OLD Comments Gallery - January 1 through June 30, 2011 - closed to new comments - click on image to view Photo Gallery by Don Boyd at pbase.com

OLD Comments Gallery - January 1 through June 30, 2011 - closed to new comments - click on image to view

These are comments from January 1st through June 30th, 2011. This gallery is now closed to new comments. The previous comments gallery for 7/1/10 thru 12/31/10 is located at: < https://pbase.com/donboyd/memories_comments_070110to123110

Please don't inquire about photo prints - these images are all at 72dpi, far less than the desired 300dpi for printing, and if you can get a decent print out of the non-copyrighted images on this site then go for it. Thanks for your cooperation.

A Rogues Gallery of frequent posters with 31 photos is available for viewing at
< https://pbase.com/donboyd/memories_rogues_gallery

OLDER Comments Gallery - January 1 through June 30, 2011 - closed to new comments - click on image to view

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ari delgado		23-Sep-2011 21:02
I have no words to express

LARGO		30-Jun-2011 19:44
PS....AGAIN PARKS....THANKS AND ....YUM!!!!

LARGO		30-Jun-2011 19:41
BULLETIN! BULLETIN! ......."(((((MIAMI RIVER RAT)))))".....READ PARKS MOST RECENT NOTE RE A "HOPKINS-CARTER" E-ADDRESS & ON THAT SITE AN 800# THAT WILL GET YOU IN TOUCH WITH (((((PARKS))))).....RE: MANGOS...... LARGO ;)

Don Boyd		30-Jun-2011 18:44
Sometime later today all of these comments will be moved to an "Older Comments" gallery and this gallery will be empty for new comments to be posted for the period starting July 1st. The URL will remain the same for those of you who rely on bookmarks to find your way back here. Don

Parks		28-Jun-2011 04:14
Hi Guys! I'm trying to send an email to all of my friends in the Rogues Gallery. It's a nice thing, I promise. I don't want to post my personal email address but if you would contact me at work either by phone or email I would appreciate it. My companies website is www.hopkins-carter.com The website has a toll free phone number and an email address. I've already spoken with Roberta, Nike, Largo and Don.

Parks		28-Jun-2011 04:06
Take a look at these photos of a Swallow Tail Kite:http://www.pbase.com/davehawkins/swallowtailed_kite I love watching them fly. I can't decide if they are my favorite bird or the Florida Scrub Jay.

Nike		26-Jun-2011 19:33
Check out the great informationa and beautiful pictures of mangoes at Robert is Here. com.

Miami River Rat		26-Jun-2011 19:12
At the risk of being rude, did I miss a mango tasting or some such? I just bought two extremely inferior mangoes from our nearest Kroger store. While they were, indeed, mangoes, a person in South Florida would have put them in the garbage and gone to find a tree full of Haydens.

Nike		26-Jun-2011 10:54
Parks -- The first mango was consumed immediatly. The next was in a summer salad and the final made into a summer drink desert at a rooftop dinner party while enjoying the sunset. Nancy combined the last mangoes with peaches in a blender, added a pint of mango sorbet and a pint of peach sorbet. A sprig of mint was added just before serving what Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler would have died for.

Roberta Perry Hughes		26-Jun-2011 06:26
ParkzNSuzan..... Ate my last mango.....the Dot, I do believe.....which was scrumptious....! Cannot decide which was the better, the Dot, or the other one. Both were just amazing....! Thanks, again. You're a peach....! *************************************************************************************************

LARGO		26-Jun-2011 01:25
PARKS!!!...O! M! G!.....YES!.....ANTICIPATING SUCH A THOUGHTFUL GIFT.....I FORWARDED INFO ON TO YOU!!...THANKS TO YOUR MS. SUSAN AS WELL...DON KNOWS HOW TO SET YOU UP ON FACEBOOK...GREAT TO SHARE PHOTOS THERE!!...I MAKE A DEVILISH MANGO MARGARITA!!!...BUT JUST LUV THEM FRESH AS WELL....AS A KID DAD AND MOM MADE MANGO ICECREAM...YUM!!....HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES.....REGARDS TO ALL FRIENDS HERE......FINALLY GETTING RAIN ...........ROGUETTE LARGO!

P		25-Jun-2011 14:35
Hi Guys, I had lunch with Don yesterday. I take back all I said about him being cheap. He bought! We had a good long chat about all the Rogues and about the history of Miami airports. Largo and Charlis did you get the emails I sent you? Parks

Nike		25-Jun-2011 12:48
WB -- Maybe your cat has ESPN

whitebelt		25-Jun-2011 04:12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1dpQKntj_w&feature=related Some really cute kitty videos. My cat and I have developed a telepathic relationship. She has some amazing powers. All she has to do is look at me and I know exactly what I am supposed to do.

Roberta Perry Hughes		22-Jun-2011 10:50
Parks....and Susan.... Lewis & I thank you from the bottom of our hearts....& from our mango juice dripped on chins, as well....! Goodness, how delicious, & AbFab wonderful, when chilled in the 'fridge....! The very indescsribable flavor & texture, zapped us back to our salad days, when I was a child, living in S.W. Miami, & he was a child, living in Fulford, which later became known as Miami Beach. It is phenomenal, how a flavor, a scent, a texture, an aroma, or a melody, can act as catalysts, to take us back through time.....! We both are grateful, to you & to Susan, for having sent us such a wonderful gift.....! You are so very generous, Parks. Hugs to you & Susan.... ...............................................................................................................................

Nike		20-Jun-2011 23:09
Parks -- You're the man!! Mango juice is dripping done my chin and onto my keyboard. I owe you big time. I hope we can connect with CK when we're in town for the shuttle launch July 8th. Will Susan be with you? Gotta go, keyboard gettin st i c ky

Nike		20-Jun-2011 23:06
Miami Girl -- Thanks for the "heads up." I found it and it is safe on my PC where it should be.

Miami Girl		20-Jun-2011 22:13
Nike, there's probably a way to do it but it's beyond my tech capability! It's part of a 14 minute video of "streaming photos" and all I could do is post it on my fb wall. Sorry :(

Nike		20-Jun-2011 02:53
Miami Girl -- Can you copy and save or forward the Nike photo?

Miami River Rat		20-Jun-2011 02:16
Bill Haast was a good guy, I sold snakes to him from time to time. Bill Chase up on the North Fork of the river paid a little better, but when you sold snakes to Haast you got to go in and look around at the cobras and such. According to what Haast told me, out of all the snakes that bit him, a diamondback rattler came the closest to doing him in. I would have guessed that a cobra or one of the other exotics would have been the worst, but the plain ol' native diamondback is the one that almost finished him. Thanks for the pappy's day wishes, and it's good to know that there are still divers there below Snowden's.

Miami Girl		20-Jun-2011 00:02
Thanks to Charlie Knight I found the "Bird Road Baby Boomers" facebook page -- TONS of pictures!! There was so many, I had to stop looking - my neck is killing me. lol Saw one of a truck pulling a Nike missile - for you Nike.

Miami Girl		19-Jun-2011 13:54
Ditto Roberta's post - Happy Fathers Day to all you Old Miami Memories guys! Parks thanks for letting us know and I'm happy to hear kids can still be kids -- as things change they remain the same! I did it once and couldn't pull myself back up the bank on the rope even if I was in pretty good shape, no upper body strength! So I had to swim down where I could actually climb out.

Roberta Perry Hughes		19-Jun-2011 08:48
To all our menfolk, to whom it applies..... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.....!! Hope you have a terrific celebration, surrounded by family, friends, & with love all around you, at every turn....! **************************************************************************************************

Fran		19-Jun-2011 05:22
Parks, To see the Cedar Strip Canoe come alive, priceless! Thanks, for sharing...

Parks		19-Jun-2011 03:16
Hi Guys, I drove down to Homestead today to work on Snapper's canoe building project. I decided to drive back north on Old Cutler. You south Dade guys will be happy to know that kids still jump off the bridge just south of Snowden's. There must have been a dozen boys and one stunning young lady. Some of them climbed the fence and got up on the dam to jump. The dam is much higher than the bridge and seeing them jump was very impressive. Florida summer fun! If you would like to see the canoe project, Snapper has posted photos here:http://jmlynn.smugmug.com/Boats/Cedrus-Marie/13150192_UvHJA#P-1-10

Don Boyd		19-Jun-2011 03:02
And here is the Miami Herald article about the death of Bill Haast last Wednesday: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/17/2272161/snake-handler-who-mesmerized-generations.html#storylink=misearch Don .

Don Boyd		19-Jun-2011 02:42
Here is an interesting site that shows you information as you scroll over every county in every state. http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1 Miami-Dade County is now 15% White (down 18% from 2000 to 2010), 17% Black (0% change), 65% Hispanic (+26%) and 1% Asian (+17%). Broward County is now 44% White (down 19% from 2000 to 2010), 26% Black (+38%), 25% Hispanic (+61%) and 3% Asian (+54%) Don .

Jackie		18-Jun-2011 15:33
I agree with Largo.....Living to 100! A blessing. What a long and remarkable life he had!

Parks		18-Jun-2011 03:56
I seem to recall that a reporter once asked Haast if he thought all the venom would make him live longer. Haast replied "Ask me when I'm a hundred"

Don Boyd		18-Jun-2011 03:34
Thanks Kenny for the information on Bill Haast. Here's a link to his obituary and old videos of him: http://www.legacy.com/ns/news-story.aspx?t=bill-haast--centenarian-snake-charmer&id=405 Don .

Kenny Blanton		18-Jun-2011 00:35
I think it was BECAUSE of the venom that he lived so long. He was bitten 172 times & I was hoping he would live 1 year for every bite!!

Miami Girl		17-Jun-2011 20:36
You have to wonder how long Bill Hasst would have lived if not for all that venom in his blood - maybe 150!! A true Miami icon.

Fran		17-Jun-2011 17:29
LARGO, OMG GIRL THAT IS SO FUNNY...GOOD HUNTING TO YOU!

