No I won't back down...

Macy, playing first base, faced opponents both fierce and mighty, but didn't take her eyes off of 'em no matter what.

Go SHARKS!

Macy played spring ball for the mighty SHARKS this year. Quite funny. Most of the kids were more content sitting in the red dirt and drawing in it with their fingers, but occasionally a group feeling of enthusiasm would take over and they would actually prove that they absorbed some of the fundamentals that Coach Jay and Coach Andy tried to teach them. Today was the closing ceremony for the season, all of them got photos and a trophy. But best of all, mom and dad don't have to be at the ball field at 9 a.m. on Saturdays anymore!

"Going Home"

By Ken Araujo

Key Deer photographed on Big Pine Key by Ken Araujo.

Key deer, an endangered species, used to roam the Keys (yes, they can swim) from Key West to Grassy Key, a 60-mile span. Now they only reside only on Big Pine and No Name keys. It's illegal to feed them, but people do it all the time. And I can't say I blame them. At full size they're about the size of a full grown dog.

Claire says, "Mmmmm... money."

The pizza's pretty good too. See "No Name Pub" below.

No Name Pub

We live at the very edge of Big Pine Key, just before a bridge connects it with No Name Key. (Isn't that a great name for an island?) Anyway, about a stone's throw from our house is the No Name Pub. A place deeply rooted in Keys history and a great place we ride our bikes to and get pizza. Read on...

In 1931, the pub started as a general store and bait and tackle shop.

In 1936, the owners added a small room on to the main structure which became an eatery. Thus the pub was born.

Early customers included people from all walks of life, including the local fishermen and world travelers who arrived from the mainland via ferry.

The late 1930s brought an interesting twist to No Name Pub history. In an effort to increase business, the upstairs storage room was converted into a brothel. Unfortunately, the venture failed after several years as the fisherman were reported to be better looking than the ladies.

The 1940s saw the end of the brothel and the burgeoning Keys tourism base began to increasingly discover the quirky, out-of-the-way place. The ladies would do their shopping in the general store as the men would browse the bait and tackle shop, then kick back and have a beer and sandwich.

During the 1950s the general store and bait and tackle shop closed and the pub became, well, just a pub. "No Name" was added to the already "Pub" and the landmark was born. The honky tonk atmosphere of beer drinking, pool shooting and great food became known from Miami to Key West and the place would get so smokey and crowded the customers would spill out into the backyard where dice, craps and card games would eventually break out. The old timers say the place never got raided because the sheriff ran the dice games.

There are a few stories that explain why every inch of wall and ceiling in teh place is covered with dollar bills.

One is that everyone who knows anything about commercial fishing knows its like any other job that relies on Mother Nature for abundance. Seems its either really good or really bad. So in times of abundance, the fishermen would tack a few dollars on the wall with their names written on them, so that when they were flat broke down the road, they could come in and be able to buy a beer or two.

The other is that the 1970s and 80s was the rowdy time in the Keys, when Jimmy Buffett's "Why don't we get drunk and screw" played on the juke box and the biggest source of revenue for many Keys residents was running drugs from the Caribbean. There was a lot of illegal money passing through the island chain and everyone loved to spend it. They had so much money they started hanging it on the walls.

Who knows, maybe one led to the other and both are true. Either way, local lore says the owners have estimated the amount of money on the walls at around $15,000.

Outside, our miniature deer can be seen munching on the foliage. (See the Key Deer photo on this site.)

The pub's slogan is "A nice place if you can find it," and if you can, well then, you can find us too!

Macy sneaks off with a scissors

And this is how Keith found her.

But Mom and Dad were HAPPY

And heard some rockin' good tunes. Even if Macy ended up with the best seat in the house the whole time and Keith came home with a very, very sore back. We were dirty, exhausted and broke when we got home. The true signs of a successful getaway.

But it wasn't all Sunshine Day Dream

An errant octopus balloon landed on us, which was fun for about two seconds -- then the fighting began. So Mr. Octopus made a quick exit, moving on to the next round of heads and hands.

