Z to A Monday.. I

I..is for Ice as in cold..very, very cold
Ice can be quite nice when used in Iced Tea...
or ice Cream.

.so refreshing on a hot summery day..
But come winter,when summery winds have changed to ICY blasts..
Ice can be very UNCOOL...
It is on those howling blustery days,snowy, Icicly days..

Icicles glisten ....
.but can be deadly when falling..
When refrozen, melted snow forms Black Ice..
creating very hazardous driving conditions..
my thoughts turn to home..
southward and warmth.. 
tropical warmth..

like  ISLANDS!
Being a native Floridian..
my idea of Islands other than Santa Rosa Island..
(That is a barrier Island where Pensacola Beach is located..)

The Islands I'm thinking of are the Florida Keys!

Stretching 127 miles from Miami to the Dry Tortugas,1700 islands make up the Florida Keys.

From the mainland to Key west,southernmost and only 94 miles from Cuba., the Keys are linked by 42 bridges.
Interesting facts..
Keys is a corruption of  Spanish  word for Cayo meaning island
Early inhabitants were Calusa and Tequesta Native Americans who were found and charted by Juan Ponce de Leon.
In 1910, railroad magnate Henry Flagler opened the keys to travel and commerce via his Overseas Railway.
The Labor Day hurricane of 1935 destroyed the overseas railway which was never rebuilt. Construction continued on the  Overseas Highway as a replacement  as the main transportation route from  Miami  to Key West.
The Keys divide the Atlantic Ocean from The Gulf of Mexico. the waters flow together through the Florida Straits.
Due to the tropical climate of the Keys, most any thing will grow and thrive in the moist wet, humid season from March until November.
Key Limes are golf ball sized..but  are delicious for Key Lime Pie!
Famous inhabitants  have been Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Calvin Klein, and Jimmy Buffett,,..many other celebrities choose the laid-back island lifestyle over the hectic chaos of other large cities.

Hemingway house  and Polydactile (6 toed cats)

Calvin Klein house

Tennessee Williams house

Myself, just a Navy wife spent three years there in Key West..loved it and hated it equally.

The weather was wonderful, but quickly tired of wearing terry cloth and swim suits as regular attire.

The tradition of wandering down to Mallory Square for sundown was delightful..Anything imaginable could be seen in what was an ever changing street circus!

Tourists on mopeds made navigation nearly impossible..

Palm trees decorated with pink and purple lights  was not my idea of Christmas.
Got stuck on the old two lane seven mile bridge  due to a crash at midsection..

was not a fun place to be.. especially when traffic was stopped in both directions awaiting rescue and fire services.The new four lane bridge was completed just as I departed for Spain..
Another story for another time..

Yes.. the keys are interesting to visit..but I would not want to live there again!..
So grab a cheeseburger in paradise while humming Margaritaville,hop on a scooter and zoom..
right on over to Jen's Unglazed for other Interesting I things..