In Key West 20th of February, 2011

February 27th, 2011
I left Key West this morning. Before I left, I upgraded my kitchen at the ReCycle bike shop with a Rubbermaid Roughneck storage container Carl, a Baha'i friend bought me. That took several hours. Oh, the night before, I went out partying with Dave (http://threewheeljourney.blogspot.com/) and Tom, who rode his bike from New York City. Three bike journeys, eh Dave?

I camped out on mile marker 13, in the mangroves for 5 nights. Two nights, I stayed at COTS. The most amazing place in Key West, to me, is the James Coleman Gallery on Duval street, JamesColemanArt.com. It felt like a rainforest of artwork; a richly diverse of array of artistic skills, many 'flavors' coming from each artist, several awesomely talented and innovative artists.

While in Key West I met about 100 people. Several told me Norfolk,VA was the place sailboats cross over the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. OK; I'll go there. I went to the Baha'i Devotionals on Sunday. They asked how long I was going to be in town. “Meeting you all is why I am still here, leaving after that.” Met an awesome lady there, Frances.

On my way back to the mainland, I remembered Rob and Ruby in Big Pine, a couple I met on the way in, wanted me to call and stop by on the way out. I did, stopped by, barely got started socializing when a man rode his bicycle up to the next house. He had a backpack I wanted, a minimalistic camelbak. We talked and bartered and I listened and listened, finally, we traded my big one for his small one. I spent an hour redistributing my stuff. Where was all this from my big backpack going to fit? My netbook and camera were no longer with me, on my back, all the time. I feel anxious about them, I depend on my laptop. That's an understatement. I am an internet junkie!!!

On the way into Key West, I stopped at Angelo's Country Store at mile marker 74.5 Overseas Highway, Lower Matecumbe. I asked if they knew where I could camp for free without getting shot by the landowner or arrested by the police. They gave me suggestions AND some awesome oatmeal cookies, hot out of the oven. They were all such charmers! Naturally, I stopped in again, on my way out of Key West. That's when I picked up their card so I could share them with you.

The first evening out of Key West, about mile marker 25, I saw several cars in the parking lot of a church, a Catholic church. It was still early, should I keep on going or ask them if I could camp out? I saw a clean, white towel in the middle of their driveway. I picked it up and went in. The towel was actually stained but they were serving dinner... I asked about camping the night and sharing in their feast. I got to talking with the gentleman across the table from me. He was fascinating. When he was a teenager, his parents sold their house, bought a boat and went looking for an island to buy and live on. They took their family with them, sailing around the world, or was it Caribbean?

That night...

I woke up, the wind sounded like an oncoming storm. I woke, got up to scurry about getting my tarp up. No clouds, amazing sky, a deer on the baseball diamond. Rewind, that is an endangered species key deer! I have to take a picture, a movie, something! On a moonless night... I can barely see it, the camera won't see it at all. Where is my camera?! The deer is still there. Where are my flashlights?!! I find the camera but not the head mounted flashlight. The deer is still there. I have a tiny, cheap, disabled flashlight, that will have to do. I resurrect the flashlight. My light and the lights from the church blind me, where is the deer? The deer is still there. I make a movie... no,. It is not recording. I try again, the deer poses. The camera is recording darkness without sound? The deer walks away, into the bushes.

Wish you could have seen it/ It was this big. :holding hands out wide.

My camera is broken. It got wet, my camelbak peed on my camera, sibling rivalry? Whatever, I need another camera. The old camera runs on AA (rechargeable) batteries and uses SD memory. My laptop has an SD slot. We were a happy family, bad camelbak!

I met another amazing woman, Brenda, in Key Largo. Well, first off, I asked this guy in one of the marina's “what is the smallest size sailboat I should consider sailing in to cross over the Atlantic Ocean to Europe?” He said he heard someone crossed in a 28 foot sailboat but he would not try it in less than a 40 foot sailboat. Then I met Brenda, who sailed that 28 foot sailboat with her man many years ago. Her journey with him sounded idyllic; they made bread each day (the smell of the bread filled the air and their minds) and often wore no clothing, just them on the boat, in the ocean, surrounded by water and sky.

February/ 24th, 2011
I met Dave Benfer two days ago. He is http://www.threewheeljourney.blogspot.com/ , among other things. Dave rode his bicycle from Seattle, WA to Key West (south then east) and is going back (north then west) soon. He is a web designer. Mr. taskmaster advised and walked me through setting up Blogger (again), Facebook (public figure), Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube. That was this morning. Whew, my mind is going numb! Laptop (and cell phone) batteries are about dead. Good chance I can get a little bit of experience working on (repairs? )someone's sail boat before I got north looking for working passage.

Laptop is on it's last breathe. Ciao... is that how it's spelt?

Monday, February 21st, 2011
Yesterday, Woke up and packed... OH! Need to set my tent out somewhere and let it dry out. Gavemy thanks to the gas station / convenience store that let me sleep the night behind their place. Braced myself and bathed in the Gulf before presenting myself to the public in Key West. Met a lot of people while riding around getting to know Key West. Stopped in at Emerald's International, people I made contact with prior to arriving. Found out COTS is the only place to sleep the night for free on the island. People in many kinds of circumstances sleep there but the drunken bums stand out and are most memorable.

Today, shopped for the least expensive version (generic) of Noxzema. It was originally made for sunburn, got that yesterday, it is also touted as a good substitute for the expensive chamois lubricant ointments that keep a bicyclist's butt happy. That's right, I'm going to put Noxzema in my shorts! I'll get back to you on how that sits with me.

It was very nice to meet you last night in Key West. I'm the guy who rode a bike from Seattle-San Diego-Phoenix-El Paso and all the way to Key West. I'm currently about half way around the perimeter of the US. I called this morning hoping to hang out today. I guess your phone battery is keeping your from responding. If you do happen to find a place to get on-line (the public library is on the 700 block of Fleming St), and get this message you can either text me or call online.

https://www.youtube.com/ThreeWheelJourney

http://www.threewheeljourney.blogspot.com/

I have some advice for you concerning your presence online. I have both a youtube account and a blogspot account and they both generate revenue. You travels could easily have alot of interest to the cycling community and to the general population as well.