AND we brought paints... (I did the red dots :)

"You don't want what he's handing out"

We saw the Capt. Good Time with his pink hair later on at the Widespread show handing out a tray of ... something. The girls perked up and Keith told them "no way" pretty quickly. Good thing we had smuggled in all those pop rocks.

Euro bungee backflip

Macy barely weighed enough to get higher than maybe five or six feet off the trampoline, but Claire managed to master backflips and everything. Heck, I would have tried it myself if I didn't think those few beers would have come back up!

Fun stuff for KIDS

Langerado's "Kiderado" included a Euro bungee and rock climbing wall. The kids wore out their wristbands on both.

Wood nymph

It wasn't the shining paradise of the Keys in Sunrise (West Broward, inland, Florida) but it did have it's natural charms.

Langerado

In early March, we finally made it the Langerado music festival in Sunrise. It was our firt "show with the kids." We all survived. There was a New Orleans-style kids parade, glow sticks aplenty, and of course, Widespread was the headliner. Perhaps one of the best moments was when Michael Franti and Spearhead busted into a reggae jam medley of "Sunny Days" -- you know, the Sesame Street theme. Everybody got down. Note to our fellow hippie friends with kids: Opt for the nearby hotel with continental breakfast and pool. Camping is fun, but I'm glad we were able to take showers and smuggle muffins back to the room for cartoons before heading off to the festival each day. I'm not sure any of the photos above need explanation, so enjoy! Oh yeah, to see the lineup and the highlights, visit www.langerado.com. We'd be happy to take you all with us next year!

Bolt

One of Keith's old constructin buddies from Columbia passed through while he was in Florida for the Daytona 500 and some other stuff. His name is Joe, but everyone calls him Bolt, a name his ex-Amish brethren gave him because he was known as being very bold to leave the community.

[insert your own caption here]

The nudey beach

There's some private waterfront land that the owner lets locals visit so long as they don't mind that it's pretty much known as the nudey beach. One night Keith and I decided to check it out at night on our way home and had fun taking silly pictures of each other. We kept our clothes on.

A poodle, of course

Sketch the Clown made a poodle, complete with leash, for Macy at the Terry Cassidy Pickin' Party on Big Pine Key.

One more...

Here's the "official" shot from the sunset cruise before all of the free champagne.

OK, OK, now the lovey dovey shot

With a big side of menace, that is! Well, the Champagne was free.

Boondocks Sunset Cruise

Keith's "red-headed step brother" Andy took a few pics of us on the way back from the cruise on the Caribbean Spirit. After the requisite lovey shot, Andy said "gimme love, gimme hate, gimme sexy, gimme happy, gimme said ... gimme ... WE GOT A BABYSITTER TONIGHT! And this ... is the resulting shot.

Keys car

Saw this down at the Key West harbor and had to take a pic. Not only does the license plate say GRIZWALD but there's a Deadhead sticker and one that says Just Married Chapel by the Sea.

The un-monkey

If I couldn't get a monkey, I would get one of these -- a tamarin. When the Monkey Jungle people weren't looking, I fed them through the cage: raisins and cranberries (you buy monkey food there at the park, which is boxes of dried fruit). They're like a cross between a squirril and a person.

Java Monkey

If I ever get a monkey, I'm getting one of these. They swim for their food. That way, when I live on a sailboat one day my monkey can dive for lobster for us. Wishful thinking, but hey, if you're going to live on a boat or even by the sea, why not get a swimmer monkey?

May and King

Two star attractions at Monkey Jungle, or, as Keith calls it, Junkie Mungle. Both May, the orangutan, and King, the gorilla, do fun tricks like dancing and sign language.

Monkey Jungle Birthday

Macy picked Monkey Jungle, just south of Miami, for her birthday venue. So we hit the Grassy Key flea market for boiled peanuts on the way there, went and saw the monkeys -- dad's shoulders offered the best viewing during the shows -- and then went to the Homestead Speedtrack for video games and go-carts. We also stopped by Wal-Mart (first time in three years; we don't have Wal-Marts in the Keys) for a new Little Mermaid bike. Fun was had by all.

