David versus Goliath?

David versus Goliath was the first thought that entered my mind as we drove into the parking lot by  Café Cita on the beach in Hallandale Beach. 

 For there it was dwarfed by those monstrous high rises!

La Cita (blue building in center) dwarfed by high rises

I have never been to this place before or even to Hallandale Beach, but when our new friend Rosa from Guatemala who we had met on a recent camping trip, suggested we get together, Sonja picked this spot. 

Campers and friends

And it was perfect. 

Here was this little café on the beach, surrounded by huge high-rise apartments.

I have seen many sob movies about little establishments rejecting offers to be bought out by huge corporations who want to swallow them up in the interest of development. 

Some even use dirty tricks in these movies. 

That’s my David versus Goliath scenario!

I have no idea if it is so in this case, but that was the first thought that crossed my mind.

It’s a nice little place. Not elaborate dining but it has everything you could want if you are going to the nearby beach.

And what we ordered, tasted good.

The South City Beach Park establishment led by Mayor Joy Cooper and her deputies, could do the public a favor by organizing proper and regular cleaning of the restroom next door however. 

They have been quick to put up their plaque promoting their existence, but wouldn’t it be better if they concentrated on organizing to keep the public facility in good condition, wouldn’t you say?

For it is right beside this nice little 'food place 😡

But back to la Cita.

The service is a bit slow but it is understandable as only one gentleman was inside doing everything.

He also expanded my knowledge in a big way.

It was Sonja who asked him why the palm trees had metal strips around the trunk, and the explanation was most welcome.

For he told us that it was to keep the iguanas out of the trees!

I celebrate anyone who will keep iguanas at bay.

For, if it is one thing I hate, it is lizards.

 Big lizards, little lizards, all lizards.

 They make my skin crawl. Yuk.

Can you also imagine if he hadn’t put that metal around the trunk of the tree and an iguana had climbed up and fallen out of the tree near us! 

Or worse, if its feces had fallen out the and landed on our table! 

That would for me, have been a fate worse than death. 

So, I was happy the operator of Cafe Cita saved us from that possibility. 

I did find the little curled up tail lizards hanging around for food, a bit too friendly for my liking. 

And they wouldn’t move when I tried to shoo them away.😡

In front of the café is the beach and its ok as Florida beaches go.

Cold and rough.

You probably don’t know my bias, but coming from Jamaica, my standards are super-high when it comes to beaches.

So, I am not too impressed with Florida’s beaches and have only ever entered one!

But Cafe Cita by Hallandale Beach is a nice place to hang out with friends.

                                                  FOND MEMORIES

I’m moving!

Having to move house, has always been one of the most unnerving and discombobulating activities. And it doesn’t get any easier just because one gets older and more experienced.

Well, this time it won’t be so bad as I am simply moving from one apartment block to another within the same complex.

And where I am going will be better as I will have far more room.

But I  am going to miss the fantastic view from my bedroom window terribly.😢

Look at this night view from my window.

And this is the morning view.

This below is what I will be looking at from now on.

I know, it dosen’t look so bad but its just that I had gotten so accustomed to looking at the beautiful open space with the birds enjoying themselves.

Anyway, I mustn’t complain too much for I do live beside a well-kept golf course which I treat as my backyard.

I love walking around it in the afternoons and seeing the families of ducks, geese, and occasionally sand cranes, egrets and even racoons.

 It’s the damn iguanas that I don’t like seeing

While I get close to the birds and even feed and talk to them, the raccoons are a different story as they are said to have rabies.

I am especially impressed by ganders. They are such great fathers as they stay with the family until the children can fly and become independent. I wish most human fathers were like that! It’s also inspiring to see them all take off together and soar while hooting loudly, when the young ones are learning to fly.

The drakes are not as responsible and what I notice is that because the ducklings are smaller and there is no father around to protect them, they tend to be eaten quickly by the predators. On the other hand, ganders make loud noises, look fierce and stand their ground when you approach their babies!🤗

 The mommy duck usually tries a version of that but she is too small to really protect the ducklings though.😢

.             I have no idea whether it’s the raccoons who eat them or if its gators in the ponds. I have been looking for five years to see if gators are in the water but have never been fortunate/unfortunate enough to see one. 

