We’re in a funk over Denver’s loss to Baltimore in the
AFC playoffs on Saturday. Need to vent,
so offer some tidbits from the local newspaper and some personal observations.
Interview with Thomas Sanchez (author of American
Tropic, to be released January 15)
·
In the 1980’s, Key West “seemed cut off from
mainland mores, a rough and tumble place, dangerous. It was like Dodge City in the Gulf Stream,
where a piratical code held sway. Now, a
generation later, the island has lost much of its swagger, it’s become a place
where cruise ships disgorge multitudes, where humble cigar-makers’ shacks have
been tarted up and sold for millions, where down-on-their-luck writers and
artists can never afford a sliver of paradise.
The real outlaws remaining today are those fighting to save the natural
habitat of the Keys, those who stand up against polluting degradation and
corrosive consumerism.”
·
“We not only have the weapons of mass
destruction in the hands of righteous hacks, religious fanatics and racist quacks, we have profiteer-polluters
and destroyers of the natural world whacking off what precious little is left
of earth’s pure air, water and soil.”
Pearl Basin, a “pool of deeper blue water within the
emerald-green shallows located in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge…where
bottlenose dolphins love to romp,” is being leased to Fury Water Adventures
(owned by Scott Saunders) to permanently moor a floating platform for 10 jet
skis, 10 kayaks, and inflatable water toys such as a floating rock-climbing
wall and a giant slide. Administrative
Law Judge Bram Carter ruled that the state Department of Environmental
Protection should grant the lease because, “the proposed project is not
contrary to the public interest and it meets all applicable criteria for
authorization to lease sovereignty submerged lands.” Last Stand, an environmental group,
unsuccessfully argued that the lease should not be granted.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that this year’s State of
the Union address falls on Groundhog Day.
Naval Air Station Key West has F/A (7)18 Super Hornet
fighter jets roaring overhead every day for the past week disrupting any
semblance to peace and quiet in “paradise.”
The right-wing cheerleaders call this the “sound of freedom;” the
left-wing cynics call it an obnoxious racket.
Monroe County Tourist Development Council reported 99%
occupancy for Key West lodging establishments on December 30 and 31. Average daily room rates increased in Key
West on December 31 and January 1 from an average of $228 to $648.
Cayo Hueso is the name the Spaniards gave to Key West
when they landed and discovered an island covered with bones. Not surprisingly Cayo Hueso in Spanish is
Bone Island. The tone-deaf Brits
bastardized it to Key West. If you think
in cockney, you can almost come up with Key West from Cayo Hueso, as Hueso is
pronounced “weso.”
South Florida and the Keys are experiencing one of the
warmest Januarys in history. Almost
every day the high temps in Miami have been only one degree lower than high
temperature records for the date. We
have had a run of 82° plus days and lows around 72° with forecasts predicting
the same for the foreseeable future.
Locals are actually bitching about how hot it is for this time of
year. Of course, the issue isn’t the
temps, it is the humidity. The wind came
up the last couple of days so that has reduced he humidity, but it has been
running in the 90% range, leaving everything soggy left out overnight.
Our friends, Tom and Lore from Denton, caught up with us
on Friday and we joined them for happy hour at the Navy base here. They have just moved into a spot offering
full hookups and, hence, air conditioning, something they have been without for
several weeks. They attest to the fact
that it has been oppressive trying to stay cool without the benefit of
artificial cooling. We joined them for
lunch on Tuesday at our favorite Conch Republic bar, the Schooner Wharf Bar
& Grill. Saw romping giant tarpon
and a manatee graced us with a cruise by.
One of the more interesting things about our stay here in
Key West this time compared to eight years ago is that we are unable for
whatever reason to look past the real shoddiness of the place. In Thomas Sanchez’ interview, he describes
the tarting up of Cuban cigar-makers’ shacks and turning them into million
dollar dwellings. From our point of
view, he has captured it splendidly. He
only hints at the ramshackle housing available for the 99% who happen to be
here for employment, etc. While we never
say never, this may be our last trip to Key West for some time as the blush is
off the melon for us.
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