Allison Lesley Bass McGuire

Jennifer Bass and Sean McGuire are the proud parents of this little Christmas dumpling. Jenn says she looks like her, but I'm not so sure. I see some Irish eyes a smilin' in there somewhere. She was born at St. Mary's Hospital in Jefferson City, Mo., Dec. 16 at 4 a.m. (on the button) 6 lbs. 10 oz. (not playing the part of a preemie much, eh?) and 18 in. long. Many hugs and kisses to all! This is her on Christmas Eve, dreaming of sugar plum fairies I'm sure.

Go, go Godzilla!

I told my friend Ana about our exotic invasive species -- the iguana. Fun to see hanging in the mangroves, yes, but not so fun as they strip your hibiscus to a twig in a matter of minutes and leave big poops on the patio. Here's our resident reptile, named Godzilla by the neighbor boy, Thomas.

Invasive species (also called exotic species, bioinvaders): Organisms are introduced into a foreign ecosystem, by humans, either intentionally (e.g., crop plants, feed animals), or unintentionally. Introduced within a strange ecosystem, where the inhabitants are adjusted to each other and their environments, most introduced species die, unless taken care of by humans. But, particularly if ecosystems are already disturbed (e.g., by pollution, global warming) , and particularly in warm climates (no frost), some thrive and become pests.

In laymen's speak, what this means is that someone or someones had pet iguanas and set them free, much like the famed "alligator flush" in the movie, and they -- not having any natural predators and finding the tropical climate much like their own native environment -- multiplied like rabbits. Mmmm. Rabbits.

Butt, I love you!

one fish, two fish

Three ballyhoo fish! I got to test out my new sweet Christmas custom rod with a new Shimano reel, and we brought the kids' reel for Macy, but she was content playing with the bait. Who knew dead ballyhoo could sing, dance and poke each other in the eye so well?

A collision of stars and how it all works

Thinking about birthdays and astrology and how we all fall under our signs, I found this on a blog -- http://armchairfrog.blogspot.com/2005/03/aries-sign-of-spring.html -- and ripped it off. I cracked up several times and hope you all can appreciate it too....

Aries - The Sign of Spring

This is a compact Spring. The equinox was just a few days ago, the full moon was last night, and so tomorrow is Easter. All the energy of Aries is roaring away. But then, Aries is an energetic sign, it wants to get stuff done.

Taurus says "Hey, wait a minute. Are we actually accomplishing anything concrete here? I think we should let it all settle and stay put for a while."

Gemini: "Well I can see your point. But action is good too. Maybe we can have lots of change, yet consolidate what we have as well."

Cancer worries that all this is too disturbing, and wants to take care of everyone, making sure that people come first, whatever the circumstances.

Leo is grateful for this confidence-giving support, and goes out to entertain the world, full of good cheer.

Virgo, usefully, wants to make sure that things are in order and that Leo does not get too far away from home base without adequate organization and a plan.

Libra understands that this irritates Leo, but agrees with Virgo too. She tries to avoid any disagreement breaking out and insists that everyone calm down.

Scorpio, in this climate, has to keep really quiet about his intentions, for fear of being forced to be agreeable. Best to keep quiet.

Sagittarius can't be bothered with all this caution and plotting and just goes ahead and does what he wants. Most people don't even notice.

That's not good enough for Capricorn, who wants to be able to see concrete and accumulating results of her actions, and works steadily towards that sensible goal.

Aquarius is not so happy about this ambitious way of operating, and doesn't think it is right. Aquarius feels he understands the way people ought to behave, and is very willing to explain it to everyone, whether they want to hear or not.

Pisces gets confused. If you tell people what to do, like Aquarius does, people don't do it. So what's the point? What should we do or say, then? What do we want? What do I want?

