Happy Easter Everyone

   The sun hasn't risen yet, but the moon is setting just before sunrise.  We are going to have another beautiful day here in Key West.  You all enjoy your Sunday in a way that best suits you.   have a very Happy Easter this year.   ;o)

"Ask a Rum Expert" at 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival

      There will be a brand new and exciting feature for the guests of the 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.   "Ask an Expert" happening Friday through Sunday will be anopportunity for you to sit down with some of the RumXP's on hand for the event.    This exhibit will feature the same rum experts that were responsible for judging the many rums entered in the RumXP competition earlier in the week.   All of the members of the judging group have traveled extensively to many of the distilleries of the finest rums in the world.  Many have blogs, books, or are active mixologists giving them a unique opportunity to become very well acquainted with these wonderful spirits of the cane that we all enjoy so much.

   I am looking forward to my week of rum in Miami, and being a part of this new exhibit is going to be a blast.    This is an opportunity for all of you who are going to be at the show to get to know all of us RumXP's and learn some more about your favorite and maybe become acquainted with some of the many rums that you will get the chance to try during the "Grand Tasting"part of the week.  These should prove to be some fun and lively discussions that feature one of everyone's favorite subjects.

     Please take some time out of your visit to the 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival to visit with me and the other RumXP's and see how we can better acquaint you with your favorite rums.   I'm looking forward to visiting with all of the rum enthusiasts that are going to be on hand for the week in Miami.   ;o)

Finally Friday

    This week has finally reached Friday.   Time to put everything aside and have a little bit of fun.  For a lot of you out there it is the end of the work week and time to play.   As I scanned the Facebooks posts most everyone is asking if "it's Friday yet".   This must have been quite a tough week for a lot of people.   But at last here it is "Good Friday".   But it really is Good Friday, leading us into an Easter Weekend. 

    Easter weekend is usually an extended one, generally a family weekend with Easter Bunnies and Easter Egg Hunts for  the little kids and a Huge dinner on Sunday with special hats and bonnets for the rest of us.

    Although this is a very special weekend for the followers of the Christian religion, most of us will just enjoy t
he extra day off in our own special way.   No matter how you celebrate the weekend, enjoy yourselves in your own way.    I just want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter.  ;o)

Phillipsburg and St. Maartens

     Another of the Caribbean gems is St. Maarten and Phillipsburg.   This quaint little port town with its narrow streets is classic European with a colorful island atmosphere.   This island has been passed between Holland, France, England and Spain during its history.  First settled by the Arawak Indians, later discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 11,1493, a holy day of  St. Martin of Tours, and the namesake for the island.

    The island was divided peacefully between the Dutch and the French in 1648, and today the smallest land mass, 37 square miles, shared by two sovereign nations.   It was divided by a foot race between Franch and Dutch men starting at opposite sides of the island and where they met was deemed the dividing line between the two countries.

     Today this is a beautiful gem of the Caribbean boasting some of the most beautiful beaches that can be found anywhere.  This is another of those marriages between the ocean and the land.   From the docks to the beaches all around this island there are spectacular views of the water and the soft white sand beaches that take your breath.  

     Phillipsburg on the Dutch side of the island with all of its historic buildings and narrow streets is quite enjoyable to walk through.   You can find interesting bars, shops, and of course the Guavaberry Distillery visitors center right in the center of town.  There is plenty to keep you occupied on your day in St Maarten, between the shops, the beaches and the beautiful mountains this island will keep your camera shutter in motion the whole trip.

There are also a large number of beautiful sights on the French side of the island as well, but my short time on the island did not allow me to be on both sides, so Phillipsburg got most of my attention.   The one place I did not see that I wanted to was the beach at the end of the runway for Princess Juliana International Airport where the giant airliners wheels barely clear the heads of the people standing by the fences at the end of the runway.

   Your trip to St Maarten / St. Martin is one you will not forget, there are so many things to see and do there.  Pick your interest and you can find something that will keep you occupied.   ;o)

Rum Renaissance Festival is Nearing

     The 2013 Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami is coming upon us very quickly.  If you haven't gotten your tickets and room reservations yet, time is running out.   The festival runs from the 15th through the 21st of April, now is time for you to get your plans set, It will be upon you before you know it,   All of the information you will need to get tickets, information, and rooms is available at the website.   http://www.rumrenaissance.com/  

    This year will feature enlarged space for more rum companies and more events than ever before.   Get the chance to talk with the people that produce your favorite rums.   There will be a Lifestyle events, RumXP Competition for the best of the best brands of rum, plus seminars, of course the Grand Tasting on the final two days of the event.