LARGO		17-Jun-2011 15:48
THAT IS NOT REALLY BAD NEWS RE: BILL HAAST...OMG!!!...100!!!...BITTEN BY EVERY VENOMOUS SNAKE..........INCREDIBLE RESEARCHER...100 IS A GIFT!....GOD BLESS MR. HAAST!...................HEADING TO THE BACK YARD IN SEARCH OF THE LONGEVITY COBRA...............LARGO

Parks		17-Jun-2011 14:48
Kenny, that is bad news. Haast was one of those that made Florida such an interesting place.

Kenny Blanton		17-Jun-2011 09:48
I HATE to be the bearer of bad news, but I just found out that Mr. Bill Haast passed away June 15th, 2011, at 100 years old. RIP Mr. Haast.

Parks		17-Jun-2011 00:58
My friend Darrell says you aren't a crazy cat person until you hit double digits.14444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444redffffffffffffffffffffffffygttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Cat on a keyboard! Look there is a real word in there! That Spitfire is one smart cat! Cat typing happens often but I usually delete it before I post.

LARGO		16-Jun-2011 22:50
NIKE...OOPS.....I MEANT 'CCP'S'.......I HAVE A STICKER ON MY CAR THAT MY DAUGHTER GAVE ME THAT SAYS..........."ONE CAT AWAY FROM BEING THE CRAZY CAT LADY"...CCL...SORRY!!........................LARGO

LARGO		16-Jun-2011 22:43
WOW!!!! MS ROBERTA PERRY HUGHES!!!...WELL I GOT HALF WAY THROUGH YOUR KITTY POST.. AND MY EYES GOT SO FULL OF TEARS I JUST HAD TO BREAK FOR A COLD FACE SPLASH IN THE KITCHEN SINK!!!....I WISH I COULD COPY THIS BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO THE SOUL OF A CAT....BUT I WOULD JUST HAVE TO GO PEN TO PAPER 'CAUSE IF I HIT COPY THIS DOESN'T WORK ON THIS SITE............SO BEAUTIFUL...AND THE 'BUMP'...THAT'S WHY I CALLED MY BIG FELLA ..."BUMPER LARGO OR THE BUMPSTER"......THEY ARE ALL SO SPECIAL AND CANNOT SEEM TO WAIT TILL THE 6 PM NEWS BECAUSE THEY ALL KNOW I WILL LITE IN ONE SPOT FOR AWHILE...AND WE HAVE A LOVE FEST OF PURRING AND PETTING...AND THROWING PAPER WADS...THAT GOES ON FOR AWHILE....THE LITTLE ONES ARE LEARNING TO RETRIEVE....MY HEART SWELLS WHEN I HAVE TO BE AWAY ON ERRANDS FOR A FEW HOURS OR SO...... AND THERE ARE PILES OF PAPER WADS(THEY MUST HIDE THEM) AND THEIR FAVE TOYS AT THE VERY DOOR I LEAVE FROM....AS IF TO SAY...'NOW IT'S KITTEN TIME!!!'....AND AFTER EVERYTHING HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN FROM THE CAR....IT'S TREAT TIME...AND I JUST GET ON THE FLOOR AND PLAY LIKE A KID...TILL 'THEY... I SAID THEY!!!...ARE DONE!!'.........ROBERTA...I KNOW WITH LEWIS AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH...A KITTEN MAY NOT BE IN THE CARDS FOR YOU RIGHT NOW...BUT DO NOT DISCOUNT IT....YOU KNOW THEY HAVE 9 LIVES...AND 'EWOK Mc BREEZER" MIGHT JUST BE WAITING IN THE MIST FOR YOU TO FIND HIM AGAIN...IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME MANY TIMES....KITTENS WILL NOT ALLOW ONE TO GROW OLD....LOL...THATS WHY I HAVE FOUR LITTLE FUZZIE FACES!!!....BEST TO ALL THE CCL'S HERE (NIKE)........I'LL THINK FONDLY OF YOU ALL WHEN I COUGH UP MY NEXT HAIR BALL.....................LARGO

Parks		16-Jun-2011 15:18
Roberta, I just read your cat post. I just had to scoop up Chessie and Spittie and hug them. Cats aren't big on receiving hugs but they know I sometimes have to do it.

Arizona Al		16-Jun-2011 13:12
Well it hit 110 Degrees yesterday in the Valley of the Sun. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and Well in Phoenix, Arizona

Nike		16-Jun-2011 09:45
Roberta -- Demi said, "Thanks" and then went back to sleep.

Nike - CCP		16-Jun-2011 09:42
Roberta - I just read your "All About Cats" posting and am reassurred I am among the "Crazy Cat People." I already knew Parks,"The Don," WhiteBelt, and LARGO were CCPs. Miami Girl -- I am also a dog lover. I had Dobermans in a former life but living in a high rise in town wasn't the place for them. When Nancy and I married eight "great" years ago, she introduced me to her cat and I was converted. It was like going from pentacostical to catholic. What a ride. Hey AZAL, analyze that. Thanks for sharing this and I am on my way to find Demi for that "Roberta Hug." I will forward this to Nancy as she is a "Certified CCP."

Roberta Perry Hughes		16-Jun-2011 07:57
Mon beloved Le Chat, Ewok, aka: "Beezer," passed away just 3 months shy of his 16th birthday, on May 28, 2006. He loved for me to sing Emmy Lou Harris' version of "My Dear Companion," or to 'sing-song' to him, a bit that I wrote for him called, "More Than Life." -I love him more than, more than, more than, more than, -more than, more than Life! -An' if I were a kitty-kitty, -I would be his Wife! -An' if he wants a piece of cake, -I'd cut one with my Knife! -An' if he wants to hear a tune, -I'd play one on my Fife! -An' when it's time for him to leave, -My heartache will be Rife! -'Cause I love him more than, more than, more than, -More than, more than Life! I know all of the cat lovers out there will understand, for they, too, sing sillysongs to their beloved 'chats,' or make up stories for them, & even put words in their mouths. I could read Ewok Hughes like a book, as he could read me, too, via an inexplicable ability to read each others thoughts, via mental telepathy, the sort that comes from having formed a close bond, early on. & from being together from one day's end to the next. He was my heart. My confidante. I could tell him anything, & he didn't put it in the paper. He was my closest & dearest friend, who knew all my secrets, my hopes & dreams, even my darkest fears. He was my comforter. He could be no where to be seen, & if he heard me crying, he'd materialize, seemingly from thin air, to come & comfort me. He'd spring up to the dining room table, & I would take him in my arms, & he would, literally, put his arms around my neck, & he'd begin to purr, singing to me that Love Song that only cats can serenade their human with, for a bit of comfort, or to honor them. The greatest honor a cat can give his owner, is to, literally, butt his head with their head. It says, "I honor you. You are my equal." Then, if they move their face on your face, on each side of your face, they are "marking" you, & saying, "All who pass this way, this is MINE...." Cats have scent glands in their face, on their cheeks, & when they do this to an object, like a chair leg, e.g., they are marking their turf. So, when they do it to you, it is an ultimate honor. My Beezer, like a lot of tabby cats, had a big "M" on his forehead. I always said that it stood for, "Mamma," but in reality, it stood for "Mine," for every- thing, in the eyes of the cat, belongs to the cat. Oh, my....! How I have digressed, here.....!! There are those who would be appalled at this rampant lesson in "All About Cats." You'll forgive me. It's just that I do so miss my widdlebiddieboyee, my sweet darling Purr Box, & biscuit maker. Hug your kitty-kitty's for me. Tell 'em, "Hello" for me. Roberta, in the hot, humid Peach State, staying cool....and dreaming of mangoes, & mango juice, soon to be dripping off my chin.... ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

LARGO		15-Jun-2011 03:31
ROBERTA...WHEN DID YOU LOSE YOUR KITTY 'EWOK' ?..SOOO SORRY....YOU ARE SO RIGHT...I CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITH OUT MY KITTIES.....4 AS OF A MINUTE AGO...EACH WITH VERY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES...'BUMPER' IS MY OLDEST 20LB BOY@5...THEN 'LILY' @ 2...THEN THE KITTEN SISSY GIRLS... JUST TURNED 1 JUNE 1ST...THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH LITTER BOXES...3 BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM...YEEEESH!!....THEY ARE ALL TABBYS...AND ANY OF YOU WHO ARE FACEBOOK FRIENDS..KNOW I LOVE TO PHOTOGRAPH THEM....THEY ALL GET UNDER MY FEET TRYING TO GET ATTENTION....AND IF I DIDN'T WALK FUNNY ENOUGH BEFORE....NOW I REALLY DO!!!...STILL SMOKEY HERE...NOT ENOUGH RAIN TO QUELL THE FIRES THOUGH...BE WELL FRIENDS...............LARGO

Miami Girl		14-Jun-2011 21:45
Awwww Roberta, I only saw that commercial once and I love it! Sorry you lost Ewok, it's always hard, but it helps to know you gave him the best years of his life, so many strays have to live outside with no protection and constant stress. We've had 3 kitties that lived long lives in our home totally safe and happy and we still have 18 year old Reba living here. She's a wonderful traveler too, goes most places we do except on our cruise in January (when she had to stay in our Son's home with two of their cats and Charlie their Great Pyrenees - a huge dog that is a total sweetheart and just lays around) . Sometime I feel really crazy traveling with a cat -- oh well call me nuts, I don't care!! The funny thing is, I don't really consider myself a "cat person" -- I do love dogs, they're just more work at this time of our lives. The closing of our house is almost done, all the crap you have to go through in New York to close a real estate sale is unbelievable. In Florida you have to sign maybe 2 papers and it's done - here it's from our lawyer to theirs then back again, then the recorded documents have to be done, then the proceeds we are due have to sit in the bank for 2 to 3 days before we get the money! Hope it's all done by next week and we'll be on the road to Georgia by the end of the month. I'd pay for the shipping of those mango's if I wasnt' leaving here soon. ENJOY THE JUICE DRIPPING OFF YOUR CHIN!

