One last look at Key West

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A scene not a lot of people see here in Key West. What the streets look like early in the morning. Empty. This was right before 9am. We walked across Duval street to go the butterfly house. I wanted to get there early since it was going to be too hot to be in there after lunch. It’s not air-conditioned.

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I’m assuming that’s an unwelcome hand drawn red fish on his door.

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At lunchtime, more people out on the streets.

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Walking around after dinner.

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Scenes at Mallory Square in the heart of Key West. People come every night to watch the sun set. It’s a little outdoor party.

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Even though it was sunny all day, we missed the sun going down every night we were there. The clouds and late day quick showers would come in.

 Skywatch Friday

Birds in south Florida

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Pelicans in the mangroves.

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Green herons were everywhere.

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My first Wurdemann’s Heron (parents are a great blue heron and a white morph great blue heron).  They are fairly rare and mostly seen in south Florida. Our sailboat captain pointed him out while we were kayaking around some mangroves about an hour south of Key West.  He looks almost like the great blue heron but his head and neck are more white.

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It looks like he has something stuck on his eye.

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Red bellied woodpeckers were everywhere.

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A grackle in the fountain at our hotel.

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Our hotel resident green heron.

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After looking all week for the white crowned pigeons, I found them in our hotel  parking lot the day we were leaving.

Random birds I found in Key West in April.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

Hanging out at the marina

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During our vacation trip to Key West, we spent a lot of time at the marina. It was a 10 minute walk from our hotel. The first morning we walked over to catch the ferry to the Dry Tortugas. The first 3 pictures were taken from the top deck of the ferry before we left, around 8am. The next morning we walked back over to catch a catamaran to go out sailing for the morning. We also walked over for dinner several nights. It was very quiet in the morning but crowded later at night.

Skywatch Friday

Critters roaming the streets

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Chickens and roosters were everywhere. Roaming the streets and making noise. We happened to be there during baby chick season. I counted 6 different baby chick families along the streets. They were in empty lots, parking lots, walking down Duval Street. I’ve read several different stories about why they are running amuck around Key West. I was expecting to see more cats. We only saw a few. The dogs in the above were hanging out in a hat store. A lot of stores had pets.I guess that’s part of the charm of this little town.

Fun stuff at our Key West hotel

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Our hotel in Key West was right in the heart of all the action. Blocks from Mallory Square, feet from Duval street and the marina a few blocks over. You would not think there was a little oasis in the middle of the hotel grounds. I spent an hour walking around taking pictures of the stuff near the pool. It was fun seeing iguanas walking around but I know they are a nuisance. The gardens were blooming, the turtle and fish pond were calming but that green heron catching the lizard next to the pool was perfect. We stayed at the Pier House Resort.

Typical Key West things

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Just what you would expect to see in Key West, an old jeep with coconuts on it.

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An outdoor restaurant on a long pier..

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Typical outdoor bar.

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I don’t know what this was about. It was near Mallory Square.

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Our hotel from the boat.

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A door to nowhere.

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This and the one above were in our hotel parking lot.

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This was not the biggest boat we saw.

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I can’t remember the name of this bar on Duval Street. I took this from the sidewalk.

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One of the many street performers in Mallory Square.

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Pano with my phone of the sunset.

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Every night we were there, the sun was behind clouds at sunset. Not a cloud in the sky all day until you want to get a picture of it going down.

More pictures from our vacation in Key West in mid-May.

Skywatch Friday