But I feel they are around!

I have a feeling the racoons are quite fierce too.

 A few days ago, as I walked I saw a mom and two babies drinking water from a puddle in the road. As I approached, the kids ran away quickly but the mom got her hackles up. So, I stopped and she eventually ran to join her kids up in a nearby tree.

Moving won’t really take me away from the general environment and the animals I have become accustomed to. All I am really losing is my room with the view. Still sad but what the heck. 

Love the general environment.

And the upside is that I will be moving from an over 55 block to a regular block. 

That means I am getting younger.😊

 

My friend Yogi

I had always hated snakes. Not because any had done me any harm but I guess because the Bible had been drilled into my head as a child and you know, the snake and poor Eve had been blamed for all the 

troubles in the world.

In reality though, many snakes are very dangerous and should be carefully avoided.

However, around ten years ago, I met a wonderful young man named

Mark.                                                                                                               

                Mark and I pose with his scarlet macaw.

He is not only an extremely talented artist, but also the most interesting animal lover I had ever encountered.

At the time, among his pets were an iguana and a snake. Well, I hate lizards and would never consider going within ten miles of any, (thank god he got rid of it!) but he had such intriguing snake tales that I became curious.

He had actually bred them and soon convinced me that they were not cold and yucky as I had always imagined but rather the skin is more velvety.

My first encounter with Yogi

So he brought Yogi, a Colombian red-tailed Boa, to my home, wearing him around his neck as if he were  decoration.

At first, I was horrified but after finally touching him, I too took the next step, a bit tepidly I will admit.

 Soon Yogi, the snake was in my home slithering all over me and the furniture curiously.   

At that time he weighed around 20 lbs. and was being fed with one white mouse MONTHLY, for that’s how long it takes a boa to digest its meal. 

He had bought this much maligned pet when it was a baby, only about one foot long. 

Soon, he even learnt to breed them and had on occasion appeared on the local television, then JBCTV, to talk to kids about caring for snakes.

Mark the snakeman

 As we became closer over the years, it was not surprising that on returning home for vacation recently, one of the first persons I had to see was Mark and on learning that he had now added birds to his collection, I had to visit his mini zoo.

Mark with birds Stitch and Coco

Yogi has grown considerably since I last saw him, weighing 60 lbs. now and now digesting a rabbit instead a mouse monthly.

Soon I was introduced to the birds, Stitch, a scarlet Macaw, Coco an Amazon Parrot, Goldie an Indian Ringlet, and Sunshine a Sun conure.

To tell the truth, although I loved all the birds, only Coco loved me back.

For when Stitch was taken out of his cage, he tried to pick me when I touched him. And when he was put on the ground, he immediately attacked my toes with his sharp beak.

                                            

It was a similar story with Goldie and Sunshine, but Coco was super friendly, even doing a dance for me later on, although he refused to speak when I was there. 

                                        

However, Mark’s mom told me that as soon as his owner arrives from work in the afternoons and opens the gate, Coco would start shouting "Mark" until he is inside.                                                                                                    LOVELY PETS.    

   

Yogi explores

 

Retirement Reflections

 I love retirement, only wish could have done it from I was around thirty. 

Poverty sucks. 😑

I just realized I have not been blogging about my retirement which started in 2016 when I left my radio talk-show program on Power 106 in Jamaica and moved to the USA. 

You see, most of my family were already there so I eventually gave in to the constant nagging to join them!

A section of the magnificent Rocky Mountains

In retrospect, I enjoyed talk radio so much that I never realized how stressful it was until I retired.

 Lots of people think one just talks off the cuff on radio, but it takes a great deal of preparation as one never knows what a caller is coming with. So, you spend a great deal of time reading, watching and listening to current affairs etc. Now I don't have to do that anymore, life is so much easier. And with Trump out of the way, the news is often quite boring anyway, so I am happy I no longer have to pay much attention to the daily occurrences worldwide!😊

Well for retirement, I set off to Colorado to be with my daughter and granddaughter, forgetting that it just snows too much there. (Up to this week, mid-May it's snowing!😟). 

