Oil, Greed, Life, Freedom

Rarely has there been such a clear picture of  the western societies greed for money through oil as right now. America and its allies have propped up ugly dictators for years to protect the billionaires who control the energy of the world. We always hear the excuse that their actions are in the name of national interest. #@#@#%$^%. It is national interest for sure, national interest meaning the multinational oil companies having their cheap oil for profit.

The scam is always the same. Find a person who can control the country by whatever means necessary.Prop him up with a supply of arms to be used to control the people and give him a bundle of money without care to see that the money will be used to give the residents a better life. A better life like having a share in government, maybe even a vote. Provide essential services like health care, housing and education and a security system where law and order Publish Postmake it safe. Sound familiar, well look at Iraq, Panama, Honduras, Egypt, Vietnam, Libya, Saudi Arabia and a dozen other countries. These were not our friends and we were not defending freedom but protecting the oil interests.

We get so sick when we hear and see the pictures of our public leaders playing up to these evil people such as Libya's famous evil sons being met by our top officials, when we know full well that the result will be making them more powerful and more respected in the global society. Case in point - a few years ago American leadership turned a blind eye to conditions in Libya knowing full well about the evil perpetrated against Libyan citizens. Shortly after the pictures and hugging, American oil giants began developing the oil resources of that country. Monies transferred to Libya could have given a better life to the people but most if not all  went into the coffers of the dictator. Libya then bought arms and ammunition as well as sniper rifles to control its people. A great deal!!!

I could go on and site a dozen such deals over the last years but you get the picture. Our foreign policies of the western world are not meeting the needs of this century. With the communication systems today everyone can see how the people around the world live, and the have nots want a share of the resources available. The brave people who suffered for 42 years under its dictator now are willing to go unarmed  against machine guns and bombs to capture their freedom. What are we doing to help these people while they die? We make resolutions. This will help but they need help now and the western world should support these emerging democracies before some other force fills the gap.

March seems to be coming in like a lion in the Middle East. We hope it will leave like a lamb and peace will come to these troubled people. It is a simple choice. Oil and greed, or life and freedom.

February

A year ago we were happy to see the end of February. This year we would like it to never end. With temperatures above normal and perfect blue sky we have experienced a wonderful winter in paradise. Our roads are crowded, beaches full to capacity and the baseball camps opening their pre-season schedule tells us that it is the perfect time to get away and experience summer in winter.

Everyone here has a smile and because of the weather our visitors are enjoying their holiday in the sun. What a difference the sunshine has on ones personality. Last year there was a steady  barrage of editorials and negative comments about the future of tourism here in the south. Add the oil spill and a down trend in the economy and you have an ugly mix. For folks staying here for the winter months a few days of rainy or cool weather is welcome but for those who invested in expensive accommodations and travel it turns out to be a disaster.

Reports on the housing situation reveals that there is a measurable upward turn in the market fueled by the baby boomers purchasing winter homes at prices you can not believe.   There is still room for anyone wishing to buy a three bedroom, two bath with pool for around $100,000. Six years ago that price would have been at least triple. Reports from the real estate people say that record sales are not uncommon and the inventory has shrunk to a seven year low. Things look brighter.

Our February has been great with our quiet but busy schedule and we have enjoyed the birds, trees and garden. Our crops this year have been exceptional with tomatoes leading the way. I am beginning to think of my trees and garden at home peacefully tucked under the snow and ready for a helping hand from a learning gardener. February was just wonderful.

Morning Visitors

Every morning for the past weeks a young cat appears at our pool cage door and calls to us. A rather well kept little one who comes to breakfast and Theresa feeds it real cat food. There are many farell cats in our neighbourhood who use our bird bath as a watering hole and some will eat food placed outside by Theresa but none are as friendly as this one which Theresa calls Tinker Bell. We suspect that this cat might be owned by someone or was abandoned.

Another morning friend is the woodpecker who hammers on our eave troughs just as the sun comes up. I am sure they wake up the whole neighbourhood. I tried to get a good picture of it but finally had to accept a long shot from my garage.

