A little ride through our neighborhood to look at all the pretty Christmas lights. Here are a few...
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| "They are shooting stars-a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they're gone." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Nicholas Sparks |
This is all about the scenery...the landscape...the architecture of the area.
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| "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Laozi |
There were so many pretty items and things to see.
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| "It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea" ¸.•*´¨`♥ Edgar Allan Poe |
It was the annual yardsale at Seaside, FL...October 2, 2010. I love Seaside. And I love yardsales. So, it only made sense. And this was a huge sale. Well worth the trip. I was quite the photographer there, and I have way too many for one post. So it is getting divided up. People. Items for sale. Seaside.
We will start with people. This is just an overall view of part of the crowd. It was impressive.
Really. It is all about the crab legs. We go to Biloxi not to gamble in the casinos. We go to the Beau Rivage to eat crab legs. I've had a love affair with the Beau and his crab legs for a long long time. And it continues. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the crab legs. When I saw them I lost all focus and could only eat.
But, I did regain my senses after dining, and managed to get a few pictures of the lovely fountain in front of the Beau Rivage.
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| "...nap in a garden, in a patch of sunlight, in the middle of the day, right next to your favorite fountain." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) |
This is something for my friend, Barb, who is facing yet another winter.
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| "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Leo Tolstoy |
Simple Abundance. My passage for today. It was a very long day driving. Just settled in a hotel in Key Largo for a much needed night of sleep. Then up tomorrow to go on to Key West.
Eventually we ran out of Keys to travel through. These are my last images from that fabulous trip.
We stopped at Robbie's Marina on the way. It was huge fun! If you aren't a fan of fish, move on. There are lots of fish pictures in this post. And those suckers are huge!!!!
How to Feed the Tarpon at Robbie's Marina in the Florida Keys. The following is from ehow:
One of the classic Florida Keys experiences is feeding the tarpon at Robbie's Marina. Follow these steps you can spend a little time experiencing some of the best kitsch the islands have to offer.
1. Travel to Mile Marker 77.5 on Lower Matecumbe Key.
2. Enter the marina' s parking lot and park behind the Hungry Tarpon restaurant.
3. Enter the wooden building behind the Hungry Tarpon and pay the cashier $3 for a small, blue plastic bucket of dead fish.
4. Walk out to the dock and marvel at the size of the tarpon. There a times when over a hundred of the fish can be seen hanging out under the docks.
5. Pick up a fish and drop it in the water. Better yet, take a fish, kneel down and let a tarpon suck the fish right out of your hand!
I know that my last post said The End. Well, obviously I am not to be trusted. It was not THE end...it was only the end of Day 3.
Off to day 4. We got up fairly early, as I recall, and started the long trip. The day was sunny, and I snapped pictures from the car going up the Keys.
Finally. The sun had set. The festivities were enchanting. But I was ready for the walk back to the hotel.
The weather was cloudy and rainy for most of our time there. It would rain...stop...rain again. So I didn't hold much hope to catch a great sunset because the sun didn't come out much.
As it turns out, our sunset was muted. With clouds. But had a very beautiful air about it anyway.
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| "...smell the sea, and feel the sky let your soul & spirit fly..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Van Morrison |
Just walking towards Mallory Square for the sunset and dinner after.
Getting back to the hotel was much easier...I rode with D. And he stopped and let me take a couple of photos. He is sweet that way.
The first ones are mostly just Key West homes.
Ahhhh. I had arrived. On a beautiful beach on Key West. Can I let you in on a little secret? As much as I loved Key West, it's beach doesn't hold a candle to Pensacola Beach. I'm just sayin'. But, it was beautiful.
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| "Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Kurt Vonnegut |
My walk continued...up and down the streets. Until I found myself midway to the beach that D and our friends were. Should I walk on to it? Or head back to the cool pool? I trudged on to the beach. And it was hot. And it was humid. And I was sweaty.
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| "He got into the red door, I got into the white one." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Jim Butcher (Grave Peril) |
After the great trolley ride, D went off with his friends to attempt snorkeling again, and I started off on foot. I love walking a new area on foot. You can see so much.
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| "...set aside some time for a retreat, a day of mindfulness, when we can walk slowly, smile, drink tea with a friend..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Thich Nhat Hanh (Being Peace) |
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| "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint...and that voice will be silenced." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Vincent van Gogh |
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| "I had grown up in a house with a fence around it, and in this fence was a white smooth wooden gate..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Richard Bach (The Bridge Across Forever: A True Love Story) |
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| "Garlands from window to window; Golden chains from star to star ... And I dance." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Arthur Rimbaud (Arthur Rimbaud: Complete Works) |
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| "Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all others were making ships." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Charles Simic, Poet |
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| "I lay there, stretched out, looking at the one star visible through the tiny window of the room." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Jeanette Winterson |
These images were taken, also, from the trolley. The tour was towards the middle of town at this point, on Duval Street, then it circled around the eastern edge of the island.
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| "Take me down to the bar! We'll drink breakfast together!" ¸.•*´¨`♥ W.C. Fields |
The trolley ride continues...
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| "I am not in the least forbidden. You may sample me all you choose." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Lora Leigh (Wicked Pleasure) |
Waiting around for the trolley to leave, we went to the pool and hot tub. The hot tub has a lot of tropical foliage surrounding it.
We really enjoyed our tour of the Hemingway House. After I had my fill of soaking up the atmosphere there, we met up with our friends and started a walk that eventually ended up at Turtle Kraal, a little cafe/bar on the water somewhere in Key West. I just know we walked a long time in very hot humid weather. And I loved every minute of it.
