Home Economics.

Being an educator who worked in the years when Home Economics was a course taught to girls beginning at grade seven and continuing. Later the course was integrated and boys and girls both enjoyed taking both home economics and manual training. Since that day courses have changed names and curricula updated to reflect the needs of the present day.

I would like to see a course called home economics which would teach students the value of money, budgeting and planning. With our world in crisis because of deficit planning, deficit budgeting and sinking further and further in debt it would be prudent to teach our youth how to live without huge debt. Because our leaders are totally irresponsible when it comes to budget maybe if we as individuals could somehow influence them by example.

There is so much written and reported about our population being so far in debt the reason must be obvious. Most people spend more money than they have.If we could teach our youth to live within their means it would be such a boon to our society. There are reasons for the problem and most are right before our eyes. Credit used to be a means to have necessities which cost too much for people to purchase them with cash. Rules were established by the lending institutions which made it difficult if not impossible to buy something without a large down payment. Yesterday Hyundai Auto sales advertised on TV and in the paper the following deal. Purchase one of their vehicles with no down payment and they would give you $7,000 to pay your personal debt. How is that for helping folks to really get into debt.

This type of consumer advertising is all too common. Here are a few. Buy now and make no payments for up to three years. Bad credit or no credit at all,,come in and drive away in one of our new cars. There are dozens of these adds out there beckoning people to become slaves to the credit interest. The USA government now uses over 40% of our taxes to service the debt. Individuals  have the same problem. I worry that the crisis we narrowly escaped is not over and a larger demon is in the wings.

Everyone  wishes for fiscal responsibility  and it must be taught and the example starts at home.Education cannot be responsible for everything but it could be a marvellous tool to help develop young responsible citizens.

It's Only a Number

Recently I celebrated my birthday. I am now living in my 75th year. It's only a number some would say, but it represents in a numerical way that your life has added up to to a series of events and happenings with dates. The day you were born, your first steps or your first word are all in that list. After that memories take the place of dates. Knowing what year or month becomes secondary to that incident imprinted in your inner mind's eye.

You better remember the date you got married and the birthdays of your wife and children but the thousand other things that happened along the way get shuffled in order of memory. We have a way of bringing events into focus triggered by stimuli. Sometimes it is a piece of music, a picture or just a sound or smell which causes a rush of energy to flood your mind, and we are able to relive those precious moments. Our memories are not all pleasant as life doesn't work that way, but time does modify our perceptions and in some cases, shape an event to better serve our needs.

Some people who are not satisfied with their history according to the facts will re-write it and it will give them a better status until they meet people who know the truth. In my years of a busy life, my memories pile up in a confusion of reality and modified memories. Most of my early childhood thoughts and memories come from repeated stories and if there are different versions from different memories of our family that is fine as memories are just that, memories. While attempting to complete a book of my memories I find a certain pleasure in day dreaming about events that occurred many years ago. Somehow my reality makes a better picture than the actual true account and for this reason I have many more pleasant thoughts than negative.

Since most of my memory is about relationships, there are people who influenced me, shaped me and gave me reason to recall them and their impact on my being. Today as I write,  many thoughts rush through my mind and as I try to recall important landmarks I find that the further I go back in history, the clearer the images appear. I trust this is because these events have been cleared through countless recalls  and are actually fresh in my memory.  It might also be the reason older people are able to remember events from years ago,  but not know where to put the jar of peanut butter after using it.

I look forward to counting my future age by events and memories rather than numbers, as memories are forever - and numbers remind us of too little time left to do all the things we wish to accomplish.

Feeding Time

Although there are many birds about they don't seem to need feed from our feeders. I purchased food for wild birds but after a visit or two they never  returned. Yesterday I dumped the food and cleaned the feeders in the hope that we will be treated to some of our feathered friends. Last year we had cardinals who made a habit of tapping our tinted windows every morning at daybreak. I have seen these birds around but they changed their habits and come only for food.

The bird seed I bought this time is black sunflower seed and if that doesn't attract them nothing will. Every year or two we have an infusion of robins. They come in huge flocks and stay for only a few days and they all disappear. None of them stay for the winter. The Canada Goose which is such a nuisance in the north rarely comes this far south so it was a news item that one was sighted here last week.

Our bald eagles are under attack again with construction firms wishing to change the rules set out to aid the eagles raise their young. At the present time the operation of construction equipment and building is prohibited within 1100 feet of a nest. They want to change it to 660 feet but biologists say that is too close. Council votes on this on Tuesday and there will be a big turnout . Local residents love their Eagles. Our pair of eagles are on the nest again and we hope for another couple of eaglets to be born soon. We visit the sight nearly every day. So far this pair have added to the eagle population by 15. The female had an accident nine years ago and had a broken wing. It was repaired and she flies fine. We hope the vote goes the right way.

Various individuals take care of certain populations of birds but the best one is a man who lives near Sarasota and nurtures Sand Hill Cranes. Every day a large population of these birds visit at feeding time. He buys chicken necks and backs from a local butcher and feeds them at the same time every day. I don't think the neighbours are very happy with these huge birds hanging around the neighbourhood but he continues the feeding anyway.

Our favourite bird at the present time is a yellow bellied sapsucker who feeds on our white bird of paradise trees.They have a ritual whereby they peck holes in the soft portion of the trees and when these holes fill with sap he eats to his hearts content. We all enjoy feeding time and so do the birds.