Roberta Perry Hughes		14-Jun-2011 09:01
So glad to see that AzAl posted on here. I got an email from him, saying pretty much the same thing. I need to take a page from his book, & stay offline, perhaps, every other day....?? ; ) My problem is, getting caught up in the games on AOL, like MahJong, & Solitaire. Hours go by, rapidly. Shucks, y'all, I wasn't hinting for anyone to share their mangoes with me. I merely spouted off out of sheer jealousy, is all. We had a wonderful Hayden mango tree in our yard, in SW Miami, but it is gone, now, as the last buyer of our house enlarged it, on each end, making it into a duplex, which I'm sure is a moneymaker for them. But it took out that mango tree. Probably got the grafted showcat (sic) avocado tree, to, with fruits so large & heavy, the limbs sagged. Key lime tree is probably history, too. (sigh) We got maybe .3" of rain, the other night. Lots of rumbling, in the distance, & the wind kicked up a bit. It was cooler, anyway. Been having what I call "Sahara winds," during the day, making the trees swirl their branches, the sort of force that will raise skirt tails over a gal's head, & ruin her hairdo, but the air is temperature of a sauna, with a humid 99*, just a big, suffocating blow. Do y'all ever get those hot air balloon winds....?? Not very pleasant, to be out in it, like it is when it is cooling, prior to a gentle rain. Those with kitty kats, give 'em a hug for me. I surely do miss my BFF, Ewok. I loved him with all my heart, for nearly 16 years. That Fancy Feast commercial, when the young man gives his love a gorgeous white chinchilla Persian kitten, & it has a gold heart that is engraved, "Marry us" on it, I just boo hoo, every time I see it. How I would love to just reach into the TV screen & get him, just for a wee nuzzle or two, & give it back to the lucky girl. Oh! to hear one purring again....! (sigh) A house just ain't a home, without a cat. There is nothing like them, on earth. Cherish them. And tell them Roberta said, "Hello, kitty....!" ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Don Boyd		14-Jun-2011 06:12
Parks: I think you should be mailing boxes of your delicious mangoes to Roberta, Fran and any other Rogue who is suffering withdrawal symptoms because they don't live down here. : ) I'm sure they'd be glad to reimburse you for the postage, like that USPS flat rate $12 box that they have available. Alan: I'm glad you haven't discarded the Rogues during your hiatus from the PC. To anyone interested in a nice video about Miami High's history, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFueIR3INi8&feature=youtu.be Don .

Fran		14-Jun-2011 02:05
MMR, How about those Aggies!!! Parks, Don... So it's mango time there hmmm...Gee, I really miss the taste of a good mango from Florida. I guess that's what dreams are made of. Miami Girl, Roberta, are you up for a mango raid? Just checking... LARGO, MORE DANCING WILL HELP WITH THE FIRES...:)

Miami Girl		14-Jun-2011 00:56
Largo, I'm surprised the fires are near you - thought they were all just in Dade Co! Glad you're okay hon!

LARGO		13-Jun-2011 21:45
HEY GANG...FIRES ALL AROUND HERE IN N. FL....SMELL THE SMOKE IN THE MORNING....HEAVY RAIN TODAY!!...WHAT A GIFT ...REALLY NEEDED IT...BE WELL ALL............LARGO

Miami Girl		13-Jun-2011 16:08
Alan, glad to hear you're in the safe zone! The computer withdrawal is difficult I know, one of these days there'll be a 12 step program to help with that. Roberta, I'm with you......pfffzzztttt.......to all those mango faces!!

Arizona Al		13-Jun-2011 14:22
To the Usual Suspects: The fires in Arizona are in the North East part of the State and moving away from the Phoenix area. I have been keeping myself off the computer as much as I can this summer but promise I am not ignoring the Rogues. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix,Az.

Roberta Perry Hughes		13-Jun-2011 06:15
Thanks so much, for the link about Fowey Rocks Light, Don. I saved it in my Favorites, & sent it on to cousins. I do so hope that someone will step up to the plate, & take this project to heart. It would be a shame, to let it rust out, & decay. Still no email from Alan Ogus, & I am very concerned, after seeing the news re: the AZ fires, & that some residents are just now being allowed back to their homes, after having been evacuated a week ago. I pray that he & his family are safe, & that they will find their home intact. Dear God, grant it to be so. Amen. Thanks, Don, for all you do for us, on this amazing site. You are loved, & greatly respected, my friend. All of you braggarts, who have Hayden mango juice dripping off your chins.....Pffffzzztttt....!! (raspberries) to you....!! I am so jealous.....! CK....."and this, too, shall pass...." Hang in there. Thinking of you, too, even though I do not know the details, I know you will make it through. Hugs, to everyone. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Don Boyd		13-Jun-2011 05:14
Parks, on the way home from our dentist in South Miami last week, I saw a lady selling mangoes on Sunset a few blocks east of the Palmetto so I stopped and they were 2 for $1. I bought 10 and they are really delicious. My 90-year old mother-in-law, visiting for a month or so, loves them and so do I. I may buy more again this week if a tooth problem requires another visit to the dentist. Roberta, Fowey Rocks Light is up for grabs. Get your application in now. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/11/v-fullstory/2262323/feds-seek-new-owner-for-133-year.html Fran, thank you for your kind words last week or the week before. Don .

Miami River Rat		13-Jun-2011 02:42
Parks, are you just trying to make us expatriates jealous with all this talk of mangoes? I'd pay a wad of cash for a tree-ripe Hayden tonight. You asked about Charles Knight: He's hit a rough stretch in his personal life. I guess that's kept him off the happy pages here. Fran, the Texas Aggies have one more chance to get to Omaha. I'll be rootin' for 'em tomorrow!

Parks		13-Jun-2011 02:31
What's happened to Charles Knight? We haven't heard from him in a couple of weeks.

Parks		13-Jun-2011 02:21
Hi Roberta, I saw the smoke from the fire the other day, it looked impressive. I haven't smelled it yet. The wind has been out of the east mostly. We got a little rain today but I doubt it had much effect on the fire. Mango season is in full swing. Susan and I have been enjoying Dot, Kerry, Glen, and Haden mangos. Our Palmer mango is a late season tree. They will be ready to harvest in August. Palmer is so loaded with fruit one of his branches broke. This is going to be a big mango year. I saw mangos being sold three for a dollar today.

Roberta Perry Hughes		12-Jun-2011 20:01
whitebelt.... So glad to hear that you are okay, where you are, re: the recent fires. I just dashed off an email to Arizona Al, & hope to hear from him, soon, either via email, or on this forum. Hope everyone is okay, & with good weather. We are in a drought, here. Cattle farmers are competing with horse owners, buying hay, as the pasture grasses are dried out. Don....Parks....What is the latest development on that fire in West Dade that whitebelt was talking about....? Hope all is under control, down there. Catch y'all, later..... ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		12-Jun-2011 16:36
After Hurricane Andrew, the Heartless bastards at State Farm divided Homestead and Florida City by the center line of US1. If you were on the east side, you were cancelled, regardless of how many years you were a loyal customer or that you might not have "ever" filed a claim previously. The west side customers premiums skyrocketed. Even though I lived in Atlanta and had no vested interest, I cancelled State Farm after 32 years because of that fact.

whitebelt		12-Jun-2011 14:21
They increase premiums, Miami Girl. There was one hail storm last year that did a lot of damage in the area. My insurance went up over 20%. Too dry here this year for any hail. But I bet the premiums will never go back down again. Don't get me started on the legal/insurance/medical/financial/political collaboration.

Miami Girl		12-Jun-2011 13:54
I wonder if the insurance companies profit margins will be down this year due to the floods, tornado's and fires - probably not, they'll just increase our premiums! Glad you're okay Whitebelt!

whitebelt		12-Jun-2011 04:49
Thanks for your concern, Roberta. No threat out here as long as the wind blows hard and thins out the methane from the cows and pigs. Had a fire already a few weeks ago that cleared a lot of brush. I'm in the general wind pattern coming from AZ and NM, so there is a slight tinge of the smoke. Pretty thick back in NM from what I heard. Just read they have a big one in west Dade now. I remember the fires of the early 70's in Miami. That was really bad that year. Weird weather year. Has got to 100 already, but there is not that high base heat background. The air still gets pretty cool at times.

Roberta Perry Hughes		12-Jun-2011 03:29
AzAl....whitebelt.... I sincerely hope that you are not being adversely affected by those wildfires.....? Do check in with us, & let us know that you are okay, please. effildIncitle & Maurice.....It's always good to see new folks posting, & I am sure I am not alone in giving you both a shout out of Welcome, & to tell you that we are looking forward to getting to know you, via your memories of OldMiami & her surrounding areas, where you went to school, etc., your favorite haunts, & where you now live. Looking forward to reading more posts from you both.....!! ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		11-Jun-2011 12:41
effildIncitle - Check in with us. What's you connection to Miami? Neighborhood, memories?

effildIncitle		11-Jun-2011 12:29
You certainly have some agreeable opinions and views. Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject.

Maurice		11-Jun-2011 01:11
Anyone remember a Miami Beach Beachcomer (Surfside area) his name was Strech from around the late 50's. He drove a panel station wagon, painted a bright blue. He went barefooted all the tine. He worked the tourist trade. My Dad was the Chef at the Biltmore Terrace '54 to '56 and he would feed him from time to time when he came around. Just wondering what ever happened to him.

Fran		10-Jun-2011 22:27
Nike, Yes, it is a nice place...just let me know I'm not driving right now so I'll need to get my daughter to give me a ride. Love to meet you and Nancy...

Nike		10-Jun-2011 18:25
Fran, Sorry we didn't know of each other then. If we get back to Texas, we'll look you up. My little darlin, Nancy, is from The Big D and we pass through College Station on our way to Houston. There's a Starbucks at Lodge Street and University Drive that's a nice place to relax.

