Moon thoughts

Last night mom and I stayed home. The weather was dark and rainy looking. It wasn't the type of weather to jump in the car and go looking for an adventure. I did miss going out because mom had spoiled me with adventure outings in the evening. I felt like I was seeing something unique and different. I wanted to describe to others how unique and different the experience was for me. Mom and I have been toying with the idea of going to spend some time with my sister and her new young horses she adopted from the University of Gainesville Vet School. One horse is named Gator and the other is named Velvet. My sister Glendon says they are both very sweet natured animals. I guess the decision will be made based on if Glendon got her water leak fixed in her outdoor plumbing . Her water leak sounded like lots of work, because it is a pipe where tree roots were trying to gain access. Glendon has to dig up the tree and move it. She also has to be sure the pipe is working OK. The pipe is plastic so it is easier to work with than a metal pipe. Our piping here at the beach is mostly plastic. I guess the great debate is whether plastic is better than metal. I am old school and think in some cases the metal is better and would last longer. I could be wrong, but I did have a lot of old metal plumbing when I lived in Oakland. The house in Oakland was real old and still had it share of leaks. I just felt like the metal was sturdier and would last for a good long time. I am so looking forward to Thursday nights Vice Presidential debates between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. I like Sarah. I think she is cute and spunky. My mom pointed out cute and spunky doesn't win an election. I acknowledge what my mom says is true, but I still think Sarah is cute and spunky. I am sure one of the main topics at the debate will be the financial crisis with the banks in our economy. Both mom and I are watching closely the bank buyouts and the fall in the stock market. We saw the defeat of the 700 billion dollar bailout bill in Congress. What a legacy to leave to the next elected President whether he be Democrat or Republican. It will be just one giant mess. I hope he has a rabbit in the hat he can pull out to fix the financial crisis. I would like to keep my money in the bank. However, Wachovia was one of the banks bought out. Mom is feeling pretty uneasy about me keeping my account there. I wanted to stick it out a bit longer to see where the bank was heading. My sister also got DSL with Embarq. However, she isn't able to use it because the DSL box is overheating. This DSL has also messed up her phone line. I would call and it would sound like an air chamber. She can only call us on her cell phone which gives out after a while. My former lunch buddy Lillian comes back from Delaware on Wednesday. Maybe she will be wearing an engagement ring. I can only enquire when she returns. I thought she had settled on the VFW place for her wedding on Lee Road, but her last e-mail she was looking at a garden place to host the wedding. I hope she can decide and more forward with the details of getting the wedding together. There are lots of fine points in designing your perfect wedding or close to it. I hope it is a memorable treasure she can refer to with great memories. I like taking moon shots. I would like to get a big harvest moon rising over the ocean. I think this would be an idea picture. I am also disappointed the shuttle launch has been moved back by several months because of the Hubble telescope. I was looking forward to a late night launch. The night launches are always pretty over the water. It makes the water look like daytime if only for a short time. The weatherman says nicer weather towards the end of the week. I hope he is right.

More thoughts regarding The Founder's day celebration

This is a picture of the Founder's day Celebration for New Smyrna Beach which mom and I attended on Saturday. It was hosted by the Southeast Volusia Historical Society and the featured Professor of the settling of New Smyrna Beach is in the picture. What I can add which is nothing to do with historical value is they were selling 2 dollar hamburgers and they were also selling smoked mullet, but I forgot how much the price was listed. There was a big giant dog on a leash with an owner I believed to be over six feet tall. I wondered if the dog wasn't a Mastiff breed. The owner and the dog seemed well matched to each other. Speaking of matches, I also saw two little blond girls wearing similar pink dress to almost look like twins. Everywhere I seemed to be several people would walk by with cameras more fancy than mine. I am talking about the ones with the big long extended lens and shutter lids on the end of the extended lens. I was the only one to seem the most aggressive about taking pictures. I was glared at by one of the dressed up soldiers in yesterday's picture. I could tell in his eyes I was views as a cheap paparazzi type." How dare you take a picture of the speaker while he is talking." I could just read it in the soldier's thoughts. Yesterday, mom went to Publix and I stayed home to take the clothes off the clothes line. We cooked a Sirloin steak on the grill along with a couple of baked potatoes and a sweet potato. Dinner turned out pretty good and there is leftover steak for sandwiches today.

