Fishing Again

Through golf I have met a friend who loves to offshore fish. His problem is that not many people like to go out 30 miles on the Gulf to catch Grouper and other large fish. I assured him that I would be happy to accommodate him and as I love the water and am without a boat it could be a good thing for both of us. Deep sea fishing here is some of the best in the world but it takes time to get out where the fishing is good.

There are reefs out there which are in about 160 feet of water and hold large Groupers and other reef fish. The GPS has made finding these reefs easier and more realible. Since there is quite a time factor in fishing so far from shore few people participate. You must have a boat capable of dealing with rough water and someone knowledgeable enough to navigate in trying conditions.

I am looking forward to this new activity and will report when I make a special catch. Supplementing my diet with fresh fish sounds real good so I feel lucky to be part of the process.

Help From Afar

Having spent several hours trying to figure out a new setup on my computer I received help from afar to get me going. What may be simple to some computer literate hackers can be very difficult for folks like me. When I recently purchased a new computer the store people fired it up with all the bells and whistles. The only thing missing was that I was not involved and new programs were installed and new search engines integrated so I was left with a wide knowledge gap.

I did my best to try to figure out the changes and actually managed to get some positive results but with my blogging experience quickly becoming useless with the new stuff I had to appeal for help. My oldest daughter walked me through the new process and after some frustrating moments on both sides I was happy to walk away with a new point of view about technology.

I am determined to read the instructions on every piece of equipment from now on. I know it is a man thing about asking for help or directions when lost but with our need to meld into the technical era we old folks have to get with it. I see four and five year old children in Walmart playing with the latest models of telephones and computers and I wonder why we are so hesitant to join the world out there.

We are surrounded with children and grandchildren who would find it near impossible to exist for an hour without texting and they do it so with little regard for the people around them. It was this fact that I asked my youngest grandson to put away his Blackberry while playing pool. He did not mind but only had to be reminded of this habit. The reality of it that we almost have to have rules to make sure we can have a conversation without one or more of these devices ringing in our ears and interrupting the flow of the conversation.

I must say that over Xmas four of my grand children had a two hour debate among themselves and myself without one interruption. It was so good. Perhaps all will be well in the future....remember in the old days we were not permitted to talk when watching TV. WHY?  Because it interrupted the TV show.

Night and Day

How quickly the weather can change here in Florida. After a month without a drop of moisture our weather man warned of a few sprinkles could be possible .In the morning the sun was shining and it appeared that a great day was in store for we who love the sun. Within an hour the sky darkened and the wind blew to Gail force and we had up to two or three inches of rain. It stayed dark for several hours and as the evening approached we had this magnificent sunset. It was as different as night and day.

Back To Normal

After a few days in the sun I feel so much better and the arthritis which plagues me during the wet and cold winters becomes a memory.Things get back to normal after trimming several barrels of frozen and brown foliage and trimming the damaged vegetables. Although the bananas were totally frozen they will in a matter of a few months be back ready to provide a new crop.

One of the happy surprises was our papaya tree which lost all its leaves or so I thought but in a matter of three days new, small healthy leaves appeared. It was almost like magic as the new leaves appeared and another row shows signs of being OK. Since most tropical plants grow from within the core, what appears to be a total loss often results in a comeback stage several days later or even longer.

With Xmas a memory I miss the visits from family and friends but we will be in the active stage for seniors from now on. Golf, dinner dances and numerous other social activities crop up daily and we shall be busy from now until we get back home in the spring. With spring training for the big leagues baseball teams only a short time away many folks from the north schedule their holidays around this activity. We have the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins here in our community and we get a chance to see them up close and at a reasonable cost.

The area deems it important to have these teams stay in our community to the extent that a new facility for the Boston team is being built at a cost of nearly $100,000,000 to exactly replicate the Boston facility back home.It seems there is little money for hospitals, schools and housing for the poor but when it comes to sports the sky is the limit.

Back at the Saturday Market there were huge crowds buying their produce for the week and with forecasts for large increases in prices due to the frost baskets were filled and every table had a smiling face behind it as the farmers counted their money. It is good to deal directly with the producers of your food and to talk with their helpers every week. You sort of get a little bonding with this very important segment of our population

It feels good to be back to normal again and thankful for the life we have here during the winter.

Surveying the Damage

Leaving the airport and beginning our short journey to our home in Florida filled my mind with thoughts of the last devastation caused by frost. The day we left for our three week Xmas at home, Florida was given an Arctic blast of cold air which caused horrific damage to the food producers of the state. All during my stay at home I worried about my little garden and the trees ready to bear fruit. I took all reasonable measures to protect my yard but still I had reservations.

As we pulled up to our home our driver John was helpful in getting our luggage out and moved to the house while I was looking for signs of damage. Minutes after arriving I grabbed my flashlight and made for the back yard and the garden. Immediately I saw the poor banana tree brown and frost bitten followed by the lack of leaves on the orange and grapefruit trees. The vegetable portion of our yard had been spared and the tomatoes, carrots, peppers, beans and cauliflower survived. Although it was 10 pm and dark I felt better but as I looked at the pool my heart sunk as it was a ugly green with gobs of algae on the bottom.

I felt better as the sun came up and I immediately vacuumed the pool and added two gallons of chlorine. Almost like a commercial on TV there became a clearing and by the end of day all was OK. We were spared while others suffered, life was restored to our yard and really the long term damage was minimal. Old Mother Nature has a way of teaching humility and does so in such an even handed way. It rains on the rich and the poor and does not discriminate.

So we are back to our routines after a wonderful three weeks at home with family and friends and begin our connection with our Florida family of friends. We have the best of two worlds and appreciate the gift of being able to manage both. After surveying the damage I wonder why I even gave it a second thought, guess I am too attached to my natural roots. The minister in Pembroke called me a damm pantheist; maybe he was right.

Perfect Ending

As we prepare to fly away I have a feeling of contentment because of a wonderful three weeks. Time shared with family and friends make us realize what is missing when we are away. This year was special as family gatherings were many and rewarding. On my last evening here I was invited to attend a NHL game with my friend and son-in-law John. The ride to Toronto was filled with chatter about all things as we have not been in touch for a few months. The game was predictable as THE LEAFS lost but the game was well played. The real drama was in Buffalo where Canada was playing the USA and every goal posted on the game clock gave the Toronto fans something to cheer about.

With the final countdown already in motion I get the feeling that we are people in motion and constantly packing and unpacking. It is a routine I am used to and there are advantages as you have many opportunities to discard unwanted items and declutter.


It is snowing today and as the flaked slowly drifts to the ground we are treated to some semblance of a Canadian Winter. Yesterday I was raking leaves forgotten in the fall and checking the buds on the fruit trees. Today if I have time I will spray the sulfur and oil to prevent the bugs from damaging the trees in the spring.

My neighbour from across the street just came to say so long and that he would take care of our place. He is the watchdog for our block and is experiencing medical challenges that would overwhelm most but he plods along. I shall regret not being here for some support to help him along the way.

Our next blog will be from the sunny south and I trust the weather will bring comfort to my bones which suffer from a little arthritis.

Recognition

To the many followers of my rambling blog posts, I wish to offer a thank you. Your interest and support of my contributions are not the reason I write practically every day, but are flattering and give me a feeling of well being thinking someone takes the time to read my work. I do not write to a specific audience but get satisfaction from expressing my feelings through print. I would like to meet every one of you but that is impossible but accept my sincere best wishes for a healthy and productive 2011. When on occasion some of you follow your comments with an email I try to answer in a timely fashion. Happy New Year. Polar Bear