Fran		10-Jun-2011 17:06
Nike, We lived there 1988-1996...corporate relocation, Bell South. As you know Lawrenceville is near Lake Hart and several relatives.

Nike		10-Jun-2011 10:40
Fran, Small world. I lived in Lawrenceville 1962 - 1995, then moved to Lake Lanier. I moved to Buckhead in 2005. I think I've died and arrive in heaven. What years were you in Lawrenceville and what brought you there, if that's not too personal.

Fran		10-Jun-2011 09:16
Whitebelt, Cute..:) However, they did find them at the Dixie Chicken having a beer.

whitebelt		10-Jun-2011 03:08
Fran, I heard many, many years ago that a couple of Aggies fell off a building or tower there and got lost. Did they ever find them?

Fran		10-Jun-2011 03:08
Miami Girl, I lived in a small town in GA,Lawrenceville, I keep in touch with my neighbors. So many good times there...

Miami Girl		10-Jun-2011 00:05
Fran, I remember that now :) I think I was confused because you knew all about the GA festivals.

Fran		09-Jun-2011 03:18
Miami Girl, I live in the Land of the Aggies...College Station,TX.

Miami Girl		09-Jun-2011 01:42
Nike, you made the effort and it was appreciated by most of us, too bad it fell apart but you're correct, we can continue with our great discussions here and some of us being able to connect in person. We so enjoyed meeting Largo in St. Auggie -- a friend we wouldn't know if not for our buddy Don, hope to see her again one day as well as you and Nancy and maybe Roberta and Lewis now that we are moving to the Peach State. I'm going to that Daisy Fest for sure in Sept don't know yet who else will be going but maybe we can meet up there for lunch! Thanks again for the reunion idea, perhaps another day... Fran, I can't remember where you live and this gallery is too big to find the list where each of us is located (maybe it's just easier to ask, I'll admit --I'm lazy).

Nike		08-Jun-2011 09:38
Miami Rogue Reunion - It's time to fish or cut bait. Out of the sixteen semi-regular participants, only two have committed with a "yes" and one of those was me. As much as I had hoped for 100% participation, 12.5% doesn't come close enough. There is no doubt the distance and time are factors and I understand. So, for completely practical reasons, I am cancelling the "first-never" Miami Rogue Reunion. Having said that, I always enjoy the "getting together" here on the Miami Rogue Forum provided by "The Don." It provides the things I visited here for initially a couple of years ago, Miami Memories, friendly bantering, and a few jabs. I have also been able to meet Parks, The Don, and their wives. I shall make it my mission to meet the rest of you anytime I'm travelling near your home town. If any of you are travelling near Atlanta until I retire to Florida next year, I hope you will consider visiting Nancy and me for just a cup of coffee, a meal, or overnight as our guest. We have plenty room and "we'll leave the light on for you."

Fran		07-Jun-2011 23:19
Miami Girl, No prob...Try checking out your local markets days. Fresh home made treats, bread and jams. Before it get too hot try the local vegetable stands. Check your next town over...many delights can be found within your local area. Enjoy the move! Get the grand kids to hang out at the library, movies, crafts and just plan fun activities.

Nike		07-Jun-2011 22:57
I just got back from my evening walk and guess whay I saw growing in the crack of a sidewalk? Pepper plants with the little seeds all up and down, just a few inches high. I considered picking them and bringing them home for the dinner salad until I saw a dog hike its leg. The Stone Mountin Daisey Festival is quite unique. Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy The "Confederate Daisy," or "Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy," grows in the shallow soil on the granite outcrops of Stone Mountain. The flower is so named because it is found only within a sixty-mile radius of the mountain. The species was discovered in 1846.

Miami Girl		07-Jun-2011 15:03
Fran, thank you for the Daisy Fest info! I get confused sometimes :( We will be taking in everything the Peach State has to offer and so looking forward to it. Our family down there (even the grandkids) are complaining about the heat - the kids can't even play outside except when at the pool!! Jeez, this generation doesn't know what heat is, we didn't have AC and lived through it. Of course I don't ever remember it getting much over 90 degrees in Miami and we usually had a breeze but the neighborhood Mom's ganged together and attempted to make us stay inside for a couple hours after lunch during those crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer. I don't think that lasted long - they probably wanted us out of their hair.

Parks		07-Jun-2011 02:28
Miami Girl, I can't take credit for the Daisy Festival info, that came from someone else but come to Miami and I'll fill you with mangos! LARGO, MY COMPANY IS HOPKINS-CARTER. I'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ON FACE BOOK TOMORROW. OUR INTERNET CONNECTION WENT OUT TODAY. ATT SAYS WE'LL HAVE IT BACK ABOUT MIDNIGHT TOMORROW. I'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I GET HOME TO TRY IT.

Fran		06-Jun-2011 16:41
Miami Girl, It was I who recommended the Daisy Festival to you. There are during the fall over 20+ festivals all over Georgia. Late summer, early fall is the best time to attend. The cities of Lilburn, Lilburn Days, Snellville, country style events. Stone Mountain shops makes for a great outing for you. Allen Bush has a glass shop there, he's a trip. I have several pieces of his work. Parks, If you get a chance to save the large seeds from the mangos, I would love to have some. I am a keeper of seeds and I do plant them. My yellow and purple tomatoes are wonderful plants. Soon they will have fruit. If all goes well.:)

LARGO		06-Jun-2011 16:13
PARKS...YOU CAN REACH MY PROFILE ON FB @: SHEILA POLAND-LARGO.....WHEN YOU GET THERE FRIEND ME(I'LL NEED THE BUSINESS NAME) SO WHEN I AM NOTIFIED I CAN CONFIRM YOU. WHEN YOU REACH MY PROFILE PAGE..LOOK TO THE LEFT TOP UNDER MY PROFILE PHOTO...WHICH I AM ALWAYS CHANGING...AND IT WILL SHOW (PHOTOS)...CLICK ON THAT AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO MY ALBUMS,,,THE ONE WITH THE LARGEST # OF PHOTOS IS WHERE MOST OF MY 'PAINTING PHOTOS' ARE....HOWEVER THEY ARE MIXED IN WITH MANY OTHER PHOTOS SO PREPARE TO SCROLL A BIT...PRESENTLY I AM WORKING ON A WHOLE NEW BODY OF WORK WHICH I HAVE NOT LOADED UP YET...BUT THEY ARE IN THE VERY COLORFUL STYLE OF MY 'ELECTRIC BULL'...I SHALL PUT THAT AS MY PROFILE PICTURE...SO LOOK FOR THE LONG HORNED BULL TOP LEFT.........HOPE TO SEE YA THERE....................................WHITEBELT....YEA FOR YOUR BLACKBERRY....I HAVE THE 'BLACKBERRY BOLD' AND ADDED A 8GB MEMORY CARD INSTEAD OF THE ONE THAT IT CAME WITH...I ALSO USE IT FOR INTERNET ACCESS, EMAILING AND TEXTING AND AS A CAMERA....I LOVE IT!...IT'S LIKE A MINI COMPUTER IN YOUR POCKET...JUST KEEP IT AWAY FROM MOISTURE/WATER...I HAVE GONE THRU 2 IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS FROM GETTING HIT BY MY SPRINKLERS....AND OTHER STUPID ACCIDENTS...AND PLUG IN THE CHARGER AT NITE AND YOUR GOOD TO GO!..........................LARGO

Miami Girl		06-Jun-2011 15:59
Parks, thanks so much for the tip on the Daisy Festival at Stone Mtn. I've sent my daughter-in- law the link and told her we MUST plan to go!! I NEED MY MANGO FIX TOO! They are the fruit of the GODS.

Parks		06-Jun-2011 04:22
Whitebelt, I know exactly the plant you're talking about. I've always called it pepper weed or pepper grass. I'd love to try to cultivate it. Not only are the little seed things tasty but the leaves are great in salad. They taste like watercress. It loves to grow in disturbed areas like road sides or fallow farm fields. LARGO, I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME PICTURES OF YOUR ART WORK. MY COMPANY HAS A FACE BOOK PAGE THAT ONE OF MY YOUNG FOLKS MADE. CAN I GET TO YOUR PAGE THROUGH THAT? I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW FACE BOOK WORKS. Fran, come to Miami in about a month and I'll make sure you are stuffed with mangos.

whitebelt		06-Jun-2011 02:42
Largo, I don't think I could handle Facebook. As it is now I am suffering from internet burnout, especially the forums. One day I may crank up a couple of old blogs on wordpress.com I still have. If I ever get inspired again. Windows Live dropped their Spaces, which was their blogging section. They moved them to Wordpress, which is some of the best blog software there is. One thing they still have with Windows Live is the Skydrive, their cloud computing storage area. You get 25 gigabytes of storage space, public and/or private. LOTS of picture and music space you can link to. All free. Just need a Hotmail or live.com email address. No invasion of privacy like those social networking sites. Those are just hustles for data mining. If you need to store sensitive stuff online like that look into a program called Truecrypt. It is like zipping up files but almost uncrackable. You need a password to open it up using the Truecrypt program. GREAT program. There is another great service called dropbox that is free, but only has 2 gigabytes. It gets expensive if you go past that limit. But the nice thing about that is it synchronizes files among different computers you may have or use. Say you have a laptop for travelling, an office computer, and a home computer. If you have the program running on the computer any change you make will automatically update any of those computers you have linked to it. You can also use a web browser. Say you are on vacation and take pictures. You can upload from the camera to your computer, and then upload to dropbox. When you get home and log on to the net your computer will automatically download and add those to itself. Using Truecrypt and those cloud storage areas you can keep copies of important documents stored where you can access them from any computer on the net. Scan your important papers, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc, lock them up in a Truecrypt container and store them on something like Microsoft Skydrive and you won't lose it all in a flood, fire, tornado, or burglary. Truecrypt is very high encryption. Wouldn't hurt to keep it on a keychain flashdrive, either. You can even install Truecrypt on the flashdrive. Wouldn't even need the net. I love that program. Especially as the memory gets worse. What was I talking about? Oh, organizing all that stuff we have learned and need and collected with a minimum of disturbing slumbering brain cells. Reducing the worry about forgetting and losing. My first smartphone should be delivered tomorrow. A Blackberry Pearl 3G. Freebies. I have had ATT and predecessors since 2002, and have lived outside their service area since 2005 until now. They bought out a company that served this area, so now I am back in a full service zone. So i took the plunge. I love ATT. NO roaming whatsoever. WiFi hotspots in Starbucks and McDonald's. Unfortunately the nearest McDonald's is 21 miles from me. A LOT further to a Starbucks. Motel wireless internet are also hot spots. I understand if you log into any hotspot, any wireless internet network, including one you have in your house, that it bypasses your data usage on your data plan. The data usage is only counted when you make a direct connection over the ATT network, like driving down the highway and surfing the net and getting emails. A new toy to play with. Yippee!

