FRED CABANAS RIP

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Fred Cabanas is dead. At 60. His plane went down somewhere over Mexico’s Cozumel Island.

Fred was a Key West icon. A legend. His mark is well imbedded in Key West. He will be long remembered.

Some of Fred’s accomplishments were his family life, his business Cabanas Aeronautics Unlimited, his daredevil flying, being the Marlboro Man for the smoke designs he made from his bi-plane, being the General of the Conch Republic Air Force, and his movie parts. He also had a rare distinction. He was a Conch. Fourth generation.

It would be remiss not to mention one other item. Fred flew a bi-plane in the bloody Conch Republic Battle for Independence which occurs each year. The bi-plane bombs the US Coast Guard vessels. With biodegradable rolls of toilet paper! You have seen nothing till you have seen toilet paper tossed by Fred unrolling as it hurries down to do in the US Coast Guard.

Fred will be buried tomorrow. At sea. Somewhere on the gulf stream. He will be buried from Key West’s tallest and best known ship the Wolf. Afterwards, there will be a celebration of his life at a hangar at the Key West Airport. Roast pig and alcohol will be consumed. The desire is for a party as Fred would have enjoyed it.

I stopped dieting. I did not shop. I was without food this morning. Nothing for breakfast. At 8, I was at Publix picking up a few things. A good time to shop. There was no one in the store. I was all alone with the help.

Today is Inauguration Day. There is a more than normal excitement. I sense it over TV and in conversations with Key Westers. The last time I recall this degree of excitement was when John Kennedy was inaugurated. I was a young practising attorney at the time.

Today is Martin Luther King Day, also. I recall his killing. It was inevitable. He was in the forefront of the civil rights movement. Actually, he had his nose in everyone’s face. You just knew his life was on the line.

Today has another significance historically. The Key West Citizen reported this morning that President Ulysses Grant visited Key West this day in 1871. The paper included a picture of Grant in a horse drawn cab on Duval Street waving to the crowd.

Syracuse basketball again today! At 3:30. Against Cincinnati. Cincinnati has only 3 losses. I worry about this game, also.

Where are the new national rankings? I thought they came out sunday evenings. Guess not. I hope Syracuse is #1. It is deserved after the Louisville game.

As usual, I will be at the Big Ten Sports Pub watching the game. With Don and Chris and Dan and Lisa and I do not know who else.

Show time tomorrow morning. The new blog talk radio show I am trying to get off the ground. Tough! I suspect 7 am may not be the best time. However, for those of you who are hearty and up, join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Call in and ask questions, if you are so inclined. Lets have a good talk or listen.

I have another radio show later in the afternoon. I will be appearing weekly on tuesday afternoons on Ryno’s Show. Pirate Radio. Somewhere around 3:45 and 4. The time is flexible. Ryno has me on the air as soon as I walk in the door.

Enjoy the holiday!

 

MALCOM FAMILY DAY

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Big day yesterday for the Malcom family!

Son in law Corey made the newspaper big time. The Key West Citizen ran a major story on Corey . Front page and all of the back page. Two pictures of Corey. One on each page. Both of him under the water doing what he does. Searching for slave ships.

Corey and  a Mel Fisher team were sent to the Bahamas to search for a specific sunken slave ship. They found it!

Corey knows his business. One does not just go out and say lets dive here. There are months of research involved. Studying old maps and reading anything in writing that speaks of the ship sought. Corey did it all. The work proved fruitful. He and the team discovered the sunken vessel.

The grandkids had a big day yesterday, also. Robert and Ally went to the Symphony. All Key West school kids probably went.

Montessori spent time the past couple of weeks explaining to the students what a symphony was, what would be heard, etc. Robert and Ally were advised that the Symphony was a dress up event. Both insisted on wearing  their best.

Ally was beautiful in a new dress and long stockings.

Robert wore a tie, long pants, and real shoes. He insisted on the tie, long pants, and real shoes. The pants he had. Lisa and Corey had to buy him for real shoes. Brother Cameron provided an old snap on tie.

Lisa posted a picture of them on Facebook yesterday. They looked terrific!

Lisa said when they returned home, they were all excited. Especially because the Star Wars theme was played.

