pigeon key

on monday, steve and i decided to visit pigeon key. this is where over 400 men were housed (in platform tents, mostly!) to work on the overseas railroad that henry flagler started in 1905. one can get to pigeon key by boat, bike, or foot. we chose bikes, since we had carted them all the way down in the back of the truck. it's a two mile stretch of the old seven-mile bridge, which is part of the old roadbed created OVER the railroad, after the 1935 hurricane. whew! so, we mounted our trusty bikes (these are great beach bikes,,high handlebars, fat tires, one speed, no fancy skinny-tire bicycles for us)and took off on the two miles to pigeon key. it was a wonderful ride, and it passed very quickly, since the strong wind was at our backs. oh, we thought we were just awesome bikers. little did we know what was ahead on the return ride! anyway....we got to pigeon key, and were met by a whizzened (?) older lady who had just started her very casual tour of the place. she spoke with an austrian or german accent, and her face and body told the story of her many years in sun and wind. to be continued........