Polar Bear Plunge

February 6, 2020









Carol



Polar Bear Plunge

The annual Polar Bear Plunge happens in many cities across the country. Generally they pick what is certainly one of the coldest days of the year and hearty souls leap into the frigid water as part of an annual ritual of silliness and craziness. Here in Key West, Samuels House, a nonprofit that provides safe haven to women and families has hosted an annual island version of the Polar Bear plunge each year as a fundraising effort for their good work.

Justine and Gil



Johnny









For the past few years, it has been my pleasure to join a couple of hundred intrepid souls at Higgs Beach next to Salute restaurant for the annual Key West version. It may seem silly since Key West rarely sees anything approaching the frozen climes of the locales of the vast majority of polar bear plunges, but everything is relative and temperatures in the mid-sixties this year actually felt plenty cold to myself and the other brave or foolish souls who participated.









Held at the crack of noon every year on Super Bowl Sunday, the annual event attracts a decent crowd on the Sunday afternoon and though Sunny and seemingly beautiful, there was a chill in the air and a pretty stiff breeze that really did make it seem pretty polar. It is all for a good cause, as many of the most fun events in Key West are and I had a good time rushing into the Atlantic as the noon horn sounded.













This was really a great week all around, as I had friends in town both for the Mile 0 Festival, which concluded this week as well as our friends Reverend and Breezy who spend a month or so in Key West each year on vacation while taking a break from their near constant touring with their band Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. The crossover of friends visiting lead to a really special sunset sail aboard the catamaran,.”Argo Navis” which was captained by my friend Andy.

With Reverend Peyton and Kerry







Carter



After an afternoon show as part of the Mile 0 fest, our friend Carter Sampson and the band the Red Dirt Rangers as well my friends, visiting from Colorado, Kerry and Liz and Reverend and Breezy all gathered to take a wonderful sunset cruise about the massive and beautiful catamaran. It was a beautiful night for sailing and we had an amazing time. Andy let us take turns driving the boat, which was especially cool for our friends from landlocked Oklahoma.

Breezy, Reverend and Kerry











The Mile 0 Festival wrapped up with a set from one of our favorite performers and a frequent visitor to Key West, the iconic Texas bard, Robert Earl Keen. Keen has been playing every year for years at the Key West Songwriter’s Festival held early each May and he loves coming to play here in Key West. It was his first appearance at the Mile 0 Festival and his first at the Key West Amphitheater. Generally he plays here solo with just an acoustic guitar or as part of a showcase with other songwriters, so the chance to get to see a full headlining set with his full band was a welcome addition and a great way to close out the main stage at the festival.







The show was pretty damn good as Keen played a set full of most of his most beloved songs and many of my favorites. It was really the only set of the festival where we took full use of our VIP tickets, grabbing a spot close to the stage and enjoying what was a pretty much perfect weather night and a wonderful set of music. I am ready to renew my Mile 0 Festival tickets already, it is so cool to have such an awesome event right here in our own backyard.



Robert Earl Keen





Of all the amazing things this week, perhaps the best day of the week was when our good friends Kerry and Shanda spent an amazing afternoon just hanging out in our living room. I have known them each for almost 30 years and they have been in that time some of the closest and best friends that I have had the good fortune to have and the chance to just sit, hand out, recall amazing old memories while creating new ones was something that I truly treasure. We are so fortunate to live in a community with some amazing people and it is one of the reasons that I love living in Key West so much and these two incredible women are prime examples of what makes this place so special.

With Shanda and Kerry







Shanda



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