Surprise

Our farmers market has more to offer than food. Yesterday while we were walking through the market area we saw a waving arm  and immediately recognized it as a former educator that I have not seen for 20 years. They are wintering here in Cape Coral and we linked up as we entered the market.

We were made aware that they were here but were unable to contact them because we were all having visitors and very busy. We plan to get together for a game of golf and a social evening in the near future.

In the ten minutes or so we were able to share so much of the blank spots during the last years. When we meet again there will be much to talk about and I look forward to that time.

Damage Repaired

Our screened lanai over our pool is now intact once more. After two separate incidents leaving our pool screened enclosure violated we are safe again from the invasion of insects or any foreign body while swimming.

The latest large hole was in need of professional help and that is what we got. Three men came from the re-screening company called Gene, Gene the Screening Machine and in a matter of 20 minutes completed their task. Two watched while this young man climbed on top of the cage and without any safety support worked magic in replacing the whole section of screen. He walked on the two inch supports and did his work without fear.

The job was one small task but they do all work. Gene has been doing this for 35 years and has a great reputation.Good workmanship demands a good price but it was worth it.

RV Travelers on their Way

Our friends from the Yukon have completed their tour of the Southwest of Florida. They are on their way to the North and eventually Ontario. This is just the extension of a year long tour of Canada and United States. They purchased a home on wheels and have been making their way across the USA and have enjoyed every area they visited. We shared a week with them and for Theresa and Marge it was special as they were friends for years and worked together in Ontario.

We were fortunate to share time with them in the Yukon and still have beautiful memories of that  land of the midnight sun. The early morning departure was almost cancelled as the heavy RV sunk into the soft sand after a heavy rain. John was able to handle the situation and with a little luck he did just that.John checked every feature of the RV and within a half hour they were on their way to St. Augustine for a few days.

Florida is entering the warm season with temperatures above 80 every day.Perfect for the garden and golf and it would be great if it would remain just like this but I know it will get warmer from now on.

Visit To Pine Island

Pine Island is the largest of the barrier islands on the gulf side of Florida. About 20 miles in length and 4 miles wide and home to thousands of palm trees growing on tree farms that pretty well cover the land.Three small communities hold the majority of the Pine Islanders who share a common love for their island.

Many artists and crafty folk share their work in colorful shops in the communities. I like to take visitors to the island to show off this unique place and give them an appreciation of people who are proud of their place in the sun.

Wildlife in the form of birds abound in the clean environment and give tourists some visuals to remember when they return to their home.Theresa and I have had friends staying with us this last couple of weeks and they loved the Pine Island atmosphere.

Picture taking and bird watching made their shared experience memorable and much time was devoted  trying to get the perfect picture. Theresa joined in and got a few excellent one as well.

This And That

Valentines Day is past but the memory of our little celebration is still fresh in my mind. We had guests with us for this day and a surprise  gift I received was much appreciated. I like to use Jovan Musk  for after shave. Theresa somehow found this huge bottle of the good stuff and surprised me with it and a nice card.

With our company we traveled around the area and ended at the flea market. Every time I go to the flea market I purchase little items I cannot get anywhere else. This day was no exception but my friend purchased  many clamps which will be hard to pack but very useful when he gets home.

Between the flea market and the city market  we received more than our share of exercise. Both days were good ones and enjoyment was felt by all of us. To end the day we were taken out for supper. Not any restaurant but to Bubbas, a saloon type place where great amounts of food are served and the atmosphere is real country like.

Pictures on the wall of all the presidents who ate there and artifacts from the past makes for a great atmosphere. We are enjoying sharing time with friends and look forward to the next few days when even more friends come our way.                                                                                                        

Intruders From Above

We have many birds and animals in our neighborhood but we never suffered consequences from their presence.This week ,just after we had our screens updated and replaced a couple of the local animal residents made a mess of our screen.

It would appear that our feral cats sleep on our house roof on a regular basis. They get entrance to the roof by climbing on to the fence and jumping to the screen over our pool. They frolic on the roof and sleep safe from the fire ants and any predator.

Yesterday morning as I went out to read the paper and have my green tea Don asked me when the screen was  damaged.I was amazed to see a large hole in our new screen. On further examination we saw cat claw marks and other evidence a fight might have occurred on the screen.

In any case there was a hole big enough for me to crawl through right where it can be seen by everyone.WE will get the screen lady of Cape Coral to come a fix the mess but until then we will just have to look up and see the gaping hole.

I looked to see if any of our feral cats was missing and all are accounted for. That was good news as we enjoy their presence in our area. With all the  the bad results we are just happy that none of our friendly creatures were missing or hurt. Mother nature must have been around the keep them safe.

Canadian Activist

Craig Kilbourger is a familiar name in our family circle. He has been a sort of hero to members of our family because of his marvelous work with Free The Children.. This 30 year old man has become a world wide person on the stage in caring for children universally. As a 12 year old he captured the imagination of his teacher and fellow students and since then has bonded together a loyal cadre of young people carrying out work to make life better and safe in many countries.


Craig has spoken to some of the most influential people in the world and has blended together a group of 1,800,000,000 loyal supporters. We days draw hundreds of thousand of young people in Canada and now the movement has grown to include the American youth. I am not capable of showing the impact he has had on the youth of America.

This week he is speaking in sections of America and is drawing huge coverage of his program of service.Craig wished that schools should provide school courses  that demand community service. He would love to see every school involve in community base projects. His wish desires that formalized programs should be part of the regular curriculum to include  formal curriculum to emphasize volunteerism.

