Scratching
Below the Surface of Key West: January 31 2016
Weather
is on most minds up and down the US Atlantic seaboard; south in Key West the
winds howled and qualified as gale force and up north conditions constituted a
blizzard during Winter Storm Jonas. No need
to argue - it’s settled – we’ll work on inside projects.
We
have taken advantage of a reliable mailing address to push forward certain
projects including the order of many G4 LED bulbs ($0.80 each) to replace the
halogen pin bulbs that illuminate the interior of Barefeet. (Note: there is no longer a “cents” key
symbol on my keyboard.) Today became
installation day. The LEDs draw about
1/8th as much power as the halogens…every amp counts…and each light
now uses 3 watts instead of 20 watts.
These LEDs are funky bulbs with almost a gel-like, squishy feel to them…like
a Vitamin E capsule. Let’s hope they
deliver on their long life, strong light and low power draw promises.
Next
up – the auto-pilot. For some reason 1)
the VHF is not registering a GPS location and 2) the auto-pilot is not
receiving GPS data. We compiled a
shopping list and scoured our marine hardware resources to find what is (hopefully)
needed for repairs across the four stores.
Chris has the panels open and the spaghetti factory of wires exposed for
examination. Eegads! It is a real rat’s nest in there. Patience eventually paid off and all was
sorted out, connected, labeled…and…the GPS is now registering and processing
data correctly. Erin has again cleaned
the bilge, interior boat floors and dried out & re-packed the saturated BBQ
grill. Cleaning is dull work but it
dramatically boosts our karma when completed.
Finally, yet another small item was completed as we secured the solar
panels in place with a pin and washers.
It might sound easy but it was a two-person job complete with a hammer
and lanacote (to inhibit corrosion).
Check! Cross it off the list.
Key
West and Stock Island are loaded with creativity (Jan 24). Everything has a bit of art and personality
to it regardless of its seemingly mundane functionality; porch railings are
carved into faces, old engine parts are painted and assembled like a giant
person, old scuba tanks are painted and transformed into a bell, trash
dumpsters are painted with brightly colored underwater scenes, shells become
planters, a dragon relaxes with a beer on a car roof and fences become lively
with mardi gras beads. It is inspiring
to think about how we can add a bit more fun and whimsy to Barefeet.
Do
we have to mention the Patriot's loss to Denver?!
Bugger. We arrived at the Island
Dogs bar at 2.30pm - 30 minutes before the game (http://www.islanddogsbar.com/). 30 minutes got us a spot to stand but not a
seat – looks like it’ll be game first, dinner second. Seats were seemingly filled by 9am because it
is the Southernmost hub for the New England Patriot Fan Club. The crowd was fun, TVs had volume during the
game (classic rock during the ads) and the excitement was palpable. Bummer about the ending but there is always
next year. Go Pats!
Lightbulb
update…drat! There seems to be a real
quality issue which results in a high failure rate for the bulbs. Some bulbs work but most fizzle and quickly
die…or strobe randomly which raises my anxiety level (Chris seems
unfazed). Looks
like this will be a
longer process than expected...especially because we jubilantly tossed
the functioning bulbs in the early hours of initial success.
Ggggrrrr.
Mother
Nature continues to be a cranky old broad; however, we are getting adept at her
game of cat and mouse with the sun.
Today, the sun is shining so we are back outdoors (Jan 26). A few boat tasks were handled in the morning
before we headed into old town and checked out Gary Hempsey at Schooner Wharf (http://www.schoonerwharf.com/). This laid back spot on the seaport is a
collection of large patio umbrellas for a roof, crushed stones for a
floor…and…we think we spotted a pirate at the bar?! Singer Gary is a friend of Bill and Louise
and their tips are always solid – laid back tunes with a well-strummed
guitar…and funny banter between songs.
Southern Cross is a favorite tune of ours and we were happy to hear it
in the line-up. Everyone is welcome at
Schooner Wharf where dogs lie quietly at owner’s feet and patrons stop for a
single drink or linger for a meal. Cheese
fries and cocktails were our choice as we soaked up the afternoon sun.
Eventually,
we moved onto B.O.’s Fish Wagon on Caroline Street for dinner. Not really sure if this place even has an
actual address but it is a casual eatery (even by Key West standards). Holy cow – these are the best beer batter
onion rings we have ever had! Okay, the
burger was amazing, too, but those onion rings.
