Almost noon and I am just beginning today’s blog. My day began with an early morning visit to Dr. Norris. Fasting blood work. Then to Sandy’s Cafe for breakfast.

While at Sandy’s, a beautiful elderly woman dressed in white came in. I recognized her. We both would have morning coffee at a coffee house on Duval. The place changed hands 10 years ago and I stopped going. Did not like the service provided by the new owners.

Her name, Jane.

Jane rode a 3 wheel bike in those days. An excellent conversationalist.

There she was again this morning!

She was talking with a woman. Turned out to be her daughter. I interrupted their conversation and introduced myself to Jane. A friend from the past.

At first, she did not recognize me. As I talked about our mornings 10 plus years ago, she recalled me. She did not recognize me because she cannot see well any longer. I was just a blur to her.

Two friends now have difficulty seeing. Terri and Jane.

Jane of course no longer rides the bicycle.

It was nice seeing Jane again. Life goes on in one fashion or another. We survive.

Hemingway Days began yesterday. Run through sunday. Fun days the rest of the week!

A new BOB chapter: Just Exactly What Is Velveeta? BOB wrote about the heavy things in life.

BOB relied on Bob Smith for Velveeta comments. Bob thought Velveeta was “crap…..not cheese.” He described it as “a lobotomy in a box.”

Such is all I can report re BOB’s writing of Velveeta. The paragraph only 5 lines long. Why BOB even wrote about Velveeta, I have no idea.

I continue to write re Trump, Putin and the Russians. The Comment boxes fill with comments involving the items.

Some who respond fail to provide their names. They sign “Anonymous.”

Not a problem from my end.

One of the Anonymous persons wrote re Trump and Russia that Trump forgot certain items of history. He said: Trump forgot “Russia supplied Vietnam with arms and ammunition, including the missile that shot down McCain and the weapons that killed 55,000 Americans, but then he avoided any involvement there. And there was the Korean War where Russia armed North Korea and Russian pilots shot down American planes. And Cuba, Russia has always backed those whom we oppose. Can a leopard change its spots overnight? Trump seems to think so.”

History speaks for itself. Many lessons to be learned from it. Assuming of course a person reads history.

When I hear of a blimp, my mind automatically goes back to the Hindenburg which went down in blazing flames in the late 1930’s.

In spite of the Hindenburg disaster, blimps continued to be used by some nations. The U.S. Navy used them during World War II.

German submarines were constantly roaming off the Keys. Today’s Key West Citizen in its Keys History section makes mention of a German submarine and U.S. blimp.

It was this day in 1943, U.S. Navy blimp K-74 was shot down by German submarine U-134 50 miles southeast of Marathon. Navy ships from Key West were able to rescue all but one of the blimp’s crew.

Enjoy your day!

BOB is back! Decided to get off his ass and continue the story. Actually, my fault. Without BOB, so much material. Becomes a pick and choose situation every day.

I will try to do better.

We left Bum Farto when he and 29 other Key Westers had been arrested on federal drug charges. Bum ceased his drug activities while awaiting trial. He did continue with his side prostitution business. He had ladies working for him. He would drive them in El Jefe to their Johns and pick them up afterward for transport to the next John.

He continued as Fire Chief. He also continued as a Little League team manager. He would drive El Jefe down the left field line. Lime green. A El Jefe sign on the side. The bright gold eagle on the hood. Reflector glass and two sawed off shot guns.

Bum would light a candle on the hood of El Jefe before every game. He had found religion. The reason for the candle. And other things.

The religion was Santeria. A form of voodoo.

Santeria is an Afro-American religion of Caribbean origin. The slaves brought it with them from Africa. Their descendants continued practicing the faith.

The religion has some weird aspects. Trances, communication with ancestors and deities, animal sacrifice, and more. Santerians sacrifice animals daily.

The authorities thought the religion strange. Persecution and prosecution became the order of the day. As far back as the early 1500’s.

To save themselves from pain and death, practitioners of the faith merged their customs with Roman Catholicism in Cuba in 1515. The term Santeria means worship of saints.

Today, there are 22,000 Santeria followers in the United States.

Such was the religion Bum selected to help him in his hour of woe.

The religion had rituals galore. It is claimed Bum practiced one while awaiting trial. He smashed eggs in the doorway to the court house. He would then step over them. He was to receive good luck by so doing.

We shall see.

Yesterday an easy one. A haircut at noon. Lori in Maine on vacation. One of the other girls cut my hair. Lori had left her a detailed list as to what to do.

I have little hair. Fuzz. Still needs to be kept neat. It is not just a #1 over the top. Hair grows everywhere as one gets old. The nose, ears and eyebrows have to be done. Such is life!

Lori’s associate did well.

Then lunch at Sandy’s Cafe. I have come to love the place and its sandwiches. Quiet. Cool. I read the newspapers, watch a little TV, and enjoy. The staff friendly. I have become a regular.

Devoted a few hours in the afternoon to pleasure reading. I am into Madeleine Albright’s Fascism.

Last night, a new experience. The Blue Macaw.

I was looking for a new bar on Southard. Phone rang. It was Terri. What are you doing? Terri was at the Blue Macaw alone. Join me, she said. Told her I was on my way.

The Blue Macaw a year old. Everyone speaks well of it. I never made it till last night.

In Bahama Village. Corner of Whitehead and Petronia. Open air. Huge space.

Happy Hour 4-9. Food excellent. Prices cheap.

I had a good time. Chatted with Terri at the bar. Chatted with a couple on my other side. They let me taste their food as I kept looking at it. My meal was wings. Theirs ribs and broiled shrimp. Plus, cheese covered fries.

Paul came over to say hello. We had never met before. However, he told me he has been reading this blog daily for years. An instantaneous relationship. I love everyone who reads this blog.

Turns out he is a regular at the Blue MacCaw. I met his partner Ron who reads me also.

The place filled quickly. A gold mine!

Terri was in Key West in the 1970’s. Told me the Blue McCaw reminds her of that time.

The move is on to ban plastic throwaway items like straws.  Some one mentioned in the Citizens’ Voice section of the Key West Citizen this morning that dependence on plastic products is an “environmental death sentence.”

The Citizen weatherman continues to amuse me. Saturday’s prediction is “Morning shower; sleep in.” Sunday’s is “Morning shower; sleep in again.”

Several years ago, I wrote an article for KONK Life titled Hemingway’s First Love. It has been rerun on KONK Life E-Blast this morning. Worth reading.

Enjoy your day!