Since I filled the bird feeders with sun flower seeds the black birds and crackles dominate the landscape and the cardinals and blue jays are left out. Well some visitors are better than no visitors at all.

SHUTTLE DAY

Perfect weather greeted the brave astronauts who will be making their last voyage on this space vehicle today around 4pm. I wished to go but could not motivate my wife to come along as she thinks there are always delays. I have to agree to that. Years ago when I was living in Sarasota there was a night launch. I decided to go at the last minute and raced across the state. The launch was to take place at 10pm but with small delays it actually left the pad at midnight.

It was one of the greatest thrills I ever experienced as the rockets heated up and the vehicle left the ground. I was lucky to get to see the show as I was late on arrival and a state trooper stopped me and said no more cars were allowed closer to the site. I explained my circumstances and he offered to let me stay put along the side of the main road as long as I would remove myself a few minutes after launch.

The noise was deafening. The bright light was brilliant and the smoke trail was spectacular. Everyone close beeped their horns adding to the noise and clapping could be heard from the throngs of people crowding the area. I had a camera with film but my pictures never turned out as I should have had a filter. I watched the rocket lift slowly at first and turn on its back and gain speed. It was a clear night without moon and it made the scene even more spectacular. Every eye followed the trail of smoke and fire until it finally disappeared into darkness.

That scene will be forever embedded in my mind. My son and family went to see a launching some years later and experienced the same feelings as I did. TV is great and the commentary helpful but it does not give you the true picture of a Shuttle Launch. My thoughts are with the astronauts and families who must be concerned during these hours before the main event. Fly true and safely on your voyage to history.

America At Crisis

With the turmoil being reported in the countries in North Africa and the Middle East it is easy to neglect the crisis in the USA. Here there are battles raging for the minds of the people. The Republicans, Democrats, the Tea party People, the Green Party and every shade of ideology in the spectrum. America once had two parties who squared off every four  years to determine who ruled Washington for four years. Usually a party who did well had at least two terms and then there would be a change.

This system was workable until the Second World War when America emerged as the great world power. The USA changed from a rural base to a strong urban based country. The revolution in the manufacturing field placed millions of people in unions and they faced a conflict with management. Blacks from the south moved north seeking and obtaining jobs in the automobile industry. A huge influx of immigrants from war torn Europe flooded the cities and became part of the mix in the great melting pot of America. The two traditional parties tried to represent their turf by assuming policies that neither fitted the needs of the people nor represented the new America.

From that time until now America had to or willingly took on the role of peacemakers or policemen of the world. Nation building became a word used when circumstances forced America to send her sons into harms way. Today we have a military presence in over 100 countries and men in arms in places like Germany and other European countries sixty years after the end of the conflict.

With this responsibility America is slowly putting herself further and further in debt maintaining her leadership role. Where will it end? Every great country meets a point where economic considerations cause the government to examine its role.With debt looming over its head and more deficit budgets being passed America could become a third world country with its economic future in the hands of people who are not their friends.

The two political parties have to get to grass roots and manage a program to reverse this trend and bring the USA back to stability. On one hand we have parties feeling the need to help everyone at a cost and another party saying cut everywhere it hurts, but give tax breaks to the very rich.

As I see it we all have to help to live within our means and accept more responsibility for our own well being. There are basic needs which every government should attempt too meet but today it may have to be less. It must start at the top some say but I feel the reverse is probably true. If everyone lived a little more frugally and kept their personal debt in order it would behove the governance of our political institutions to do the same. In America the civil service workers receive nearly twice as much as a person doing the same job living on the economy, Why? Because governments need their support and caudal them.

We are a service economy and we used to be a economy where we made things. Today you can walk in a store and be hard pressed to find something made in America. The global village concept is reality and we must compete. Enough as I could go on for hours about the state of our western society. We are in crises and my wish would be that our political leaders in the western world start shaping policies for the future and be prudent stewards of the wealth of our great nations and make this crisis an opportunity to rise again to past status.

Snowbirds Everywhere

Theresa and I went to our huge flea market on Sunday and were amazed at the licence plates on the cars. For every Florida plate there were five or six from out of state. Nearly every state was represented and a few Canadian ones as well.Crowds pushed their way through the isles in search of those bargains. Watches, jewellery, golf equipment and all sorts of items from China made a scene like no other on market day.The fruit and vegetables are displayed outside but the thousand or more booths inside made the greatest impact.

