Author: Vic Socotra

Jiggedy- Jig

(Jim and Jeff, an associate from the building and real estate world. Photos Socotra). Home again, home again. Funny- it doesn’t feel that way. It is snowing outside. Sticking, too, at least to the grassy areas. My very wise cousin wrote me about vacations yesterday. Her Dad the Famous Bomber Pilot had a maxim about […]

Scan Rate

(Panzer parked at the Refuge Farm gate, unscathed after 2,500 miles. Well, in this universe, anyway. Photo Socotra). Life is grand, but I have to say this seems like a dream. Friday, I was reading the iPad on the screen porch listening to the traffic rumbling up and down White Street, shorts and flip-flops, wondering […]

Extra Tropical

Morning in the Keys and Michael let me down- his last chance this trip- since the truck at the corner of White and Truman was closed for second time when I needed him. Instead of a tasty breakfast sandwich, I had to settle for filling up the tank on the Panzer and got some cash […]

Where’s Waldo?

(Image of artist Sanchez, at the Sanchez Corner at the Green Parrot Bar. Photo Socotra). I understood from Debbie, the sturdy and personable blonde morning bartender at The Bull that the muralist would be around in the morning to touch up his masterwork- the gigantic mural at the end of the downstairs bar featuring sailors […]

The Yellow Jack

It is nice to get away from the bustle of White Street once in a while, and since all good things come to an end, I thought I would go up to Mile Marker 14 and have dinner and watch the sunset over the Saddle Back Keys and the Overseas Highway. Off on the road […]

BOGO

I was drunk before two, not my fault, I assure you. It was an unfortunate confluence of the fact that Marlow was off the leash, and I had a commitment to see Dora- sister of a pal of a pal- play at some bar in town, since she has the afternoon shift Wednesdays. Marlow came […]

Word of Mouth

(Sunset from the deck at Kaya at Mile Marker 14, Next to Baby’s Coffee. All Photos Socotra). I do remember what I imagined about White Street before I came down to the lovely Isle of Key West. I looked at Google Maps, of course, and saw that the apartment building was not quite a mile […]

Blue Heaven

The breakfast dishes are cleaned up; the long sleeve t-shirt put away from the dawn’s mild coolness; pictures taken yesterday are edited and posted. I need to get on the story, but preferred to let the color blue rush over me as the light changed, illuminating the square of the skylight. The color blue has […]

Unafraid and On Foot

Well, naturally enough, there is nothing to be afraid of in Key West, except an outbreak of immoderation. I thought I could resist anything but temptation, like Oscar Wilde, and walking through the deliriously sun-drenched streets toward the Historic District that I might suddenly find myself healed, and hurl away the cane and begin to […]

Where Ernie Wasn’t

All right- I had to do something productive rather than walk VFR direct downtown to one of the bars I missed and start drinking again. I think Hemingway would have said that, which in its good time led to an exchange with the bartender of the Green Parrot, an establishment that has been dispensing quality […]