Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts

Saturday, June 13, 2026

The other side.

 It's nice to occasionally stop to observe how the other side lives.

That's exactly what I did when I got a good deal from Grupon on a Ft. Lauderdale tour on the scenic waterway, dubbed the "Venice of America." 

Fort Lauderdale is reputed to be the yatching capital of the world, based on the number of super-yachts registered there.

I love the water and this city has lots, for the Intercoastal Waterway (man made) is a 3,000 mile navigation channel running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. 

It can take you inland from Massachusetts through Florida to Brownsville at the Mexican border.

It's on the banks of this waterway in Florida that some of the world's super rich build a few of their holiday homes, parking their super-yachts out front.

I love the sculptors outside this mansion.

This was once owned by the fake tv psychic  who called herself "Miss Cleo. " She went to jail for tax evasion and government seized and sold her home. 

Houses here normally range from $30 million up. A residential, empty, open lot in the area just sold from $53 million!


A sand bank where people can park their boats and swim in shallow water.



This 375 foot super-yacht which has a helicopter pad, cost a $325 million. It's owned by a Japanese billionaire but has only 18 cabins and a crew of 36!

It  carries a large fishing boat in the center back!

The front view.

The Waterway is so busy that the Ft. Lauderdale bridge opens up every half hour to let boats go through. 



Tourism in general is down though, mainly  because Trump has alienated  the Canadians who had usually flooded Florida for their vacations.

The beaches are relatively empty.

Its so empty that many life guards are not needed anymore.
 
The waterway is busy though with all sorts of contraptions moving around.


The yellow boat is the
  water taxi that services Ft. LAUDERDALE.


Our little tour boat


Colorful pedestrian bridge 





I love being out on the water, so always enjoy the Intercoastal treks. However my big annual event is going home to catch me some big fish.🎣

Can barely wait till next month.

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Reflections on 80.

 The thing about life is that we never know how long we will retain our memory. That is why I am so happy I started this blog about quarter  century ago and record almost everything. (Wish blogs were invented long before though.)

I was reflecting on becoming 80 which sounded so remote up to a week ago.

 But now I will soon move away from that landmark and end up where I wonder?

This is why I am saving these pics to remind me of all who helped me celeberate, from nearby Plantation and Lauderhill to distant Sebring  all in Florida. 

Last year I had big plans with friends to go on a cruise around sections of Southern Africa from Mauritius to Cape Town in 2026, to celebrate this milestone. However, my heart objected, informing me that I have to stay close my cardiologist.

So,  I will be finishing off the celebration next month with my immediate family, on a cruise in the the nearby Caribbean. (Some have school till June).

It is what it is.

To get the celebrations going, we started started in Plantation where my good friend Carolyn hosted a wonderful dominoes session.

 (https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2026/05/dominoes-forever.html)

Horace, Carolyn,  uncle Lesly, uncle Ruddy, Hollden at dominoes on my birthday. 

Then it was off  to lunch with my Trini friend Helena.

Not only was the Trini curry goat delicious,  but I have to thank Helena for reomtroducing me to Indian food. For you see, I was in Sri Lanka exactly a year ago, and while it was a great experience,  there they not only curry almost everything,  but the hot spices nearly killed me!🤢. 

I had never met hotter peppers in my life and thus I swore off curry.

But the Trini version was a delicious, gentle reminder that not all curry is hot and my once favorite roti, bussup shut, was most welcome.

Bussup shut.

Next we finished off the celebrations in Sebring where Camille and I drove to,  to spend the long weekend  with my lifelong, bosom friend  Sunshine and my extended family.

Thr Golden girls aka the scrabble ginigogs😁

The octogenerian.


Today (23rd) is Givannis birthday, but that makes him a Gemini, not a great Taurean😁. 

 He turns 13.



Yep it was great to get out of the city and hang around with more "family."❣️💕


Cardiff is extra special too for athough he was born an Adventist so pork has never touched his mouth, he had no problem seasoning and cooking the most delicious pork shoulder for me.😄.

Big up Cardiff.


It was so well seasoned, soft and delicious that I even had some for breakfast next day!
















It's been a great 80th celebration.

On to the next big landmark.😉



Sunday, April 26, 2026

Bad luck and obeah.