Opening up the past and connecting it with the present

What a long title. Hard to place into words linking together people I never seen or met before in my life. I would call this Turkey talk 101 because it is a breakdown of history experts and ordinary tourist like me trying to absorb life in the past. I really don't have a real appreciation of how hard it was to survive in the past. I know it seems kind of larger than life through library books and lectures by Doctors (PhD') of History. My knowledge of history is small as a pea compared to the people I met which were almost living history through trained knowledge they learned through books and meeting others with grand knowledge which was spread through word of mouth. The professor who was giving the lecture was from Maine and had a home in Jacksonville, Florida. He based his lecture on a book written by a Greek author, whom the professor says was critical of the main character Dr. Andrew Turnbull. I had glanced through the same book from the local library many years ago. In fact, I think it was one of the first books I looked at once we moved from Oakland, Florida over here to New Smyrna Beach, Florida. What peaked my interest in the name Turnbull.There was a well known Orlando lawyer who also had the last name Turnbull. This lawyer Turnbull was every bit pushy at getting his Oakland property annex for home building as maybe his great, great grand pappy Dr. Andrew Turnbull who under the worst of human conditions forged through with people he cared little about to reach a goal of starting a settlement which cost people's lives. There is no clear evidence the two were related except for maybe distant rumors I may have heard from my past. The people who were traveling with Dr. Turnbull were mostly Greek looking to start a better life. I don't get it. I don't understand if they came from a nice place like Greece why they would settle for a backwoods, snake and gator infested, swarming with mosquitoes and plagued with disease to start a better life? I would be the first one leading the charge out of there. I could maybe only see if they were fugitives from a court who would lock them up for a hundred years. Maybe under these conditions life would be better in the woods. My mom was complaining about how the residence here really don't appreciate the past history. The residence litter the historic walls with Do not litter, No skateboarding signs which have no historic meaning attached. I for one appreciate an automatic air conditioner, running water in the kitchen and bathrooms. I appreciate being mostly snake free;except for, the few which freaked me out. I had two snakes drop on top of my head from the top of the doors one in the front and the other in the carport when I opened the doors. I felt one big plop on my head and I freaked out. The snake fortunately for me fell off and we either killed it or it slithered away. I think at that time we killed them both. We still have mosquitoes certain times of the year in abundance. We also have Publix and Winn Dixie so we don't have to grow our food and slaughter the cows and chickens. I have crushed ice in my refrigerator door. Plus a television and computer to keep me entertained and in touch with the rest of the world. It is nice to take a look back, but I am glad for the inventions of the future. I believe the ancestors would be impressed.

What a nice Friday

I like happily ever after endings to movies. The new Richard Gere/ Diane Lane is almost a tear jerker because Richard Gere's character dies in the end of the movie. Richard Gere makes grey hair fashionable on guys. Yesterday, before going to the movies I briefly saw a character on the soap opera " All My Children" who had grey hair. I hardly recognize him. His character's name was Tad Hunter and he was somewhat of a villain with the ladies. I had to look twice to recognize who was the character. Also, I thought he did not look good in grey hair. I guess some guys wear grey hair well while others need hair color. I liked the little part where Diane in the movie checks her hair roots for any signs of grey. She didn't see any and walked away very happy. When the movie was over my mom reassured me Richard Gere wasn't dead. He would live again in the next movie. On the way home, I saw a big hawk in some body's yard. Mom backed the car up to take a look and the hawk was gone. This is similar to when I went out to the end of the driveway in the before dawn hours to pick up a newspaper. I looked down the road and saw a big hunched back raccoon strolling across the road. He seemed bigger than a cat and slower than a possum. He had the whole street to himself where he could claim all the garbage cans he could get his paws to open. Jumping forward in time to around noon when a load of laundry was ready to be hung out on the clothesline, I got to savor the sounds of a fall like beach environment. I could hear the ch, ch, ch, of the summer beach bugs spread out in a box like fashion. I could also hear the distant sounds of the freight train heading I believe South on the tracks which run North and South. I heard three short whistles like the train was warning some drivers to stay off the tracks. It seemed like some distant musical instrument trying to work out a melody carried by the wind. I also saw buzzards making circular patterns high in the sky on small air currents. The patterns were tight as they were seeking out a dead carcass on which to feed. I also saw and heard a small plane fly overhead. When the plane left it was time to go indoors and get ready for the movie. All these events made a lovely composition for a nice afternoon. This is a picture of suds from the beach taken when the wind had stirred up the waves.

Friday is movie day

It's Friday and the new movie "Nights in Rodanthe" opens up today at the local movie theatre. The movie stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane. It is a romance and I should find it interesting. I like Richard Gere. He is handsome as a leading man. I liked his movies "Pretty Woman" and " Shall we dance." He is also suave and easy going with the leading ladies. Could the kid in this picture be the next Richard Gere? Right now to me he looks like the next Alfalfa from "Our Gang" in the 21 Century. I liked Diane Lane from the movie "Tuscany under the Sun." I was just sorry the Italian guy cheated on her in the movie. They seemed to make such a nice couple. The "Nights in Rodanthe" movie is the first in a while, because not too many good movies are being produced lately. The last ones I have seen seemed to me second rate. I like a good plot with a good story line and good ending. I hope this movie will live up to my expectations.

