Our Eagles Have Landed

One of the first things Theresa and I do when we come back to our winter home is to seek out our Eagles. One particular pair has an interesting history as the female hit a power line and suffered a broken wing.It is almost impossible to fix a wing accident but the bird doctors,with the help of some pins and magic had her flying with her partner in short order.
`had three young ones but one was either pushed out of the nest or was killed but in any case the two grew and grew until they were as large as the parents.

We would see these birds every day and watched real tough love as the parents forced the fledglings literally out on a limb and left them there. Days went by and still the parents would not permit them to enter the nest. One tried its wings and flew about five feet to another branch. The stubborn one never moved.

After what seemed like an eternity we observed one flying just before we arrived there by the nest.I was a sight like no other as the young eagle flew high and tumbled and looked as if it was putting on a show for the public. Its landing back to the home tree was not as graceful as it plunged through branches and made a crash landing on the nest. The other one bolstered by the show decided to fly as well and for days we could see the four of them soaring through the blue sky.

That was five years ago and since that time the family increased by two each year except one when a single eaglet was matured.The family changed religion as well as the pair took up residence in the Catholic Parish lot and held up construction on a youth center. Our other pair are still missing but we will find them eventually. It is really amazing how these birds impact our community. People go out of their way to go to see these friends on the way to work or returning. There is even a camera on the nest so anyone can watch the intimate life of the Eagle. I will try to get the code of that camera.

Many people say that if they were another life besides a person it would be the dream to fly free and high like an eagle.

Human Sadness Caused By Human Greed and Stupity

Five years ago Cape Coral was the fastest growing city in all of the USA. Nearly a thousand building permits were issued each month and people were hired to take care of the building boom.Office workers to process the paper, planning people to approve the plans presented and inspectors to check the many building code requirements caused turmoil at the city hall building department.

Workers came from every part of America and arrived to find work of every kind. Skilled labour was at a premium and builders had to settle for less than acceptable standards. City officials were swamped and tempers flared when plans were not approved in a timely fashion. Building lots that were regularly sold for $3000 sky rocketed to almost $100,000 in four years. Water lots sold for almost a million and more. It was a building boom like no other.

Companies were advertising for house to be sold like rent to own at low interest rates for three years and people snatched these deals like candy. We sat back and wondered at the traffic and the influx of foreign workers. It was estimated that there were 30,000 Mexican labourers in our area and they were great workers as well.

Commercial enterprises sprung up and as an example there three restaurants on Pine Island Road and in three years there were over thirty five. Everyone seemed busy and waiting lines at stores and eating establishments was routine.

Half ton trucks with ladders and small trailers were everywhere and radio stations and newspapers were blaming the snow birds for all the accidents. It was unreal. The boom ended with as much speed as the boom began. Overnight reports of bank problems, insurance companies and trust funds in difficulty and companies going out of business faster than you could count. The whole thing was a nightmare. For we who are here for the sun and the quiet winter season were unaffected. Our houses were worth less but we lost nothing and will not until we sell.

Now we sit by our pool, bike on near empty roads past many empty houses and enjoy the peace we came here for in the first place. The workers have gone, there are vacant stores and half built businesses and dreams shattered by our own greed and stupidity. I hope we learned something from all of this but I still see adds for cars reading, no money, no credit, no problem and so on.

Life here is good for us but we see much pain and suffering and I believe it will be years before there is a return to the American dream and great way of life.

Too Hot

I never thought I would complain about the heat but here I go. We arrived here to record cold on the 17th and saw temperatures about the high forties. Immediately after the weather changed and we are experiencing record highs every day. Nobody has ever seen the daytime temps in the low nineties at this time of the year. The humidity is also high so we are living in a green house with temperatures feeling like over 100.

After only 9 days the garden is great with carrots, beets, lettuce and beans all up and running. The tomatoes were three inches when I purchased them and they are almost a foot high now. People and vegetables have a different heat tolerance. Our pool is a friendly oasis and without it we would be suffering even more.

It looks like we will be having another week of this extreme weather and then normal again.We are a funny bunch and hard to please so a few weeks from now I might be saying how cool it is. Personally I accept whatever is served but the ladies have a different thermostat than I. Granny Doris likes to be out of doors but recently she has been house bound and that is not good. So much for the weather as we do live in paradise and we would never trade it for the cool north during the winter.