LARGO		05-Jun-2011 23:23
WAS IT PICKLE WEED..OR PEPPER GRASS?...........I THINK I GREW UP WITH ALL OF YOU!!!....SO MANY OF THE SAME GREAT MEMORIES...I HAVE TONS OF HYBRID LANTANA IN EVERY COLOR...AND SAVE PERIWINKLE SEEDS.....YOU KNOW I HAVE ABOUT DECIDED TO WILD UP THE BACK YARD...IT'S ALREADY FULL OF WILD FLOWERS WITH THE SEEDS EXPLODING WAY BEYOND THE BOUNDRIES I HAVE 'ATTEMPTED' TO SET...AND I ALREADY HAVE 5/20" BEAUTIFUL STEPPING STONE MOLDS..........I SHALL CREATE A MINI WILDERNESS...THANKS TO ALL MY BUDDIES HERE SHARING THEIR IDEAS & OPINIONS.....YOU KNOW WHITEBELT...YOU CAN USE A FICTICIOUS NAME ON FACEBOOK...KINDA LIKE YOU DO HERE..LOL..WE WON'T OUT YOU..YOU TOO PARKS...EVEN DON IS ON THERE WITH OUR "FB MINI ROGUES"........AND SHARE PHOTOS...ETC........SIR CHARLES KNIGHT DOWNLOADED SOME GREAT PHOTOS OF HIS VERY KEYWESTY TIKI BAR...FABBALUS...JUS FABBALUS.....HAD A MARGARITAVILLE MOMENT!!!!....I HAVE'NT USED MY CAMERA IN FOREVER...I JUST TAKE PHOTOS WITH MY BLACKBERRY CAMERA... AND IF I WANT TO SHARE I JUST SEND/SHARE TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE PROFILE...YOU CAN ALSO SEND PRIVATE EMAILS LIKE THE GALS AND I DO...IT'S WHAT YOU MAKE IT..................PICTURES TO CONTINUE ON FB AS THE BACK 5 & 3/4'S EVOLUTES........................LARGO

whitebelt		05-Jun-2011 22:51
Fran, these weren't real peppers, kids just called them that. They were some sort of weeds. You've seen them there. Look like little dill seeds sprouting on a little grass like thingy. You pull them off and crunch with your teeth. Used to know the name of it, but like lots of other used to things, I forgetted. Devil's Tobacco was supposed to be a hallucinogen, but I never got a buzz off it. I experimented with lots of things, but lightly. Well, maybe not with the pot for a few years. :-)

Fran		05-Jun-2011 22:01
Whitebelt, Glad to hear that a habit was not your norm. As to the pepper plant, our neighbors had several with small peppers, red, yellow and green. They were hot, hot, hot never ate another one. We used them for weapons when waring.:)

whitebelt		05-Jun-2011 19:52
Fran, the same thing bugged me, plus those hothouse periwinkles are wimpy. Periwinkles. lantanas, buttercups, those things we called morning glories growing wild are things I miss. There used to be a little wild plant we called pepper plants. Tiny little green seeds on them that were kind of spicy. I remember eating some when I was about 11 or 12 that we had growing in the backyard by the water pump. It was either them or something else I nibbled on in that patch that gave me some sort of a trip. Suddenly there was a beautiful golden yellow light glow in the air and everything was just so cool. I got so excited I ran into the house and asked if they all saw it. My momma laughed at me. Never got that kind of buzz again. Could be because I nibbled on quite a few that time and never did again. Never experienced that kind of buzz again until my late twenties smoking pot with opium soaked papers a couple of times. I was smart enough by then to taste the experience without getting hooked by it.

Fran		05-Jun-2011 18:35
Whitebelt, I remember the wild periwinkles of my youth. I almost died when I had to purchase periwinkles for my flowerbeds, Georgia, LARGO, YOU MAY WANT TO DO WHAT WHITEBELT, RECOMMENDED...BUFFALO GRASS MIGHT BE A SOLUTION. HOWEVER, MY CHOICE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF GROUND COVER OR A COMBINATION OF TWO OR MORE PLANTINGS. SUCH AS FERNS, IVY, AND A SECTION OF THE NANHE PURPLE BUTTERFLY BUSH. PARKS, THE MENTION OF MANGO COMING IN MAKES MY MOUTH WATER. My all time favorite fruit! Miami Girl, Just thinking of US1 makes me want to take a road trip! Finding a motel with a pool was a must...late afternoon swim. Buying orange juice at the plazas along the way to Washington, Ga. Fond memories, thanks for the reminder. Mark your calender for the Daisy Festival sometime in September. Wonderful weekend at the festival, Stone Mountain Georgia. Over three hundred vendors!

whitebelt		05-Jun-2011 16:06
Grass sucks. Too much maintenance. Mow the weeds. Cheaper and easier than trying to maintain a manicured lawn. We have a weed here that grows like crazy. Nice and green. Great lawn. One of my favorite flowers from Miami was those wild periwinkles. They would grow in cracks on the X-way. Admired one for years near 836 on I-95. LARGO, GRAB A BUNCH OF THOSE CHEAP PACKETS OF SEEDS FROM WALMART AND TOSS THEM OUT AND SEE WHAT COMES UP. CUT FLOWERS, BUTTERFLY BUSHES, ETC. PLUS THE FERNS. THEN PUT IN YOUR WALKWAYS. ADVENTURE, GIRL. DO WHAT GOD DOES, CHUNK IT OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT COMES UP.

Parks		05-Jun-2011 15:37
Hi Guys, Susan and I went to an open house at the USDA Plant Introduction Center on Old Cutler yesterday. They do research to find plants from around the world that might have a commercial use in the USA. It was nice to see twenty acres of prime land just growing trees. They also do research on insects. There is an insect headed this way from Georgia that might wipe out the avocados. I think it's called the Red Bay Beetle. They are trying to find a smell that attracts them so they can make traps. We're loaded with lychees now. You see people selling them beside the road. I don't remember lychees from my youth. They must be a fairly new crop here. The mango crop is going to be huge. They are just starting to come in now.

LARGO		05-Jun-2011 15:23
HEY FRAN AND ALL......THANKS TO A FELLOW GARDNER FRAN.......ON MY 2ND CUPPA JO ON THE BACK PATIO......AND LMAO WATCHING MY 4 CATS EATING AND ROLLING IN FRESH CATNIP...NEED TO DRY SOME FOR COLDER DAZE...WISH IT AFFECTED ME THE SAME..LOL.HAH!!...NOW THAT'S A VISION....SO NICE TO HAVE 2 SITES TO KEEP UP WITH MOST YA ALL...... YES I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE FRONT CURB APPEAL...TRYING TO GET ALOT DONE B4 IT GETS TOO HOT!...WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD EASTERLY BREEZE OFF THE ATLANTIC. THEN IT BOUNCES OFF THE MATANZAS RIVER ACROSS THE ROAD FROM ME...COOLS THE BREEZES DOWN...IT HAS BEEN DRY...CAN JUST GET A WHIFF OF SMOKE FROM THE PALM COAST FIRE SOUTH OF HERE...WE NEED A GOOD HEAVY RAIN...W/O THE HEAVY WINDS...SO I'M FOLLOWING THE WATERING RESTRICTIONS...SO GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET A NEW PUMP AND ALL THE SPRINKLERS ARE DOING THEIR JOBS..HAD TO REARRANGE AND ADD A FEW WITH THE NEW ARBOR...I AM TRAINING THAT VERY HARDY HYBRID HONEYSUCKLE VINE ALL OVER IT...IT HAS A LARGE RED BLOSSOM......ALSO PUT IN A 65' LIGUSTRUM HEDGE (30/ 2' LIGUSTRUMS) AS A PROPERTY DIVIDER...THERE IS AN ADORABELE 3/2 WITH A POOL FOR SALE NEXT TO ME AND THEY HAVE ALREADY DROPPED THE PRICE TO $165K FROM $198K...THINK THEY'RE DROPPING IT AGAIN...IT WAS A 1 OWNER..SWEET COUPLE RETIRED HERE WHEN THIS HAMMOCK (ST AUGUSTINE SHORES) WAS DEVELOPED 30 YRS AGO...THEY LEFT MOST OF THE BEAUTIFUL LIVE OAKS WHERE THEY COULD...I HAVE 3 IN MY YARD...ONE BIG ONE IN FRONT....THERE'S AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE & CLUB...I AM NOT A GOLPHER THO...FRAN!!!?.....COME ON DOWN...OR OVER.....WOULD LOVE TO PICK MY NEIGHBORS...ACTUALLY THERE ARE SEVERAL IN AND AROUND THE AREA FOR SALE..........FRAN...WISH I COULD GROW BLACKBERRIES HERE...I USED TO GO PICKIN' WHEN THE KIDS WERE SMALL AND MAKE JAM X THE QUARTS....NOW IT'S SMUCKERS...BUT IT'S OK..............NOTHING LIKE BLACKBERRY JAM ON A BIG OLE STEAMING HOT CATHEAD BISQUIT DRIPPING WITH BUTTER......YUMMMMMMMM.....TRUST ALL OF YOU ARE WELL...HOW ARE YOU AZ AL?...I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH FRAN, JEAN(MIAMI GIRL), RAT, ROBERTA, CHARLES, DON & AZ AL ON FACEBOOK...LOVE TO SHARE PHOTOS..HOPES, DREAMS AND WELL WISHES.....BE WELL AND I PRAY FAIR WEATHER TO YOU ALL.....THINK I'LL SCRATCH UP SOME BISQUITS..LOL!!!.....................ANYONE KNOW OF A GRASS OR SEED THAT DOES WELL IN DEEP SHADE AND HEAT??...THE ST. AUGUSTINE IS GREAT OUT FRONT BUT I HAVE TOO MUCH SHADE IN BACK FROM NEIGHBORING OAKS,,,I PUT WINTER RYE OUT IN THE FALL...SOOOOOO PRETTY TILL THE HEAT ARRIVED....I HAVE A LOT OF FERNS I MAY JUST TRANSPLANT THEM AND HAVE WALKWAYS THRU THE FERNS???.....ANY SUGGESTIONS???....................LARGO ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Miami Girl		05-Jun-2011 15:00
MRR, enjoyed reading about the old roads. One of those things on my "bucket list" is driving the whole Route 66 (all that's still possible anyway). Don't know if I'll make it, but it's fun to dream. I remember the disappointment of the 1st section of the Florida Turnpike opening in 1957, it just wasn't the same as traveling up old Rt 27 - the same way we originally came down to Miami in '54. Funny how I got used to the old way in only 4 years beginning at 7 yrs old! After finally accepting it I did love those service plaza's. We started before dawn and always made it to Valdosta, GA that first day - a very long day before the turnpike! And if we could find a motel with a pool I was in heaven! Those chain gangs along the small two lane roads in Georgia were something to see as well as those extremely poor people living in shacks along those roads and helped me realize just how lucky I was.