View of ocean life

There was quite a wind churning up of the sea yesterday. It was more like an ocean than a Lake Atlantic. There wasn't any runners on the beach until we were ready to leave. One guy kept a slow trot back and forth within view. Mom wore her green jacket and I didn't wear any jacket. I enjoyed all the wind blowing on me. I enjoyed the water creeping close to the stairs where you walk down to the beach. I enjoyed the big fuzzy foam that was like soap suds in texture with a touch of brown color building next to the stairway. The stairs leading to the beach were wet and slippery but inviting. I did not go down, but if I did I would descent sideways to avoid slipping. There was a girl down on the beach in a pink two piece bathing suit who was getting her legs all covered with the brownish suds. She was a young pre-teen who was just having a ball challenging the wind and the waves. I caught her in several camera poses facing the ocean as a sole lioness defending her cubs on the beach against the big bad waves of the sea. She seemed to be a natural for the camera. Mom caught her in a slight bending position next to a empty trash barrel post mounded on the shoreline. As I opened my refrigerator door this morning, I realized I forgot to take the leftover pancakes mom had cooked up over the weekend. It was going to be bird food. However, it was way too windy yesterday for a bird to stay still out in the open. The seagulls were flying around, but they did not want to be on the shoreline. Only the sandpiper birds were brave enough to endure the windy weather. The pelicans flew overhead in uniform formation. They were almost like military birds. It is quite rare one would fly overhead alone. The pelicans seemed to be one of the hardest birds to capture on film. This was due to the speed they would fly overhead. I would look at the pelicans from a distance and think I had time, but before I realized how fast they were coming, it was over. The birds were over my head and down so far, I could not get a good camera shot. I was disappointed thinking, the pelican to me seemed one of the most graceful birds soaring in flight. I also missed having my camera available when mom and I went to the North entrance where there was a High School track meet on the shoreline between three local schools. Two were from Daytona Beach. One was Sea breeze and the other Mainland. The colors of their running clothes were red for Sea breeze and blue for Mainland. The third school was the local New Smyrna Beach High School with colors of yellow and black. Mom and I first saw girls jogging, but they seemed to go away and all that was left were the guys. The young high school guys were skinny, bony and not too tall. They were kind of geeky looking with maybe one that looked like the cool dude. Mom and I did not see any one on one races, but we did see they guys jogging down the shoreline in groups. This was an event the television crews missed. Gustavo Almadovar who covered the washing away of the shoreline by the hurricane which brushed up the coastline not too long ago would have made an interesting story out of the track meet.

The wind is whipping around outside

Four walls and an air conditioning unit seems pretty nice right now. I did hear rain drops a bit earlier. I know the clothes on the line got wet. Hopefully the sun will come out a bit later and all the clothes will dry. The wind is really blowing outside. I can hear the I don't know what to call it outside sound like a sputtering plane. I can not believe how fast the time goes when I am involved with a Sarah Palin video by Jib Jab. I had to make sure it played through to the end of the song. Have you made up your mind on how you will vote? I hope it will be an easy voting ballad.

Inspiring thoughts

I can't believe it has been raining this morning before dawn. I can hear the rain hitting the ground outside like wet slaps of water against a hard sidewalk. This is a what comes before the change in the temperature and the texture of the quality of outside air. This is not just outside air, it is seaside outside air. This is the kind of air you ingest deep in the lungs and have an overwhelming feel of reflection. The reflection of the soul which allows you to see where you are going and where you have been. It is the reflection which places your life events into perfect order and gives you direction to a clear goaled future. It is also a place where your angers and frustrations melt away into a loss from memory. This is the type of air which needs to be bottled and released among the politicians in Washington. How much more of a clearer perspective they would provide if the stale ways of thinking were wiped away. I also would have thought this for my former job. I had four walls and an air conditioning unit which worked well, but wasn't fresh air. It was more like recycled air. How much clearer I would have thought with some bottled up sea air circulating in my former office? I feel privilege living close to the ocean where many writers gather loads of inspiration through reflection of past events and ideas of a future shaped the way they invision it.

The Summer season is gone, but not the weather

On the first day of Fall, I have another load of laundry and it is garbage day. The weather has been in 80's the last couple of days as the high reading. I don't know what the low reading has been. I just hadn't paid close attention to the weather. I did see a picture of another potential storm on the weather map. It just hasn't been my top interest. I did take my library books back. Mom switched users on a book I was taking back called "Steve and me" to her library account. She checked out the book. The book is about the life of Steve Irwin written by his wife Terri. I had wanted to read the book, but I never got to it. I always had another book I was reading at the time. I hopefully can finish the Peter Falk book which I had stopped on page 251 when I turned it in. I was sorry I didn't finish it before but now I can. I also checked out a book on young Teddy Roosevelt riding horses. I thought it looked somewhat interesting. Mom said this may be my only trip out today and I said" no." I didn't want my day to end on a low note. However, the time we ate dinner the storm clouds had build around the New Smyrna Coastline, so we were tucked in at home for the night. Mom made chuck roast for dinner. It was very tasty. I liked the meat with the cooked onion which I put ketchup on top. I liked the cooked potatoes and carrots. I like the gravy which is placed on top of the potatoes and carrots and maybe even the meat. There are leftovers which will make nice lunch items plus the leftovers from Saturday's Chicken Cacciatore. Saturday's meal also turned out pretty good, but wasn't done exactly by the recipe. It was close to the recipe. I did add a bell pepper along with the cooked celery. The chicken was not deboned. I also would have put more garlic salt on the chicken as I was frying it in olive oil. The flour I used was from Hodgen's Mill. It was almost a cornmeal texture which made a nice coding for the chicken. I also used a package spaghetti sauce verses the ketchup it called for in the recipe. I also used egg noodles; instead of, the spaghetti the recipe requires. I would like to make the Chicken Cacciatore again but not too soon. I have other things I want to try first.