I spent some time at the TV studio getting ready for today’s show. Jenna and Crystal a big help. Crystal is the engineer.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour is on air this morning. Live on TV and the internet. Comcast Channel 87 throughout the Florida Keys. Via the internet world wide. www.tvchannel19.com. Ten my time.

Watch and enjoy! Interesting topics!

After the TV studio visit, I headed over to Lisa’s. A couple of the biopsy wounds are on my back. They had to be cleaned and covered with some kind of anti-bacterial stuff. I could not reach them. Lisa had to do it for me.

I took care of Lisa once. Now she takes care of me.

I was a bit lazy this week. Did not have all my show material put together. I did it yesterday afternoon and last night. Meant I could not make bocce. No time. I was sorry to miss. We were playing Larry’s team. We are all friends. It would have been ball busting fun!

That is it for this morning. Again, please join me for the show at 10. The first topic alone will cause a reaction in you. Either tears or shocking disbelief or both.

Enjoy your day!

 

A DISAPPOINTING EDITORIAL

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A political Sunday of sorts.

My morning started with the TV talk shows. Meet the Press and Chris Matthews, amongst others. Only one item discussed. The Presidential election.

Afterwards, I continued work on Friday’s TV/Internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Additional topics include differences between the Catholic Church and a Polish coffin maker, an expensive Anaconda, recent U.S. Supreme Court activity involving police drug sniffing dogs, Jack the Ripper, the 1965 blackout, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and John Kennedy.

Remember, I have changed broadcasting studios. As of Friday, I will be broadcasting via TV and the Internet. The show will be available on Comcast Channel 87 through out the Keys. It will be available world wide on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Ten o’clock in the morning my time.

Decided to get some beach time. Grabbed my sand chair and headed over to Higgs Beach. A lot of people. More than I had expected. It is getting a bit cooler. The coolness did not disuade any one from swimming. Except for me. I put my foot in and decided the water was too cold.

I brought Sunday’s Key West Citizen and a book with me.

The Key West Citizen is a good and interesting local newspaper. Never many pages. However whatever its weight, it compensates with thought provoking material. Yesterday’s editorial was no exception. I was provoked.

The editorial came out in support of Romney for President. That did not bother me. Although I am an Obama supporter, every one has a right to their own opinion.

What disturbed me was the manner in which Romney was supported. Both candidates have warts. The editorial found Romney free of warts. The editorial was a boiler plated recitation of his alleged virtues. Romney was made to appear as the seconnd coming of a Messianic figure.

The editorial disappointed me not as to its conclusion, but the manner in which it was arrived at.

Sunday dinner was the best! With Lisa and the family. Politics was a part of our evening. Political discussions amongst Lisa, Corey and I are interesting. We are not always in accord. As to Obama however, we are.

Turned out Robert and Ally had been involved in the Presidential election this past week. Both attend Montessori. First and second grades. The school conducted a mock Presidential election. They both voted for Obama. The results will not be announced till Wednesday.

I have always considered such school elections as representative of the thinking of the community. The youthful votes cast generally reflect parental poitions. Such elections are a good barometer of the real result locally.

Enjoy your day!

COURMAYEUR…..FOOT OF MONT BLANC

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Spent most of yesterday preparing friday’s internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. KONK Broadcasting has been moving. I have been unable to do the show for two weeks. I missed doing it! I am thrilled to be preparing for a friday show again.

Remember, the show has a new internet address. Reception supoposedly will be better. www.konknet.com/tv/personalities.

Some of friday’s goodies include the ten foot python found last week at the Key West Airport, contraception to be taught in Key West and other Monroe County schools, eating worms and roaches, teaching the young to make Molotov cocktails in Tunis, a son who stole his mother’s jewels so he could visit a brothel, a medical theory that castration leads to longer life, HIV and jail sequestration, and more. The more of course includes my take on the Presidential campaign, last night’s debate, and an update on Greece’s economic problem.

A good show in the making. Join me.

I did get out of the house briefly during the day. A noon manicure with Tammy. A neighbor airport pick up at 5.

Last night was dinner at the bar at Hogfish. Fish and chips and read the newspapers.