Fran		05-Jun-2011 07:46
Whitebelt, I enjoy reading what you have to say...well written. My tomatoes are beautiful but my black berry bush is awesome. I do think of you when I water that plant and marvel at the growth of just one plant. It was 98 degrees today and no rain in sight. I do however, love just sitting and basking in the sun. Roberta, Glad to read that you and Lewis are well. I do miss the hills of Georgia until it storms and then I'm glad I am a "Flat Lander". I think I'll just take it easy tomorrow...cutting coupons. No, I'm not an extreme coupon collector just like the thought of "Free Product". LARGO, I LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH YOUR FRONT YARD. GOOD 4 U... DON, HOPING THAT ALL IS WELL...BLESSINGS. MRR, When I hear an "Oldie" from long ago. I can hear the music playing in the distance. A young guy trying to get his date home on time and not being able to do so.:)

Roberta Perry Hughes		05-Jun-2011 07:00
whitebelt, I enjoyed reading your thread, very much. You are a most entertaining writer. Welcome back. You've been missed. Going to be in the 100's, this week, so the weatherman said on local TV. I do so hope & pray that no storms will be spawned from it. Could hardly believe the tornadoes going up into New England. It seems that nowhere is safe from them. We caught the outer parameter of a thunderstorm in the CSRA, & it got very dark, & then, it hailed. Usually hail precedes a twister. Located our flashlights, & kept on working the Sunday crossword puzzle, waiting. Lewis paced, like a caged tiger, bless him, going to the porch to peek out the front door, now & then, & coming back inside, to peek through the blind slats, in every window. I guess, to see if a funnel cloud was forming....? It was all shadows & dust, & more brouhaha, than anything threatening, & it ceased, almost as quickly as it passed over us. Fare thee well, Stormy....! We did have a lot of scattered pine cones, however, from a huge pine in the northwest side of our yard, & some branches down, hither & yon. Lewis declared there was a tree across our lane, so he tooled down there to remove it, in case the Queen & Philip wanted to pop by for a visit, I guess. Here's wishing only the best of weather, to wherever you all are, & wherever you go, as well. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

whitebelt		05-Jun-2011 05:32
The tangents you can go off on when casually checking something of momentary interest. Wikipedia is addictive. Started out reading about this little town I live in. Couple of famous people from here. One is Ken Curtis, the guy that played Festus on Gunsmoke, and Charlie McCoy in "The Searchers". BTW, read James Arness just died. I bet we all grew up watching that show. The other is this guy. I always wondered who this namesake of Ambassador Thompson Blvd here was. It appears this guy played a pivotal part in history that you don't hear much about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llewellyn_Thompson That road is US 50 through here, so of course I go checking roads through wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Auto_Trail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Old_Trails_Road Remember the old US routes? When was the last time you honked your horn and flashed your lights to pass on a long trip? Or waited for a passing lane. Other than driving down to the Keys. That was quite a adventure once upon a time. I do remember an epic driving to AZ from Miami in the mid-70's on a lot of US routes. As was driving up the Florida coast. I had an old timer for a neighbor in New Mexico that grew up there. His father had a junkyard at one time there filled with Model T's collected from traveler's during the Dust Bowl and Depression days. This was a little town in a valley in the mountains between Nowhere East, Nowhere West, and Nowhere North. There was a semblance of civilization 30 odd miles south. I guess those mountains really took a toll on those cars back then. That was across the first range of high mountains heading west from the east. A few more to go before California. My mother use to tell some stories about travelling in Florida during the Depression as a kid. They had to deal with panthers once. She also claimed to be the first little girl chased up a tree by a Brahma bull in Florida. They had just started to import them. I loved that article about auto trails. You could wind up anywhere. It is finally getting steady warm here. The hummingbirds showed up a couple of weeks ago. Has been very dry this year. Luckily for us that has caused the tornadoes to hit farther east than normal. Also keeps the grass better behaved. I like it dry. MRR, that was a touching story, but at least you got some closure to it. God bless a country that spares no effort in continuing the search for its lost. Seems like everyone I know is starting to feel the financial strain this year. I won't go into causations of it going back a few decades, but I do believe in magic and a rabbit will be pulled out of the hat to forestall another depression. One nice thing about being a superpower, all the smaller countries, and the developing ones like China, can't afford to let us sink. Their social problems would be a lot more severe than ours. America has been the big teat they have been feeding off for so long. Haven't posted for a while. Guess I kind of was saving it up. :-)

Fran		03-Jun-2011 16:37
Parks, Let the sunshine...yes, fond memories of our youth. A special time in Miami, a time of an awakening. Good time...

Parks		03-Jun-2011 05:28
Hi Guys, Susan and I went to see "Hair" at the new performing arts center tonight. I was really disapointed in it. It has no significance for todays world. The things that were meant to shock are common place today. I was hoping for a good dose of nostalgia but it just didn't work. Maybe it was just me. The young folks in the audiance seemed to enjoy it. I first saw it performed at the Coconut Grove Playhouse back in 1968 or 1969. My date was the beautiful 17 year old Myrna. I think she was amused by how uncomfortable I was with all the sexual stuff. Myrna is a grandmother now, but still hot! Don't tell Susan I said that.

Guest		03-Jun-2011 03:04
Yeah, and it's funny to read the commission's response at the appeal......i.e. it doesn't fit in with the spirit of the neighborhood, people will complain etc....it took an arm and a leg to change from RU- rural to BU- business area especially during the period of the mid 60's when Kendall Dr was showing more and more signs of becoming an arterial..when they put Kendale Lakes and Winston Park up that was the beginning of the end...of the quiet days....I'm sure the folks that lived on Kendall Dr could see that and moved. I love the fact that you can still find quiet spots east of US1..I'm grateful for that and the Redland

Parks		02-Jun-2011 14:21
Angelo, that's an interesting piece of history. I guess the neighbor hood was in transition from agriculture to commercial and residential at that time. I think there is still a nursery or two out there now.

angelo7221		02-Jun-2011 07:12
Roberta, you had me curious after reading about your childhood days riding bikes with your friend on Sunset Drive. I went to the Dade County Planning & Zoning site and pulled up an appeals request from "South Miami Tropical Fish Hatchery". Their place of business was 7100 sw 97 ave...and it took up almost 3 acres. The Perch's ran it until that area became zoned business. I hope that helps....if not then there must have been an abundant amount of hatcheries in and around. The link ishttp://pzimage.miamidade.gov/images/PZHEAR02121601/026-ZHRG-BB-ACS-20021205002/Z1978000139/RC.pdf

Roberta Perry Hughes		02-Jun-2011 02:28
Miami Girl, Did you read the synopsis of the book? It goes "full circle," from the memories of the author's childhood, to the death of her father, & then, the death of her mother, upon which time the author discovers a boxful of Wartime letters, from her father to her mother, as well as Wartime memorabilia....including a multi-autographed Japanese flag, & if I remember correctly, perhaps a photo or two. Please, read it yourself, first. It was a real eye-opener, & revealed so much more than I ever learned about WWII, coming from both perspectives. This book won the Gold Medal award, in 2002, for best autobiography/memoir. It would make a very moving film, or even a play. I wish MRR would consider putting his own story to paper, & submitting it for publication. From there, it could be transcribed into a screenplay, for either a play, or a film. There are a great many stories out there, that have yet to be told. Our living WWII vets are in their 90's, some even 100+ years old. On my block, in Miami, everyone's father was a veteran of WWII, & a few had relatives that were in the Korean Conflict. My late half-brother was with a MASH unit, until the Army learned his true age, & sent him home. His job had been to recover the wounded from the battle fields. The last surviving WWI veteran passed away, a few months ago. These men....& women....returned home to the worldwide Influenza epidemic, which killed more people than the War. The truth is out there, re: Wars, & their victims, even on the home front, among the families. The divorce rate was high, due to the wives not being able to cope with the drastic change in their spouses, when they came home, with battle scars not visible to the naked eye. Young people should be enlightened, so that they will fully realize that Memorial Day is not about a weekend at the beach, or a cookout ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` vet passed away, recently.

