Like many people Around Here, Babs Young takes a little bit of northern Michigan with her every time she goes to Florida–which is another thing a lot of people do in February. Not everyone, of course. Not Miss Sadie. Not the Cowboy. Not I.
Babs writes: Blue Heaven is both on Torch Lake and in Key West. It’s a restaurant down here and one of my favorites. (She has also admitted in a separate communication that the restaurant serves the occasional little piece of Key Lime Pie. Imagine that.)
Blue Heaven restaurant, Key West – Photo by Babs Young
If you inspect the photo closely you will notice something interesting. There is a little sign that says “Dog Entrance.”
Blue Heaven restaurant, Key West – detail, Dog Entrance – Photo by Babs Young
You can bet that Miss Sadie and the Cowboy noticed it. Once again they suspect that they may have made bad choices with respect to Owner.
I am going to take them for a nice walk. It is sunny out there. Wish me luck.
Yeah, this is better than Key West. Sure it is. What d’ya think, can we make a break for it? How far can it be to Key West anyway?
Torch Lake Views 
tootlepedal
March 7, 2016
Sunshine just dries your skin out most terribly. It is best avoided.
Gerry
March 7, 2016
We say that a lot Around Here. Sometimes we say things that are . . . of questionable truthiness.
tootlepedal
March 8, 2016
I just heard that about warm sunshine. It’s so long since we saw any that I have forgotten what it is really like.
Martha J
March 7, 2016
any place that will allow dogs in is a good place in my book.
Gerry
March 7, 2016
Miss Sadie and the Cowboy could not agree more. I’m going to hazard a guess that Hecate and Selene, feline companions of our Babs, are less enthusiastic. However, they are safely at home in Blue Heaven north.
WOL
March 8, 2016
A restaurant named “Blue Heaven” that’ll slip you a slice of Key Lime and lets you bring your canine companion. Sounds perfect to me. There’s a lot to be said for Florida, most of it true.
Gerry
March 8, 2016
Someday I must write a post about visiting my paternal grandfather in Naples before it was . . . Naples. The Florida I remember best was full of flamingos and a sea of long grasses and little cottages with citrus trees in the back yard and a long, long, white sand beach where it was possible to walk for miles or just to sit and watch the rollers on the Gulf of Mexico. (Of course I was not there when the rollers turned bad-tempered and the winds howled and the Gulf of Mexico filled Grampa Bill’s little white cottage with muddy swamp water halfway to the ceiling.) Amazing place, Florida.
uphilldowndale
March 8, 2016
A leisurely lunch, in such a place, with good company and the duo, is very appealing.
Gerry
March 8, 2016
“Leisurely” and “the duo” in one sentence. Conceptually appealing!
Karma
March 8, 2016
Make do we must, those of us not in Blue Heaven or Key West. However, it did reach 60 degrees here tomorrow, and 70 is promised for tomorrow! Surely only a tease of temperatures to come, Mama Nature being the temptress she is, but Teddy and I made the most of it today with a satifying walk.
Gerry
March 8, 2016
We’ve had a very springlike day today, too. So now of course we’re worrying that the cherries might burst into bloom prematurely, which is one of the worst things that could happen Around Here.
shoreacres
March 8, 2016
I think I remember reports of an early blooming a couple of years ago. Maybe three. I must have read about it on your blog, bulletins about the state of Michigan fruit crops not being above the fold around here.
I loved Key West. I was cruising at the time, and the best things for me were Cuban coffee and food, watching the sunrise from the boat, and coming into town before most people were up, just to wander the streets. Here’s a wonderful video made up of Jimmy Buffet’s “Havana Daydreamin'” and photos of Hemingway. It brings back a lot of memories, for sure.
Gerry
March 8, 2016
You might well have read about early bloom followed by dreadful frost right here (Stubborn optimism). It has happened three times that I remember during my tenure here and none of us would mind if it never happened again.
shoreacres
March 8, 2016
That’s precisely our attitude toward hurricanes.
Gerry
March 8, 2016
I liked the Hemingway tribute/Jimmy Buffet song. Thank you for that, too.
Sharon Branson
March 10, 2016
Oh my, mile high Key Lime Pie, that is what we had for dessert last year about this time when we stayed at Key West for a week with friends. We also visited Chuck and Bobbie Martin, who live there in winter months. This was a very very fun place to have lunch, just beautiful with all the flowers around and YES, there were several dogs lying closly at the feet of patrons. I’m enjoying your forum very much.
Gerry
March 10, 2016
Thank you Sharon – I enjoy providing the forum too!
Maybe we should create a dog-friendly Key West North in the township. Hmmm.