The food courts with specials like alligator tail and boiled peanuts gave a fragrance that, mixed with the sweating throng gave you the urge for outside with fresh air and sunshine. Still the allour of this market makes it an attraction for all who visit Southwest Florida.

Leaving and entering the market is in itself a feat as the parking lots are crowded and with the main roads filled to capacity it is difficult and dangerous just getting there. The local radio stations harp on the fact that since the snowbirds are here you have to put up with waiting lines at the restaurants, white headed people crowding the left lanes and accidents caused by folks who should not be driving. The way I see it is snowbirds are the lifeblood of Florida. They use few services like schools and pay into the state coffers every time they  turn around.

There is something different when you look over a crowd in public places and all you see is a sea of white hair or no hair at all. These are the people who make Florida and all sunshine states viable. People come for the sunshine and the beaches. There has not been a credible study completed but rumour has it that people who share their time in Florida with their northern home live longer. I don't know for sure but I hope it is true.

Beautiful Saturday

This Saturday is perfect in every way. 80+ without a breath of wind and a clear blue sky. Most of our days are like this but our forecast tells us spring is really here. All the fruit trees are in full bloom and gardens are at their peak. The market was overflowing with people prepared to fill their green bags with every imaginable fruit and vegetable. Our neighbour has their son home from university so they are happy and so is the whole neighbourhood.

Monday is President Day so the kids will have a long weekend and workers will have time to share with their friends and family. Here a huge celebration brings a close to Edison week where special events were held every day and night. Edison was probably the most prolific inventor in Americas history and his laboratory was here in Ft. Myers along side of Henry Ford. Their estates are historical sites now and the museum holds most of their inventions.

Tonight the grand parade is being held and a crowd of over 100,000 will line the streets as the creative floats pass by. Because of the weather the crowd is expected to break every record and some organizers predict close to 200,000 people. Following the parade a celebration of music, art, food and dance will carry the happiness way into the evening.

As a small family of three we enjoy the swimming, biking and peace we receive in Paradise.We connect with our friends and family at home and understand that the weather is pretty well unpleasant unless you like snow and cool temperatures. With that all said I miss the snow and all it brings to a person who was comfortable with the cold and snow. The TV keeps us in touch with reality and the hardships some parts of our continent has been through this winter. With spring and summer just around the corner we are able to enjoy whatever Mother Nature provides for us.

Budgets

The whole world is presently faced with planning budget. Budgets put a face on the way a country, a state or province or a municipality sets out their priorities.I am always touched by the statements made by political leaders before decisions are made concerning how the taxpayers money should be allocated. Yesterday I heard a brief clip on radio where a powerful person in the USA said, "cuts for military and law enforcement are out of the question, everything is fair game."

That statement tells us a whole lot.Any statement made before consultation places the budget process in jeopardy. Today with so many economic problems in the world we often forget the real purpose of the governing agencies. Two sides to the coin, one is the real issue of debt and finances and the other is the needs of providing services. The constitutions of the various levels of government lay the groundwork and rules for powers and responsibilities of each. One problem is that constitutions were mainly written in a age which faced a different society.

Conservatives basically wish small government and fiscal responsibility and more liberal like a balance between social needs and fiscal responsibility. We know that is simplistic as there are many shades of these notions.We somehow have to learn to live within our means as every family knows but somehow find themselves in debt.Since families and their budgets are a microcosm of society we can readily see the want and need situations with clarity. Not so clear with big government with its myriad of secret agencies and entitlements. Debt charges strange ling growth and maintenance of traditional institutions like justice, health, education, military, welfare, environment and every other need staggers the minds of our leaders and the only way they can manage is to borrow. Wrong.

The United Kingdom is in dire straits and the government decided to bring in a budget that would balance the books in a matter of years.It was a painful reminder that there is no bottomless pit of money, someday you will sink and go bankrupt. Even the USA, the most powerful country in the world and the largest economy is in big trouble. Will we have the leadership to solve the problem?

