In Key West, they really don’t need much to throw a party. Take for example something as simple as the sun setting in the distance. But in Key West, as you can see, this is no ordinary sunset. Can you imagine living in a place that almost every night you get to see something as glorious as the shot above?  The conchs, Key West natives, realize how lucky they are and celebrate it every night with a sunset festival. This festival is held pretty much every night on the water front at Mallory Square.  People from all over the world come to bask in this glorious event. The place gets packed from end to end with people jockeying to get that perfect spot, mostly it is a very friendly affair. Of course much of the happiness comes from some sort of alcoholic beverage, my choice always has some form of rum in it. As the festivities get underway and the skies start turning every color of the rainbow, in come the schooners and cutty sark sailboats. At the peak of the sunset, they can be found posing for pictures out in the gulf. They become silhouettes against the golden orb of the sun as it drops into the seas.  Before, during and after there is this carnival type atmosphere with every type of street performer you could imagine.  Tight rope walkers, jugglers (one of them juggling running chainsaws, fire eaters , giant stilt walkers, robot dudes, etc..  Hungry, how about a shrimp skewer for a buck?  You can find just about anything you could want to drink or eat on the square. You could also drop some coin on some of the handmade arts and craft that are all Key West. I have enjoyed this wonderous event at least 10 times in the last 10 years and it gets better every single time. If you have not been there and done that, you need to put it on your bucket list.  I hope you enjoy the photo as much as I did taking it.

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The beautiful dexterous Iris. Not only one of the most beautiful flowering plants on the planet, it is also one of the most versatile. It takes its name from the Greek word for rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. There are over 260 species of Iris and they are found throughout the world.  In additiona to their beauty, parts of the plants are used for many purposes including:   - Source of the anti-cancer principle Irisquinone effective against U14 and Lymph sarcoma and some other cancers   - The roots of some species are used for water purification   -Rhizomes of the German Iris and Sweet Iris are traded as orris root and are used in perfume and medicine, though more common in ancient times than today. Today Iris essential oil (absolute) from flowers are sometimes used in aromatherapy as sedative medicines. The dried rhizomes are also given whole to babies to help in teething. Gin brands such as Bombay Sapphire and Magellan Gin use orris root and sometimes iris flowers for flavor and color.   - The yellow fleur-de-lis reflects the Yellow Iris, common in Western Europe. Contemporary uses can be seen in the Quebec flag and the logo of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team, and on the flag of Saint Louis, Missouri.   - The red fleur-de-lis is the coat-of-arms of Florence (Italy)   -The Purple Iris is the State Flower of Tennessee   As you can see the Iris is much more than just a pretty face.  I am not an Iris expert, but they are first flowers I look for when I visit new botanical gardens.  Their beauty (and usefullness) is unsurpassed in the flower kingdom.
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