    Make your plans today I'll be looking for you at the 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival all week long.  I'll also have copies of my new book there for you all week long.   The fun doesn't end for the entire week.   See ya there.  ;o)

Blustery Day Here in Key West

     The thoughts of heading out on the water to enjoy the islands today has been squelched by high winds and a cloudy skies.   There are so many beautiful days down here in the keys, but few of them have fallen this winter on my days off.   I was hoping that I could head out into the Lakes Passage to take some pictures today and just relax for a while in the sun.  It doesn't look to promising at this time for that to happen.

     I'll be doing some articles about the keys  from Key West out to Boca Grande this season, but the weather hasn't co-operated so far this year.   I'm really looking forward to drifting through some of these really cool keys and exploring their different environmental nuances.   I love to chase the new and see all of the different types of plant, fish, birds and animals that inhabit these unique little keys.    Every one of them has a new story to tell and more fun to experience.

    Oh well, there is still next week, hopefully there will be some better weather and I'll be able to get out and enjoy the afternoon in the sun on the water.  ;o)

Pineapple Upside Down Punch

   Here is a nice idea for spring.  This is a nice little punch that you can enjoy out on the patio as the snow thaws and the spring sprouts the blossoms to bring you outside again.  

Pineapple Upside Down Punch

· 1 oz. Vanilla Rum

· ½ oz. Coconut Rum

· ¼ oz. Cherry Liqueur

· ¼ tsp. Apple Pie Spice

· 3 oz. Pineapple Juice

· ½ oz. Orange Juice

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, and shake until chilled, strain into a pint glass filled with ice and garnish with a pineapple slice.

 

    Give this one a try, I think you'll really enjoy it.  ;o)

Sunny Days Dockside

  
    The view as I walk back toward the boat is always one that puts a smile on my face.

The Osprey: South Florida's "Fish Hawk"

     One of the most impressive sights that I see around the marina and out on the water here in the Florida Keys is an Osprey swooping down and snatching a fish from the sea.   These beautiful brown and white birds are a pretty common sight around the waters of Key West and the surrounding mangrove keys.

     These birds can be spotted at the very top of structures, masts, or trees that overlook the water.    Their nests are easily spotted, usually an interwoven stick structure lined with moss or grass at the top of a tree, tower or nesting platform.   The nests look much like those of a Bald Eagle, but smaller in size.  In the mangrove keys out away from any population Ospreys have even been known to to nest on the ground or at the top of a mangrove.    The Ospreys here in the Keys usually nest in the months of late November through Late February

    These birds are excellent anglers, they sit on a high perch like a sailboat mast and watch the waters until they spot their prey and then they swoop down and grab the fish from the water and fly back to the nest or a high perch to devour their prey in safety.   Seeing one of these impressive birds in action is something that you will not soon forget.  They have a wingspan of five to six feet with brown and white plumage that is easily spotted in flight, but do blend in while on the nest.

     Osprey's like other eagles do mate for life.  There were thought to be some 1500 to 2000 pairs in Florida, but there has not been a good survey of the population since the early 1980's.    The shoreline development has caused a disappearance of  nesting and hunting grounds, that is believed to cause a loss of some of the Osprey and Bald Eagle population.   There have been a lot of work done by Florida power and communications companies providing nesting platforms on the tops of power poles and cell phone towers.  All of these efforts are helping  this fascinating bird survive within our population zones.

    

Bahama Bob"s Cocktails and Tales

   Today is the day when "Bahama Bob's Cocktails and Tales", my new book will be on the shelves.     This has been some two years in the making and this afternoon it will be available for sale at the Rum Bar in Key West.   In the next few weeks it will be available on line.

    The book has been a two year project of research and writing about some of the classic rum cocktails and some 40 plus of my own cocktails creations.   The development of the all of the original cocktails took place in the "Rum Lab" with the help of all of the "lab mice".   This was a 6 month project that has finally come to fruition.   The spiral bound book has laminated covers and the pages are made of cover stock so the book will survive use at the bar with a minimum of care.

    This has been a labor of love for the rum cocktail.  The project was really enjoyable and rewarding effort that allowed me to glean a lot of information about so many classic cocktails doing the research for the book.  The development of the original cocktails was a very interesting task as well.  For every cocktail that made the book there were five or six that didn't work out so well.  

