The last daily update from Key West, Florida
KEY WEST LOVES A PARADE! AND NO ONE DOES PARADES LIKE KEY WEST!
Key West is an island 2 miles wide by 4 miles long, surrounded by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The main east-west street (Duval Street) stretches from the Gulf to the Atlantic, approximately two miles long. Yesterday's Veteran's Day Parade shut down Duval Street for two hours as the parade stretched from east to west. I stayed in Key West an extra day explicitely for the Veteran's Day Parade which I see every year. You get to see everything from classic cars to girl scout and boy scout troops to the Key West High School Conch Marching Band to high ranking local veterans and veteran's groups, to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Then, of course, represented in massive numbers are the enlisted representative of the Naval Air Station Key West and all the fixings -- military police vehicles, urban assault vehicles, Coast Guard vehicles, fire protection vehicles. The parade begins and ends with police escorts racing up and down Duval with sirens blarring. Quite an event! Key West does loves its parades!
Well, I just finished my last morning walk through the Harbor Walk around the historic Key West Bight. The harbor was busier this morning than any other day that I have been here. Lots of fishing charters going out and also a couple day trips to Fort Jefferson out in the Dry Tortugas.
This morning promises a little sun for me to catch before having to pack up and be out of my apartment by 11ish for the next person to move in. I don't leave Key West till about 5ish so will meet my friends Paul and Brian from New York for my final lunch on the island at Dante's in the Bight.
Had dinner last night again at El Siboney, my favorite Cuban place, with my buddy John Solinski and his girlfriend, Patrice, a local pharmacist. They just moved into a new apartment and got a puppy -- A PUGGLE! We had a great time together -- they are some of my best friends on the island!
One final interesting note. You know that for years we have used the term "Historic" First Lutheran. Many of our old, mother downtown Lutheran churches use the same term. At the corner of Eaton and Duval Streets in Key West sits St. Paul's Episcopal Church. It's been around since 1832 and it's current building was built about 1912. Yesterday morning I stopped to check out their outside bulletin board which was announcing the installation of their 33rd Rector this Sunday, Father Larry D. Hooper. And what did I see on bottom of that announcement??? The term "HISTORIC" St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Wow.!!!!!!
To Kurt Baumgartner: I finally found a great cigar place (Conch Republic Cigars) and I am bringing a signature stick back for you.
In order to maximize my sun time this morning and to facilitate my packing time, I am going to say "This is it from Key West! Thanks for stalking me!
Pastor