The Long Ago Good Friday

 THE LONG AGO GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday fell on April 19th in the year 1957. It was the Good Friday I will never forget. i was ten years old. My dad arrived home late that night and walked in the front door with a box in his hands. He said something like "Son come here." He called me "son" a lot. I wonder if other guys who grew up in the 1950s got called "son" as well.

I approached him and looked inside the box not having any suspicion of what might be in there. Four years earlier he pulled a similar maneuver on New Year's Eve. On that date he was wearing his grey overcoat. He called me to come toward him when he pulled a tiny black cocker spaniel out from the right front pocket of his overcoat. You see New Year's Day was my birthday and the puppy was my birthday gift. I remember squealing with delight.

So four years and four months later what could this man have in the box?  It wasn't a dog, of that I was pretty sure. I listened for noise and heard nothing. I walked forward and looked down inside. It was a tiny yellow baby duck and a tiny white bunny rabbit, that's what it was. My mother looked as well. I am sure she had no idea what my dad was doing.

My dad asked me to give them names. That was easy. Back in the 1950s I watched reruns of old movie cartoons. One of my favorites was Popeye. So I naturally called the duck Sweet Pea after the orphan Popeye and Olive Oyl took care of. And naturally the bunny had to be called Bugs. I never knew the sex of either animal but always assumed that Bugs was a boy and that Sweet Pea was a girl.

The following day my dad and I created a little home for Bugs and Sweet Pea in our garage. As I write this I recalled that it snowed that weekend. We couldn't put these tiny little creatures out in the snow.

It was probably the next weekend when I helped my dad construct a coop at the far end of the backyard. We built an enclosure that was maybe four by four by three feet tall - just u a bit under the height of our white picket fence. We used galvanized mesh hexagonal poultry netting (Google found this for me). My dad made a little door so that I could let Bugs and Sweet Pea out for a walk around the yard.

I always found some way to make money. I wrote a blog retelling about my sales skills as a little kid. I also shoveled snow in the winter and did work around old ladies houses in the summer. Old ladies liked me. They still do. Anyway, I got my finances together and walked to the lumberyard  that was located near 38th and Sheridan. I bought a big bag of cement. I put it in my wagon and returned to the backyard where I had previously dug a hole. I mixed the cement and patted it to the form of the hole hoping to create a swimming pond for Sweet Pea. NEWS FLASH! It did not work. It did not hold water. But I tried.

I had to help Sweet Pea be a duck out of water. I regularly gave her a shower with the garden hose. She would flap her wings and sing QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! She loved the garden hose.

In addition to the covered patio we had a rock garden, a vegetable garden, three gooseberry bushes, a cherry tree, an apple tree, and a lot of grass all of which were contained inside our backyard bounded by the house on one side, a neighboring galvanized fence to the north, and our white picket fence on the east and south sides. Sweet Pea was as happy as any orphaned duck could be inside that yard or even in her coop. Bugs was a rascal, however. He escaped through the picket fence one too many times and I never saw him again.

If there was ever any doubt about what I would be when I grew up, any reasonable adult would have figured it out when they would see me and Sweet Pea go for a walk. I wrapped Sweet Pea's body with a remnant of my mother's red apron. I loosely put a piece of string around her neck which became a sort of leash. We would walk around the block. She loved it! She was like a dog looking out the window of a moving car. Taking it all in.

When fall came I realized that really cold weather and snow would soon follow. I knew that my best friend's grandparents owned a farm. I asked him if they would like to take Sweet Pea to live on their farm. They agreed and stopped by my house to pick up my pet duck. I gave them Sweet Pea. I don't recall crying or anything like that. It was best that she go live on a farm with the other farm animals. It was her time, long ago.

800 Fleming Street Unit B-2 - The William Fleming House - Key West

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The above photo of the William Fleming House located at 800 Fleming Street in Old Town Key West was taken in 1986. You can see a klieg light in the foreground. The movie Russkies was filmed in Key West in late 1986. A lot of locals got to be a part of the production crew in that film. The photos below show the building in earlier years that lead up to the conversion of the mercantile building when it was converted into condominiums. As you look at the old photos you see that the building w as brick clad. During the renovation wood siding was added along with wrap-around balconies. Those balconies provide lots of exterior space for the owners to enjoy their homes and to watch the world go by. The balconies on the south side overlook the large and sunny pool not visible from the street.

 I wonder if our Historic Architectural Review Commission would allow such a change to a building like this today. It's purely speculative as the building is what it is. And it looks great. You cannot beat the convenient location right in the very heart of Old Town. It's an easy walk to Duval Street and the Historic Seaport.