Some of the "Lab Mice"

     I hope you enjoy the book, it is available for $20 at the Rum Bar in Key West or on line it will be available for $20.00 plus $4.00 shipping and handling.   Keep an eye on the blog for the on-line availability, still having some issues getting it set up this week.   ;o)

St. Croix: U.S. Virgin Islands

   I was in a beach day state of mind this morning, so I thought back to a hammock on the beach at Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix.  This is a stunning white powder sand beach with a spectacular merging of the ocean with the land.  The Kennedy's and the Rockefeller's would vacation back in the 30"s through the 50's to escape their hectic world of politics and business.  

     Though this is the "industrial island" of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is is just as beautiful as any of the other islands once you get away from the rum distilleries and other Fredrikstad industrial areas.   The bad part of this right now St. Croix is embroiled in the rum cover over subsidy controversy that is overshadowing the rest of this beautiful island's assets.   There are quaint small towns like Cristianstad with their narrow streets and historic beautifully maintained buildings that you can wander for hours and just plain get lost in.  

   The natural attraction of the island with its rainforests, mountains and coastlines will live in your memories for many years after your last visit to this gem in the Caribbean.

    

The Fog Cutter: Don The Beachcomber & Trader Vic

     The Tiki Era had two strong stand outs, Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic, both of these guys brought the tiki era  to its peak and made it last for many many years through the 80's.   One of the cocktails that came out of the era was the Fog Cutter.   Per usual the competition between these guys brought two different versions of the Fog Cutter that still survive today.  

     Tony Ramos, Don the Beachcomber's head barman has one version.

Tony Ramos Fog Cutter

• 1 oz. White Rum
• 1/2 oz. Gin
• 1/2 oz. Brandy
• 1/2 oz. Sweet  and Sour Mix
• 2 dashes of Simple Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Cherry Brandy

Blend everything except the cherry brandy with 3/4 cup of crushed ice. Pour into a glass and float the cherry brandy

     Trader Vic, he tended toward the chilled on the rocks style cocktails and thus the Fog Cutter was no exception.

Trader Vic's Fog Cutter

• 2oz. Light Rum
• 1/2 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Brandy
• 1 oz. Orange Juice
• 2 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Orgeat
• 1/2 oz. Sweet Sherry

Place all ingredients except the sherry and shake until chilled, strain into a pint glass filled with ice and float the sweet sherry and garnish with a sprig of mint.

    These are two of the most famous Fog Cutters, you can choose whether you like the "on the rocks" or "frozen" version better, they both have a lot of flavor and are both very enjoyable.  ;o)

Getting Those Hard to Find Rums

     Hardly a day goes by at the Rum Bar that some one asks me how to find a particular rum.   "I love this Rum, but they don't sell rum in my town.   This is a very common problem, and here is one answer.   Internet Rum Sales!   There are many companies on the net that sell the "spirits of the cane" out there.  

Forrest Cokely

     One of my fellow RumXP's (rum judges and writers) manages one such operation in Costa Mesa, California.  Forrest Cokely runs Hi-Times Wine Cellar, http://www.hitimewine.net/RUM/ a huge store and internet wine and spirits operation that can solve these kind of problems for people all over the United States.    There you will find a great selection of rum and all the expertise that you can ever use.   It is these services that will help all of us that live places where the populous has not become enlightened to rum and the stores just don't stock the fine quality rums we desire.

    These internet operations are numerous, such operations include; Amazon.com, drinkupny.com, totalwine.com, samswine.com, bizrate.com, to thefind.com, all of these are examples of places for you to search for your favorite rums.   There are some restrictions, because of local laws, but this is definitely the place to be looking for those hard to find rums that you tasted at your favorite island bar and get home to find that no one has any idea of what you are talking about.  Give this a try, if you live in a state that restricts the shipping of liquor to you, I'm very sorry, but otherwise these are great sources for the fine rums of the world.  ;o)

Jury Duty Monday

   The one thing about living on a small Island is that you only have a small population and you get called a lot for jury duty.   Today is one of those days, and I have to be there by 8:30 AM to boot.

    I'll see if I get picked this time, last time I did get seated on a jury and had to go all the way through to the end of the trial and had to render a decision.   I guess it is part of the price that we have to pay for living here in paradise.  

