So proudly he waves

We were about to check out at Home Depot, with a length of chain for the chandelier, when a little old Conch, who came up to about the middle of my T-shirt, walked toward me with his finger pointed at my chest.

"I designed that flag," he said, breaking into a twinkly smile.

I was thrilled finally to meet Claude Valdez, who designed the flag of the City of Key West in 1967. It was revised to reflect the creation of the Conch Republic during our Secession of 1982.

Valdez is a delightful guy, and didn't seem to mind a bit that the bright blue of my shirt had aged to blue-gray.

Indeed, he said, "Are you guys parked in the parking lot?" I assured him we were. "Meet me there."

We followed him to his white Caddy. He opened the trunk, pulled out a CR license plate and presented it to us with a happy handshake.