This is Key West. I had to stop and take a photo of the drag queen enjoying Hurricane Katrina. 

Well, Katrina grew like Topsy and by Sunday, Aug. 28, she was as big as the State of Texas and boosting 175 mph winds. 

So I woke up Friday morning and what do I see? The tropical storm
that was liesurely making its way North along the East Coast is now a
hurricane and it is in my back yard! I had absolutely no time to make
preparations (alcohol) and was caught completely unaware. Katrina went on to become famous as the Storm That Ate New Orleans. Well, I "knew her when" back before she got famous. 

A Picture Share!

Thurs afternoon. There is a tropical storm in the neighborhood. 8/25

Long ago, during an especially difficult time for me, I spent some time with the Trappists at the Monastery of the Holy Ghost in Conyers, GA. It turned out that the monks' solution for dealing with grief was labor. By the time that I left them, their parking lot had been thoroughly swept. Three times. I felt dramatically better, as much from the cessation of the treatment as from the treatment itself. Still, I have a strong positive feeling for these guys and would happily hop up at three in the morning to sing Matins with them again. Today I was perusing their website and suddenly find something that catches my eye. I am fascinated.

"Cistercian monks of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit have been crafting classic bonsai with an American influence for over thirty-five years. Begun in the mid-1960's by Father Paul Bourne, OCSO (May 2, 1908 - July 10, 1995), the Monastery Greenhouse became one of the first nurseries in the southeast to offer bonsai to the public. The centerpiece of the monastery's bonsai collection is a Kingsville boxwood, one of the original eight trees of this strain developed during the 1930's. During his lifetime, Brother Paul (as he liked to be called) earned the reputation of being a true American Bonsai Master. His quarter century of highly creative bonsai art made him well known nationally and internationally."

Look at that Bonsai. I think that it is beautiful. Where I live now is surrounded by veranda on the second floor. A perfect place to begin my own Bonsai.

This is Jim the Jeweler. I'm having a grand time, living life and loving it in Key West. When the shop was sold I had to go back to bartending. I certainly wish that I could have taken that little chunk of chain hanging around my neck along with me. 

You too can have fun with me. All you have to do is volunteer to be outstanding company. All of my friends are self-selected. (No one else hangs around!) All you have to do is keep showing up and keep calling.

Consider the benefits of being my special friend. Outstanding conversation, excellent wines, fine foods, and a liesurely way of passing the days.

We can share special times together whether it is to enjoy life for its own sake or doing business together. Life is good, so, Grasshopper, let's enjoy it to the fullest.

Welcome!
 

This is me at my first Key West Fantasy Fest. I got along great with the parrot and the snake. My friend's iguana never seemed satisfied. Upon removal, the iguana pooped all over his knee. 

This is me as a kid. Well, maybe not exactly a kid, I was 21. 

This was my first post.

I'm not feeling particularly creative tonight, so my blog at the outset can't really rip you into itself. Maybe later.

This is a favorite photo

Happy in Key West