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| "It is hard to forget, I said, when there is such an empty space when you are gone." ¸.•*´¨`♥ StoryPeople |
Here are more photos from the Hemingway house. From inside and out. The next one is from inside looking out. His bathroom. Lovely view.
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| "...ever since she could remember, that she was very, very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ L.M. Montgomery (Emily of New Moon) |
After a pretty rough night, I was surprised to even wake up the next morning. Let alone feel like going out. So, in true Key West style, I walked to the little Cuban cafe next to our hotel in my jammies, and got the most heavenly beverage known to man...Cafe con Leche. I know it is coffee with milk, but they make it entirely different. So it is NOT just coffee with milk. I do have a picture of this little cafe which I'll post later.
After the coffee did it's magic, we were off. High on our list was to visit Ernest Hemingway's house. The outside was fascinating. White with green trim. Tall arched windows with beautiful creamy yellow shutters.
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| "The sun came through the shuttered balcony and the coral of life opened its branches... " ¸.•*´¨`♥ Federico GarcÃa Lorca |
This could possibly be the longest day in my life. It started in Key Largo and ended in a little tavern on Duval Street in Key West.
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| "Loneliness adds beauty to life. It ...makes night air smell better." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Henry Rollins |
After the walk to Mallory Square, we went back to Hog's Breath Saloon and had a bite to eat.
Evening was upon us. We walked out to Mallory Square. It just seemed like the right thing to do. The following pictures are of Matt, Stephanie and Zack.
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| "Everything changed the day they figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in their lives." ¸.•*´¨`♥ StoryPeople |
The night was balmy. A bit of a breeze, but very sultry. And rain now and then. This is Mallory Square. We did make it back for a semi-sunset later in our stay.
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| "I have walked out in rain - and back in rain. I have out walked the furthest city light. " ¸.•*´¨`♥ Robert Frost |
Well, it has been established that happy hour started, and I got a good jump on it. D and I then started walking up Duval Street. We were going to meet some friends. This is the beginning of the evening.
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| "My sources say the road is clear, and street signs guide my way." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Incubus |
The Arrival. It happened. A bit rainy. But that seemed to be the theme the entire time we were there. A bit rainy...then the sun would come out and steam us. In spite of the rain thing, we had a fantastic time.
Anyway. On to the arrival. Here we are in Key West. Too early to check in our hotel and we were, once again, starved. So we drove in circle a few times and then settled on this little place called Ana's Cuban Cafe. Delightful! We shared a Cuban Pork Sandwich. YUM.
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| "It is almost as if happiness is an acquired taste, like coconut cordial ..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Lemony Snicket (The End) |
We woke up the next morning with a song in our hearts and well rested. I walked out to the back of the hotel to see a beautiful bay. And this fantastic palm tree at the edge of the sand. I had to wait a long time to get this picture. My camera was in the hotel all night, and it was very cold in our room. Then when I went outside, the hot humid air fogged up my lens. It took at least a half an hour to defog. So I just looked around and enjoyed the pretty sun. Which, by the way, was a welcome sight after driving in the rain most of the day before.
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| "Life is a paradise for those who love many things with a passion." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Leo Buscaglia |
We actually took a vacation this year. A bonfied vacation. Not two weeks off so we can move, or maybe we will next year. This year was a vacation. And to a destination we had always wanted to go to. The Florida Keys!!!
We traveled all day. And by all day, I mean until I thought I was part of the car. As you can gather, we drove. We had a plan. Drive to Key Largo, stay the night, then take that wonderful drive into Key West. So that is why we did not fly. If the trip ever repeats it's self, we will fly. And I do hope to go back there someday now that I know more of the lay of the land.
These images were from when we arrived in Key Largo dead tired and hungry. We went to the Fish House because it was open. And we didn't feel like driving anywhere looking for something else. Lucky for us, it was a great decision.
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| Lights outside the Fish House |
When we had visitors from Illinois, we, of course, went to the beach. Buffett recently opened his hotel. So...we took an impromptu tour. Wonderful hotel. If you are familiar with the decorating style from Duh, then you know what the hotel looks like.
There were several little nooks and crannies to sit and reflect. On whatever you need to reflect on. There was a lovely pool. But, more importantly, there were beautiful blue and aqua pool side lounge chairs just begging to be photographed. So I did. I took pictures of those and several other beautiful things. A bookcase, shutters, benches, rattan chairs. All with a soft, worn, aged look.
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| "...there was a wooden bench worn by the wind that came down from the mountains and the sea..." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Roberto Bolaño (2666) |
An evening at the Fish House. Love this place. Enjoying dinner on the patio while the sun is setting is an experience. On this particular evening, we dined on the 'other' end for the first time...The Atlas Oyster House.
This is a wonderful art festival in a little park in East Hill. The Angel's Garden New Beginnings Art Show.
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| "Like chaos in a glass cage." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Melissa Marr (Radiant Shadows) |
I had promised in Trust me...I do this all the time, to post about Dancing Dad. This guy is simply awesome. He dances with joy and exuberance. Each and every time. The place is Pensacola Beach...Bands on the Beach. And there was a crowd this night.
It was one of those days at the beach. It was early enough that there weren't a lot of people there yet. But there were people. All to the east of the pier. The light was not yet harsh. And there was a sweet breeze.
I took a stroll to the west of the pier. Complete solitude. I love that about our beaches. You can always find a beach that is devoid of any other person. Sometimes you have to go towards Fort Pickens, or towards Navarre in the other direction, but you can find solitude if you wish.
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| "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." ¸.•*´¨`♥ John Lennon |
A morning stroll through Aragon, a beautiful neighborhood in Pensacola.
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| "Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't so." ¸.•*´¨`♥ Lemony Snicket (The Blank Book) |
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