    I had never been called for jury duty when I lived in California or North Carolina, and Ive been called 5 times in the seven years that I have lived here in Key West.  Small towns have their good and troublesome things too.  I'll just put up with jury duty and keep living here in the little town and Island of Key West.  ;o)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day: Sunny Afternoons for All

    It is all about the beautiful days and nights down here in the tropics.  For some it is the sunrise and for some the sunsets, but for me I just love the sky and the water joining the sun and the land in a beautiful mural of colors and light.   ;o)  

Foursquare Distillery: Heritage Park

    Richard L.Seale and his family completed a complete restoration and updating of the Foursquare Distillery and finished a Heritage Park on the site in 1996.  Located on the site of a 1636 sugar and rum factory, the beautifully landscaped park is a tribute to the sugar and rum history of the island.   There is a guided tour of the distillery available, along with an arts and crafts center, and a gift shop.   Don't forget to visit the restaurant and sample some of the fine rums produced at the Rum Factory.

     There are several displays of the old sugar processing equipment displayed in several different areas of the park.   Just to wander the grounds and see the remnants of the history of  sugar here on Barbados is very interesting.   Though you will  never see the production of sugar on Barbados of the past, many signs of the sugar days are apparent on the island.

     Though the distillery is in the original old sugar factory building, there is nothing ancient about the way that Richard Seale produces his rum.  This distillery is one of the most modern anywhere in the world and the quality of the rum produced from within the distillery is clear from the first sip.

    Don't forget to visit the Foursquare Distillery and Heritage Park in St. Phillip the next time you are in Barbados, you won't be disappointed.  Don't miss the chance to sample the rums in the restaurant, they are among the best you will find anywhere.  ;o)

Annual St. Patty's Day Bar Stroll Saturday

    Saturday the City of Key West becomes a sea of green as the Bar Stroll takes over Duval Street.   This annual event brings thousands of green clad participants to the street and doing what good Irish people do, DRINK.   If you haven't gotten your costume finished yet, then get the green hair dye out and all of your green costumes together and head on down to Duval Street for the blast of the spring in Key West.

    If you can't make it to Duval Str4eet you might try to have3 your own bar stroll around the patio or in the kitchen if you are in the far reaches of the North.

Bahama Bob's Erin Express

·         2 oz. Melon Liqueur

·         1oz. Premium White Rum

·         1 ½ oz. Cream of Coconut

·         2 oz. Pineapple Juice

Place all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled.   Pour into a pint glass and garnish with a mint sprig.

 

No matter where you are or who you are with enjoy your St. Patrick's Day party and rock on in Green!  ;o)

 

Dreaming of 90 Miles South

Havana's "Central Park"

    I was sitting on the seawall at the Southernmost corner of Key West the other day dreaming about returning to Cuba.   It was a funny thing,I sit here just 90 miles away from Havana and I have to travel by car, airplane and car again for 10 or more hours to get to a place that is just 90 miles away.    I could be there in my boat in 10 hours, but the politics of five decades ago are still not allowing the people of America to see this absolutely fabulous place.

Colonial Patio right off the lobby

     There is a really cool historic hotel at the "central Park" of Old Havana called Hotel Telegrafo, one of the oldest and most modern in Havana.  This hotel first opened its doors in 1850 and moved to its current location in 1888.  it was one of the first to provide guests with international telephone service from the hotel rooms in or about 1911.  

    The hotel first opened on Amistad Street, but in 1888 it was moved to it's present location at the corner of Prado and Neptuno Streets.     Just seven years after the founding of the hotel, a merging of Don Guillermo del Toro and Dona Pilar Somoano, merchandisers from Havana turned the Telegrafo into one of the top 11 hotels in Latin America.   The Hotel Telegrafo had a fine reputation and many novel services that drew the clients from all over the world.   The Hotel Telegrafo boasted a blend of the classic with the most modern facilities in Havana.

Hotel Telegrafo Cocktail Lounge

     The hotel had its role in the politics of the nation as well.  In the beginning of the twentieth century, the Telegrafo served as the general barracks for the Liberty Party and center of the Election Campaign of the first decade of 1900.    At the beginning of the twenty-first century it was once again reverted back to a hotel.  The Telegrafo spent many year as the Office of the Historian of the City after the 1959 revolution.  In December of 2001 the Hotel Telegrafo reopened to its previous grandeur offering 9 junior suites, 63 rooms and a fine cocktail bar.

