The fuzzniks chased me twice out of the first three nights in Islamorada from where I parked my nest (Capri slide-in camper on a Ford F-150 pickup truck), then in Key West a meter maid told me I couldn’t park over night where I had for more than a week last January. I hadn’t had any trouble last year anywhere I chose in 150 nights! Then my water pump went on the fritz and no water would come out of the spigots. After tearing it out and putting it back twice with advice from Umberto at Key West Marine Hardware Store (Los Cubanitos), who was reluctant to sell me a new one, since he wasn’t sure anything was wrong with the one I had, the damn thing decided to work. I remember my Grandfather who never lived in a house with indoor plumbing and others saying you have to prime the pump after it goes dry. Maybe that’s what I did when I tested it with a bucket of water, which it pumped empty with no problem! I worked on the pump all day, a perfectly gorgeous one that I should’ve spent kayaking!
    In the process I misplaced my point & shoot/bar camera. That was like losing a dear friend.  Today I found it tucked behind my coffee concoction ingredients in the cupboard, where I’d put it so it would be out of sight of tourists who wandered by as I toiled on the water pump. Now I’m parked where I put the car for years with no trouble when I visited and began last year’s stay here. Today I felt life click into laid back gear and all is well!!!  
    Islamorada, where I was for several days last week, is sunrise, kayaking and HH at sunset at the Lor E Lei for me. I even moved my nest into the Lor E Lei parking lot to get away from the harassing cops. No problem! I got really close to outstanding sunrise photos. The sun, tide, and foreground (wading birds) need to all cooperate. Not an everyday occurrence. Tide low enough so the wading birds can feed only happens a couple days a month when the sun rises and egrets, ibises, or herons need to show up as prime players, and of course, the clouds need to shroud the sun to soften the light as the birds make breakfast of the exposed critters and plants.  I got some almosts though. ‘Outstanding’ happens when a bird is in flight, shows my camera the critter it has caught, or strikes a unique pose with a dazzling sunrise in the background.
    Kayaking was more rewarding, revealing a herd of mangrove snappers in Ligumivitae’s crystal clear lagoon (<http://www.floridastateparks.org/lignumvitaekey/default.cfm> ).  I included several fish in my photos of the water and shore line.  Wow!  Then the Frigate Birds on Horse Shoe Key in Little Basin in Florida Bay put on a soaring show for my camera. The moon even got in on the act! Spectacular! The Lor E Lei’s music, service, HH, and food was as good as ever (try the shrimp Caesar salad) and as I leave the Keys in a couple weeks, I hope to get a signature brilliant sunset from the bar (and I did).
    Here in Key West they’re having winter, nothing like last January though, but there’s no 80s in ten-day forecast! I’m continuing last year’s custom of staying out of the tourist traps, although I did stop in to see OC’s Kevin Poole playing at the Conch Republic.  All the noise, pricey junk, etc.- I don’t need.  I’ve had two great meals at El Sibone, a Cuban Restaurant, of grilled fish (grouper then red snapper) and beans & rice with yucca and plantains. There’s enough left over for a late evening snack.  Tomorrow I hope to eat at Pepe’s 6-stool bar on a delicious broiled fish sandwich and a side of yesterday’s leftovers. Last year the leftovers I got were diced shrimp in fried potatoes- good enough to make a meal of!
    It’ll get warm enough soon so I can kayak to the islands off Sunset Pier and walk the beach, check out the stuff that’s washed up and collect some King Conch to cook & eat. Then Saturday is the Key West Seafood Festival with all-day bands and food. Yeah, life is good. No snow here!!!  Treat people right and everything will be alright!

    Popular Photography has chosen its “Best deals of the Year” (popphoto.com Sep 2011).  If you are looking for a camera or accessories at the right price, check it out.  I especially am impressed by:  Plastic sleeves that’ll protect a camera with a big lens from the rain; an 8 GB USB Flash drive to back up images; a 75-300mm USM lens; a waterproof camera for less than $200 and there’s more!