Machettaville

Thursday, June 29, 2006

The calm, flat seas of summer are what the Cuban people wait for each year, when they take their makeshift rafts made of whatever they can find and set sail for America. We found this one on the shore of a local hidden beach on Big Pine. Judging by the clothes left on board, it looks like there was at least two men and one woman. Judging by the broken hammer, rusty nails and balls of twine, the refugees were prepared to make repairs as needed on the way. Notches on one of the wood strips say they were at sea for about 13 days to make the 90-mile trip to the United States. Jenn says the title of this photo story should be "Salvation." Macy tries is out for size, which you can see is pretty small for such a big journey.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

"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!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

"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.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

some new old stuff for sentiment

Thursday, May 04, 2006

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!

Saturday, April 22, 2006

For Ana and other patio dwellers

Ana and I comiserate, congratulate, kvetch and wax philosophic -- interrupted with brief finger shaking at our kids -- over the phone, each with a cup of coffee (or glass of wine, depending on the time of day) making sure we get the most out of our free Sprint-to-Sprint over the 2,500 miles between us. She wanted to see what my porch looked like, so she could get a good mental image of where I sit when we talk.

So, dear friend, in the chair with the red cushion, right next to the ficus tree, that's where I steal my moments. And, should you ever make it so far south, that blue chair has your name on it. If I recall, that's the one you liked to sit in when it was still in Missouri, right? (It was in my dining room, un-blue.)

I have rearranged it -- duh, you know that inside joke -- since this photo was taken, to keep some of my plants from frying in the steadily intensifying spring sun, but now maybe you can see me, sort of, during our coffee (wine) talks.

PEE ESS: You might be a redneck if all your neighbors have mounted fish on their decks and you have a deer head.

Doing Hemingway Days in style

Ernest Hemingway was perhaps Key West's favorite native son. Every year, dozens of "Papas" roll into town (see one of them in the background on the right) and honor his legacy with look-alike contests, sailfish tournaments, the running of the bulls, and copious rounds of mojitos. Macy prefers enjoying the revelry shirtless, like any self-respecting festival goer would. Now all you old men with beards and big bellies -- throw some dang beads!

Claire's Brownie troop -- Big Pine Key No. 197

candy candy candy candy candy

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Throw backs from Panic at Red Rocks in '05

(Photo left) Flath says, "Hey buddy, way to leave me out of the picture."

(Photo right) "That's what I'm talkin' about, give daddy some sugar. Now lets go see a show!"

Roll away the dew

Those of us who have been to huge venues filled with jam fans know what a special treat it is to see someone close up. And free, at that.

Vince Welnick and Gent Treadly played the Big Pine House of Music, and as Welnick looked skyward while doing sound checks, undoubtedly questioning whether the clouds were going to open up and ruin the amphitheatre's ambience, the full moon shone upon a smiling crowd, some of which had stopped by the temporary tattoo or palm-frond weaving booths inside.

“Franklin's Tower,” for me anyway, was the highlight of the show, followed by some “Scarlet Begonias,” and crowd pleasers like “Johnny B Goode.”Just before the last song, Welnick thanked fans for coming out, “take a look at that moon,” he said. And we did, spring's big, fat full moon above the swirling blue-black clouds.

I'm a little jealous that those at the Green Parrot in Key West got to hear “Imagine,” my favorite song ever, but our humble little Lower Keys show got an encore of the Who's “Baba O'Reilly” (Don't cry, Don't raise your eye, It's only teenage wasteland...).

We hope Welnick and Gent Treadly enjoyed their visit to the islands as much as we did. He was a kind soul who came out and mingled with the crowd of Dead heads from way back and the new generation, many of whom came to the show with their parents.

And all of us were surely grateful. Thanks Vince. We needed that. Keep smiling and pulling tubes.

...Some come to laugh their past away
Some come to make it just one more day
Whichever way your pleasure tends
If you plant ice, you're gonna harvest wind

Roll away the dew
Roll away the dew
Roll away the dew
Roll away the dew...

Catch the review of the entire Keys tour here:
http://www.keynoter.com/articles/2006/04/21/lattitudes/lat06.txt

Cheetah, a.k.a. little Stuey

Our cat hates us. Which is why she can usually be found hanging out at the neighbor's house -- either side. First she has two kittens, which were promptly taken to the pound as soon as they were old enough, then a trip to the vet to ensure no more kittens come later, then she gets left outside during Hurricane Wilma, and we return with a blimy German shepherd. "Oh. I see," she said. "It's you again," when Sugar finally came to the Keys for good. The kids tease her, the freakin' dog gets to sleep in all the best spots, and she's over it. UNTIL we bring home fish at the end of the day. Then she delays her plans to kill us all while we sleep and enjoy an assorted melange of sushi. "But I still hate you," she said, "Especially the little one."

Claire: the little lady

Always a notebook in hand, this pedantic little soul constantly reminds us how immature we are. We keep trying to tell her that's the goal, but she's not convinced. Thusly, she's decided that if there must be an adult present at all times, it might as well be her. The rest of us are, well, brats.