Key West Pets
Doing my blog on the road as the missus and I are vacationing in sunny Key West presently. Note that sunny doesn't mean warm. In fact, the day we got here the low temperature set a new record. Wonderful.
Anyway, our hotel is in a part of town called Bahama Village where chickens freely roam. I thought that would be quaint, seeing free range chickens in the flesh, er feather.
And not ever having lived on the farm, I thought roosters only crowed at the break of dawn. Wrong. At least one rooster in our neighborhood is like a malfunctioning snooze alarm that goes off every few minutes beginning at 2:30 in the morning.
After one night of this, I decided that this chicken must die. And his carcass tossed into the street as a lesson to all the other chickens in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, before I could locate the suspect, I found out that chickens are protected by law in this town.
What??!! Is this like in India where cows are sacred? C'mon. Wonder what the fine is. I could probably handle it.
Key West is a very friendly town if you're an animal. Cats roam freely as well. We visited Ernest Hemingway's old Key West mansion here and learned that Papa Hemingway kept a whole lot of cats. Their descendants, numbering about 40, still roam the property.
So . . . don't the cats in the neighborhood ever go after the chickens? It would seem natural. I saw a mother hen with a brood of chicks walk right past a couple cats. Any self-respecting cat I know would have been on those chicks like a lion on a wild pig. But the cats didn't even pay attention. Key West is such a laid back town.
You can also take your dog into many establishments, including restaurants, without even incurring a second glance. I guess so long as he's on a leash. I overheard one exasperated middle-aged gentleman complain after finally finding his lost female companion that he went up and down crowded Duval Street looking for her white labrador, figuring the big dog would be easy to spot in a crowd.
"Then I find out he can go into the shops. That's why I couldn't find you." he sighed.
So the vacation continues for another few days. Then I can come home and get some sleep. At least I found out the answer to an age-old question: why did the chicken cross the road? He's headed for Key West and sanctuary.
posted by Big Dave T @ 3:50 PM
18 Comments:
Roosters are unruly sorts. Fer sher. Yes, they do "express themselves" as often as they choose, and I suspect it is something territorial. But that's only a guess.
As for the cats .... Hello? If you were fed as royally as those critters are, would you ever consider eating a raw chicken? Not me!!
Yo, Dave, this is the best post you have written so far in my opinion. Great writing. So one thing is clear, being in Key West encourages your gray matter and you write so well Papa Hemingway would be proud of you.
LYNILU--I know our old cat from my youth would kill any bird just for the fun of it. Did in our parakeet after knocking over the cage. It must be something in the water down here.
TECHNOBABE--Thanks for the compliment. I always have better material to work with when I'm on vacation though. I can't say I was too inspired by Hemingway when I didn't even spell his name right. Will have to go and correct that.
How did the family fantasy football league end up this year?
ANONYMOUS--I came in second place, my best finish ever. Should have come in first place but maybe next year.
Funny stuff, Dave!
I like Hemingway (SPARTANS know how to spell his name!) so much that I honeymooned on the Big Two-Hearted River. And, I like Key Lime pie because it's GREEN!
Wishing you a martavious bowl game tomorrow! Happy 1-1-11!
YOGA IN MIRRORMONT--Martavious isn't in my dictionary but I don't think there are any words to describe how poorly our teams did today. Humble pie anyone? Don't ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Rich Rod.
Oh, woe is me, oh no, oh no!
And here's something only a SPARTAN would know:
Humble pie has nothing to do with humility,
But, rather an interesting word etymology.
'Twas a pie made from the entrails of a deer or a hog;
These organs complemented a medieval grog.
So, because our teams played games that should not have been lawful,
Our just deserts* should be made of offal.
Hopefully, humble pie won't make us fat;
Would you like ice cream or whipped cream with that?
*This spelling might appear a mystery
Until you look up 'desert's' history.
Sometimes a dessert can be a desert.
I'll finish now before I get hurt.
Puns are fun;
What more can I say?
Enjoy the Rose Bowl
So Bulldogs don't ruin your day.
YOGA IN MIRRORMONT--My Webster's says to eat humble pie means "to undergo humiliation" but I'll agree that you Spartans are more the expert than I when it comes to these things.
I wish I were in a punny mood myself but after this gridiron season, nothing feels punny or funny to me. At least you have basketball season to look forward to.
Hi Dave ~~ Well what fun you had in
Key West and that rooster was lucky to survive. Isn't it strange how different places in the same country have such different ideas? There are differences here too.Sorry the weather wasn't warmer for you, and you did a lot of miles as well, probably not in 6 days though. Maccas
is the Aussie way for McDonald's Fast Food. They are very charity minded though and have bought and paid for a house at the Children's
Hospital and families can stay there to be with their children,
It is called Ronald McDonald House.
I had a great time with loved ones
but doubt I could do it again.
Glad you enjoyed the jokes.
Take care my friend, Regards, Merle
ah yes, key west-there are a lot of chickens and roosters! almost as many as the ones running around on Kauai! I hear you on the cold. bad enough knowing it was going to be snowing in the Grand Canyon, but did it have to snow in Anthem too? in the house with 2 little boys for 3 solid days....
Happy New Year to you and Wendy Dave.
MERLE--In the states here, the nickname for McDonalds is "Mickey D's."
CARINE--It's snowing here in Michigan too. I'm not fond of being back in the deep freeze but at least I can get a restful sleep at night.
Maybe if you put a trail of corn down the beach leading to the ocean....wait they are protected. So no fried chicken down there?I have never went that far south.Been to FL a few times, good southern fried chicken a little farther north.
Key West sounds kinda cool! Congrats on POTW.
OUT ON THE PRAIRIE--Not much fried chicken, at least not the free range variety. Lots of fried shrimp though.
TRAVEL NURSE EXTRAORDINAIRE--Thanks for the congrats. But POTW . . . let me guess, something of the week. Post, poem, picture, pet, pest . . . ?
Dave, go over to The Smitten Image to read about your being one of the blogs awarded Post Of The Week this week.
http://thesmittenimage.blogspot.com/2011/01/solutions-to-word-play-and-posts-of.html
TECHNOBABE--Yes, I saw that. Thanks for the nomination. I tracked back one of my new visitors and found out that's where they came from. Always nice to be recognized.
Have a margarita for me. We will be heading down to Key West in three weeks. We are bringing our dogs and they will be interested in the chickens. The cats may be afraid of the chickens. Those roosters can be pretty nasty.
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