Parking was unusual last night at Hogfish. There was none. Cars everywhere. Even way up the road. The place was packed.

The Presidential debate. A few brief comments.

Neither candidate answered questions. If either were in a court room in front of a Judge, they would first be yelled at and then held in contempt.

I thought Obama the winner. Far and away. Romney continues to be weak on foreign affairs. He is also too combative. A tough opponent. On the other hand, if he conducts every day business in a similar fashion, he would not be successful as President. Putin would knock him on his ass if Romney got in Putin’s face. Similarly, Romney evidenced a lack of respect for his opponent and the moderator.

Lets move on to happier things. Like Courmayeur. A small ski village at the foot of Mont Blanc. Another stopping off place on my European trip.

Courmayeur is in northern Italy. One half hour car drive to France and a one hour drive to Switzerland. It is located in a valley high up on Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is the highest point in Europe. Part of the Alps.

I was in Courmayeur in August. It was warm. But…..I woke one morning to snow. That is how it is on Mont Blanc. The temperature had dropped from a mid 70 high the day before to a 20 degree temperature the next morning.

I found Mont Blanc awesome! Magnificent! Over powering!

The favorite food of those living in the Courmayeur area is polenta. Ground corn. It was eaten with every meal. Huge plates of it. I could not stand the polenta. My only dislike on the trip.

There are nine photos of Courmayeur.

If I was on the side of a mountain near Switzerland, what else would I live in other than a Swiss chalet? Which I did. The first photo is of the chalet. The building actually contained four condominiums. Each with a balcony facing Mont Blanc.

The next photo is of some other chalets to the right of the one I was staying at.

The chalet buildings are old old. Hundreds of years. They are purchased and renovated. The outer stone reset. Wood stairs and balconies added. Some of the wood additions are reflected in the next photo.

Shadows intrigued me. They were caused by the angle of the sun and the position of the staircases. The next photo hopefully is representative of the shadows.

The next pic is the dining room of the chalet.

The next photo is the best! I took it from the balcony of the chalet. Mont Blanc with clouds below its peak.

The next two photos are different shots of Mont Blanc taken from different places and angles.

The last photo is interesting. It did not come out as intended. However, I still want to share it with you.

Mont Blannc is high. Very high. Trees run up its side. Then suddenly stop. As if a line were drawn. Beyond the trees were rock and dirt running to just below the peak. I was trying to capture the tree line break and show the difference.

The top of Mont Blanc is neither dirt nor rock on the surface. It is glacier ice and snow! Twelve months a year.

Enjoy your day!

AMORGOS AND CAPTAIN PETER

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Amorgos and Captain Peter! The two are nowhere related. However, both represent joyful experiences and so share the title of today’s blog.

Last night was a very good one. Unusually good. It was Captain Peter’s 70th birthday. We partied. Played in a bocce make up match. We won all three games. It is a pleasure to share the evening with you. First however, the Amorgos photos.

You will recall the Greek isle of Amorgos was my favorite of the five Greek places visited.

Amorgos is a nothing island sitting out in the extremes of the Agean Sea. I had not planned to visit Amorgos. I was stuck on Mykonos three extra days because of weather. I was desperate to get out. Finally a boat was available. To a place called Amorgos. I went.

Amorgos is a relatively small island. Has six towns. The population is limited. Not many people live on Amorgos. The official population is 1,859. Amorgos’ claim to fame is a Monastery and an earthquake. I have seaparate photos of the Monastery that will be shown in a day or two. The earthquake occurred on July 9, 1953. Left 53 dead. Amorgos was my third island. Santorini and Mykonos preceded it. All three had a history of volcanic explosions. Sort of compares to the hurricane season in Key West. A threat always there. You never know.

I stayed in the town of Katapola. I did not know the name when I landed.

Amorgos’ connection with the outside world is the boat that comes in once a week. On wednesday. Assuming the weather is ok. The winds can be horrific.

I saw very few automobiles on the island. Not ten total. There was a bus. I wondered then and wonder now how they got the gasoline to fuel the few cars, bus and fishing boats. The gasoline had to come in on the once a week boat. Where it was stored, pumped, I never learned.