Miami Girl		01-Jun-2011 20:58
Roberta, thanks so much for telling us about that book. I immediately went to Amazon and ordered it. My Dad was a Communications Officer and spent the whole war in Puerto Rico but my husbands Dad was in bad combat at the end in the Philippines so I'm getting it for him. People today have no idea what it was like to send your son or husband off for four years - no email and cell phones in those days! MRR, I was so moved to hear the story of finding your Dad - thanks for sharing it. I know the feeling you have of wishing your grandparents and Mom could have gotten the news, you probably feel so helpless because you can't turn the clock back.....

Roberta Perry Hughes		01-Jun-2011 08:17
Rat, every time I have read the story about your father, I am moved by it. I think it is a story that should be told, & should be shared, either in book form, or as a feature film. It is an amazing story, to be sure. I had a book once, that I passed on to many, until it finally found a home with a veteran pilot of the former Army Air Corps, the father of my BFF. "The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father's War," by Louise Steinman. I recommend this read to every baby boomer out there, whose father was a WWII vet. I could relate to the story of the Steinman family's rules, to: Never cry in front of your father. Never wear black in front of your father. Never ask him about those two rules. And never ask him about the War. Who among us never heard their mother say, "I wish you had known your father before the war....?" My mother said it, now & then, after my father had acted out, or was a bit heavy handed, with the belt. She always had a faraway look, when she said it. We were clueless, as to what she meant. Until we read this book, & we knew, that we were not alone. This book is a real page-turner. None of us, who read it, could put it down, until we completed that last page. Hugs to everyone. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Miami River Rat		01-Jun-2011 03:42
Aircraft type: B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. Seven crewmen were aboard and their remains identified. The crash site was near Kokoda Gap in New Guinea. They were on a bombing run against Japanese forces on the other side of the mountain range.

Parks		01-Jun-2011 02:35
Don, I drove past The 94th Aero Squadron today. It looks like they are getting a P-38. Do you know anything about it?

Parks		31-May-2011 13:01
Rat, that's truly amazing. What kind of aircraft was your Dad flying?

Miami River Rat		31-May-2011 04:55
Parks, the Army still has teams out looking. They actually identified a crash site there years ago. It was a water-filled crater dug out by the crash on a mountainside in New Guinea. When they started to pump the crater, the first thing that came out of the water was an un-exploded 500 pound bomb. That caused some more delays, as you may imagine. All this time we knew nothing of it, as they hadn't even identified what airplane it was. They finally got the technology and skilled people together to drain the site, defuse the bomb and start recovery procedures. They asked me for a DNA sample, I sent it and, BINGO! I just wish my grand-parents and mother had still been alive, it would have meant the world to them. Mom was 19 when that plane went down and I was five weeks old. My paternal grandparents never got over it, even though their younger son came back from Europe with only minor injuries and led a successful life.

Parks		31-May-2011 03:53
Hi Rat, You don't show up in the book, CK does. Sorry for the confusion. I would love to hear the story of how they found your Dad after all those years. The USA should never stop looking for MIA.

Nike		31-May-2011 02:41
Thank you for the gratitude. Like Rat, my service was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Fortunately, that stupid pinko commie blinked first. The real gratitude goes to every generation in my family who has served in every war since the War of Northern Aggression. Freedom isn't free. Some gave, some gave all! Thanks again.

Miami River Rat		30-May-2011 19:10
Thanks for all the memorial day thanks! I didn't do much myself, my 'war' while I was in the military was the Cuban missile crisis. I'll accept on behalf of my dad, whose plane was shot down by enemy forces in the South Pacific, WW2. He was listed as MIA/KIA for over 65 years. Just two years ago the Army discovered the crash site, remains were identified and I attended his funeral at Arlington, almost 67 years to the day after he was shot down.

Parks		30-May-2011 15:15
Rat, Read the book! It's a good one. You show up a couple of times. Dorsey talks about shooting at dynamite for sport out back of the Gator Hook. Got to go put up my Flag. Thanks to all of you who served.

Fran		30-May-2011 05:17
Roberta, Your words are heart felt, expresses so much of what others are thinking and praying for...good to read. I trust that you are feeling better and you, Lewis are on the mend. Blessings... Rat, Now as for you, hmmm. I'm really trying to stay out of trouble. However, the island ...how do you you say great fun?:) Sure you're are welcome...:)

Miami River Rat		30-May-2011 03:52
Parks: I haven't read the book so I don't know the context but yes. If you run out of dynamite caps and you need to blow something up (say a beaver dam), you can leave one stick exposed and shoot it with a rifle. It will go off and trigger the other three, four sticks being the prescribed dose for beaver dam destruction. Fran, I like y'alls island. Are visitors welcome? If not right now, I'm betting they will be sooner rather than later. Everybody have a fun and safe holiday.

Roberta Perry Hughes		29-May-2011 23:53
To all of our men in uniform, who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives, for the sake of our rights, & our freedom, during whichever War, or Conflict, or during so-called, "peace time," I give my humblest, & heartfelt thanks. May they all rest in peace, knowing that a grateful Nation will never allow them to be forgotten, as we honor them, every year, on Memorial Day. God bless & keep our active duty troops, at home & abroad, & may they all come home, safely....& make it soon, please. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Miami Girl		29-May-2011 19:13
Largo, I liked your take on the Rapture. LOL Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines - THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!

LARGO		28-May-2011 15:57
NOT TO COME OFF ALL INSENSITIVE ET AL RE: 'RAPTURE PREDICTION #652'...THATS AN A.D. TOTALLY MANUFACTURED ESTIMATE...OF MINE...PERHAPS ALL THESE WEATHER RELATED, GLOBAL CATALYSMIC EVENTS...WHERE SO MANY ARE LOST..(TAKEN ??) AND SOME ARE NEVER FOUND..IS A 'RAPTURE' OF SORTS??.............MANY HAVE A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF JUST ''HOW' THE RAPTURE OCCURS WHERE NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE..ON THAT PRECISE DAY...WE PAINLESSLY 'ASSEND' TO THE HEAVENS......IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME...AND SOMETIMES IT'S OUT OF ORDER...THERE WAS NOTHING PAINLESS ABOUT THE STORY OF THE 'GREAT FLOOD' OF NOAHS TIME.....AND THAT WAS B.C..............JUST SAYIN'........................BLESS OUR TROOPS, OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS PAST AND PRESENT...THANKS SO MUCH FOR PROTECTING US.......................GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!.............LARGO

Parks		27-May-2011 01:42
“Damn.” Serge began retreating into the swamp. “How did they find me?” The bustle in the hedgerow came closer until it was just about to break through the clearing. Serge stood ankle-deep in water, ready to bolt and take his chances with the wildlife. “Lucky, can you watch Mikey for me until I get back?” “You’re a scream,” said Lucky. “No need to go anywhere.” “But someone’s coming!” “I brought a special guest” The last branches parted and a younger man stepped into the clearing. “Charles?” “Serge!” “I don’t believe what I’m seeing.” Another big, backslapping hug. “Man Serge, when you want to make yourself scarce.” Charles looked around at the steps and a few other broken pieces of foundation. “When Lucky called, I couldn’t miss the chance to see you again.” “And the old place?” “Bittersweet.” “Coleman! Mikey! I’d like you to meet Charles Knight. His father, Jack, owned the Gator Hook.” From Electric Baracuda by Tim Dorsey CK, did people really shoot at dynamite?

Nike		25-May-2011 15:18
Miami Girl -- Good point, hmm...

Miami Girl		25-May-2011 12:13
Nike, my son flew to Germany that day - didn't see anyone disappear but then I thought the Rapture could have happened and NOBODY was good enough. Or, we're all dead and don't know it!

NIke		25-May-2011 08:48
But who's flying this airplane? He was there when we took off.

Fran		25-May-2011 07:35
The ladies are on a tropical island having drinks. Cheers!

Nike		25-May-2011 01:24
Hey, where did everybody do? They were all here a few minutes ago....

Parks		24-May-2011 23:39
Sorry to hear you guys didn't get the Rapture. I'm enjoying my wings and cloud. The harp is a bit of a challenge. You'll be glad to know the internet is really fast up here. Oops, the Boss is coming. Got to get back to harp practice.

Miami River Rat		24-May-2011 03:52
Al, I was kinda' hoping my neighbor down the road would get raptured up. He's got this really cool bulldozer I've been wanting to mess with and I knew I wouldn't be making The Trip.

Arizona Al		22-May-2011 11:30
I went to an End of Days Event at 6:00pm EST 5/21/2011 and an intact planet earth emerged. Alan Ogus,Ph.D. Alive and well on Planet Earth sublocation Phoenix,Arizona

Nike		20-May-2011 10:40
Roberta, No worries, I spit out the big pieces

Roberta Perry Hughes		20-May-2011 05:19
Nike.... Ew.....!! Shug bit is bad enough, on your windshield...... But....shug bit on your TEETH....?? Ew....! Ew....! Ew....! And QUADRUPLE, EW....!! ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		20-May-2011 03:14
Nancy and I had a very enjoyable evening with Parks, Susan, and The Don. We had dinner at Lincoln Road Mall which is now entirely a pedestrain mall with outdoor eating everywhere. Parks, don't get that thing to close to you or you will start to glow. The good news is we drove down from Atlanta in Nancy's little convertible. The bad news is it's love bug season. Not only didi I have to get the car cleaned but our sunglasses and teeth. After dinner, we drove across the McArther Causway, down Biscayne Blvd, down Coral Way and Miracle Mile and left on LeJune, right onto Tamiami Trail to 27th Ave and north to 36th Street and back to the Palmetto Expressway to Miami Lakes where we were staying. What a trip through thre past. We're staying in Delray Beach tonight and tomorrow night while looking at condos. I don't plan on spending another cold, rainy winter in Atlanta. We look forward to seeing the Maimi Rogues in October. I will set a final date in a couple of weeks. Sine I was last on the website, I see that CK is hosting the "Final Shuttle Launch Party" at his house in July. Is that right CK? Who's brining the BBQ and who's brining the beer?