800 Fleming Street Unit No. B-2 is  located on the south side and faces the swimming pool.  The interior photos below show the unit has Dade County Pine walls and ceiling which is trimmed with crown molding. The ceiling is 14 feet high. Clerestory windows provide additional light above the French doors that open out to the sunny  balcony. This unit has two bedrooms, two baths, the spacious living room, kitchen, and there is even a small loft located just to the side of the living room. The loft space is visible in the photo below.

One of the surprising features of the William Fleming House condos is the large pool located just south of the building. The pool has sun throughout the day.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 800 Fleming Street Unit B-2 which is offered for sale at $895,000. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this very well located and sought after address. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

225 Petronia Street, Key West - Investment Property

Just listed - 225 Petronia Street. This commercial/residential  property is located two blocks west of Duval Street at the corner of Thomas Street in Key West. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Fantastic potential for this large property in Bahama Village. One of the premier commercial locations in the area. Across from Blue Heaven, La Creperie and Johnson's Grocery; just hard to find a better location on what is proposed to be the entrance street to the waterfront at Truman annex."

I looked in my old shoebox and found a photo of this same building that was taken back in 1965. The black and white photo shows an adjacent building located to the right. That building which appears to be a single family residence no longer exists. The empty space is now used as parking for the building at 225 Petronia Street. I checked the Monroe County Property Appraiser's files and learned that the CBS (concrete block structure) was built in 1953 and has 2156 sq ft. of mixed-use space. In One Era Antiques is the current tenant in the commercial space. The balance of the building is residential. The 5292 sq ft lot has 98 feet frontage on Petronia Street and 54 feet frontage on Thomas Street. There is gated and fenced parking on the Thomas Street side.

I found a second photo also taken in the 1960s that shows Bop Brown's Jazzy Spot which was previously numbered as 225 Petronia Street. That building was razed and expanded or incorporated into the current CBS building.  

Frequent readers may recall that I wrote about nearby 221 Petronia Street (above photo) when it was offered for sale in mid January. That fire ridden building just sold for $460,000 cash. I think it equally possible that the 221 Petronia Street property might be razed and rebuilt or that it might be renovated into commercial usage. The Firefly Restaurant is located between 221 and 225 Petronia Street. CLICK  HERE to view more photos of the area.

The listing agent believes the current CBS building  at 225 Petronia Street can be razed and a new mixed use building could be built in its place similar to what was constructed across the street at 300 Petronia where La Creperie is now located. I found two photos of the previous smaller commercial building at 300 Petronia which was razed to make way for the current 2 1/2 story building. The new building has commercial space down and two apartments on the second level plus two off street parking spots. The 300 Petronia Street lot is 4,433sq ft or 861 sq ft small than the parcel at 225 Petronia St.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on 225 Petronia Street. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

1201 Pearl Street, Key West - Bank Owned

The newly listed Bank Owned property at 1201 Pearl Street in Key West will surely attract a lot of attention and for good reason.  The house was updated about 20 years ago when the interiors were remodeled, kitchen and baths updated, and pool added. There is off street parking for two cars. And it is located near schools and Bayview Park. Asking just $480,000.

I found 1201 Pearl Street on the 1912 Sanborn Fire Map for Key West. The prior additions neglected this area. That means the house existed as of 1912 but could have built much earlier. I also found of the house taken fifty years ago. The photo is faded and looks more like it was taken a hundred years ago. At first glance you may think I got the photo mixed-up with some other property. Taint the case. The front entry was flipped from the right side to the left. The steps to the front porch are still located in the same place. A privacy screen was added to the left side of the porch. The jalousie windows have been replaced. The 1950s ear carport was nixed and that area was enclosed to provide privacy for the new pool.

The listing Realtor, not me, describes this two bedroom two bath home this way:

"Great 2/2 single family home with a private pool. Large great room with cathedral ceilings and skylights. One bedroom and full bath upstairs with lots of storage. Open kitchen with washer and dryer area. French doors overlooking private yard and pool. Fully fenced corner lot. Midtown location close to schools, shopping and beaches."

The original house was totally reconfigured during the renovation and expansion that occurred in 1995-1996.  The entry was relocated to the left side of the house where the hall leads past the front bedroom and bath to the new great room and kitchen at the rear. Midway there is new stairway that leads up and back towards the front of the original house. There is now a full bedroom and bath on this level. The old metal louver shutter seen in the black and white photo above still opens out to view Pearl Street below.

A new V-crimp roof and all new windows and doors were added throughout this house during the renovation. Double sets of French doors open out the deck and pool area. The garden area is now overgrown. As I stood taking photos I could tell the former owners had taken good care of this house and must have loved the outdoor space. CLICK HERE to see all the photos I took of this property.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on 1201 Pearl Street located two houses away from the famous Rose Tattoo House and around the corner from the former home of Tennessee Williams. After you have looked at the listing info, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.