Key West – We finally make it to Mallory Square to see a sunset

Tarpons in the harbor!

The local fishermen feed the tarpons in the harbor with their left over bait. The tarpons have grown to pretty good size as you can see from the picture. They are always hanging around the docks looking for more handouts.

Ann and Matthew worked on a book report due on Friday and math homework in the morning. In the afternoon we went out to lunch at Alonzo’s Oyster Bar, Ann needed a fried oyster fix. The meal was good but on the expensive side for lunch, $15/plate.

Mallory Square crowd at sunset

Around 5:30 we headed for Mallory Square and was caught up the stream of people headed the same way. The square is several hundred feet per side but it was still packed with people. There were performers all around the square with various acts designed to elicit donations (jugglers of flaming torches, escape artists in chains, tight rope walkers, one man bands and many musicians of all kinds. It was a potpourri of sounds. There were vendors selling everything imaginable but the real attraction was the sunset. There is no railing on the ocean side, just a straight drop 15 feet below. The people were crowded closely about 10 to 15 deep to watch the sun go down, us included. You do get an excellent view with the sun dropping directly into the ocean with no island in-between. I planed on taking a movie of the last few seconds in hopes of photographing the green flash which is sometimes seen just as the sun disappears below the horizon. I was all set and the movie was rolling and just as the exact moment the top edge of the sun was going down, a boat went directly in from of my view, obscuring any green flash (if it had occurred)! I’ll try again later for sure.



Our first Mallory Square sunset

 Once again Matthew’s school had another snow day (but not Matthew here!!) He and Ann are hard at work on his homework in the mornings, lucky Matt! (although he doesn’t seem to get any sympathy from his sisters at home)