This Week on the Island

It is cold in the north. Wednesday morning it was 23 degrees in north Florida. It did get down to 56 degrees here but it got back up in the high 60's later in the day. I had to wear a windbreaker with my shorts and sandals. Today (Sunday) it is in the low 80's and I went kayaking.

I just finished 'Yesterday's Key West' by Stan Windhorn & Wright Langley. It's a book of the history of Key West told with old photos. I enjoy looking at the old photo's and trying to decide what it looks like now. The cover of the book shows the church on the corner of Duval and Eaton. There is an old wooden house on the opposite corner where Wendy's is today.

The upstairs of our house is 'basically' finished. We have removed the old carpet, repaired the floors, painted everything, replaced some electrical 'stuff', and recovered the floor with carpet tiles. Still need to re-hang pictures and clean-up.

1. Does the water go all the way around the island? That is why it is called an island.

8. Where is the beach? Now this is a good question. While we are surrounded by water, we only have about 1/2 dozen beaches. Simonton Beach, Duval Street (South) Beach, Zachary Taylor Beach, Higgs & Rest Beach, Smathers Beach and let's not forget Dog Beach.

9. What are all the helicopters about? It usually means some Cubans have made it to Key West.

10. How do you tell locals from tourist? The locals are the one's in long pants and coats when it gets below 70 degrees, in the summer the locals are the one's with tanned feet.

11. Why do you have so many homeless? Would you rather be homeless in New York at 20 below zero or homeless in Key West at 70 degrees?

12. What do I say to the homeless that are begging for money? Get a job.

13. Why don't the homeless get jobs and get cleaned up? Why work when you can get the tourist to give you about $100 a day. If you get cleaned-up no one will give you money.

14. Where is a good restaurant (or place to stay)? Some are good, some are bad; things change hands so much here that it is hard to tell. I don't recommend any.

15. Where is a good place that locals eat? This is a tourist island, everybody wants the tourist traffic. Maybe you are looking for that place on Caroline Street. It must be a locals place because it name is ' PT's, a Locals Place.'

16. When I get to Key West, how do I get around? The island is 2 miles by 4 miles, walk, rent a bike, take a bus, but don't rent a car. (There is no place to park it). We have lots of tourists in the hospital from scooter accidents.

17. The Gulf of Mexico is North and West, the Atlantic is South and East. The Caribbean is on the other side of Cuba.

18. Where is the unfinished bridge to Cuba? The White Street pier. (tourist joke).