Sunday last day of the weekend

Mom and I didn't get to see the ocean until well after 7 last night. There were storm clouds around and not much of an exciting sunset. I didn't even take my camera because it was so late. I did soak up the wind blowing at us from the East. Mom and I were on the South Entrance on 27 avenue. I did see like a hawk bird flying around on the wind currents. It could have been an Osprey, but I thought the Osprey bird was more black and White. This bird did not show the black part. I knew it wasn't a Seagull. It didn't have the long slender body of a Seagull. It also didn't have the crying sounds of a Seagull. I also saw a pelican make low dips towards the waves without touching the water. The water sounded like someone had left the faucet running and there would be a big giant water bill waiting out there for someone to pay. The wind by the ocean got a cool tone in the breeze. It was a sign of fall. However, when mom and I went home the coolness was left at the beach. It was back to being warm. I figured living further back from the ocean, the condo's, hotels and other housing structures block the cool ocean wind.

Weekend on the Coast

Today the candidate Barrack Obama comes to Daytona's Bethune Cookman College to a sold out crowd of free tickets. My mom's friend Janice stood in line for three and a half hours before getting her free ticket. She called my mom hoping that my mom would have a ticket and they could ride to Daytona together. My mom let Janice know that she did not have a ticket. However, she recommend a couple other people from the local Democratic Club to call and see if they had any tickets. Janice didn't want to go to the event alone. Mom wished her well and hopefully Janice will go have the experience of a life time hearing Obama speak. Mom and I will hear about it on the news. The news is a great source of getting the story without blending in with a great crowd. The Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin is suppose to speak at an open forum on Sunday. The tickets were still being given out according to the news. The news covered her landing at Orlando International Airport like they would cover a space shuttle mission coming in for a landing. She had brought her family along. I am sure Sarah will work it into her Sunday speech. Both my sister and my mom love Sarah's square frame glasses. They are the latest trend. My sister and my mom think they would be making a fashion statement if they got glasses like Sarah Palin. The Caylee/ Casey story has turned into a stagnant side show of protester brawls between the Protesters and The Anthony family. It seems Casey will be sunk with all the fraud charges if her attorney doesn't come around with a good defense. The news is saying Casey could get sixty-five years for the fraud charges. This doesn't even deal with the missing Casey Anthony's case of child neglect. One thing is for sure is more than likely a movie deal will emerge out of this case.

Dare to challenge the wind

Mom and I went to the North Entrance of the beach. The wind was blowing from the East. Mom parked the car near a walkway of a park building structure near the North Entrance. It is maintain by the City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The structure is a place where the pigeons roost and people from many backgrounds come to look at the waves and reflect on their own lives. The wind melts my troubles away. It also throws thoughts at me like " Dare to challenge the wind." This though kept repeating in my head while the wind was blowing at my face from the East. I was also looking at the Sea gull riding the air currents in front of me. I did not see any pelicans. I thought the wind was a bit to strong for them to ride the air currents. I did feel a little bit of sand blow at my face. It wasn't a lot of sand. I also though of the other people perched along the edge of the building structure. Some brought their dogs. They all have individuals thoughts and lives that I will never share in. The wind and the waves unite us in the melting away of our troubles in our everyday lives.

Thursday is trash day and recycle day

I do like my hot cup of coffee in the morning. I don't know what kind of substitute I could use if I could not have my cup of coffee. De Cafe coffee doesn't have the same zip the regular coffee has. Right now the world seems pretty OK. I am enjoying the cool air conditioning, lights are on in the kitchen and the quiet hum of the refrigerator vibrates in my ears. I didn't get to go out the last two nights, because of the weather. Sometimes we would have nights which were hot and muggy. Plus the little no-seeums bite all the wrong places.The outside weather needs to be in the 60's at night and maybe the 80's during the day. I would enjoy cooler weather more than today's weather. Mom and I did get the well pump fixed yesterday. The guy came out and worked for about three hours replacing the pump and the pipe fixtures. It was nice when he got it all together and it worked.

Wednesday is a hopeful day

It is good to have a good strong cup of coffee in the morning. It gets my brain thinking of ideas. Yesterday, I went for blood work. The lady took four vials of blood. She made the insertion into my left arm and the blood just poured out like milk from a milk jug. I did not feel any pain except for the initial prick in the arm by small needle connected to a tiny tube. It seemed to take no time at all. When she was done mom drove me to The Golden Biscuit restaurant. I had biscuits and gravy with some home fries and a small glass of orange juice with a little bit of toast which I could try out their jams. Their package jams were extremely sweet. I had the small strawberry and especially the orange marmalade. I had not tasted orange marmalade in a long time. I enjoyed breakfast and took half of the biscuits and gravy home with me. I figured I could have a small snack this morning to enjoy for a second day. When I had arrived to have my blood drawn it seemed like I was running later than I have in the past. I missed my turn into the place. I had to turn around and locate the place from the other side of the street. When I arrived there were other people ahead of me to have their blood drawn. There were two young kids a little boy and his toddler sister. His mom seemed to hold his sister most of the time they were there. The mom came with another lady. I don't know if this lady was the young mom's mom or someone else. The little boy was playing I spy with the other lady until it was time to get his blood work done. When he left with the other lady to go into the back room you could hear blood curdling screams of torch er bellowing out from the happy young man. It took the other woman and a member of the office help to hold the kid in place while the blood was being drawn by the same lady who took my blood afterwards. When the little boy came out from the backroom, he turned back into the happy young man full of energy and into everything he saw. The young mother took over the boy and handed her daughter over to the other lady. The second child wasn't much better. The cries were a bit softer but still hard for the mother to endure. The mother was empathetic, but the rest of us didn't want someone screaming before we went in to get our blood drawn. The little girl had to be done again in three days, because her veins were not big enough to get a sample. She also would have to drink water to make her veins easier to find. After they left, I got called and it was over in good time. I do have a slight puncture mark which will take a while to go away. This is a reminder of what I endured.