Too many people today rely on the goverment for needs which should be personal responsibilities. Socialism is great if you can afford it but socialism has a high price. There must be a balance. Free enterprise is great as well for the people who benefit from their work but it clearly divides the world of the rich and middle class. We are losing our middle class and this could be the downfall of our Western society. All we can do is hope our leadership is good and strong enough to make the good decisions. We can also manage our own affairs and live within our means.

Eagles

The strongest symbol of the USA is the American Eagle. We have two families of these wondrous creatures who live only blocks away from us. They have huge nests and use the same one each year except when they decide to move as one family did recently. For no apparent reason the family of eagles closest to us decided to move. The Roman Catholic Church , two blocks away were planning to build a   hall on their large property but suddenly their plans were changed. The eagles seeing a beautiful red pine tree decided to move their nest. In  three days they hauled most of the branches and material from their old nest and build their new one there.  State and county law forbids any construction within 1300 feet of the nest. Plan B, forget it until the eagles have their fledglings and try again.

The eagles did have two young ones and the next year as well. Meanwhile the church waited patiently savoring the fact that the eagles turned Catholic. Two years later , just as suddenly the eagles left the church yard and returned to their old nest. They now rebuilt  their home and again have two young ones. I don't see any religious significance in the move although the jokes appeared again but I think the cause was too much traffic. This church has a huge membership and it is very busy.

We get so much pleasure from these birds and when you think about so many of our expressions are directly related to the eagle. Soar like an eagle, tough love and out on a limb comes to mind . Eagles are tough parents and when the time to leave the nest the parents shove the eaglets out on a limb and there they stay until they fly. Sometimes over a week. That is tough love and when they do fly there is a great show as the young ones learn to fly or soar like an eagle.

Laws are contested to change the protection laws but our council voted to keep the 1300 feet rule only last week. There was a tremendous construction lobby and the vote was close, never the less passed. We are proud of our eagles and show them off to all visitors or anyone who cares about our treasure, eagles.

Valentines

Surrounded by ladies all my life I can hardly forget that special day, Valentine.I wish  to express my love to all,  starting with a 93 year old Mother-in-law, my wonderful wife, three daughters and eight grand children I have ample reason to feel loved  in return. Remembering those old days where my sisters would buy those valentine books which kept them busy cutting out the cards for friends at school days before the event.

Choosing the right card for the right person and listening to their mother expressing concerns that everyone should receive one.Big  cards for best friends and so on down the line. One year when I was in grade four our teacher Mrs. Jean Robertson ( one of my best teachers) brought frosted cupcakes for everyone in the class. We were thirty eight and some in our class were very old for that grade.

Before recess she called the class to order and expressed to us her deep feeling for we the students and gave us our treat.It was the first time I heard a teacher tell a class that she loved us and loved being our teacher.She was exceptional and had a positive influence on me. Sometimes the little time it takes to express feelings pays off. In that large class I am sure that it was the first time the word love was heard with such a resounding impact for many in that class. After recess she had us write about love and the person we loved the most. I never saw the results but I am sure mothers would have been prominent in that category.

Through my years in education I tried to influence my staff the importance in conveying the bond between teacher and student. Years later when meeting students they will express feelings about their teachers and will say how much they loved Mrs. so or Mr. so.

So today on this day of love take the time and express your love to someone who is important to you or someone who just needs a pick me up.

Valentine Cards

Last year I wrote a blog about Valentine Day and the ritual of sending a commercial card. I suggested that a personal note or letter would be much more meaningful. I followed my own suggestion and had a positive response and I received many comments from people who read the blog.

Repeating myself but the reason for my thought last year was people in close relationships often have difficulty in expressing feelings verbally but can be quite eloquent in verse. There is something rather romantic about getting a note from their loved one and perhaps notes could be exchanged on other occasions during the year as well. I personally remember a couple who wrote notes on a regular basis and received joy from the practise.

While I am on the subject of cards I would like to add that a personal note on Xmas cards and special occasion cards is much better than a simple signature. Amen.

Living Without a Telephone.

