Boot Key Harbor Skies

Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FLT
34 42.54 N 081 05.58 W

The Famous Keys Sunset

Jenny got a kick out of our sunsets this week, and especially our ritual of blowing the conch shells at sunset.   In the harbor one hears a dozen or more conchs from all directions, plus one man who fires his cannon.   Some (oh heck, most) of the conch blowers are pitifully inadequate.  It's not easy to do until you get the hang of it.   I've been privileged to posess a particularly fine conch shell I bought on our last trip to Key West.   It sounds loud and very very long.  I can thump my chest and claim to have the longest blast in the harbor.

Pre-dawn: Also this week we've been treated to spectacular views of the ISS (International Space Station) flying overhead. Most of the flyovers have been in the early evening hours. Then, the light pollution from Marathon has been dimming the views. This week, the ISS is flying over in the pre-dawn light. Then, most of the lights of the city are off. Even better, the pre-dawn skies this week are dominated by the still nearly full moon. The brightness of the moon blanks out all but a few bright stars. All together it makes the ISS stand out very prominently. We can almost see the astronaut in the window waving.