(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 […]

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 […]

(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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

(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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

(This grand old place wasn’t on the official tour, so I did not invite myself in. All photos, legal or not, by Socotra) I have absolutely no ide how I can get so far behind when I am doing absolutely nothing. I was going to read a book on this trip- I brought several- but […]