After three days without our telephone we finally had our modem replaced and are connected to the outside world. Yes we had Scype, emails and face book but I personally felt a little panic not having that close connection of a telephone. We live in a world of communication  and I do not have a cell phone and used one a few times but that land line keeps me in touch wit friends and family.

For the first day I went to that little device and tried to get it working. I checked the batteries, connections and even read the manual before I called Comcast, our carrier. The lady teck was polite and efficient and congratulated me for having done all that was expected. Theresa went so far as to go on line and follow other options. Finally we phoned the company and a teck came to our door and after an hour decided that it was the modem.

He did everything possible outdoors and indoors to see if the cause was not their fault. He conceded that the modem croaked and replacement was necessary. Since the modem is rented ($5) and in Comcast's domain we were not responsible. He did however make sure everything here was up to par and we are the better for his visit.

I followed him to pick up tips and to become a better educated person when it comes to electronics. If only I had one of those little black machines that tell him everything he needs to know I could maintain my system. Since our system is back up I am waiting for those calls that I thought were so important. I still have not had one so all my anxiety was in vain. Maybe, just maybe I could survive without that little gadget.

Four days of fun

Our visit from Dar was just perfect with the weather worm and inviting and our time shared the same. It was some years since Dar was our guest so everything was new. She asked more questions and made more inquiries than another person I know and also like very much.Her swims, bike rides and views of the Eagles made each hour precious and memorable.

We talked, laughed and even played a little music although I use that term loosely. On girls shopping day Dar returned so full of exciting  stories about the bargains and so on ,  I was glad I missed that part of the visit. It must have been exhausting as the girls were falling asleep at 9.30 in the evening and there was a negative response for the regular evening walk. Theresa is a professional shopper and could wear out most people half her age. Dar did her best but was exhausted.

Early morning bike rides had their rewards as we encountered the baby eagle and mother both times we made the trip to her nest. We dropped Dar off at the airport and were a little sad at her departure as we really had a good time with shared experiences for the four days.

Birthdays

Today is special in our family as we have three celebrating birthdays on the same Feb. 9 TH day. My daughter who is visiting is celebrating her special day with us. Two of our grand children also share the same day. These occasions are important fore us as a family because it signals a family get together. As we number about twenty we can count on sharing some time together many times each year. Since we have being dividing our time between two locations we miss some of these good times.

At Christmas this year we were all together and I speculated that it might be the last time we would all come together. My family with nine children never had the opportunity to share any day together. In a way it is sad to realize that families do not experience the togetherness as often as they should as in my lifetime the special memories are about such occasions.

Perhaps I have an unusual  desire to keep family ties strong and communication channels open as I have that need to keep in touch. My brothers and sisters are spread over much geography but with the modern gadgets today we can be together as often as we choose. Our children and grand children are living quite close together and share the use of the net to stay in touch. My desire is that as they age the family bond will remain strong and getting together at Birthdays is one way to keep it so.

Power Company To The Rescue

For ten days Theresa and I have been bothered by a high frequency noise on our lanai. Every day we talked of the noise and how it really interrupted the tranquility of our back yard and pool lanai.We wondered where the sound came from and determined it had to come from the transformer across the road from our pool.

After complaining for nine or ten days I told Theresa if the sound was not gone by tomorrow I would call the power corporation and ask for help. Tomorrow became today and after she gave me the phone number I called. After listening to the phone menu I decided to touch # 3 which would give me home assistance. I reached a nice lady and she said she would transfer my call to the section which would help me out.

The next person I spoke to asked me for all the information I gave eight years ago when I signed up with the co-op which controlled the power in Cape Coral. By now my patience was at its limit but he explained that they had another department that looked into customer complaints. I explained that I was not complaining just looking for an answer. The next man said that he was sure that the noise was not caused by the power corp. He suggested I explain once more what I was hearing and then said he would send over a man who would help me if I was home during the next hour. I agreed.

A half million dollar truck pulled up in front of my house and a man removed himself from the air conditioned cab and approached my ftont door. As he came up he spit out his chewing tobacco and rang the doorbell. He showed identification and shook my hand. I invited him to come to my lanai and experience the sound. He said he was from Alabama and when he heard the sound he said,"that ain't no sound from our power company."

