Bathroom

 Theresa and I noticed a water stain on the ceiling of our bathroom. It was a small mark so I painted over the mark. This year it became obvious that there was a leak. Since this is an area outside of my expertise and requires  work on the roof I decided to have people who were in the business do the work.
What started as a small job quickly showed up to be a major one as an improper installation of a fan outlet caused the wood to rot and after years the whole roof section has to be replaced.There is a real worry down here about black mold and there was quite a bit in the area. The workers took little time in determining the problem and went right to work.

If we had not taken this action there would have been a full blown mold problem and the cost of correcting could be many times greater than the cost at this time. This is just one of the problems with living half time in Florida and half time in Canada.

We are expecting company for the next few weeks are were fortunate to find a qualified worker to do the work.Theresa was not too worried as she played her favorite game while the men toiled in the heat.

Busy Times

The next number of weeks we are expecting many visitors and Theresa and I are gearing up to make sure they are properly cared for. Cleaning and dusting is the easy part. We are in the middle of having a leak in our bathroom ceiling fixed. The worker cancelled his time of arrival a day later so we are in a tight schedule.

Our friends from the Yukon are about to receive our hospitality for a nice visit. We visited them five years ago and had a spectacular time flying with John in his plane and  travelling around the historic sights of the Yukon. They have retired and are making a North American tour in their new RV.

They are doing it all with a cruise while in Florida, Disneyland and all the important sights in the area. I am sure that while they are here we will share many memories. Theresa and Marge go back to times to far to mention and they will have a great time talking of their adventures when single and the time shared ever since.

John and I go back to Ikaulaktutiak where John was the air port manager and JP and a dozen other things as I was at the time. We will no doubt share fond memories as well. Together we will have a wonderful visit and make new memories that we will share with our friends and family. I am really looking forward to this visit. After they leave to go on their cruise we are fortunate to have old friendships renewed as Susan and Don are coming for a visit. They have been here before and we had a great shared time and we are looking forward to their return to our home.

Grouper Fishing With Captain Carl

Captain Carl is a golf partner and his real calling is fishing. He loves to fish as much as I do and that is favorite hobby.When he asks if you would like to go fishing you do not hesitate. You say absolutely and then he gives you the details. Boat leaves the dock at his house at 6.30 am and be on time. He then says that he is taking us out to water that is 135 feet deep. That is 65 miles or more or less out in the gulf. A three hour sail over choppy water and then the fun of fishing for the most delicious fish caught in Florida.

Just trying to stand in the boat when it is rocking back and forth and pitching with every wave is a contest of wills.We stop on the way out to pick up the large bait. This is a matter of catching many small fish  (about 10 inches in length and weighing half a pound). After we get our number we complete our sail to a deep water haven for grouper. Carl has GPS readings for the best fishing and puts us right over a reef teeming with fish.

Immediately one of our mates hooks a grouper. It is large,32 inches in length and 15 lbs. We are all encouraged and begin fishing in earnest. When you get a bite with a grouper it is a major effort to hook and retrieve the fish safely to the boat where it will be netted  measured and put on ice if it meets the size standards .

We are all excited when one of our crew hooks a large shark. It is too big and strong to bring to the boat so we cut the line and let it go.This process is repeated over and over and it is fun. I was lucky to catch a Red Snapper but we had to let it go as it is out of season.Time arrives for us to get going back to clean and filet them. We always divide the catch equally and clean the boat so it is ready to go out clean the next time it is needed.

Captain Carl is an excellent skipper, a great fisherman and a generous friend. Our crew recognize the value in Carl's generosity and we look forward to fishing with him every chance we get.Carl is one of a kind and he receives respect from all his crew.

Hockey and Baseball

When I turned on the TV a couple of nights ago there was my favorite hockey team playing a league game. Although the game was tied after overtime ,Detroit won the shootout on sudden death and the Wings came away with two points. It was a surprise to find out that my cable package enables me to see a number of games per week. I along with many decided that this as a tarnished season because of the lockout could be written off. I was prepared to forget the NHL and watch college and American League hockey. The truth is that once I saw the Wings  I was hooked as before and now look forward to these games.

Right after the hockey game we were bombarded with baseball. Even though the season is weeks away the tickets for the games are on sale and the excitement begins. We have two teams who have their spring training camps here. The Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins have stadiums and facilities that are quite wonderful. Boston Red Sox have been given a freebie by the city as they built an exact replicate  of their home field complete with the green monster at a cost of $84,000,000 , tax payers dollars.

The Twins are getting a renovated stadium again at a huge cost to the local tax payers. The cost is in the neighborhood of $50,000,000. These dollars will be recovered by the tourists who come  in large numbers for the six weeks of spring training camp. We have our tickets now to see a couple of games and it is exciting to see the baseball stars close up. One can go to the practice sessions every day if you wish and talk to the players and watch them getting in shape for their golf game . The players love to come here for their camp as they play golf every day after practice.