Tuesday has started

I am recalling what I can not have this morning. I have to get blood drawn so I am not suppose to eat until afterwards. I am recalling when Mom and I use to travel on train and in the morning in the dining car we would get a Super Deluxe French toast breakfast. The toast was the size of Texas Toast. The French toast had gobs of syrup followed by a big wad of real butter on top along with a white coding called powered sugar.

Biting Bugs at Publix

I was attacked by no-seeums. Mom had to stop at Publix on the way home from one of our sight excursions. She had gone into the store and I was going to wait for her in the car. She had parked the car under a light post which added to the problem, because the little bugs like the light. They liked biting me more. I was a victim. I was like the girl in the Jaw's movie. Instead of fighting off a killer shark, I was slapping and itching and running the air conditioning in the car just to get rid of the bugs. It didn't work. I made a beeline into the store with my itchy skin looking for my mom. She was caught somewhere deep within the store. I didn't want to move from the front of the store so I wouldn't miss her coming out. I thought she was just going for one item, a can of mushroom soup. However, the length of time she was in the store told me this wasn't true. The stinging itch was dying down a bit so I made my way back to the car and fired up the air conditioning again. It got to a nice temperature inside and the amount of bugs seemed to die down . I was ok until she showed up with the groceries. She got in and we came home. I had forgotten by the time we got here the stinging feeling and I was ok for the night. This is a picture of our local Publix which when we get lots of rain the parking lot turns into Lake Publix. A whole pre-package of fried chicken cost over 7 dollars. I wondered if the frozen banquet fried chicken is any better price wise? Frozen might be the way to go until things get a bit cheaper.

Moonlit weekend

Amtrak doesn't have a train that could run straight through to Indiana. I was looking last night and saying to myself "supposing if mom and I could go how much would it cost?" I learned it would be a two day ordeal just to get there. First mom and I would take a train say from De land and it goes to Washington D.C. and there is a three hour layover. When the second train comes mom and I would continue the journey from Washington D.C. to either Lafayette, Indiana or Indianapolis, Indiana. The cost is cheaper going by way of coach which is just two reclining chairs by a window. If we chose to upgrade, it would be more costly. The upgrade could run close to a thousand dollars or the chair close to five hundred for round trip. I know many years ago when I traveled on a train we would have a direct route. The cost for a bedroom would probably equal the amount for a coach now round trip. I also learned the bedrooms are the first items snatched up by customers. When I was looking on the Internet the bedrooms were sold out. Some people do know how to travel in luxury.

The picture is the moon taken when the sun went down the night before last night. We were by the beach and it was too high in the sky to capture it over water.

Full Of Possibilities

Will the atom smashing scientist ever understand that the secret to advancement in the human race is working together in applied sciences? The mind boggling idea of an atom smasher costing 10 million when this same money could feed, cloth and teach people to maintain farm lands in Africa. This same money could stop the jobless feature in the United States which grows like wildfire. It could place a big dent into the crime rate committed by teenagers who stop believing in the future of America. It could help find alternative fuels for the cars to run around. It could also help pay for a decent space station orbiting the earth. It could also be used towards research in finding cures to Aids,Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis,Muscular Dystrophy and Parkinson Disease. How many houses in the local neighborhoods are lined with solar panels? Compare it to how many Satellite dishes or Direct TV dishes are there in the same neighborhoods? What I can see the solar panels are few. I see Hybrids, but no solar cars on the roads. Solar really hasn't caught on yet.

Friday at home

I am thinking " What day is this?" I look at the computer clock and it says Friday September 12 ,2008. Wow, what an instant surprise. I made it through another week without a hurricane and life is pretty normal. I don't live next to the Anthonys so the only crazy stuff I see is on television. The Nancy Grace show devotes a whole hour on the Casey/Caylee story. She brings in many important guest like high profile lawyers who argue the rights of Casey, but offer no solutions to finding Caylee. I got a good doze of reality yesterday when shopping at Publix and looking at the meat prices. The Sirloins were in the nine to ten dollar range. The Porterhouse small steaks were in the fourteen to sixteen dollar range. The New York strip steaks were in the nine to ten dollar range. Plus the size of the meats were really trimmed down. It was the same way with the chicken. I saw whole cut up chicken for eight to nine dollars. Maybe, part of a chicken around four dollars. This might be inflation of the times, but I remember when prices were more reasonable. I could actually afford a whole chicken and maybe a little extra. The income of people is not equal to the current cost of living. The cost of current living outweighs the income thus giving people like me less variety to choose.

The picture is a blackened heart of palm being dragged into the shoreline by the guys in the picture.

