Beach days.
Time on the water. Kayaking, sailing, motoring, even floating would work in a pinch!
Time in the water. More diving would be awesome!
Friends and family. Old and new, from away and nearby.
Inspiration. Writing, photography, and art - what a block these past few months.
|
Comments [0]
...that some people haven't seen our costumes!
Natasha Fatale:
"We are looking for Boris Badenoff, I have a present for him."
Fearless Leader:
"I have captured Moose and Squirrel!"
Hanging with Wyland down on Duval.
The house was properly defended for the evening. Our sentry swore to "Take charge of this post and all property in view. Walk the post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing."
| Wyland |
|
Spent time down at the Green Parrot, they always have the best music on the island. In fact - in what is, to me, a hysterical recommendation for this blog - Playboy magazine has named the Green Parrot one of the top 20 bars in the USA.
We were down there to hear the Sauce Boss. You may know him from a Jimmy Buffett ditty -
"The Sauce Boss does his cooking on stage
Stirring and a' singing for his nightly wage
Sweating and a' fretting from his head to his toe
Playing and buffetting with the gumbo"
from "I Will Play for Gumbo" by Jimmy Buffett (2000)
Me, a photo by Hal, waiting for that gumbo to simmer.
Mmmmm-mmmm good!
|
Yay! NJROTC!
To answer a question I received - The band really does have a uniform, they just don't like to sweat in it.
Formations and everything!
Those Conchettes kicking up a storm.
And there was football involved, I promise! I just got distracted by the terrific food they serve up here. Full on Cuban Pork Dinners with rice and beans and plantains, conch fritters are a given, of course, homebaked desserts walked through the bleachers by glittery Conchette girls... and just chilly enough to wear jeans and have it feel like Autumn.
I love Key West.
|
The full photographic exhibit - minus old cars (Marianna and Hal's interest) and any kids not in NJROTC (Brownies and Boy Scouts mostly, they all look terribly worried in still photos, must be all the guns present on Duval that afternoon!) with apologies for any mislabelling (I'm not military and Marianna and Hal are both out of the house so I'm making it up as I go).
The review stand - Dan, photogenic guy, the Skipper and Sir Peter Anderson of the Conch Republic.
The two Army guys from Hal's compound - R and SM.
The parade begins with the requisite wild eyed horse followed by loud bikes, I think these are from the VFW, perhaps?
Mike and Debbie from the marina.
The Joint Task Force Color Guard.
The Joint Task Force Platoon.
Coast Guard photo for our friend up the Keys a ways. They had the best flag, check out those ribbony bits!
The Coasties have boats, lots of boats, some of which can fit down Duval Street.
Hurray for the pipers who came from New York!
A snazzy Color Guard
And the Navy, row after row of blinding dress whites.
The Key West Marching Conchs, one of the best high school bands I've ever heard!
The Conchettes, which are not cheerleaders, or the dance team, or the flag team. They're Key West's version of The Rockettes.
Seabees, I think. We see them cruising just like this all over the island.
The Knights of Columbus
The one Navy vessel that fit down Duval.
A cool float...
...with a scary sniper. See why the Brownies scurried so?
And the Key West High School Naval Junior Reserve Officiers Training Corp!!!
Marianna with the rifle and her friend has the guidon.
Spinning rifles, note the blurry hands, they were moving!
The full NJROTC platoon.
And in the most brilliant parade move I've ever experienced, they closed the parade with the Fire Trucks rather than putting them right behind the band or the horses, which appear to be favored positions for the engines in other parades.
So. Terrific parade, wasn't it? :)
Happy Veteran's Day!
|
Just one shot before I'm off for work...
Marianna in the NJROTC Color Guard - as a Freshman!!!
We're so proud of you!!!
|
Hurricane Ida, our first of the season which, incidently, ends in 22 days.
Winds at 28mph here in Key West, gusts to 35mph. No rain yet.
Checked the boat yesterday, all the dogbones are properly deployed, didn't double up on the any lines for this blow. Considering heading out to hear the Sauce Boss for a bit of a hurricane party and gumbo this evening.
| Nature Study |
|
Our main computer has bit the dust, we're painfully trying to use Marianna's while the other is being fixed. I just took a cool photo of her laptop to show it off, but it doesn't seem to be compatible with my camera cards. It also does not have one single saved password - arrrgh!
So if you've tried to get in touch with me in the past week or two, try the phone! That bit of technology is still working fine. For now.
|
Because certain people have been bugging to see my dress that I wore to the Chief Petty Officers Ball last Friday...
This picture, however, was taken the next morning by my dear husband who could not resist posing me in front of his pride and joy - the 1968 Chang Jiang.
So. A question for those who are planning on attending the next round of Balls (Navy here is Oct. 16th, I do believe) do you have your dress yet? Show and tell, please? Inspire me, I need another dress desperately! October 16th is coming quick!
|
Like the sand between my toes
When the waves go out.
That's how summer pulls away,
Leaves me standing here today
Waiting for the school bus ...
From "Summer Goes," by Russell Hoban:
Summer has gone! Can you believe it? I'm always shocked as we're still in one of our two seasons down here, wet or dry ;) until November 30th. Still, I'm always up for observing special days as you know, so I ran to the store to gather up autumnal produce for dinner last night. A highlight were these hand pies which came out of the oven 10 minutes after Marianna got home from NJROTC Color Guard practice - first football game is set for Friday! Very exciting for my Cadet!
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 red potatoes, coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
8 ounces frozen, chopped turnip greens
your favorite pie dough
* Make the vegetable filling. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss together carrot, potatoes, garlic, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a small roasting pan or baking dish. Roast until golden and tender, about 30 minutes. Squeeze garlic from skins, and toss with vegetable mixture; discard skins.
* Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add greens and remaining teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Drain, and toss with vegetable mixture. Remove from heat, and let cool.
* Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch glass, cut out 12 circles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place a heaping tablespoon of vegetable filling on each circle.
* Roll out remaining dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 12 more circles. Brush edges of each filled circle with milk; top with a second circle. Press edges together to seal with a fork. Brush tops with milk wash.
* Bake pies until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
The original recipe can be found at Martha Stewart's.
I, of course, adapted it a bit.
| I'm all at Sea with this Recipe! |
|
