MY WILLIE NELSON DAY

Yes, yesterday was a Willie Nelson day for me. Not with country music, however. It was the nine hours I was out and about. I felt like I was on the road again.

As the years have added on, my time out of the house during day time hours has diminished. I prefer researching and writing, reading and napping.

Yesterday was different.

I left home at 11 in the morning. My destination Duval Street and the Kinetic Sculpture Parade. My first one. I believe this was the second year for the Kinetic Parade.

Glad I went! Amazing what artists have accomplished with left over metal. Metal that in days long gone by was discarded. In the parade event, especially metal sculptures involving wheels. Like bicycles and tricycles.

I enjoyed and learned!

Walked a bit afterwards. Ended up at Antonia’s. A late lunch.

Antonia’s has a pasta special. For years. You  can order a half portion. I sat in the corner of the bar and enjoyed a linguine dish.

Then to Don’s Place for the Kentucky Derby. Don having his usual Derby party. Inside and out. Most of the ladies in flowered hats. A couple of men dressed in white suits and ties wearing white straw hats.

I arrived at 4. The race was not till 6:45. Enjoyed a few drinks and enjoyed the company of Don, David, Angus, John, Keith, Jennifer, Joanie, Stan and Clare.

The race exciting. Everyone whooping it up. Always thrilling.

Now the banter will begin. Can Always Dreaming win the Triple Crown? I would hope so. It is time again for a Triple Crown winner.

Stayed a while after the race. Left for home. Arrived at 8.

I had been out for nine consecutive hours. Big for me these days!

Notice I did not go out last night. The day time was enough.

Everything is moving into the lower keys. We have had a few sightings of crocodiles over the years. A couple of pythons.

The most recent, an American crocodile. It was sighted at the Boca Chica Naval Base. Eight to 10 feet long. A picture in this morning’s Key West Citizen. Jaws wide open.

The crocodile cannot be killed.  An endangered and protected species. Base personnel believe there might be as many as five such crocs on the base.

The croc observed and photographed has become a celebratory instance! A Base representative asked on Facebook yesterday for readers to suggest a nick name for the crocodile. A contest of sorts. Perverted from my point of view.

It was also reported there have been recent crocodile sightings near Smathers Beach and at Fort Zachary Taylor.

Four years ago, I wrote a lengthy column in KONK Life me drugs. In the article, I mentioned the great success Portugal had been having since 2001 when it decriminalized drug use. Portugal treats the problem as a medical one rather than criminal. The program a gigantic success.

Pablo Escobar a drug czar. His drug cartel made him billions. Perhaps trillions.

His son Juan Sebastian Marroquin wrote recently that drug cartels will die the day drugs are legalized and regulated. Sounds how the United States resolved the alcohol/mafia problem when Roosevelt led the drive for alcohol legalization in the 1930’s.

History is a teacher. We should try decriminalization based on the 1930’s alcohol success in the U.S. and Portugal’s drug success which began in the first years of this century.

Robots! Robots! Robots! I keep talking about them hoping to ignite the American public that they are here and more are coming.

Another while America slept situation. My concern is we are not preparing to retrain human employees who will be jobless.

Few seem to be paying attention to the problem.

It has been reported that the military is training robots to shoot in a war. It is a problem. There is a difficulty in having robots shoot. The robots computerized brain cannot handle who to shoot at. Things in battle happen too fast.

The military is confident the problem will be resolved in due course.

I disagree with Trump’s recent Executive Order which eases existing limits on political activity by religious organizations. God’s House should not be a political bandstand.

Enjoy your Sunday!