Yes, Colorado is an extraordinarily beautiful state with mountains, rivers valleys to die for. But I gave up snow decades ago, on fleeing from similar weather in Toronto, Canada.

With my fellow cyclists before heading to the hills. 

I am just not a clothes person. In fact, the less I have to wear, the happier I am. 

There was therefore no way that I was going to spend the rest of my life weighted down under a pile of clothes! 

So, we decided that Florida would be a better option.

Living in Jamaica which is just an hour and half flight to Miami, I thought I was familiar with that state. For I had to go there on occasion to buy basic supplies when the damn communists tried to take over my lovely island in the 70's, so we ended up having severe shortages of the most basic foods.

Also, Miami was where one had to fly to from Jamaica, to make most airline connections to other states and even for international flights.

The theory therefore was that since the weather in Florida was good, I would resume my great outdoor life which involved, hiking and cycling in the mountains and valleys and bathing in the rivers.

With Jennifer, the consummate outdoors person

On arriving in Florida, the first thing I did was to buy a bicycle, only to discover to my horror that Florida has no hills for me to ride up then fly down into the valleys. 

What a shock, not one mountain or valley in sight.

So, my bicycle is nothing but a souvenir now.

The next best thing to do therefore was to try and link up with a hiking group.

At least, there I struck gold. For when I joined the closest "Meet Up" hiking group, I got connected to Jennifer Weise, probably the most knowledgeable outdoors person in the state.

No, we never get to hike up any mountains in Florida, but I sure got to visit a number of their more attractive parks and learned a great deal about the state.

On a recent glamping trip to Hontoon Island in Northern Florida earlier this year, Jennifer virtually saved my life too! For being always unprepared for cold weather, when the temperature there dropped to the 50's, she had a sleeping bag and electric blanket ready to rescue me. (Joan, my views: Hontoon island and more (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Lyming with friends after Zumba at Water's Edge Park

Choosing the city of Tamarac to reside in, proved to be a wise move too. 

To begin with, it sits about halfway between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami international airports, so since much of my retirement is committed to travelling as much as I can afford, I can always fly out of wherever I can find the best fares. (one-way tickets to and from Colorado under $100. It's a dream come through!) In fact, if my stupid passport did not arrive late, I would have spent my birthday in Zambia.

Secondly, this city which has a population of less than 80,000, has a real activist/outdoor loving Mayor Michelle Gomez. So often outdoor activities in the parks are organized by the city.

They also have an excellent Senior's Center with lots of good recreational exercise programs.

Kudos to the manager of the center Michelle Sendik who keeps the Center clicking.

Currently, I am filling the gap left by the lack of challenging hiking/cycling activities by participating in things like Kickboxing, Zumba, Yoga, cardio fit etc. 

Coincidentally, my kickboxing tutor is someone I knew decades ago. He is Mark, the son of a former mentor of mine in Jamaica, Hector Wynter, the late editor of the Gleaner, Jamaica's foremost newspaper.  I remember hearing years ago that at about age seven, Mark had been hit off his bicycle and was in a coma. His mom took him abroad for treatment and I had heard nothing further. 

It was therefore a pleasant surprise to see that he had recovered totally, become a professional kickboxer and was now teaching us old people, the art. He is also as excellent a teacher as his late father was, so I am really enjoying kick boxing.

It's a small, small world indeed. 

Anyway, back to activities.

At the Senior Centre, I even learned to play pickleball. This I guess can be best described as senior citizen tennis, but it's fun.

I really don't enjoy playing it on indoor courts though, so now go to nearby Margate to play, when I can find a partner.

We all had a great time at the Kravitz Center

The Tamarac Senior Center also organizes cultural expeditions. Coincidentally, on my birthday last week they were transporting interested parties to the Donna Sommer musical at the Kravitz Center in Boca Raton. I joined friends and acquaintances from the center and travelled to what was a superb performance.