Then Aries comes back in saying "Oh for goodness sake. Stop being so self-involved. Just DO something." Then she brushes aside all nay-sayers and does things.

So Taurus has to pick up the pieces and show Pisces that there are things he can rely on. Just stay home and ride it out.

Gemini likes what Capricorn did quite a while ago, but loves to agree with Aquarius's wisdom too, so writes poems about it.

Cancer is proud of all these clever people, (though she would appreciate a little more respect) and tells them all to do their thing.

So Leo does. People think he's cool.

Virgo keeps the records and files all the programs.

Libra says “isn’t that nice?”

Scorpio is heartily sick of all the chumminess, and plots to escape.

Sagittarius strikes out for freedom openly, and messes up Scorpio’s plans.

Capricorn gets cross with them all, and demands order.

Aquarius tells them this discord is destructive, and to stop being so selfish.

Pisces feels crushed, and sulks in a corner.

So then, back comes Aries again. “Oh I am sick of all this gloom. I’m going out.”

And off we go again.

Happy Birthday Macy!

Our baby turns four Jan. 12, the same day my mother and Aunt Kathy turn (much older than they'll ever be to any of us). This photo was taken when she was about a year and a half, just after we moved here. And in my mind I always see her this way, discovering the world for the first time every single day. The more my daughters grow, the wider the parallels between them become. Macy, our modern dancer who never misses the chance to sway to the rhythm of our lives; theatrics orchestrator who can demonstrate a surprise with more gusto than even the most seasoned actor; singer who creates long ballads for the entire house to enjoy as she sits for a while on the potty; Spanish goddess who enchants us with each roll of the tongue; toughman who bounces and rather than cry, gets mad and kicks the offender whether human or object; self-proclaimed (as dubbed by fellow pre-schooler) "kissy face" who has enough love to share with anyone around her; master cuddler who, no matter how late or early in the day, will wake up and wedge herself solidly between her mother and father; and braveheart who has enough moxy to ask the question everyone else is avoiding -- "how did you lose your arm and where can you get another one?" -- we admire how much you've grown and how as we have fostered you, you have raised us too. Never let go of 4-years-old my girl.

Claire, freshly nine, asked the million dollar question on our way home from work yesterday. You know, "how did you get pregnant with me?" So there we were, and there I was, driving across the Seven Mile Bridge after a loooong day of brain-straining wordsmithing, reminding myself before I opened my mouth (not my forte by the way) that I had but one chance to give an answer that would shape a future of womanhood. Be short, accurate and to-the-point, I said to myself. Be clinical while sparing the gory details and loving without being mushy. And I did. I offered the classic intro of "when a man and a woman love each other very much" and ended with the sperm fertilizing the egg (no it doesn't look like a chicken egg, we giggled) that begins to grow a baby. Next -- a long silence. But I was satisfied with my answer, being unprepared for the question and all (how do you cram for that one, or rather, have you been "cramming" for a long time but never had to scale it down to the elementary school level?) More silence. "That... is sooo... gross." More giggles. All was well with the world. Next question. Which was why women get periods. I explained that "funny you should ask" because it's all the same theme, and thank God we were almost home to keep from going to whatever topic was about to follow. And just like when she asked about the Chinese tradition of food-binding, I assume I'll print some info off of Wikipedia and let her study it as long or as short as she wishes. And touche, My Claire de Lune, may you hang onto nine for a very, very long time.

Michele and Claire

Rarely does a friend come along in this world that loves you, your kids and your pets with such warmth. Appreciate them when they cross your path -- and offer you a glass of wine ;)

RIP Bubba Buster Rooney Bubbaroo Adams

What a proud old man, friend to man, friend to Sugar (in the background chasing the elusive coconut), Luke, Zeus and all other creatures. Surely his patience for men, children and creatures, no matter how scruffy and obnoxious, serves as a lesson to us all. After nearly two decades on the sand and sea both far and wide, he peacefully passed and moved on to the proverbial doggie heaven. May he greet us with loud barks of welcome when we arrive on our own passage.