Sharing My Key West Legacy
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Sharing my Key West Legacy!

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The Thanksgiving Pelican

11/28/2013

25 Comments

 
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A long long LONG time ago my Dad and Mom decided to run away.  They were going to give up the lives they lived in New Jersey and go  to a magical place called "Key West" where they would survive off of oranges and bananas and fish.  They would sleep in the car till they found jobs and saved enough money for a place to live.
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There wasn't much there but they loved it.  The first job they had was heading shrimp for 25 cents a bucket.
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And then the hard work payed off..Daddy actually got a job at ON a shrimpboat and they let his beautiful wife come along.
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Daddy became quite good at sewing net,
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And Mommy helped pick the shrimp out of the pile.  Although both Mommy and Daddy admitted to me she mostly liked picking all the neat creatures and shells out, just like me when I went shrimping. An old Shrimp boat captain  that Daddy and Mommy worked for said Daddy paid hell with the infections in his hands from the shrimp. But he never complained, and told some great stories and Mommy cooked and fed them like kings.
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And of course Mommy's FAVORITE thing to do was handline. All was well In paradise, they had beds to sleep in and food to eat and enough money for cigarettes.  But then Mommy was expecting a little one and couldn't handle the diesel fumes anymore.  So Daddy found her a place to live on land and continued to shrimp....
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Until one Thanksgiving.  You see the weather had gotten really really rough and rather than travel the 70 miles back to Key West from the Dry Tortugas the Captain decided to just tie up in the shelter of the fort.  Problem was, he had NEVER gone without his Thanksgiving Turkey before and wasn't about to now just because of some storm.  And once alcohol became involved he decided the next best thing would be roast pelican.  Daddy tried and tried to talk him out of it, but he couldn't - and just as Daddy warned.....it turned into a lumpy sodden hard black ball of grease. Daddy said the smell alone was enough to make him want to swim home...
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And so Daddy quit shrimping.
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But it all worked out for the best. You see Daddy got a job as a mate on a "Head" or "Party" boat, a boat that took several tourists out at a time. And not only did Daddy know how to catch fish, he just loved people and people were crazy about him and someone lent him the money to buy his first boat.
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Mommy got all dolled up and advertised that business for all it was worth.
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The pelicans hung out and were fed every day.
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And the business grew......pelicans were part of the draw, got in on the act and the tourists loved them.
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The boats got bigger...
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And so did the pelicans...
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But it wasn't till about the time II had a Shrimp Boat of my own.....
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That I learned pelicans can fish for their OWN fish just fine! I had just never seen them do it because Daddy and Mommy loved them so much, I guess I thought they were pets. But whenever I see one it makes me think of Thanksgiving and how they helped Daddy become a charter boat captain.




Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I Hope you have a wonderful pelican free Thanksgiving!

Smiles,

XO

Toni

25 Comments
Tony Domenech
11/28/2013 06:23:06 am

Great story with wonderful pictures, Toni. Brought back great memories.

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Toni link
11/28/2013 06:31:24 am

Thank you Tony! KW lives were too good not to share...i'm glad if they make you smile..:)

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michael alzamora
11/28/2013 06:34:04 am

that's just what I have been looking for!!I shrimped all my life spent 40 years either on the deck or in wheel house of a shrimp boat,was married in kw at indigis park in 1980,lived on white st and now retired and wished I could get back to those days,sincerly Michael alzamora

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Toni
11/28/2013 06:55:38 am

Hey Michael,
Glad you enjoyed my post...funny thing was I never did Shrimp till the end (so far) of my fishing....but when I did Daddy pulled out all these old pic's to show me how i was "just like my mother" Cool or what? We ALL wish we could get back those days...but you have your memories right? :) Happy Thanksgiving!

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Susie hart Hickman
11/28/2013 06:37:36 am

Brings back lots of memories..taught at Truman Elementary in 1966 to 1968...also taught at sugarloaf elementary....Left the Keys and my heart in 1988to move to Palm Beach Gardens....
Spent some happy times at your dad.s bar......

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Toni
11/28/2013 06:42:48 am

Truman!!?? I think i didn't start till '66.. Maybe you taught my sister Coral? What a beautiful are that was, still is actually. Thanks so much for commenting, and i hope you are having a wonderful TG!

