http://www.keysvoices.com The people, places and atmosphere that enliven the Florida Keys & Key West Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:51:40 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The theme song of the popular Disney Channel children’s television show “Phineas and Ferb” describes kids’ ultimate summer dilemma in its opening lines: “There’s 104 days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/07/29/charting-the-keys-for-the-kids/ Truth be told, I never really wanted to catch a swordfish. Sure, I had written about how daytime swordfishing, or catching a broadbill in broad daylight, had been fully developed off Islamorada in the Florida Keys. [caption id="attachment_1862" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Andy Newman fights a swordfish in the waters off Islamorada. (Photo by ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/07/22/%e2%80%98santiago%e2%80%99-scores-a-swordfish/ Since Key West’s earliest days, its atmosphere has encouraged rugged individualism — but few individuals stand out more than legendary shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher. [caption id="attachment_1829" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Adventurer Mel Fisher, shown here with some of his glittering discoveries, proved that the American dream is thriving -- at least in the ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/07/15/treasure-island-25-years-later/ When Brian Gordon Sinclair looks in the mirror before going onstage, Ernest Hemingway looks back. That’s because Brian, an award-winning Canadian actor and playwright, has spent the past several years researching, writing and performing one-man plays about the legendary author, presenting them each July at Key West’s annual Hemingway Days ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/07/08/the-fascination-of-being-ernest/ The marine life that makes its home on the Florida Keys’ living coral reef is widely acclaimed for its diversity — but that undersea life usually doesn’t include an underwater brass band or a snorkel-wearing Elvis Presley. [caption id="attachment_1790" align="alignright" width="250" caption="These strange "undersea creatures" were spotted in the Florida Keys ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/07/01/playing-in-an-undersea-key/ Watching a turtle release, and seeing the rehabilitated “patient” returned to the blue Keys waters where it belongs, can make you cry. [caption id="attachment_1776" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Ryan Butts of the Keys' Turtle Hospital releases Kentucky, the loggerhead sea turtle, into the Atlantic next to the Seven Mile Bridge. (Photo by Andy ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/06/24/land-and-sea-creatures-find-sanctuary-in-the-keys/ Saltwater anglers in the Keys often swap fish tales, but sometimes their “true” storylines seemingly get tangled in their fishing “lines.” Unflinching humorist Nick Aldacosta, for decades a Marathon fishing captain, has spun thousands of those tales and cast miles of line. [caption id="attachment_1754" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Nick Aldacosta's grin can't ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/06/17/nick-aldacosta-a-%e2%80%98reel%e2%80%99-raconteur/ In early June, Key West landscaper John Mumford and artist Rick Worth decided to set the stage for the island’s 2010 PrideFest celebration by painting the rainbow flag on a local landmark. [caption id="attachment_1738" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Key West landscape "artists" put finishing touches on a giant rainbow flag atop "Mount Trashmore." ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/06/10/key-west%e2%80%99s-sea-to-sea-rainbow/ "Good Morning America" weather anchor Sam Champion ate dinner at the Hogfish Bar and Grill over Memorial Day weekend. And bicycled over to the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park to catch a few rays. And, most important, did a live broadcast from Key West that helped counter persistent ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/06/04/%e2%80%98good-morning-america%e2%80%99-goes-live-from-key-west/ Recently much attention has been paid to the Florida Keys’ priceless natural resources and the need to preserve and protect them. But you probably aren’t aware that the conservation of these resources has been going on — with significant success — for more than 100 years. [caption id="attachment_1704" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Numerous ... http://www.keysvoices.com/2010/05/27/100-years-of-conservation/