Key Deer

Here in the Florida Keys there is a species of deer unique to the area called Key Deer. They are basically a sub-species of the white-tailed deer I've seen millions of back in the mountains of VA, only smaller. Their growth was stunted, I assume because of a lack of food and habitat, and they have been endangered for some time now. Most of them are on Big Pine Key and No Name Key, and some have also been relocated to Sugarloaf Key and Cudjoe Key in an effort to preserve the species. Many are killed each year on the roads of the Keys, resulting in lower speed limits and many warning signs on Big Pine.

I was planning to write about the fight to protect them, likening the effort to what you see in SW Florida with the manatees. Driving through Big Pine can take what seems like hours, with the lowered speed limit and resulting congestion. I've spent some time in Marco Island and the Everglades City area, and heard many fishermen and boaters complain loudly about the many restrictions and difficulties they face due to the manatee's endangered status. Like those fishermen, I was probably more annoyed by the presence/consequences of the deer than I was motivated to protect them. Today I rode my bike all around Big Pine and No Name, and have changed my tune.

Riding from US1 through Big Pine and across the bridge onto No Name, I encountered at least a dozen Key Deer - and this was during the afternoon, I'm sure I would have seen several more had it been earlier or later in the day. All were on or near the road, and were only moderately spooked by my presence. Staring into the eyes of the deer, you can't help but appreciate them. So, feeling better about the efforts to protect them and by extension better about myself, I headed back toward home. Then I saw what fully completed my evolution of understanding the Key Deer's fight for life.

Two deer crept out from the thick brush. As I stopped, the first one crossed the road in front of me. The second stood still, seemingly a little bit more spooked by a guy on a bike. When it tried to cross, it fell. It stood back up, took a step or two, then fell again. No it wasn't a baby, struggling to find its legs and take its first steps - it had been hit by a car, and its leg was badly injured.

Watching it struggle across the street was the hardest thing I've had to do since I moved to the Keys. You won't hear me complain about the Key Deer anymore.

Now - about those manatees...

9-11-01 Remembered

Here comes that date again.

September 11th, 2001. A date that instantly became an 'I remember where I was when...' day.

I remember where I was when the events of 9/11 began. I was at work, like many other Americans on the east coast. My company was located within 1 mile of a major international airport (Washington/Dulles) for the Washington DC metro area, and we got used to seeing and hearing planes taking off and landing seemingly every minute. As the events unfolded, once we all realized what was happening, many of us left work to go home and be with our loved ones. I was single at the time, with no family in the area. I went home to be with me.

Driving home, listening on the radio, one eye on the road and one on the sky (try that!), I tried to gain perspective on what was happening. Suddenly the skies were empty and quiet, except for the occassional military fighter plane. Before going home I (and many others) stopped at the store and bought a bunch of water, ice, batteries - not really sure why, but who knew what was happening and/or about to happen? I got home and turned on the TV and watched.

And watched. And watched.

Later that afternoon I started to sort of freak out from horror overload. I called my friend Ted and asked him to go fishing with me. I had to get my eyes off of the TV, I had to get my mind to stop being so hyperfocused, I had to try and get some of those images out of my head. Also single and w/o family in the area, Ted was happy to go with me to our favorite fishing hole. The lasting memory of that evening was not the conversation, or the fish we caught; both of us were struck by the eerie silence, the empty skies overhead. Instead of a plane every minute, the sky was still and quiet. In the woods, miles from the city and the TV - and reality - we still could not escape the damage done.

And then a plane flew over. The silence being broken was the loudest plane I'd ever heard, the sound of freedom. The nation's airports had resumed flying, the country must be back to normal! Obviously it took longer than that - in fact we still aren't 'back to normal', nor will we ever be. That America, the country that existed before 9/11, is just a memory now.

In the days immediately following 9/11 the world felt our pain, holding candlelight vigils, tearfully saying 'Today We Are All Americans' - even in France! Here in America, we were united with a bipartisan resolve that none of us had ever experienced. We would rebuild, and we would do it together. Just a few months later, I fell in love and eventually got married.

That sure seems like a loooooong time ago.

Today, 6 years later, 9/11 is here again. I got divorced, once again I'm single. The world hates America more than ever. Republicans and Democrats hate each other again. Everyone hates the President. Wait a minute - we're back to normal! Except we can't bring a bottle of water through security...

Did it all really happen? No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist - I don't think the gov't brought down the towers with explosives, and I don't think the Pentagon was hit by a missile. Yes it happened.

I just wonder what we've done with all the resolve, the unity.

I'll watch the tape tonight, and remember how it felt. How I felt.

Looe Key Reef - Part 2

Just a couple of miles off of Ramrod Key is Looe Key Reef, a protected area loaded with healthy coral and tons of marine life.

Other than the lobster, I have no idea what you're looking at so I won't bother trying to pretend to identify them. Sure was fun swimming with them though! Click on the pics for larger versions.

Looe Key Reef - Part 1

Just a couple of miles off of Ramrod Key is Looe Key Reef, a protected area loaded with healthy coral and tons of marine life.


This shark was at least 8 feet long, and was less than 12 feet away from me when I first saw it. After recovering, I swam behind him for a while to get these pics. The water was only about 6 feet deep here, making it seem even bigger...

When the water got a little deeper, it started to get scarier to continue to follow the shark - it felt like he was luring me deeper into his world. I finally decided to let him swim away.



Big barracuda with a school of yellowtail following him. I'm more intimidated by cudas than sharks, probably because I catch so many when I fish the flats - I figure one day they'll seek their revenge on me.


Big jellyfish posing for the camera. I almost swam head first right into him, as I was looking down for fish instead of right in front of me.