I loved Amorgos! Again, the best of the Greek places visited. Why? Because it was so serene and quiet. Nothing to do. Peaceful. Old. The people were from another century. Men and women alike dressed in black. Regardless of age. I was told black shuns the sun better than light colored apparel.

Twelve photos.

The first is the view from my terrace. The view says it all.

The next is an inner shot of the terrace. I spent most of my time on the terrace sitting at the table during the ten days I was on Amorgos.

I sat on the terrace in the evening also, as seen in the next photo.

As indicated before, I spent considerable time on the terrace. The next photo is of me sitting on the terrace reading. I did this all day, every day. Never went in the water. Sat, read, and slept. And ate, of course. My landlord would bring me fresh apricots every morning from his garden to start my day.

Another shot of me on the terrace.

The bay I lived on was horseshoe in shape. I walked around the horseshoe one day and had lunch. The photo is me and the restaurant. On the water. Simple. I could not figure out how the owner made it. I was the only customer at lunch time.

Note the boats in the restauant picture and the ones in the next photo. Fishing is Amorgos’ industry. They fish for themselves and the few restauants on the island. Provincially. Most of the fishing boats are mere rowboats with a motor on the back.

Again, Amorgos is from another time.

Every Greek island has a chora. Also known as hora. Means old town. You saw Mykonos’ chora. Now, Amorgos’.

Amorgos’ chora was way up on a hill. Hills again! I took the bus up. The bus had to be 40 plus years old. Shaked, rattled and rolled. But made it! I thought as the bus traveled up the hill that I was like the bus. Getting older and still hanging in there.

Once you enter the chora, everything is up hill. Whether a path or steps. So many steps! A stress test unto itself.

The next photo is me starting into the chora. Old means old. This chora was more than a 1,000 years old. It consisted primarily of homes. People still live in the 1,000 year old buildings. There was also a bar or restaurant every 200 feet or so.

I was mid way into the chora and ready to die. I needed to sit. The yellow chairs in the next photo were my salvation.

The next pic is me sitting in a yellow chair. Tired! Note my beard was growing. I looked like a bum! Did not care!

The next photo is a chora street scene. Pretty. Narrow. Only room for a galloping horse when built 1,000 years ago. Today, only foot traffic. Cars would not fit.

The final photo is me sitting on a stoop. The steps to some one’s home. I was lost. Dead tired. Could not find my way out of the chora. Sat on that stoop till I regained my energies.

So much for Amorgos. Hope you enjoyed.

It was Peter’s birthday yesterday. Seventy years old. A surprise party was planned for him at 5 at the Chart Room. Many friends. Emily, Sheila, Sean, Che, David, Jean, John DeSantis, and many others.

Also present were some friends of Emily. She referred to them as her grad school friends. About 8-10. From Louisville and Pensacola and perhaps elsewhere. Nice people. One was Fred. Fred owns a parking lot at Churchill Downs. Must be like owning Sloppy Joe’s in Key West.

I was at the Chart Room for a half hour and still no Happy birthday! There was a table full of cake, key lime pie, and other goodies. The candle was on the key lime pie. Peter never realized the people and eats were for him. Not till Emily walked up with the pie and candle and every one sang Happy Birthday!

Peter is a good guy. Loved by all. May we all share more of his birthdays with him and with each other.

Bocce was part of my evening, also. We had a make up game for one that had been rained out.

I hurried over to the bocce courts. I knew I would be late. I had already told Captain David. I learned when I arrived that we had won the two final games after I had left the night before.

I played the third game. We won all three games last night. We are on a run! A total of six victories in two nights! Everyone is playing well. May we continue to so play.

It was very comfortable playing last night. No humidity. A cold front had come in in the afternoon. Dropped the temperature 10 degrees to the high 70s. The cold front is still here today. A strong wind is coming from the north. There are big waves off my deck.

I spent yesterday afternoon researching. Also published on Amazon Kindle an article I ran a few weeks ago in KONK Lfe: Catholic Church…..200 Years Out Of Date. It speaks of the death bed interview with Cardinal Carl Maria Martini. The Cardinal was high up in the Papal hierarchy. He thought Pope Brnedict II was being too hard ass (my language), supported condom use in certain circumstances, was not against birth control, remarriage after divorce was ok, and commented on many other things afflicting/conflicting the Catholic Church today. One of his most meaningful observations was to the effect that …..our Churches are empty.