September 11, 2008 poetry comes today

What day is it

What shall it be

September 11 staring back at me

It comes around once a year

Bringing our country to mourn in unity

Here today and gone tomorrow

Life goes on with one less sorrow

The grey skies came to New Smyrna yesterday, but we didn't get the rain which we kind of need. I hope we get some rain today to make the plants grow. I planted a butterfly flower plant along the side of the house. I hope it takes root and grows. I also would like to see the butterflies use it and enjoy it. There isn't much else happening here. I heard Casey maybe arrested again, but it hasn't happened yet. Also, what do you make of all the protesters? I haven't figured that one out yet.

Opinions are treasures needing to be kept safe

My mom did her volunteer work at the Democratic club in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She spent 3 hours from noon to three manning the phones. She said nothing really exciting happened this week. I heard all sorts of news which I thought would be a buzz in mom's office. Tom Feeney with his mysterious packages arriving in the mail. Hillary Clinton making an appearance in Kissimmee, Florida to promote Obama. Mom's office is very close to Susan Kosmos who is running against Tom Feeney. I am hoping Susan defeats Tom to bring about change. Tom seems detached from the everyday person. I think Susan will try and be more in touch by listening to what people have to say about issues.

As far as Hillary goes, I believe she will be loved by a crowd where ever she appears. I along with millions of other people are sad she was not chosen to be the Democratic Candidate to represent the people. She is highly qualified. However her opponent Barrack Obama pulled ahead with the electoral votes and acquired the position. Between the two Hillary would be my choice, but I do like the ideas of what Barrack stands for in regards to bringing the troops home. I have seen enough struggling with the job market and the gas prices. The economy needs to turn around. I will be looking for a job and I want a variety of jobs. I like working close to home. I spent years working in Orlando and driving back and forth only to be terminated for a second time. I figured I put in my time and should be rewarded with a job close to home. This would give me a way to save some money and not just break even. I feel Barrack Obama is more in tune with the struggles of everyday working class people than his opponent John McCain. This is just my opinion on politics.

On others issues like the picture of my former co-worker Dick Brunelle and my former lunch buddy Lillian Weitzel. Dick smiled for the camera, but was more involved in eating than making conversation with other people there. He did mentioned about his canoe and how people living around the lake where he lives took his canoe without his permission and left it on the other side of the lake. Fortunately, Lillian helped him move the canoe to his outdoor patio where he can keep a better eye on it. I would have liked Dick to talk more on subjects he likes such as music and dance. Dick use to teach ballroom dance at Arthur Murray's dance studio over on the West Coast of Florida. Lillian did not smile for the picture. I wonder if she is worried about the wedding which she has to work out a lot of details. She has set the date for April 5, 2009, but hasn't decided on a location yet. The food, guest ,entertainment and the invitations must weigh heavy on her mind. I didn't get a picture of my mom, Theresa Wright or Linda who is Georgia's daughter. Linda is quite knowledgeable about the State run Economic Services program. I was impressed by the way she described no one could get through on their phone system. Theresa was always a close friend of Dick and a former co-worker. She is legally blind, but does work through her church. She was still a great worker at Closed Files. She knew where things were which is very important. The last two people Linda Weaver who will retire in January with thirty years and my mom who drove me to the lunch in and back home. They both put in their time. Linda Weaver plans to move to Ocala after retiring. I figure I will never hear from her again. She also said her former co-worker Danny Platt got rid of his phone so he has tuned out anything to do with the State or former State employees.

Tuesday is fun at home

The rains are suppose to be returning today through Thursday due to Hurricane Ike. Hurricane Ike is passing South of mom and I , but we should be getting some of the outer feeder bands. The rain is good for keeping plants growing. My new butterfly plant will have to go into the ground and start growing. The coffee I made this morning helps perk my brain cells up.

This is a picture of my former Supervisor Georgia Linderman and me. We were part of a group of past file clerks with the State of Florida called Closed Files. We ate lunch together at Golden Coral in Orlando, Florida. The food was good as I always remembered. I have a paper napkin on my shirt acting as a bib for food which might spill on my shirt. As I see the picture, I would have removed the bib to look a bit more attractive. There were two people I did not get with my camera. One was Georgia's daughter Linda and the other was my mom. I didn't really want to disturb people while they were eating, but I still don't think I took enough pictures. Lunch was good for everyone because it was a buffet. There were great varieties of food to pick and choose from.

Sunday in the park

Coffee and air conditioning what a good combination first thing in the morning. The hot weather has returned. I find it unbearable for a long length of time to endure the hot sun. Mom and I went to a Green Festival yesterday held at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The theme was mainly Solar. There were a few tents set up with companies trying to sell Solar attachments to water heaters and electric boxes. The saving wasn't great. I felt they were more trouble for a family the size of mom and I. It wasn't worth it. The best thing mom found for me was a park bench under a shade tree. I sat while she ventured out to see the rest of the exhibits. She saw someone getting a massage which she thought was interesting. She also got some free sea oats to plant. Mom and I shared a three dollar corn dog. I was kind of eyeing the ten dollar fried shrimp dinner which consist of fried shrimp and french fries. There was no salad or dinner roll to go with the meal. Mom thought it was too expensive for the content they were selling. The corn dog was tasty dipped in ketchup and mustard. The walk back to the car was extremely hot. We stopped back at the bench under the tree to cool down. It took a couple of minutes for me to regain the drive to make it the rest of the way back to the car. On the way back, I had to stop and pick up a 15 dollar butterfly plant I purchased which I thought was kind of pretty. This is the only other thing I bought at the festival. Mom pulled the car around so both me and the plant could get in and take an air conditioning ride back to the house.

