A Parting Shot

Mike Mongo here. I am interupting your previously scheduled blogger to bring you this photo, one of the most recent (and therefore one of the last) of Captain Outrageous.

The reason that I am filling in is, well, because everyone is considerably weepy about the whole death thing, which I suppose is understandable, but we are talking about Captain O here, so I get a little miffed-slash-exasperated by all the outpouring of well-meaning (but misplaced) emotion.

See, Captain is my favorite artist on Key West Island. It's his sense of humor, a sure sign of intelligence in my book. That sense of humor is found in his art, all over it, as a matter of fact, and it was found throughout his life.

I hear all kinds of good story's about Captain now, even more than I heard before. He picked me as his heir apparent, but even if he hadn't, he taught me as me a peer, a collegue, and now, seeing as he's gone and all, that means a lot.

But this picture Theo took, after he and Diane went to visit Cat first I thought it was just so-so. But now that I have had the opportunity to give it the once over, I think it is falt-out great.

Just look at the eyes. The glasses' lenses are reflecting light, but go in close, and you can see for yourself Outrageous's eyes. Clear. Lucid. Electric. Like his art.

And his art, he's surrounded by it. In this photo, there is no separation of art and artist. The reflections of light from the guitar, from his glasses. The pictures on the wall. The man. Suspenders. It's all just Vonnegut enough to laugh. You know, Bluebeard.

Outrageous spent a lot of time here at CP. He just did. In the afternoons mostly, around 4:30 or 5 PM. And he was everybit of a character as everyone is now reading about all over the world. Only it was here and it was live. For me, it was better than extra innings, it was the further unfolding of a kindred spirit. It was like the 3rd upgrade I had seen of the man in just five years time. It was like 21st Century Outrageous 3.0!

And that's it. Outrageous was here, and is as much a solid chunk of this coffee shop as anywhere he had ever been in Key West. And the coolest thing about that?

He consciously selected The Coffee Plantation for the addition of a late-inning sub-plot to the ongoing epic which was The Artist Known As Captain Outrageous.

...we now return you to your previously scheduled blogger, already in progress. "Ciào!"

Captain Outrageous

The Solares hill, (a local weekly newspaper) printed the words this morning that I have been looking for the whole week

It was so strange. It was outrageous.
Not only the life and sudden dead of Captain Outrageous (both powerful strange) but the New Orleans style funeral march that grew so gloriously into a street fest drawing at least 200 of his friends.
The Captain himself, who had an ego no less monstrous than yours or mine, would have been stunned to see such joyous lamentation.
What other local artist has dared to dream of such a send-off, let alone get one.
In [Captain Outrageous'] own words:

Life's journey is not
to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved form but
rather to skid sideways
totally worn out,shouting:
Holy shit what a ride!

Procession for Captain Outrageous

Whats behind the red Hummer?

Once in a while or when your lucky, you find the Coffee Plantation visible from the street...
When your lucky.
There's that moment when my neighbors red hummer is being taken out for It's annual drive around around the block.
Look at this Coffee Shop, look at these beautiful flowers, as you can see we have a comfortable veranda with beautiful flowering window boxes.
A great place to check your emails, drink a coffee, or enjoy one of our lite bites.