He listened again and volunteered to find the cause. He asked me if there were batteries in my orbital exercise machine and when did I change the batteries. I told him about ten days ago I put new batteries in the machine. He placed his ear to the computer programmer and pointed to it saying,"this is the problem yo hear." He removed the batteries and the sound disappeared. I was stunned. I felt stupid but he reassured me neither was true because he had worse cases than this one.

I thanked him for his trouble and he smiled as he left my house replacing some fresh tobacco and I said you will have a laugh at my expense at the shop. He smiled and said he would have a laugh but promised not to give the address of the old man who called the false alarm.

Excitment

Today we receive our first guest of the year in the person of our daughter number two, Dar. Her daughter is presently in the Dominican Republic with her school so it was a perfect time to get away for a few days. Hubby is home looking after the house and shovelling snow. this is the first real visit for Dar as she was here for a visit when we bought the house but she never stayed here.

Her plans are to enjoy the sunshine and swim in the pool. The weather here is quite pleasant now with temperatures in the high seventies and sometimes the low eighties. In any case she will see a dramatic change from Ottawa who has had some cool weather as of late.

While here Dar will have a birthday and give us another reason to have a celebration. Dar will experience what I call the miracle grow as the orange and grapefruit will be in bloom and that rush of spring growth will be evident. In the space of three weeks the trees will grow at a phenomenal rate. New branches pop out of nearly dead bark and blooms will appear. I love this season. We left a few fruit on the tree so Dar will be able to pick her own off the tree.

We are excited and ready for some fun days and will take advantage of every minute while she is here.

10 TH Crusade

The 9 Holy crusades were conducted between 1095 AD and 1272 and supported the Papacy by Christians from England, France, Germany and Spain. We could be witnessing the 10 TH holy Crusade to restore the fundamentalist Muslim rule to areas lost after the nine crusadesr .Revolts in Egypt and Tunisia with a weak Libya squeezed in between and a cheering Iran , you can bet it is going to be a difficult situation for Israel and its booster the USA. Even our strong friend and supporter,Jordan is crumbling.

The policies of the fifties whereby we propped up dictators and watched them continue to suppress their people while  receiving billions of dollars in military aid without realizing that long term these people were not our friends. The west was caught off guard with the revolt in Egypt. Who should we support ?  The problem is we supported the dictator for 30 years and not the people. Now is the time for the west and the USA in particular to get down to fundamental policies and carve out a long range, supportable policy and feature a 2011 look for the world to see.

We have the best of intentions but over the years the people of the globe see us as the watch dog and answer to every problem in the universe. Now is the time to set goals that will restore our image to reflect the wonderful  people and country we are. We are only a small part of the global community now and should act accordingly.Canada and the USA are best friends, business and trading partners and share a common belief in the democratic process. The manner in which we conduct business at home tells a different story. This would be a great time to re-affirm our constitutional place in the sun and make bold progressive actions to tell the world we are back in business.

CNN..Dropped The Ball

Never have I been so offended by a network than I was today. A day long meeting between Canada and the USA resulted in a press conference. The President spoke in a most positive way about the talks and the importance of Canada-USA relations. Mutually they are the most important trading partners with a $1,ooo,ooo,ooo. a day of trade across the border. Canada providing over 40% of the imported oil to the USA. The President spoke in a wonderful warm manner and turned the mike over to the Canadian Prime Minister.

Immediately after the Prime Minister began to speak in French (there was no translator present.daaa) blabber mouth began to speak to another reporter about Egypt and for 14 minutes while the Prime Minister spoke there was no sound while ridiculous statements were traded back and forth  by blabber mouth and her friend.. To say I was offended is a small feeling of what I really felt. The President was uncomfortable as he is not fluent in French. He must have felt that the Prime Minister should have been treated in a better manner. CNN....shame on you...you dropped the ball.

Canadians will forgive the oversight because we are a forgiving people but I am damn angry and I shall be sending messages to the proper people about this #@&^5$#243. 