Well the events for the next few weeks will be busy and interesting so Theresa and I will become baseball fans and I can still watch the Wings on TV.

Climate And Weather Has No Boundaries

This morning when I turned on the weather channel I was surprised to see just how large the cold zone stretched across North America. With unusually cold temperatures from the high Arctic to Florida and the sun belt and even stretching to Cuba and the Bahamas you could say that we are in a deep freeze.

Fortunately for Florida the cold snap is just that with warmer temperatures returning to normal by this afternoon.The weather person was stating that for people who are not concerned about climate change they should think again as the scientists are troubled about the lack of preparation to ease the problems created by massive world climate and weather changes.

One of the great concerns is the mid and south west where years of drought have turned the center of the USA into a massive dust bowl. It is critical that this area receive moisture in a major way to save the agricultural industry. The scientists have been measuring the impact of this drought and predict a dust bowl even larger than the one in the thirties.The Mississippi River and its tributaries which drain the bread basket of the USA is at a all time low and unless more water is available parts of this huge river will be closed down to barge traffic in the near future.

Here in Florida where the state looks to be covered by lakes and wetlands just moved out of serious drought conditions. Australia is burning and the southern countries along the Mediterranean are seeing yearly firestorms. Massive wildfires are a source of concern in many areas of the world and still people deny the science.

The sky is not falling and there is time to make plans to ease the results of this natural event but some of the cures will take years of planning and huge amounts of resources to affect the cure. One of the features of this global change is that more exposure of the wealth in northern areas will be realized. Countries like Canada and Russia will see their northern territories contributing to their economy. In fact the circum polar nations as a whole will have new challenges as never seen before with ice melting and the tundra collapsing making travel nearly impossible as we see it today.

Today I will enjoy the natural beauty of the Florida sunshine and leave the troubles of the world to be looked after by our young scientists and engineers.

Obama

What can you say about this day in American history. A president with a plan and the wonderful ability to enunciate his plan to the people. The President was able to blend most of the great passages from the past presidents and the constitution into a magnificent map for the future of the country. I realized that he has a very difficult position with a divided Congress but he appeared confident that a good budget could be brought about provided that everyone works for the better good.

When England crowns a new Royal Leader the pomp and ceremony is fantastic. In America when they have a inauguration it is their way of celebrating the crowning of their Leader. It appears that the people of America have accepted their first African American as their president. This is significant as it would have been impossible when I was a young person. Today was doubly significant as it was on the day Celebrating Americas greatest African American leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

The feeling of America coming together was evident so we hope the Congress can listen to the will of the people and make a proper effort to present solutions and not put up partisan road blocks to prevent progress.

History will remember this day as a historic one if the country follows the direction led by their President.Obama is the world leader who could make a difference and every country is watching to see how Congress acts in carrying out it's mission.The next 30 days will decide  if we are going to have a better world or more of the same old garbage. I really see the mood of the country as being sick of the past and hopeful  about the future.

American Democracy

Democratic countries have one significant characteristic that stands above all others. The government that rules the democracy changes hands  in an orderly and peaceful manner after the will of the people is shown through an election process where all voters are equal at the election day. We all know that there are numerous flaws in the process and individuals and groups find ways of discovering loopholes to tarnish the beautiful pure democratic process in favor of self interest.

I have been a close observer of the system in America and have been amazed at the long , expensive and tiring lead up the an election. The party system with the primaries to name people who will be eligible to carry the party banner consumes so much energy and causes positions to be taken during the process which will cause problems when the actual election takes place.

Today with the poll system in place there is little drama during the real election as pretty well everyone knows the  winner well in advance. The system is far from perfect but it is the best we have.

Today we saw President Obama take the oath of office and continue as president for the next four years. These years will be torn with strife and acrimony and he with his advisers will attempt to lead the most powerful nation in the world along a path that will lead to prosperity and peace. During these few days the nation is as one but come Tuesday and the Congress will be back at it's old ways of division and instead of working for the people they will be attempting to have their own way in the house. I was hoping that things would be different this time but we will have to wait and see.

There is always the hope that the gravity of the debt situation would bond the Congress to find a suitable solution to its grave danger that for once they would be able to use the collective strength of leadership of the whole Congress.

Living as I do half here and half in Canada I see the greatness of this nation and the problems facing any leader.President Obama will be a stronger leader this time around and I feel that the divided Republican Party will come along with him to solve the financial crisis in America.

Cold Snap

The weather man predicted a cooling of the high temperatures we had for the past weeks. Yesterday the weather changed during the afternoon when a cold front moved through our area. Temperatures dropped 10  to  15 degrees in less than an hour.

