They jumped in the water to avoid the crash. The boat did not strike the other. It did strike the two women. One died and one is in the hospital.

The second storm of the season has been brewing for a few days. Bertha. A tropical storm. Winds presently 50 mph. Lots of rain.

Bertha is not considered a danger to the Florida keys. It may roll over the Bahamas and/or Cuba. It has already passed over some Caribbean islands.

There is a benefit to be derived from Bertha. The islands all are experiencing drought conditions. Bertha’s 3-6 inches of water are welcomed.

The House Republicans did it again! They left Washington yesterday for a five week vacation. $174,000 a year, great medical, and a work schedule that amounts to half time over the course of a year.

The sadness is that they left without properly taking care of the immigrant children coming over the Mexican border. The 50,000 plus is now indicated to be around 70,000. View the internet pictures to see how these kids are living. Behind chain and barbed wire fences, sleeping on floors, inadequate medical attention, etc.

I have asked this question before. I ask it again. Would they want their children and grandchildren treated in this fashion? The Golden Rule…..Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…..has been forgotten.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

WHAT HERSHEL AND EMILY BRONTE HAVE IN COMMON

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Hershel is a today type guy. Intelligent, interesting. Also has a great wife. Erika. Love her!

Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights. The greatest love story ever written.

Hershel’s birthday was July 29. Turned 54. Happy birthday friend!

Emily Bronte’s birthday was July 30. Not sure what her years would have been if still alive. Her life was short. She was born and died in the early 1800s.

The common factor: The closeness of their birthdays.

It is just after one. Comcast just left. It was not the computer that was on the blink. It was something to do with the outside wiring. I am up and running! I will not be late tomorrow with the blog. Promise.

My last night was pleasant and quiet. Spent a couple of hours at Don’s Place. My new found friend Tom the photographer came in. We had a drink together. Chatted with Clare a bit. Visited with Grant.

That is all I did last night. Don’s Place.

Marilyn Kaple is a frequent visitor to Key West. She is a FB friend and reads this blog religiously. She dropped me a note after my shark tales of yesterday. Remember Katharine? The great white female shark who made her way from Cape Cod to Gulf of Mexico waters to have a baby. She had her baby. Mother Katharine is no longer in the Gulf. She is somewhere in the middle Atlantic. I know not where the child is.

All of that has nothing to do with Marilyn Kaple.

Marilyn wrote to tell me there is now a Mary Lee. Another great white female shark. Sixteen feet long weighing 3,500 pounds. Mary Lee was traced from Cape Cod to the off shores of the Carolinas. Maybe pregnant. Not sure. She either gave birth off Cape Fear or was not pregnant. Mary Lee is now back in Cape Cod waters.

Enjoy your day!