     Having spent 5 days there last September, I dream of the day when I can return to this marvelous old historic town and enjoy the amenities of the Hotel Telegrafo once again taking a short flight from Key West to Havana.   ;o)

    

   

Spring Break Week Two in Full Swing

   I took a walk on Smathers Beach yesterday to see how the spring breakers were doing.   I could hardly find a place to place my feet as I walked along the water's edge.   This is the most crowded that I have ever seen the beach.    It is clear that the beach is the place where the breakers are this year.   The tight economy is even effecting the way the young people are spending their spring break this year.   I have noticed that very few are down on Duval Street in the bars this year.   They seem happy  to be having their party on the beach.

     There aren't the masses of motor scooters with their horns blowing down Duval Street like in the past years.   This year they are getting to the beach and letting the party rip.    It is all about suntans, volleyball, and tossing a football this year.   This week the weather is co-operating with the party throng, temperatures in the mid to upper 70's and blue skies.    This is the perfect place for fun, and they seem to be following the Key West way of having fun without stepping on other's toes in the process.   This is a great group, they really know how to have fun.

     I see this week as a fun week that is truly reflecting the effects of the economy this year.   It is fun on a budget and still the emphasis is on the fun.   It is like the song says a "Red Solo Cup" beach party.   Like all of us when the budget effects the party we just make some adjustments and party on.  

    Next week is another party, though a traditionally smaller group than the first two weeks, but none the less a party for those released from the books for a week.  Let's see what it brings.  ;o)

Even a Powerboater can Enjoy This.

    It is no secret that I am very much a powerboater, but boating is truly what I love.    I got the opportunity to spend a really fun day on Morningstar, a 40 foot Choy Lee sailboat, while in the Virgin Islands.  This was an experience that was I won't forget soon or the experience the very peacefulness of the day.    This is a great way to see the Sir Francis Drake Channel while traveling over to St. John and Honeymoon Bay.   The two hour sail over to St. John from Water Bay on the east coast of St. Thomas, is just plain relaxing and the silence of the boat making way across the water is totally relaxing.    This is my idea of what sailing is really about, as a powerboater, when I want to travel somewhere it is time to start the diesels and get underway and head to the destination in a relatively straight line and getting there is the most important part of the trip.    Sailing is for excursions where the trip is the most important part of the experience.

     Two hours later we were anchored in Honeymoon Bay off of St. John and swimming in the azure blue waters.    It was beach time while the crew was cooking our lunch, grilled chicken and all of the island fixin's would be ready in about an hour.   Meanwhile, it was swimming and sun bathing under the beautiful sunny sky's of the midday on the white sand beach.   As usual I could not just sit there on the beach so I took my obligatory walk down the beach to see what things the beach had experienced in the time before I arrived.   This is something that I always enjoy, seeing what the sea and the lands meeting place could tell me about the past.

    The beach time had to quickly passed and we were swimming back to the boat to enjoy an impeccably prepared and served lunch.   There was a nice breeze that allowed the hull to slip through the water smoothly and quickly all of the way over.   We would be tacking back and forth on the way back to port.   So we finished up lunch and cleaned up the dishes, weighed anchor and got underway for home.

    The trip back took a bit longer than the trip over to St. John, but that was fine, after all what else was I going to do but relax and enjoy the moment.   As we approached the Water Bay, the rumble of the diesel motor was heard followed by the furling of the main sail and we were  headed for the mooring ball and the end of our journey for the day.   What a wonderful experience that I would not have missed for anything.   I don't care what people say about the difference between power and sail boaters, for me the boating is the most important part.  Being out on the water and enjoying the sun sea and land.   Don't worry about what you are getting out on the water aboard, just get out there and experience the thrill.

    The bar on the dock at the end of the day made a wonderful bushwhacker to conclude the day in a wooden chair and the failing light of the early evening.   ;o)

Daydreaming to St. Lucia

    This is the time of year that I keep yearning for a visit to an island for a few days of new experiences and sights.   This morning I was thinking about  St. Lucia, an island that I visited in 2011.   The beautiful blue waters and the warm and friendly people make for a wonderful daydream.   Today I'm dreaming of sitting at the top of the hill overlooking a hurricane hole marina on my way to the St. Lucia Distillers.    This was a great little wide spot in the road that offered a cool drink and a Popsicle to cool off from the bus trip to the distillery.  The scenery is just breath taking and always just leaves me in a really calm place.   I guess that is what make the writing about the trips so much fun.  I get to relive the trips as I write about them.

