"Noodlepants" Pillar

These are the victims of Hurricane Wilma and this is these are their stories. (Actually, the story that goes with this photo is posted below, but I just wanted to sound all dramatic and stuff like the TV show.) Note: Just as the experts tell us, proper surivial gear is mandated if you're going to stick out a storm in the Keys. Scott models his state-of-the-art gear, personal floatation device (noodle-seat floatie), waterproof clothing (Hefty garbage bag) and shelf-sustainable foods (Budweiser). Now let's have ourselves a hurricane party!

Happy Hurricane Season!

Well, here we are again. May 31 -- All Hurricane Season's Eve. I'm knee deep in, no, not storm surge, but storm coverage. All the authorities are begging with locals to pay attention, take heed, don't be stupid and GET THE HELL OUT when they say to.

Meanwhile, a Marathon attorney, musician and filmmaker is releasing the second edition of "Wilma the Witch," which he craftfully created from his own footage blended with that contributed by many others'. It's, well, as he puts it, the "Rocky Horror" version of a Wilma documentary. I say it has a "Blair Witch" quality too, which is fitting with the title. Anyway, it's my cover story for this week's L'Attitudes. (www.keynoter.com/lattitudes). The movie, and L'Attitudes, seeks to show true Keys characters and how they function during catastrophes. Are we stupid? Yes. Do we care? No. And while authorities will warn "Katrina" with every foreboding forecast, let me speak on behalf of those of us continually one paycheck away from homelessness in saying, "WE KNOW."

The Summerland "Chevron Gang" handed over the flipside (the name of my weekly column, incidently) of what the rich folks do during a storm. I met Scott Pillar, head photographer and videographer of the gang, after work at the Ramrod Key swimming hole, where he and a few others hang out after work, drink beer and pitch horseshoes. This is one of his shots. On of his friends is doing the Superman in the middle of US 1 as the surge pours over the island. Thanks Scott!

"Brick Wreck" -- ID sought

Measuring & Drawing

History in the making

Today I went on a NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) research vessel that is hoping to identify a newly discovered wreck in waters off Marathon. This 78-foot vessel, according to all recently acquired aritifacts and data, is a cargo ship from the 1800s, somewhere -- as dated by pottery pieces found on the wreck -- between 1820 and 1850. The ship was apparently carrying bricks, which are still scattered around the wreck, that were valuable commodities during that timeframe.


Incidentally, a University of Western Florida student by the name of Brian Adams (not the one that cuts like a knife, Cheva from the Marine Sanc says) is doing his master's thesis on it. His father is a masonary in Pensacola. It was an exciting day and fun to be a journalist in the Keys.


The wreck lies in only 14 feet of water and apparently ocean-floor turnover caused by our last two hurricane seasons, which is why it was not discovered earlier. There's no reef nearby, it's not near a main channel, so it's not a hot spot for diving and snorkeling. That may change of this thing makes the Florida Keys Maratime Hertitage Trail list with GPS numbers, because it's a great wreck for a shallow free-dive. What's also unique to the area is that the floor bottom is so silty, it has a clay-like consistency. So the wreck is basically glued in place.

The researchers noted, also unique to a vessel of that era, that the planking is extremely heavy duty, much thicker than ships designed to carry even the heaviest of loads. Today they took wood and brick samples to put more of a place, by match of natural resources there, on the wreck.

some new old stuff for sentiment

Steffi & Matthew

I just remembered that Steffi Flath is definitely a patio-dweller too. It was Thanksgiving, Sandy brought crafts, Mattie decided to eat them. Ahhhh, gotta love toddlerhood. Next time I guess we're coming to Seattle, Steff. Flath, try to keep your lips off my husband this time!