Coupled with the high winds the morning temperatures dropped to the high forties and early fifties. When I went to the gym this morning people were coming to the gym dressed to take on an Arctic expedition. Heavy coats, warm caps and hoodies.. The cool weather will last one day and we will return to the eighties on the weekend.

Not to be outdone by the crackers and tourists we turned on our Amish furnace for an hour to warm up our family room. When you think about it the weather becomes a big issue  and as the old saying goes..when you have nothing to say ....talk about the weather.

Canadian Visitor

Every once in a while you get a surprise visitor. Well I received news of a long ago friend Steve who was visiting in our area and we planned to get together for a game of golf.Circumstances  were such that golf was of the menu so we decided on a visit instead.

Steve had a little problem finding our home because his GPS was acting up but he managed to arrive at our home just about when planned. It was good to see him make his way up the driveway and within minutes our conversation emerged into a full scale, old fashioned communication.  The twenty or so years melted away and for the next five or six hours we shared half a lifetime of news and gossip.

We decided to drive around and catch the flavor of our area and of course along the way.We stopped for a few photos and admired the trees and wildlife which presented itself. We were both hungry so dropped in at Bubbas for lunch. This old roadhouse was perfect for our-needs as peanuts and beer filled our hungry spots until the Bubba Burger was served. We both agreed that it was very good food and after more talk we decided to call it a day and moved on home to our house.

We had a few more moments to share about life in general and some thoughts about the future. Steve decided he was going to become a blogger and that was good news. We parted with Steve having a good impression about our home and area and his feeling sorry his wife was not there to share the day.

Florida Spring

Around this time every year Florida comes alive with fresh fruit and   vegetables.The signal is the showing of the Plant City strawberries. These berries are red right through and for about two months we have this special treat. In our garden the yellow and green beans are great and the tomatoes are beginning to ripen.

The bananas are maturing and several have begun that transition from a palm tree to a productive plant with hanging stocks of these small but sweet fruit. I marvel at the speed of the growth cycle from these plants. These palms have a crop of one stock and then their life cycle is over.Once you cut the palm another one grows in its place. We have about 15 trees now and started with two. Several times they were frozen off but they always come back.

The flowering trees like the hibiscus and bougainvilia make every street a colorful display.We have been hurricane free since 2005 so the trees and nature has renewed itself.

My friend asked me out for a deep sea fishing trip to fill our freezer with grouper again . Out on the gulf you don't see the beauty of the land this time of year but we experience another gift from Mother Nature, the beauty of the sea.

Always Something To Do Here

Just when I was settling down to some vacation time new jobs crop up. Our garage door opener has had a mind of it's own and will open and close on it's own time. As I know little about these openers I did what any mechanically inclined person would do. I jerked the electrical cables and that did not help. I cleaned the electric eyes and tried to line them up better with no positive response.

Then I did what I should not do and that is open up the box. Common sense tells me to phone the man who installed it but I decided to try to get some satisfaction. on my own. There were some set screws on the side mount and with a screwdriver I attempted to adjust the door. First it came down hard and bounced right up again. I readjusted the setting and it went down but not back up. Then the lights started blinking and that was the signal to take a break. I pulled the plug and got down off my chair carefully and left the adventure for a rest.

I thought about this for a while and went back out. I read the instructions on the other side of the device and low and behold it worked. Not the first time nor the second but the third time it worked OK. Guess I should have read the instructions before starting the job.. I only hope that the next time I try to use this door it will work to perfection and I will get away from standing on that blasted chair with Theresa prepared to save me if I slipped or fell. Good to have a strong partner.

Making Adjustments

Every time Theresa and I change homes for the different seasons I find myself taking a few days to get myself tuned in to my new environment. It would be easier if our homes were quite similar but they are not and everything seems to be in a different place. Even the dishes and cooking utensils are located in a place quite opposite to our home in Oakville.

With the weather here breaking records nearly every day with a heat wave we find the change to be pleasant but it could be a little more moderate. Our paper delivery comes at the same time, 5  am but here it is tossed somewhere on the driveway but at home it is placed near the front door. Our mail here is delivered to a mailbox across the road and comes every day but Sunday. We like the services that the mail person offers and when we go home it is delivered to Canada free for the six months we are home free.To have our mail delivered from Canada to the USA costs about $160.

Some of the main issues that capture the news media are surprising. In all the years I have been coming to Florida I never saw such a fuss over GUNS. Discussions about arming teachers, permitting everyone to carry a concealed weapon and every other twist connected to the gun issue is overpowering. Talk shows on the radio, huge adds in the paper and headlines in nearly every paper gives you the feeling that it is not safe to live in the USA.