A chocolate cookie with ice cream for my birthday

Everything was well organized by Charlene Nevaomski from the Center, who also arranged dinner beforehand at a marvelous restaurant at True Food Kitchen in Boca.  

When Charlene told the waitress there that it was my birthday, I was presented with a delicious chocolate muffin with ice cream, compliments of the restaurant.

I look forward to many more of these outings.

Another good thing about retiring in Tamarac is that I have reconnected with dozens of friends and family from Jamaica who live all over Broward County.

Some even include high school classmates from many decades ago, with whom I had lost contact.

With  Hampton 'ole' girl Sonja

 

My alma mater is Hampton/Munro, which has an active joint, past-student's Association here.

They have regular 'fun day' activities and last week I dropped in on one at C.B Smith Park in nearby Pembroke Pines and had a wonderful time.

With Horace, President of Munro Old Boys Assn.

Another lucky break since retiring in Tamarac, was reconnecting with my long-lost cousin Barry Smith (Colin).

Barry is a musical genius who plays at least five instruments. Since migrating to Florida, he formed a band/orchestra called Tallawah Mento Band. 

Mento music is as Jamaican as you can ever get, so he is involved in organizing or playing at almost every important Jamaican/Caribbean event in South Florida.

When he heard that I had launched my autobiography "Looking Back.....the struggle to preserve our freedoms" before leaving Jamaica, he insisted that I also do a Florida launch since so many Jamaicans now live here.

Before I knew what was happening, the launch was fully arranged in conjunction with the South Regional Library in Pembroke Pines. 

It was an overwhelming success, and something I could never repay him for. 

(Joan, my views: Florida launch of "Looking back...." (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

             Members of Tallawah Mento Band/orchestra. (Leader Barry 2nd row with banjo.

Clearly therefore my decision to settle in Tamarac for my retirement, has been good for my health and social life. 

Another plus is that my one and only grandson is here with me, for he too is allergic to cold weather!

It sure was a very lucky break when the realtor got me a nice place here, considering I had never even heard of this city before arriving here!

Yes, retiring in Tamarac has really been a great move.

The only drawback? 

Those damn iguanas.

MISSING THE MOUNTAINS THOUGH!

Red Rock Park in Colorado

Another glorious mountain in Colorado

Section of the John Crow Mountains, Jamaica

The mist-covered Blue Mountains, Jamaica in the background

Alligator mating call

I heard an alligator mating call and believe me it was the most bone chilling sound I ever heard.

Storks all over the trees

 It was almost, I imagine, how it sometimes sounded when disnosaurs were roaming!

We were walking in Wakodahatchee Wetlands. This is a park in  Palm  Beach County on Jog Road close to Delray Beach and it is managed by the water resources people. I had gone there with our fearless Meet Up leader, Jennifer Weise in late May or early June.

At this reserve you find a wide variety of Florida's flora and fauna. However, it is best known for the proliferation of birds and you see bird watchers with their cameras prowling as they wait patiently for the shot of a lifetime.

We went there a bit late that day so the only birds that were still around in their numbers were storks, mostly white and of every size.

They literally took over every tree from top to middle and really made a literal mess for the other birds or anything that must survive on the bottom branches and under those trees!

The only animals we saw that day were a few rabbits, a couple of iguanas and as we approached the boardwalk, we saw a lone alligator lurking among some trees.

We did not pay him much attention but after we had passed the area and gone about 100 feet, we heard a loud blood-curdling sound and lots of action in the water. I had no idea what was happening but although Jennifer said she had never heard the mating call in real life, she recognized it from what others had told her.

We went back to watch him for a while and like this photo I found on the wetland's fb page, it was as if he half rose out of the water and was just shouting or shrilly growling and splashing in the water with his huge tail, for quite some time.

Even after we walked away, he could still hear the eerie noise, though fading, thank heavens, as we got further away.

It was not the type of sound I liked hearing and for his sake, I hope he found a wife, for if he didn't, maybe he is still there creating a racket. 

Worse yet, he could have died from a heart attack for the way he was exciting up himself, he must have been putting quite a strain on his heart!