It was actually a little cooler back at the house and the butterfly plant got to buddy up with the key lime tree on the side of the house next to the carport. Mom made me a cool slushy fruit drink once I was inside and cooling off. We did not venture out later to see a sunset on the Inter Coastal Waterway or look at the people on the beach at dusk. Instead, we clicked on the television set and watched" Sixty Minutes" with their story on Blue Fin Tuna and how the Japanese are catching them in great quantities for the purpose of making Sushi. Mom and I were kind of feeling sorry for the poor Tunas being trapped in nets, killed and stored in giant warehouses 75 degrees below zero.

Around 10 in the evening we caught the latest on the Cay lee/Casey story which was about the father George pushing some of the protesters back from his yard. The protesters filed battery charges which placed George into a lot of trouble. Meanwhile, Casey stayed hidden away in the house. Today she is suppose to meet with the home detention case worker who will set up a weekly schedule of when she can leave the house.

The picture above is a Segway. They were offering rides for 5 dollars, but I didn't try it out. I thought it interesting just to see other people use the device. I think it was an interesting day.

What must a bird think?

There are probably a thousand little thoughts a bird must hold. I wonder do birds worry about everyday type things like the weather? Do they wonder where their next meal will be coming? Why are some birds friendly towards people while others stay away from people? Why does man have to pay taxes while the birds go where ever they want to go? Man likes to fly like birds. Airplanes let man fly in the sky and rocket ships let man go into outer space. This is one place a bird can not go. The bird is not naturally equip for an oxygen deprived weightless environment. However, man can artificially create a place to breathe and live for a short period of time. One might draw a conclusion man is smarter than birds so this is why they pay taxes. However, birds have instinct which sometimes man lacks. Man sometimes ignores what is around him and does what he wants which gets him into trouble.
The debate lives on.

Lake Atlantic can put on a show

September seems to be a pretty good month. June, July and August are out of the way and maybe some cooler weather will come back. My sister says she has seen golden rod which is a fall plant around where she lives. Golden rod is pretty to admire and it makes good flower arrangements. The hibiscus bush seems to be taking a break from blooming. I don't see many blooms on the plant. The blooms seems to be folded up.

This is a picture of a surfer catching the big waves thanks to tropical storm Hanna which past by New Smyrna yesterday. The waves washed out a lot of new sand which was apart of the beach re nourishment program. The news media said the washed out sand looked like fingers when the water was retreated from the shoreline. Mom and I took a look around high tide yesterday. We saw the water washed into the shoreline with a brown cream like foam which looked kind of like sewage water backing up in an underground pipe. I compared the foam to cream soda, because it reminded me of cream soda. However, I would not drink this one with an ocean full of salt water. There were a whole group of admiring people watching the giant waves and water dissolving the coastline away. Among these people were the Channel 9 news crew with Gustavo Amodovar. His name is a mouthful to pronounce. When I heard him say it on the air it sounds like Guava Jelly. He was not the friendliest of anchor people. He was very business like. I briefly asked if the camera guy took a picture of the black heart of palm which was rolled up closed to the shoreline. He said they had and he was back to getting ready for his news cast moment. I would like to meet an anchor person who would ask the audience what they feel like looking at the ocean. The anchor person would interview the dude riding on the sedge way. He or she would also interview the Yorkie owners. There were two Yorkie dogs which had their own little rain coats made by their owner. These are the kind of items which adds to the feel of the story which gives the story more heart felt drama.

Weekend has arrived

This is a picture of my mom and my friend Lillian. Lillian was gathering ideas on where to hold a wedding because the Jewish Community Center in Maitland, Florida was all booked up. This is the outside of the restaurant where we had the nice Italian lunch.

Thursday evening mom and I went to the beach entrance on the North end. We had bought a loaf of bread from Publix for 89 cents which I fed one half and mom fed the other half to the seagulls.The gulls were more interested in where mom was located. She was close to the water where the sandpiper birds hunt for food. I fed closer to the local restaurant called The Breakers. I was joined by a little guy with a grown up attitude. He was showing me the correct way to feed a seagull. I listened a little and fed my way. Mom came and I gave her the bread so she fed with better results. I climbed the steps leading back to my car. I did wait for mom to return and we both admired the burning red sunset with dark rain clouds dancing around.

I forget what we watched on television, but I know I missed John McCain's acceptance speech. I know I watched some of the latest Casey/Caylee stories and the latest weather reports on Hurricane Ike. It does look like mom and I will be paying my sister a visit.