     The unique sights as you travel through the different islands is always fun.  Things like this "van conversion" into a vendor's cantina.    I am never surprised any more what might appear as I turn the next corner, but I am always ready to snap a picture of what I see.    St. Lucia is a combination of big city in the port area, agricultural in the valleys and a just plain beautiful place to wander around.

     There is a distillery that makes some of your favorite Chairman's Reserve Rums, just to name one of their products.   This is a fine distillery that has some very innovative ideas to produce their rums and other spirits.   All and all it is just a very diversified place to visit, whether you want city, rural or nautical atmosphere, quite the place to chill.   By the way, did I mention that they produce some very fine rums on this island as well.  

    This makes my Monday much more bearable, just putting myself into a different  tropical place on a weekday in the office.   I guess you need to daydream about somewhere else even when you live in a paradise like Key West.   Anyway enjoy your daydreaming trip on this Monday with me.  ;o)

   

The Empty Chair

     Sometimes more is said by the empty chairs sitting at the shoreline than when they are filled with the crowd.   The beach will call to you early in the morning before everyone else arrives.

Barbie First Appeared Today in 1959

   It was today in 1959 the Barbie Doll first went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.    What does this have to do with rum you ask?    A few weeks ago a group of ladies came into the bar with their Barbie Doll and  took pictures of her every where they went on their vacation, including at the "Rum Bar", tieing Barbie to rum.  

     Ruth Handler the co-founder of Mattel, Inc. was the force behind the doll, after realizing that her daughter would rather play with paper dolls of adult women rather than the "baby dolls" of the time.    She felt that a doll that would let little girls look into the future and fantasize how life could be for them.  Named after Ruth Handler's daughter, the doll was originally based upon a German model named Lilli.   Matel, Inc. bought the rights to Lilli in 1955, kicking off one of the biggest and longest lasting doll stories in history.

     Barbie generated huge sales and also some huge controversy.    Barbie and Matel, Inc sponsored the "Micky Mouse Club" in 1955 make it the first time that TV ads were directed straight at the children.   Barbie had a lot of different jobs as well, everything from an airline stewardess, astronaut, to a presidential candidate.   It was also felt that Barbie was to blame for a lot of the materialistic attitudes of the day because of the "dream houses, designer clothes, jewelery and cars.    The biggest controversy was over her tiny waist and huge bust line, estimated at 36-18-38, providing girls with an unhealthy and unattainable body image to achieve.

    Since 1959, there have been more than 800,000,000, that is million Barbie Dolls sold world wide.   This is one of the phenomena like the "pet rock", but this one is still happening today some 58 years later.   ;o)

First Week of Spring Break Comes to an End

     2013's first week of spring break was kind of a mixed bag.   The cold fronts that brought the students south followed them for several of the days.   Yesterday morning, I went down to Smather's beach to see what was happening there this year.  Usually the volleyball courts are full and there isn't a chair anywhere to be found.   With temperatures in the 60's, there weren't many sun worshipers out on the beach.    Tuesday and Wednesday there was a couple of warm days and I am sure the beaches were full on those days.

     It was sort of eerie to see so many empty chairs and endless stretches of empty sand.    I guess that I am feeling for the revelers, the cold is what they are escaping by coming south.  To find a week with a mixed bag of weather has to be disappointing.     Later yesterday ass I looked out the doorway of the Rum Bar on to Duval street, there was a stream of young people coming back from the beach.  Even though it really wasn't very warm, the sun was shining and that wasn't something that they were willing to miss.

     I think that I would be the same way given the same circumstances.   I do remember visiting the Virgin Islands and meeting a storm front head on, I know it didn't stop me from renting a boat and head on over to Jost Van Dyke in a storm.   So when I see people in their bikini's headed for the beach in 65 degree weather I shouldn't be surprised.    Talking with some of the breaker's that have stopped by to see me at the bar told me they are just happy to have the second quarter behind them and having some fun is what is on the agenda for this week.   

     There has been one big surprise for the 2013 first week spring breakers with the appearance of Kenny Chesney last Sunday at the Hog's Breath.   His impromptu concert drew most of the island to that end of Duval Street.   This was one of those real bonus things that you would only find in Key West.

     Let's see what next week will have in store for the next round of partiers down from the North to leave the rest of the world behind for a week before returning to the grind of the books, term papers and exams the following week.