We feel quite the contrary and never feel unsafe. As a matter of fact Cape Coral ranks high in the safety issue and ranks in the very top for cities our size in Florida and America. I do see and hear much about guns and feelings run very high so it is a good idea to stay out of the discussion about Amendment #2.Gun sales have jumped through the roof since there is a movement to change the gun laws in America. Even minor changes cause strong resistance. We in Canada had a good gun registry in place but our copy cat government is looking more like the USA regarding gun control. Both here in the USA and Canada the vast majority wish reasonable gun control legislation but a minority ,led by the NRA in the USA and some red necks from the west in Canada  hold the country in a vice like grip because of the rich lobby from gun and ammunition manufacturing plants  both here and in the USA.

Something nice before I close this blog is the fact that this year we are going to have some visitors from home and we are looking forward to sharing time with these friends.

Back In Florida

After a beautiful month of shared time with my family and friends it is good to be back here to put my house in order. I don't mean the house but the yard. Much can happen in a month here and as I drove up to our home I could see major growth in the flowers and bushes. The weeds did not take a holiday but seemed to take advantage of my not being there to keep them in check.

Our pool looks great as the neighbour's took good care of it as they always do.My garden looks a little shabby but actually I was surprised at the condition because the weather was not the greatest. On arrival the weatherman announced that this day broke all existing records as the temperature jumped to 89 degrees. The old record for that day was 85.

What were we to do with these conditions? What everyone does ... pour a cold drink and relax.  Order in a pizza ans relax. Relax was the operative word as we were a little tired from he early starting time of our departure and the flight itself.

Today we will make up for the resting and get all the little thigs completed to make our home and garden acceptable.

Comfort Food

On a cold day there is nothing better to eat than a nice hot stew and home made biscuits. Doris was here and I suggested that she make her home made biscuits. At 95 Doris had to  look up the recipe but it did not take long for her to make a small batch to go with the stew. Sometimes the simplest of meals are the best.

Turning 76

I used to think that people who were over 75 were very old. Being one of these old people now I have a change of heart. I know for sure I am slower but still get where I am going, quieter as I listen more - especially to the young folks who have much to say - and less judgmental as you accept many answers as all being acceptable.

On this birthday I was surrounded by all my family except number two daughter Darlene who was in Ottawa. It felt comfortable to be among the family where there were no issues that divide us but many common values that become the framework of our family. As we branch out and become inclusive and bring more people into the fold, we become stronger with our acceptance of new and exciting cultural ideas.

I feel that my life passed so quickly, and the remainder years will be filled with exciting new adventures, but there will be more looking back and cherishing the happiness received from belonging to a loving family and friends. I will have a strong desire to make sure that our young people know and understand where they have come from and the rich heritage they are so fortunate to share. I am still seeking information about my past and it helps me to understand why I am what I am. I don't mean to quote Moses but that statement by God in answer to Moses at the burning bush is profound by itself. "I am who I am."

I have a few wishes for the next period of time. The doctors  gave me a new back and I must lose weight to help in the healing process. I should begin a service to others by volunteering for a good cause. I must keep in touch with those who have made my life rich and exciting and share my joy of life with them. Finally I must advocate for Mother Earth and Mother Nature and make the world a better place in which to live. All these objectives will only be achieved with the help of my wife Theresa May.

News Year's Eve

This year while we were home for a few weeks at Christmas we experienced a large number of family visits. This was the main reason for flying home and we were not disappointed. We thought of some resolutions that would make positive changes in our life and are determined to see these to the end. It was a time for seeking solutions to our health and our weight which seemed to just  increase without us taking steps to modify the end result.

Beyond the personal agenda I had some very heavy resolutions to help frame one of Canada's growing problem... the environment. This foolish government appointed a former broadcaster to oversea our most critical portfolio - the environment. Mr. Kent seems like an okay person but lacks vision and is a puppet to the plans that the prime minister lays out. The government will do anything and everything to create jobs, even at the expense of Mother Earth. Our once wonderful environment safeguards were the envy of the western world  This Prime Minister has done everything to erode the system by taking away the funding to oversea the vast problems of the oil patch.

The oil patch is our greatest ugly environmental issue and the government is making it easier for companies to continue to leave tremendous amounts of water and earth pollutants that scar the pristine water and tundra area. It sickens one to see the mess they leave. Yes, they have show places where everything looks just fine, but it is estimated that only 4 percent of the earth is returned to an acceptable level.

Animals and birds suffer and die as the mining proceeds with wild abandon. I have seen first hand the results of the carnage done to the earth by these greedy oil barons. This year I shall write letters every week to the respective groups to help correct the terrible mess we have created.

This appears to be the age of the First Nations and their demands are reasonable and I can only wonder how long they have to wait to have their treaty rights recognized and acted upon. We as Canadians have a solemn duty to take the treaties signed years ago seriously, and to bring the people affected into the Canadian fold with all the rights and privileges contained therein.This is just a beginning as we must take measures to hold the Government accountable.