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Arlinda Atwood
11/28/2013 08:53:29 am

I really enjoyed your story and photos. Sort of makes me think of my parents going to Key West due to the Navy and they liked living there so much they stayed started their own Conch family.

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Toni
11/28/2013 08:57:59 am

Thank you so much Arlinda for your comment. Memories are to share and i had many "Navy Brats" as friends growing up..:) HTG!!!

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Norman McDuffie
11/28/2013 03:41:56 pm

Toni: Your Dad and Mom (May) went shrimping with my uncle and me.They were standing on the old Porter dock and my uncle Roy Futch ask him if he wanted to go fishing.Your Dad said can my wife go,my uncle said can she cook, your Dad said hell yeah, uncle Roy said bring her aboard.She could cook good and your Dads hands got really burned from the shrimp acid and grit but he never slowed down.His gloves would be red from bleeding but he was tough and kept heading.We were only out 3 days but caught a boat load of shrimp.When we settled up your dad said this is my kind of life and a few months later they moved down to KW.I remember when they were camped out in one of the old bldgs.close to where the Pier House is today.My whole family were shrimpers.

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Toni
11/28/2013 11:06:15 pm

Thank you SO much Norman,
That's pretty much how I pictured, seen quite a few of those pick up jobs on the docks..:) I so appreciate your memories, and your Uncle for giving them a chance...I can just see them "camping out" Wow. .Hope your Thanksgiving was good. XO Toni

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Robin Skidmore link
11/28/2013 07:20:15 pm

Oh! My what a heart warming story Ms. Toni I enjoyed every word and will read this again and again.....you sure know how to create and narrate......what a great job go publish this as a childrens book, short and sweet and never forgotten God Bless Your Memory what a tale to tell.

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Toni
11/28/2013 11:36:18 pm

Robin,
You are too sweet as always, I'm glad you enjoyed it! XO

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dan
11/28/2013 10:24:07 pm

thanks for the photos toni, spent a lot of time on the greyhound(s) and in the bar, I still talk about your dad, he loved rena borel's pate sandwiches

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Samantha Tarracino gonzalez
11/28/2013 11:34:42 pm

Awesome! Love it!

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Toni
11/28/2013 11:48:21 pm

Thanks Dan,
I sure miss those boats too! I miss fishing desperately. Have a Great coming year and Thank you for reading! And who was Rena?

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Toni
11/28/2013 11:54:33 pm

Love you too Daughter!

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katrina lozier
11/28/2013 11:59:12 pm

that was nice...i love and miss Your dad...i'm sure he is smiling where ever he is now,,,,xoxoxoxo
/

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Toni
11/29/2013 12:23:44 am

Thank you Katrina I'm glad you enjoyed it! We all miss Daddy, but we were lucky to have him!

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Din Allen link
11/29/2013 12:09:00 am

Thanks for these, Toni! Love you all!

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Toni
11/29/2013 01:33:27 am

You are very Welcome Din! We Love You Too! XO

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Will Soto link
11/29/2013 01:45:51 pm

Thanx so much for this history Toni. These fotos/stories fill me with so much joy. Your Dad influenced my life in so many positive ways. I will never forget his voice & stories, his HUGE heart and his rascally ways. I still have my own private conversations w/him. Much love to you and all your family.

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Toni
11/30/2013 06:16:56 am

Thanks you Mr. Will!
I talk to Daddy alot too, and you know how much he and we all love you! Would LOVE to sit with you for however many times it takes to do a blog post on "Save Sunset" don't have the pic's but I bet you do...and I have a pretty long memory

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John Sprague link
12/3/2013 01:20:05 am

Love your stories, Toni. Thanks. We have great memories of your dad. And of Will Soto, who we met on our first trip to Key West about 30 years ago.

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Toni
12/7/2013 12:56:38 am

Why Thank you Mr. John! So glad that this is bringing so many good memories to people! And yes, Will is a sweetheart! XO

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Rebecca link
7/27/2015 11:42:48 pm

I really enjoy reading your stories! And your photos(both new and the old days) are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

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