A GRAY DAY IN PARADISE

It's rainy and windy today.....a cold front is supposed to sweep down and lower temps into the 50's. THE FREAKING 50'S!!!!! This is paradise--what am I supposed to wear, multiple tee shirts? I left all my winter clothing in storage. I brought a few leather jackets so they wouldn't get ruined, but the rest is tucked away at home.

Its gray and rainy outside, even the sea is gray. The wind howls. The shades in the screened-in patio blow towards the ceiling. No sunshine, no happiness.

The only good thing about this is that we don't have to crank on the AC. It's been hot in February. I can't wait for the summer. Even the sea is warm.

Oh well......one or two days of this and we're back to tanning weather this weekend. Can't wait!

I'm working tonight. Let's see what kind of characters crawl up from the mangroves. 

That's a new word in my vocabulary: MANGROVE DWELLERS or MD's (not to be confused with the wonderful medical doctor crew that I work with).  These MD's are the homeless of Key West who live in the mangrove underworld that surrounds the islands. They swell in population when winter hits up north, heading down to the southernmost point of the US. You get to know them by name after awhile, you see them all over the island. Some are nice. Some are not. They come in, sleep off the alcoholic stupor, then wander off into the mangroves again.

Interesting, but sad. A lot of hopelessness. One of them was a patient for a long time in ICU. We slowly nursed him back to health, but the day he was discharged, went straight to the pier, jumped off and drowned. I guess he figured he couldn't survive back on the streets. He was a nice man. No family to speak of. Very grateful for the care he got. Just fell through the cracks.

Gotta go dig out some woollies.....See you soon!