Ontario has opened the door with a demand for every student graduating has to have a specific number of community work days. Craig is a leader, a prophet for the youth and a inspiration for adults to do better with their family and children to make society a better place in which to live

Craig has just begun his task but he will someday be the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work to make this world a better place to live. Craig is a winner, a big winner and he has just begun..

Water Babies

Today the girls went shopping and bought some bathing suits. They decided to have a fashion show so they dressed in the new paraphernalia and treated Don and I to a private show of bathing beauties.The pool was at 82 degrees and the sun was baking down on these two when the show began.

They were shy to walk on the red carpet but gave a excellent account of themselves when they reached the water. . New clothes always interest women but bathing suits also gather a crowd of interested males. Unfortunately there was an audience of two . We did our best to show our appreciation and they seemed happy enough to have our full attention.

Something new when you shop is OK but shared with loved ones it takes on new meaning. Don and I were appropriately impressed and showed our appreciation with loud clapping and a few whistles. Who says people lose their desires after 65?. Not I.

Friends

This week we were greeted to a visit by Don and Susan who have been here on another occasion and return to renew our friendship and shared moments. It hardly seems possible that I have been associated with these folks for over forty years . Many of my memories of the Ottawa River have been with these friends and we share a love of the water and the outdoors.

I fondly remember the month spent in the Virgin Islands sailing from one point to another and having the time of my life.Don is a expert sailor and Sue is his greatest  asset when it comes to carrying out his many orders while keeping us on tract and safe. Laughter, hard work and trust  are needed when plying the waters and we had all of that plus excellent food and Pussers rum to make the days complete.

This visit is a passive one where we are going to share time around the pool. have relaxing times at meal time and complete the days with gossip and information about mutual relationships. It is great that we are able to get together to keep up to date on the growing families, the weddings, the deaths, the educational rewards and the day to day experiences that we shared when we lived more closely in Renfrew County.

Theresa and I have been without many visitors for a couple of years and it is a real treat to have Don and Susan as our guests for a time this winter.

Busy Season For The Birds

The next few months are busy ones for the birds in Florida. Ownership for a good nesting space is fought over by the Florida Bird named Mocking Bird. These little birds fill the air from sunrise to sunset during the nesting period. We usually have two nests in our trees. Since they are very territorial their nests are on different sides of the house. They  have many different songs and imitate the songs of other birds.

At the golf course where there are great ponds for water birds we see numerous evidence of the mating game with Wood Storks, pelicans,ducks, Ibis and egrets all using the same space to carry out their ritual courting dances.In a way it is like spring as new life comes into focus and trees join in with fresh leaves and flowers.

The weather is very predictable with temperatures nearly the same every day and the dry season has begun in full force. With the dry season comes the fire season and warnings are numerous about safety.We are fortunate to have so many state parks and preserves available for the public. Most are free and well used. Care was taken to make land available for the preservation of special species of wildlife and vegetation.

It is interesting that in a state with so much water care must be taken to conserve water. Strict restrictions are in force to command respect for these rules. I received a warning because I had a sprinkler on at 1.15 am. I was unaware of it being used but I will be more careful from now on. A stiff fine would result in a second offence.

Today we are travelling a ways to meet with friends for lunch and it is a treat to observe the birds that inhibit the area where we go.

Neighborhood Watch

We have a street where both ends are marked with a large sign designating us as a neighborhood street. Little happens on our street is not observed by everyone. We have visitors from The Yukon, Canada and they arrived in a huge RV and parked it beside our home. At first our friends thought we won the lottery but after a while they recognized that we had friends staying at our home.

This couple are long time friends of ours and are making a North American tour after their retirement.. This is the same couple that gave Theresa and I a wonderful opportunity to see the Klondike first hand.

The weather is perfect and the company just about the same and I have heard so much new about the girl I married from a friend who delights in being a disturber. With laughter and spirited debates we have had hours of conversation and topics for me to write about.

They leave in a few days to continue on their adventure but will return to share more time with us some time in late February. Meanwhile we are crowding activities in our busy day. Friends add so much to daily life that we should treasure the time shared together.

The Owl and The Eagle

We have been watching over this one nest for nine years. It has been used mostly by eagles but for a while it was rented out to a great horned owl family. This year the occupants appeared to be the eagles. However an owl has taken a stance that she would love to have the nest as well.

The other day we observed the mother eagle sitting on eggs as she has been for some time. There perched five feet above her was the great horned owl. The owl looked as if she would take the nest as her own if the eagle moved. The male eagle was away hunting but I know on its return there will be a fight for the ownership.

I would bet on the eagle maintaining ownership but we will see during the next few days. The owl is a fierce bird and will try to intimidate the eagle but the huge eagle will win out in  the end . I wish to see the owl find suitable accommodation in the near area so we will have the benefit of watching her raise her chicks in harmony with the neighborhood.

Circus Boys

There have been a few mishaps along the way which led to holes in our cage screen. The long handle of the pool vacuum is the main screen enemy as it pokes holes when not carefully handled. The lads who were working here said they could do the job of repairing the screen. I believed them and gave them the go ahead.

When I saw how they were going about the job I was shocked as they looked like circus performers with their unsafe scaffolding . I know that once you invite workers into your yard you are responsible for their safety. They assured me that they were OK and not to worry.Well they did the job eventually but not before I had to interrupt their work with a work stoppage. The boss of the job wanted to work alone on that board spanning the pool twelve feet up. The only saving grace was that they were over water and it would break their fall.

I will be so pleased when the work is all completed and I will not be responsible for their safety.