Market Square

Every Saturday without fail Theresa and I rise early and have coffee and me - tea and off we go to the market armed with our cloth bags and a long list of needed veggies. Cape Coral has a great farmers market in the center of the city. About 8 acres in size and parking in the immediate area for 1000 cars or trucks makes it a friendly destination.

Theresa always goes right for the fresh flowers and usually picks carnations. We have counted over 60 blooms on a bunch and sometimes we get two to fill the house with colour if we are having company. Meanwhile I check out the entertainment which is usually a country and western singer and mostly very talented.

Radishes, sweet potatoes, lettuce and every known vegetable is displayed and you pay the farmer or family direct. The citrus section is particularly inviting as you are in the citrus belt of Florida. I try mostly all the fruit and experiment with new exciting varieties unknown to me. Trees are for sale and flowers to plant and special deals on palm trees complete with a helping hand to deliver and install.

Baked goods flourish with an ethnic slant and German breads sell out quickly. Fundraisers abound and there is always a little Brownie or Cub wanting you to buy a cookie or make a donation. The rib man has his huge stove, wood fired, all set to provide your evening meal and many folks are at your service enticing you to break that diet with goodies of all sorts.

We meet friends and neighbours, dozens of dogs and surprises every week. We love our market and make it a must visit when folks come visiting in the winter months. It makes me feel connected to the rural community and supports my strong feelings about the farmers and their families struggling to stay on their land.

Mocking Birds

The state bird of Florida is the Mocking Bird.This robin sized bird is found everywhere in the state. We have a few families living in our yard area and they make life interesting for we bird watchers.These birds can imitate sounds and noises and other birds and are able to carry on for hours.

Frequently they will land on our window ledges and because we have tinted windows they will fight themselves in the window. They eat flying bugs and Will be seen flying in eratic directions until they catch their prey. Little creatures like geckos are a favourite and many are seen without tails because the birds grab them by the tail and it breaks away and the gecko escapes. We have hundreds of these little creatures around and they are a good friend.

Geckos eat small flies, aphids, mosquito's and fleas and are great at helping to keep our pool area free from pesky critters.The day before yesterday I was greeted by a 5 foot black rat snake. I lifted a piece of wood and it was asleep, all coiled up. My first thought was to take it in to show Teresa but she told me it would not be a good idea. It was beautiful with coal black skin and yellow eyes. The tongue was about 5 inches long and it was happy to be released outside our yard and made a straight bee line for the cover of the pine tree when I released it.

Last year I had two visits from a miniature rattler. These little fellows are only 18 inches long and are pesky but their bite is not very dangerous. Twice I had visits from Tarantulas living in our bananas. One had a ball of babies and they ran in all directions when I uncovered them by accident. I released these as well in the trees outside our yard.

The best find was the family of black widow spiders in my water system. I captured one and took it home to Oakville and gave it to my grandson to take to school to show the kids. Teacher had no sense of discovery and was not pleased. We finally put the spider down but what a chance to see nature at its best. How many kids actually have a chance to see a black widow spider? Well I got in a little trouble but all ended well.

Well now that you have met some of our friends from the neighbourhood you can see why we love it here in Cape Coral. I still think the Mocking Bird is the winner and they keep reminding us that we only share the yard we live in.

Lost in the Palms

A New Beginning

A week and a day later I am finally able to get to the important things in life like writing my blog. After a phone call to my friend John I realized that some people actually read these little outpourings of the soul. My routine in Florida is much different than in Canada and takes some getting used to. Early to rise and write will be my main objective.

My daughter has taken on the task of trying to organize my body of writing so I may complete my stories in some semblance of order.Since I simply let my hands do the walking on the keyboard it takes some discipline to make sense out of the fractured thoughts that make up my memories.

Bloggers who share their work have given me hope that when I complete my stories they will be a body of memories that my friends and family will be able to read and have a chuckle or two as well. I never realized how empowering writing can be and sharing satisfies a need I never realized existed within my makeup. The next five months will be truly a test to see if I can actually complete my mission.