The Cardinal died four days after the interview was given.

I mentioned my Quest neighbors yesterday, There is a film crew next door. Cameras and lights all over. On the roof, on the grounds, etc. It is a new TV film series being shot next door and in the lower Florida keys. Its stars are young men from all over the country. Eighteen to 23. I cannot tell you what the show is specically about. I do not know. It appears a lot of money is being spent on it.

The individual locally putting the show together is Key West’s Denise Jackson. I did not know her. Met her for the first time two nights ago.

Enjoy your day!

PETER

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Tomorrow is the big day! I will start publishing the trip pictures! Finally!

Last night was strange. The best of the evening was the last part of it.

We start at the beginning, however.

I stopped by the Chart Room. It was late. About eight. No customers. Just me and JJ. Had one drink and passed the time away chatting with JJ.

My plan was to have dinner at Kelley’s. I desired wings. The rain changed my mind. It was pouring. I opted for the Wine Galley instead. For those of you who might not know, the Chart Room and Wine Galley are both part of the Pier House complex.

Larry Smith was playing. His audience included Rob and Lois from bocce night and Danville, Pennsylvania. Mary Deasy arrived a bit later and sat with them.

I ate at the bar and read the newspapers. Larry in my ear while my eyes scanned the news. It worked well.

Stayed a while. When I left, I had to pass the Chart Room to get to my car. Seated alone at the corner of the bar was Captain Peter.

The Captain is known as Captain Peter and Peter. I shall refer to him here as Peter.

I joined Peter. He was as glad to see me as I him. Everyone likes Peter. I cannot think of one person who does not. He is that type of person.

Peter was lamenting. He volunteered that in six days on September 12 he was going to be 70. It was bothering him. I laughed and said, “Hell, I’m 77! So what? Enjoy!”

We then got into a deep and profound discussion for about an hour. The type of discussion only men in their 70s can understand and appreciate. Peter seemed better at the end of our talk.

Let me share some Peter background with you. He is an unusual man.

Peter is a proud Brit. He was born in England. He came to the United States as a young man. Sometime back in the early 1960s, I suspect. He fought for his new country. He became a citizen of his new country.

Peter has traveled the world. Twice he sailed on a small boat alone around the world. A tough guy. His stories of fighting off pirates in the orient are dramatic.

Peter lives on his sail boat. I do not know if it is the same one that took him round world twice.

The sail boat he calls home is moored some two miles off Key West in the Gulf. A pretty far and pretty gutsy place to live. All alone out there. No boat neighbors. No land to be seen.

Peter has a small motorized rubber dinghy that he uses to get back and forth. Some evenings Peter lingers too long and it is dark when he leaves. Some nights the water is rough. Peter generally can handle conditions. But…..there are nights when Peter may have had a bit too much to drink. He putt putts out to his sail boat and cannot find it in the dark. There have been evenings when it has taken him two hours to find his sail boat. One night, he slipped going from the dinghy to the boat. It took him two hours again before he was able to get out of the water and into the sail boat.

With age comes wisdom. Peter recently bought a used van. On the nights he thinks it not safe to make the trip to the boat, he sleeps in the back of the van.

Peter looks the part of a British lord. Tall and thin. White hair surrounds his bald top. He has a well clipped white moustache. He speaks with a soft unquestionable British accent.

If you run into Peter between now the the 12th, wish him a Happy Birthday!

Read an interesting tidbit in yesterday’s Key West Citizen. It was part of an interesting op-ed by the owners of Schooner Wharf. Their rent is $46,811.86 a month. Wow! However consistent with commercial Key West rents. I suspect the new Coyote Ugly on Duval has to be paying $35,000 a month. Whether Schooner Wharf or Coyote Ugly, these places have to sell a hell of a lot of booze to survive!

Duval Street has received national recognition. It has been listed as one of the 10 Best Streets of 2012. The designation claims Duval is the soul of Key West. It is.

Fantasy Fest around the corner. Starts with Goombay on Octobedr 19 and runs through October 28. Fun time!

Enjoy your Sunday!