I hope that the CNN media people realize that Canada is more important to the USA than Egypt or any other nation. Bad manners are not excusable in this case.I hope blabber mouth is told when she should speak and when she should listen. I think she felt it was her place in the sun....I hope it was...and her last.

Unexpected Surprise.

Back in the seventies when I was heavily involved in politics I was given the opportunity to attend a conference in Windsor regarding parks and recreation. I attended with my fellow alderman Wally and our wives. This conference used to highlight the latest in equipment used in managing community parks. Seminars and displays took up most of the time but the ladies were entertained by the host city and companies wishing to make sales had hospitality rooms for the community reps.

There was one company which was a major player in the business of providing equipment to the province and some major heads of the civil service lost their jobs because of their inappropriate involvement with this company. Newspapers like to report scandal so everyone attending this conference was well informed about the problem. This company and its owner invited people to attend their display and have some refreshments. Wally and I asked our wives if they wished to come and the opted out for a flower show at the famous Windsor  Rose Garden. Windsor is known as the city of roses.

Wally and I weighed the consequences of attending the display as we had before. We actually were good friends of the owner and now famous person connected to the scandal. We went anyway and arrived at the hospitality room and found that we were the only two there except the four reps from the company. The host, Duke welcomed us and showed us the line of equipment while drinking a a new cocktail made from a yellow liquor being imported from Italy that year. It was good but not as good as the next entertainment.

Our host always had a large following and to that end he rented the bar at the Elms Hotel, a few blocks away for drinks and entertainment. A lemo drove us the quarter of a mile to the Elms along with the company reps and we entered the large bar. Prepared for a hundred or more but seeing only six the bar owner quickly set up one table in front of the stage. Food and drinks were served and with little fanfare the curtain was drawn and a small band played lively music as the band leader introduced Ann Margaret.

Tiny in stature but a great dancer she entertained us for about twenty minutes to a grateful audience of six. She came and met Duke and he introduced us and he thanked her for her talent. For all the disappointment and embarrassment you would never know it as Duke said it was all part of doing business. Wally and I thanked our host and were driven back to our hotel. When our wives saw us they questioned where we were. We told them we were to see Ann Margaret and they laughed thinking we made up the story to cover the possibility we had been visiting all the hospitality rooms.

We attended the banquet that night and when we told the friends of our adventure they were upset but still were skeptical. Next day as we were leaving Windsor I drove past the Elms and there in bold letters was the name of Ann Margaret as the featured entertainment. Pretty good surprise and entertainment for a couple of Valley Boys.

Fishing For Grouper

When I was invited to go out on the Gulf to catch Grouper I was delighted and excited.Grouper is a wonderful white fish which has become a favourite of many people here in Florida and across the nation. They are caught in many places but the Gulf of Mexico is the main source for most commercial fishing. Because of the desire for this fish , close controls make sure that the stock is protected. The season closes for two months every year and the number and size is controlled by wildlife management.

My friend and golf partner has a great fishing boat and he knows the good fishing spots. He marks the good reefs and fishing holes on GPS for future use.Yesterday was a perfect day for fishing as the Gulf was calm and we were preparing to travel some 40 miles out into the gulf. When we left the dock we made our first stop some ten miles out to catch bait fish. Within a few minutes we had plenty of sand perch and grunt. Pin fish were captured as well and after we had enough bait we headed out to deep water for Grouper. The Gulf is really quite shallow by open water standards and you have to travel well out to get deep water.

Travelling at 30 + mph we arrived at our first stop some twenty five miles out. The water depth was 50+ feet deep and we had instant luck.I caught three fish quickly but none were the  right size for keeping. We moved every half hour and travelled even further out. Land was not in sight but dolphins, birds of every kind and other fishermen seemed to be everywhere as this was the last day for grouper fishing for two months.

Octopus must have been  migrating as we caught dozens of these little fellows, They are hard to handle and can escape easily from any container which does not have a good cover.As we began our day at 7am and sailed, fished and enjoyed the environment until late evening we decided to call it a day. Any day fishing is a good day but this day was perfect. The weather, the crew and the fish all co-operated in making this day special for me and I cannot wait until the next chance to go back out on the Gulf.