Out With the Old, In With the New

At this time of the year I start my second crop of beans, cauliflower, lettuce and carrots. This year in spite of the frost we had 100%  success with the cauliflower, beans and lettuce. The colder weather was good for the cauliflower as it was the best yet. Our tomatoes are coming in great numbers and should produce until we leave in May. I am not used to having two crops and it is a pleasure to have fresh beans and so forth during the winter months.

What amazes me is why more people do not have a kitchen garden. With little effort we get good results and we know what goes into the produce. Our citrus is the same, as we do not spray harmful chemicals and fertilizers and the product is green. My friend who sells citrus fruit trees at the market said that this because of the frost the product would be sweeter and so it is. Our trees are a little stressed and have not yet been in full bloom for next years crop so we could have trouble next year.

Local people here are called crackers and are proud of the name as many people who live here now are from all over the states. Their knowledge is invaluable and they are anxious to share. I love my time at the market and mingling with the locals who make their living from the land.

When I buy beets, I really buy them for the beet tops. The locals are wise to this and sell the beet tops for $.50. This is a good deal as greens cost $2.00. With the second crop in safely I can now water, feed and wait  55 days before I can once again eat our own fresh grown produce. Until then we buy at the local market.

Lazy Friday

This morning started off much like all Florida mornings with the temperature around 70 and bright sunshine. With my cup of green tea I made my way to my favourite reading area on the lanai and searched the sports news to see how Mike Weir was doing in the Bob Hope Classic. Much to my surprise his name stood fourth last in the group of 120. Next I checked to see how Detroit Red Wings made out and they won. My morning was better already.Most of the news after that was about shootings, crime and the housing market which is improving.

Theresa joined me and on this quiet morning a Ra-ta-ta from a woodpecker hammering on the eave trough made any conversation impossible. We have two wood peckers living close by and they love to wake everyone up by pecking on metal surfaces. We both got up and observed the bird which was joined by its partner. Double the pleasure. With nesting in full force we suddenly have the mocking birds coming forth with a variety of melodies all day long. We usually are lucky to have at least one pair nest in our trees. Without a doubt they take the prize for the best songs. They have this habit of sitting on our fence watching for their food to appear. Any flying bug or insect becomes their prey. They have the ability to spot and catch nearly every time. They never eat off our feeder but take regular baths in our bird bath.

In the dry season our bird bath becomes the watering hole for a variety of birds and feral cats. We keep it clean and full of water. So on this lazy Friday morning we are entertained by the creatures who share our little spot in paradise.With no warning heavy fog rolls in and in a matter of minutes the sun disappears and we are blanketed in a surreal environment. If this keeps up I shall be forced to do the list of little jobs posted on the refrigerator. So much for my Lazy Friday.

Dogs, Dogs and More Dogs

I never thought that I would ever complain about dogs as I have a deep appreciation and love for these furry creatures. However, there comes a time where enough is enough and this week was that time. One neighbour had two large Heinz 57 dogs. Quickly there was a litter and seven dogs filled their backyard. They tried to sell these mongrels with little success and kept five. They grew and grew and barked and barked. The final straw was that they learned to open the gate and suddenly these dogs would appear in a rather threatening manner.

Our other neighbour moved in to a four bedroom house across the road and he had an old yellow lab who never barked but roamed loose and did his business on my lawn. Mowing the grass became a dangerous occupation. This good neighbour had a girl friend who moved in with three children and four more dogs. These people let their dogs run loose and suddenly the neighbourhood became upset. All our other neighbours have one small dog each except us, we are dog less at this time.

What proper steps should be taken to correct this situation without being an ogre. As we planned to talk to the neighbours a white truck with a large officer suddenly appeared on the scene . He was forceful and persistent as he arrived two days in a row. He came as one of our other neighbours complained formally. Within 24 hours our neighbourhood returned to a comfort zone. The barking stopped and the dogs are restrained either in a fenced area or on leashes.

For a few weeks we were held hostage by dogs and with a little help it was restored. People who keep dogs have a responsibility to care for them in a reasonable manner. A recent article in the local paper showed a financial breakdown for dog ownership and it was shocking. The costs came to almost as much for two dogs as a child. Pet food companies sell more product than companies sell baby food. Medical attention for pets rival the costs for humans and still mans best friends outnumber children in many areas of the country.

Dogs have always been mans best friend and it probably will always be so as their loyalty and acceptance is unparalleled. Our responsibility is clear and as long as it is carried out there should be no problem with co-existence.

Woodstorks and Brown Pelicans

Golfing is just a game to give me the opportunity to observe wildlife. Our area in Florida is home to several large colonies of wood storks. Our golf course was home to a couple of hundred of these birds today. It is mating time and this year there is enough rainfall to support the fishery which feeds these birds after hatching. An endangered species which is ugly while wading in the shallow waters but absolutely marvelous while soaring high in the sky. They can soar like eagles and during their aerial mating dance in the sky they perform acrobatic maneuvers unlike no others.

Brown pelicans were badly damaged during the oil spill crisis in the gulf and it was a treat to see a pair on the fourth hole today. They do not frequent our golf course often but are a treat when they do. Wild parrots were out in numbers as were all the Florida wading birds. Our golf course takes precautions to make sure the birds are not harmed by dangerous chemicals.

When we hear of the recent bird kills during the migration this year it makes you wonder. At least four massive kill were reported and the numbers of dead birds numbered in the thousands.The exact cause of death was not determined but you can bet is chemical in nature. Many of the golf courses are given special tax considerations if they qualify as conservation  areas.

My friends on the golf course accept me now as a environmental nut and some even comment about the natural beauty as we engage in competition. It is the main reason I golf in Florida.