A lunch to remember

This is a picture of Lillian and the owner of the Italian place where we ate lunch yesterday, while traveling to Orlando. Lillian corrected me on the potential date of her marriage. She stated it would be April 5, 2009 when I was thinking April 16, 2009. The date is not carved in stone and is subject to change. Mom and I both ate spaghetti. Mom had regular spaghetti with meat sauce and mushrooms and salad. I had angel hair spaghetti with mushrooms and onion soup. Lillian had chicken cacciatore with spaghetti. There were big yeast rolls served with butter and a dish of olive oil and chopped up garlic cloves. The lunch was pleasant with soft Italian instrumental CD music which I knew the songs well. I have the singing versions on my CDs' which I brought in the truck with me. My truck has a CD player which I was listening to music on the way into Orlando. However, on the way home the music was not playing. Mom and I talked and looked at the sights on the way home. Both of us looked at how high the water had risen in the St. John's River. It was almost at the stage where it would flood the road.

Middle of the week bike memories

Many years ago I traveled the streets of Pine Hills, Florida by bicycle. I would take the back roads to Hastings and go for a Slurpee at the only 7-11 in the area. My parents worked near by in a little area next to a beauty shop and a child care center. They produced a newspaper once a week called The Sun of Pine Hills. The editor was my dad and my mom was his backup. I also went over to my friend's house Karen Jameson who was a couple of streets away. She was my best friend when I was growing up, but later got married and moved to Georgia. She has three almost grown children now and I barely ever talk to her. I also rode over to my other friends house named Julie Jefferies. She was a sweet girl and wanted to be a teacher when she got out of school. I lost track of her also. I have small bragging rites along with my best friend Karen. Before the 408 opened, at the time was know as the East-West Expressway, mom, dad,Karen and I rode bicycles downtown and back on the road which was not open to the public. We had the road to ourselves and we made the 14 mile trip with no injury. I was a bit tired. I had the worst of all the bicycles, but the rest of the group was patient with me. We all made it there and back together. This was the only time we went. A short time later the Expressway was opened to the public for car travel. The bicycles we use to have here at the beach have been tossed into the trash. They rusted real bad and we did not ride them often enough. The weather has been really hot and the humidity really thick. I feel like the bear in summer hibernation confined to the house for cool air conditioning. Today, mom and I travel back to Pine Hills where I spent my growing years. I turn in my former work badge and key. I participate in an exit interview. I have lunch with my friend Lillian before she gets married and moves to Delaware. Mom and I haven't made up our minds about Hanna, Ike and Josephine yet. The storms which could give us lots of wind and rain on the coastline. The weatherman says Hanna will be further out from the coastline which would be good for us. However,the weathman doesn't explain the paths of Ike and Josephine.

I hope there is good television on Tuesday night

I am envious of all the changes my friend Lillian will be undertaking in moving to Delaware. She will be seeing the changing of the leaves in the Fall. She will get to see the new flowers of Spring after she is married April 16, 2009. She will feel the leftover coolness of Winter in February when she goes apartment hunting with her husband to be for her parents. She will be moving all her belongings out of her apartment into a U-haul truck. I also imagine she will probably include her parent's clothes and furniture items on the trip to Delaware. She also has to take her car to Delaware. I suggested the Auto train which she said she is thinking about. She does not look forward to driving her car to Delaware. Lillian would leave her job behind for someone else to fill. She also would leave the crime of Pine Hills which I don't think she will miss. I think she will make a beautiful Jewish bride at a wonderful Jewish wedding.

This is a picture of my sister Glendon with her cat Midnight Cowboy scrunched on the ground in the background. He is a total black cat and blends in well with the green grass and the brick patio which he is laying on. This is the kind of outfit my sister would wear when feeding or working with her horses. She would also dress like this if she wanted to mow the lawn. She also has a pet turkey, many chickens which give her up to six eggs a day. She has two dogs Soldier and Morgan. She has three cats Midnight Cowboy, Mink, and Alley Cat. Alley Cat is also her favorite cat. Alley gets the run of the house. He comes in and goes outside when he wants. Alley sleeps on Glendon's lap when it looks good. Alley runs across Glendon's keyboard when she is typing on the computer. Alley hate the fans on the ceiling. It scares him away. When Alley is outside and wants in he climbs on the window screens for attention. He usually gets in.

It's Labor day and garbage day

Remember the song " Yakity Yak?" The first line was "Take out the papers and the trash or you don't get no spending cash." I enjoy getting the garbage out on the curb because I won't see it after it is picked up. It is an inner satisfaction of knowing the trash is gone which makes my day wonderful.

I heard the paper being dropped around 4:30 this morning. I have no idea of what the weather is like outside. I know there is a hurricane heading to Louisiana named Gustav. I don't know if Hanna is a tropical storm or Hurricane making a pathway up the East Coast of Florida. What I only know for now is the air conditioning unit in my house. I know the warm cup of coffee which I am really enjoying the flavor. The refrigerator unit takes the place of a cricket inside the house. I can hear in the distance sounds of a summer crickets.

I saw yesterday an ideal moment to take a picture. However, I did not have my camera with me. It was just an ordinary pelican on top of a wooden post inside of the boating dock area. I am kind of fascinated by pelicans. They are so big and walk like a lumber jack. Yet, the gracefulness of their flight is so beautiful. I have compared it to a ballet. Riding the air currents with the wing spread out so far, the pelicans touch only air. The legs are retracted back like the wheels of a plane taking off into flight. One day while I was watching the pelicans fly, I noticed it was harder for them to land when the wind was real strong. They just want to keep riding the air waves like a surfer would ride the water waves.