The fish wagon is little more than that - a few tables and chairs with a
food truck for a kitchen. Knick knacks
of all kinds are scattered for character and nestled between palm trees;
license plates, rope, fishing buoys. And
our fellow patrons were some of the protected Key West chickens who like the
bread from the burgers…so they kept pretty close.
The
history of Key West is the ocean. First
inhabitants were all aquatic, followed by Indians (Europeans were merely
tourists). The real change happened in
1821 when Key West became an economic center when it became a US Port of Entry and the
deepest port between New Orleans and Norfolk (VA). Wrecking became a legal profession – no
kidding – if a ship should sink - take her goods for your own. Tombstones are proudly engraved with the profession and fortunes
were built on it. Some of the richest
cargoes passed through the area thanks to the Gulf Stream current and the reefs
were treacherous and a mere seven miles off shore. Such riches and boom economies created and
invited equally large personalities. Ernest
Hemingway is a large piece of the fabric of Key West and was a resident for
over 30 years. I have re-read Old Man
and the Sea but no meaningful recollection of it from the
first time around...and cannot, therefore, apologize to the particular
educator of my past that I am maligning for my forgetfulness. Needless to say – I enjoyed the vividly told
story and have a much better understanding of the details today than I would
have as a teenager. We hope to learn a
bit more about the countless other figures who were/are bigger than life on this 7.4
square mile corner of the planet through their involvement in salt production,
the wrecking industry, cigar empires, fishing, sponge markets, bootlegging…and tourism. We are smitten.
Check
another item off the boat project list (Jan 28). Chris installed a “mostly off” switch for the
sump pump fed by both bathroom sinks and showers. Every now and then an air lock stops the pump
from functioning. In order to get it
going – rugs and floor boards are lifted and it is a bit involved. This newly installed button is easily reached
under the guest sink and will be pressed only when needed…hence, the “mostly
off.” Hhhmm, it is a clear description
but not one I knew before this project.
Key
West is hosting a week-long Food & Wine Festival so we decided to check it
out (Jan 29). We signed up for the
Kitchen Tour which goes into four Key West homes – each with a different wine, snack
and decorating style. It was all a bit
voyeur-esque but fun to peek behind the garden walls and porches of these old
homes. We were transported between homes
via Trolley with driver Mark Patterson.
Patterson was a hoot – and loaded with Key West facts and tips. Patterson was King of Fantasy Fest in 2012 so
he knows the place pretty well. The
title of King and Queen is bestowed based on charitable work…despite the
hedonism and body painting generally associated with the annual street party
that is Fantasy Fest (http://www.fantasyfest.com/). Patterson was crowned King Conch after winning
an AIDS fundraising competition that was planned over several months and lasted
for approximately 11 weeks. He impressively
raised just under $50,000 with progressive dinners, silent auctions, dog washes
and lots more. When spotted around town,
today, he is still referred to as, “Your Majesty.” We have got to get this carnival onto our
calendar.
We
are really cranking through the list of boat projects (Jan 31). Today, it was the clearing of a thru-hull
that feeds salt water to the watermaker.
Nearly everything has been tried in order to get the watermaker healthy
but it is just not responding. Chris
jumped into the water with the snuba while I kept a watch for tarpon or other
finned (or flippered) creatures. Bingo –
it was indeed plugged and is now cleared after some scraping and poking. Phew – the watermaker purrs…okay…growls like
a cracken but she is running smoothly and we are back in business. We are beginning to think we can move on…if
the weather ever settles down for more than 15 minutes. Dinner was a casual meal of hot Southwest
Crab dip (recipe below). Heck, an old
rubber impellor would taste good when simmered in this flavorful, gooey
deliciousness. It has been fun to add
seafood recipes to the recipe box and Fishbusterz keeps us from breaking the
bank.
Southwest Crab Dip (Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman's Cookbook)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1 (8oz) package Velveeta
1 lb lump crab meat
1 (4oz) can green chilies, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag tortilla chips
In a 4 quart saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red bell
pepper, onion and garlic. Cook for three minutes. Stir in wine and
cook until liquid is reduced by half, stirring frequently. Add cream,
cream cheese and Velveeta - stirring until thickened. Stir in crab meat,
chilies, lime juice, scallions, taco seasoning and chili powder - simmer 15
minutes. Add salt and crushed pepper. Serve hot with tortilla chips and it makes enough for a crowd...or 4 for dinner.