Category: January

The canals simply drained the fresh water from the oolitic limestone rock walls of the canals. In a period of a few years, the size of the lens was reduced was at least 30%. The vertical height of the lens was also reduced, probably by more than a foot. The seasonal cycle of the increase and decrease of the salinities in the water would be more pronounced with the smaller volume of the fresh water lens. The mosquito ditches also had negative effect, and they helped introduce salt water intrusion into more seasonal fresh water habitats.

In this century, sea level rise has substantially reduced the size of the northern lens. In 1952 the highest parts of the northern oolite ridge were just above 8 feet mean sea level. In 2023, 71 years later, sea level is more than seven inches higher, possibly nine. The mosquito ditches, dug in the late 50s and early 60s, do not have much effect now. Many are under salt water months of the year. Most of the coastal fresh water habitats have transitioned into more permanent brackish habitats.

In the last decade another substantial impact occurred with the construction of The Cudjoe Regional Waste Water project. The trenches that were dug down almost every Big Pine Key street are much larger and deeper than the mosquito ditches. The construction specifications of the ditch were at least 2 feet deep and one foot wide. Koehns Subdivision was one of the first ditch systems dug. The ditches were dug with a machine commonly referred to as a ditch witch. It has a rotary wheel digger, which dug a trench about 18 inches wide and about 4.5 ft deep. The oolitic rock was probably not kind to this machine and it seems to have broken down.

It was replaced with a large excavator, a machine with a bucket about four feet wide and about 4.5 ft long. The trench down Key Deer Blvd was dug with this machine. The ditch was about 5 feet wide and 4-5 feet deep running from Port Pine Heights down the east side of Key Deer Blvd switching over to the west side at Watson Blvd. and continuing to US 1. The ditch on Watson Blvd was as deep and wide and ran along the south edge of the road. During the construction it was a salt water canal running from east of Key Deer Blvd almost to Palm Villas. The limestone rock excavated from the trenches were hauled to several spots on Big Pine and Ramrod. After the sewer pipe was installed, the fill was replaced with quarter inch rock. A fine gravel, I presume to make it easier to excavate, if repairs are needed.

It is safe to assume that the trenches in many places, would allow salt water intrusion in dry times.

You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands. For instance, if they’re around your throat she’s probably upset.

Major Van Zandt relates how an outfit of cattle drovers camped one night southwest of the city, purchased a liberal supply of provisions at a store and paid for the articles with a glistening twenty-dollar gold piece. The overjoyed storekeeper rode to town and paid his family physician. The physician then rushed across the street to pay his overdue grocery bill. The valuable coin chased about the village during the day, paid over $200 in debts and in the evening came back to the original storekeeper in payment of some hay he had previously sold.

Then it was deposited in the bank for safekeeping, where it served as gold reserve for several days. This incident convinced Major Van Zandt of the value of sound money and safe banks.
This should teach us that money spent locally, stays in the community.

Charles C. Ebetts was the mind behind “Lunch atop a Skyscraper”, one of the most famous photos of the 20th century

Thank heavens the Keystone pipeline is open again after suffering the largest oil spill in over a decade.

[Inflation] There are still deals. I saw a 65” flat panel TV at Target for only $300.

Hundreds of Cuban migrants head to Key West after landing in  the Florida Keys. Video

Last week gas was only $2.85 in Tavernier Creek by the big boat dealer. Why do we pay almost a dollar more down here?