 It's really true, bad luck really wussa dan obeah.😡 

How do I know? Because, obeah only works if you believe in it but bad luck jus bad.

My experience with obeah happened many decades ago before disposable razors were invented. I was then a weekly columnist with a leading  newspaper and one day, an innocuous looking letter arrived at my home in a small white envelope. No return address

When I opened it, it had in nothing but a shiny, brand new razor blade with a long black strand of hair wrapped around it. No letter or note inside. 

Right away  I realized it must be some attempt at obeah sent by someone who was upset about something I had written. (I regularly got abusive, dissenting mail!)

As I don't believe in obeah, I screwed the blade into my razor and used it several times to shave my leg. Naturally nothing happened as if you are an unbeliever, obeah is ineffective.😁.

On the other hand, I have never had such a string of medical bad luck in my decades on this planet, than over the past week.

I had traveled from my home in Florida to Denver, Colorado, (mile high city) to attend my daughter's award ceremony when a string of medical problems just tek set pon mi.

It all started the day after I arrived, with a front tooth under a bridge breaking and the bridge fell out. 

Well yu know, panic set in as there is no way I cudda smile or tek a picture with missing front teet.😭.

Long story short, I googled dentists nearby and luckily found Dr. Kevin Smith.

He was a godsend, quickly removing the offending tooth, stuffing the bone section under the gum so it wouldn't heal out of shape, then he sutured the gum. He then gave me a prescription for an antibiotic to enhance rapid healing.

I never felt a thing. He was really great but you know it cost an arm and a leg.

How can one survive in the USA without credit cards?

Feeling on top of the world after Dr. Smith's intervention.

Anyway after looking in the mirror I walked to Walgreens across the road to fill the prescription then headed home feeling on top of the world on the sunny  spring morning.

The owner tends her tulips for spring

Well massa dats when the rest of di bad luck chip in. 

I dont know if it was at the pharmacy or the dentist office that I picked up the flu virus.

 Yes, that same wicked one, because for the next three days it was pure chills, no energy and fever. 

Tell you the truth, mi nuh know if it was really the virus, for yu know Denver is called mile high, as its more than 5280 feet above sea level.

Well, when yu get old, all dem little things matter, for according to the experts, the high altitude and thinner air can exaberate pre-existing heart issues, cause fatigue and rapid dehydration.

 Well massa, it look like I got the whole shebang for I was sick like a dawg for the next three days, despite swallowing every drug I could lay my hands on at home and even from the pharmacy.

Fortunately, on the evening of the award ceremony I was feeling much better so happily attended.

That was my whole reason for going to Denver anyway and I was proud as a mother hen and had a great time. 


But the bad luck wasn't finished with me yet, for that night a piece a belly ache and belly works land pon mi yu si!😡

Long story short, I searched down the house next day and found some Pepto Bismal which did the trick and had one whole good day after that.

Its really great to descend from the mile high though and return home. 

I don't see myself heading that way again anytime soon.

Despite all the crosses, I am happy that I was able to make it to the award ceremony though.😊

Keep soaring Michele.


Link: https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2026/04/living-her-dream.html?m=1.


Thursday, December 25, 2025

Climate change, but Merry Christmas 🎄.

 If you want to know if climate change is real, visit Colorado. For recently they have been having more or less, the same temperatures as Florida!


I still can't believe I lugged with all my winter gear across half of the North American continent to enjoy a white Christmas with my family, only to encounter this 🫢.



Instead of snow covered lawns and trees, above is a sample of what I encountered, leafless trees and dry brown grass.

No snow.

Even when you look up at the the Rocky Mountains in the distance, you see large exposed areas without snow.

 I hear that to accommodate skiers, they have more than 100 snow making machines running full time in places like Vail and Breckenridge, but because the sun is so hot, it's melting at a rapid rate.

Yup. Two things are certain: 1) global warming is real and 2)  Santa certainly didn't travel here by sleigh last night to deliver presents 🎁🎁🎁🌲🎄!









Anyway, hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas 🎄 and 2026 will bring you lots of happiness, success and good health.♥️

https://youtu.be/eEOeaVpv3s4?si=YEG48gBfpYCC8WFg


Ps. The article below is about concerns Coloradans are having a out climate change.  

https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/denver-colorado-record-high-temperature-christmas/