Parks		19-May-2011 15:40
Whitebelt, The nose cone is off a nuclear armed missile. Susan’s first question was “Is it radioactive?” The darn thing is about the size and shape of an ice cream cone.

whitebelt		19-May-2011 14:20
Hmmm, I wonder how Nike got that through TSA. Perhaps when they did the pat down he smiled and said "Oh, that's just my rocket." :-)

Parks		19-May-2011 04:00
Hi Guys, Susan and I had dinner with Nike, Nancy and Don on Miami Beach tonight. Nancy was as nice as could be, Nike is a real gentleman, and Don always has a good story. It was a good meal and a good time. We ate at Van Dykes on Lincoln Road if you care to google it. Nike gave me the tip of a nose cone from a Nike missile. My job is to get it to Ryan at Everglades National Park along with a CD of Top Secret documents. (Don't tell anyone!) I see a Key Lime milk shake in my future.

Parks		18-May-2011 04:55
The party is in July at CK's house!

Fran		18-May-2011 02:03
CK, That sounds like a blast,man...cool. However, what are you serving from the top shelf?

Charles Knight		17-May-2011 21:59
I can't put everyone up but...The launches are quite beautiful from the Tiki bar in our yard.

Fran		17-May-2011 18:13
Cool, Nike thanks for sharing...

Nike		17-May-2011 16:40
All -- Thanks for the updates. Parks -- We'll discuss the dates at dinner tomorrow night over dinner with our wives. nancy is looking forward to meeting you and "The Don." I was in Orlando yesterday for the launch and plan to return for the final in July. I was on the Saturn IB, Saturn V, and Skylab project with IBM from 1967- 1972. Hopefully, the space program will return whether private or public. I think we are missing the boat (pun intended) by not exploring the oceans. Fran, you can use my stupid kybored anytime.

Parks		17-May-2011 04:08
Fran, I wouldn't be surprised if Nike showed up for the launch. He's a rocket nut too.

Fran		17-May-2011 02:53
Parks, Yup, Houston should have gotten a shuttle...big mistake for Washington leaders. Texas did not receive help with the wild fires either. The future will prove interesting... Hey, the launch may be a good place for a reunion. :)

Parks		17-May-2011 01:07
Hi Rat, Like you a little sapodilla goes a long way for me. Susan has dried some and a slice or two is a nice snack. The puree is good on vanilla ice cream. I hope you make it down for the reunion. Fran, Huston should have gotten a Shuttle. I may drive up to see the launch also. I can't help but feel we've taken a step back by shutting down our man in space program. I hope I'm wrong and private industry will take up where the government leaves off.

Charles Knight		17-May-2011 00:36
Nike..................Charles Knight/maybe.

Fran		16-May-2011 16:44
Sorry about the rope for ripe. I must have been using Nike's keyboard. :)

Fran		16-May-2011 16:42
MRR Sorry I missed the over rope fruit. Avocados were our choice weapon. The green rotten slim was a mess, yup loved it. If all goes well, I'll see you all there. Heading to Coco Beach for the final launch in July. It seems that some government leaders are at war with Texas. Too bad, sounds like a Republic is coming...:)

LARGO		16-May-2011 15:29
NIKE:.................LARGO/ MAYBE

Miami River Rat		16-May-2011 15:22
Sapodilla puree, Parks? Sapodilla is one of the few tropical fruits I don't miss. Oh, I ate plenty of them pulled right off the tree but usually after the first one or two of the season I had to be kinda' hungry to get one to eat. When over-ripe with fruit flies in them they are neat weapons to throw at other kids. Sisters and their friends come to mind...

Parks		16-May-2011 14:57
Hi Roberta, I'm sorry you won't make it down for the reunion. I know we will all be thinking of you.

Roberta Perry Hughes		16-May-2011 09:00
Oh, Parks....! What a lovely day you had, & a sumptuous meal to top it off.....@ Lucky, lucky you.....!! I am positively pea-green with envy....! (sigh) ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Parks		16-May-2011 01:54
Hi Nike, I see you have me down as a yes. I 'm going to be out of town then. What was the date again? (pretend there is a smiley face thing here) I had a nice Florida day today. We had rain early in the day but after it passed I took my boat out for a ride. The weather was perfect. The air was cool and the water smooth. I filled the tanks at Matheson Hammock and just rode around a while. I wanted to run her a little to see if there are any problems. Next Sunday I am taking a friend out to scatter his sister. I want the boat to look as nice as possible and to run well. She does and she did. Later Darrell came over and we put my canoe in the canal. I built a motor bracket for it and wanted to test it. I put a little electric trolling motor on it and it worked great. After the test I grilled a couple of skirt steaks I had soaking in lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, and lots of black pepper. Susan made black beans, rice and a salad to go with it. Desert was vanilla pudding with bananas from our trees, shredded coconut and sapodilla puree. It was delish!

Roberta Perry Hughes		15-May-2011 17:16
Nike, I will be there, in spirit, but I must be realistic, here, & give you a most regrettable, "No." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nike		15-May-2011 13:06
MRR - Thanks and I will update the list: YES - NO - MAYBE "The Don" - Maybe Parks - Yes Nike - Yes Whitebelt - No Miami River Rat - Definate maybe LARGO - Fran - Maybe Roberta - Arizona Al - Miami Girl - Maybe Charles Knight - Leighton - Jeff - Jackie- No Charlis - Any others sign in?

Miami River Rat		15-May-2011 03:20
Put me down for a definite maybe. I hope to come if nothing rips, splits or tears.

Nike		15-May-2011 00:19
Miami Rogues - Time for a headcount on the Miami Rogues Get-together this October at undecided location in Miami. Be there or be square. Who's in? Yes, no, or maybe--- "The Don" - Maybe Parks - Nike - Yes Whitebelt - No Miami River Rat - LARGO - Fran - Maybe Roberta - Arizona Al - Miami Girl - Maybe Charles Knight - Leighton - Jeff - Jackie- No Charlis - Any others sign in?

Jackie		14-May-2011 14:27
Nike, count me as a no. Don, loved the video.

whitebelt		14-May-2011 13:08
Nike, I am not planning on being there.

Miami Girl		14-May-2011 12:07
Nike, I'm a "maybe" also.

Nike		14-May-2011 09:34
Don -- I sent an email to your Gmail

Nike		14-May-2011 09:33
Miami Rogues - Time for a headcount on the Miami Rogues Get-together this October at undecided location in Miami. Be there or be square. Who's in? Yes, no, or maybe--- The Don - Maybe Parks - Nike - Yes Whitebelt Miami River Rat - LARGO - Fran - Maybe Roberta - Arizona Al - Miami Girl - Charles Knight - Leighton - Jeff - Jackie- Charlis - Any others sign in?

Don Boyd		14-May-2011 03:45
Nike, put me down as a "maybe" please. For everyone: here's a video of Art Carlson doing two stories about "Saturday Hop" that was on Channel 10 for 13 years with some great old footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhacQCYTi9U Don

Fran		14-May-2011 03:40
Nike, As of to date...not sure...However, have you and the others chosen a site for the get together? I am game but I do have to take care of some health issues. Counting the days...

Nike		14-May-2011 01:08
Parks and "The Don" -- I sent you both a personal email about next week. To ll -- Time for a headcount on the Miami Rogues Get-together this October. Be there or be square. Who's in? Yes, no, or maybe--- The Don - Parks - Nike - Yes MRR - LARGO - Fran - Roberta - AZAL - Miami Girl - CK - Leighton - Jeff - Jackie- Charlis - Any others sign in?

Parks		11-May-2011 14:42
Nike, I spoke to Susan about getting together. She said any day but Tuesday.

Parks		11-May-2011 05:12
Nike, Next week looks pretty good. Just let me know when and where.

Nike		10-May-2011 18:27
Parks -- I tried the VIA at Starbucks. It is nothing more then instant coffee of which I am not a fan. Others may like it. I wouldn't want you to think I am a coffee hound but when asked how I take my coffee, I say, "intravenous." What a winky-dink. Nancy and I are coming down next week on a case I'm working in Ft Lauderdale. There is no way I would be that close and not check in with you and "The Don." Are you and Susan available for lunch or dinner? I'll check with "The Don" and his Nancy.

Parks		10-May-2011 14:39
Nike, when are you coming back to Miami so I can make you some Cuban coffee? Has anyone tried those little packets of coffee concentrate that Starbucks is selling now?

Nike		10-May-2011 13:11
Coffee, one of my favorite subjects. Throught the years, I've drank "the necter of the gods" brewed every way possible. During my Nike Army days, the mess Sergeant would start a 20-gallon pot of water boiling over a gas range on the ground just outside the mess tent (no electricity) about 4:30 in th morning. As the water came to a rolling boil, he would dump a #10 can of Army issue coffee grounds into the boiling water. At 0500, when the troop began to show up for breakfast (eggs and bacon or SOS), a double-handfull of eggshells would be thrown into the 20-gallon pot of coffee. I was told the eggshells caused the coffee grounds to sink to the bottom. When we dipped our mess cup into the beautiful sea of brown necter, I never seemed to have grounds mixed in. What a way to see south Florida come to life from the banks of Snake Creek in Carol City. Through the years, I have had percolators, dripolators, and latte makers. Now, I have the Kuerig one-shot pod, Makes a fresh cup every time. It is recommended that we drink plenty of water every day. Since coffee is 96% water, I should be pretty healthy. I think I'll have a cup of black gold now....

Charles Knight		09-May-2011 11:28
Sorry...'devices'.

Charles Knight		09-May-2011 11:27
Whitebelt, there are three Cuban coffee devives and two regular coffee makers here. Happy Mothers Day ladies.

Miami River Rat		08-May-2011 03:57
Happy Mother's Day to all our moms. You are appreciated!

whitebelt		08-May-2011 01:55
I did something today I haven't done in literally decades. I stopped at a yard sale and picked up an old coffee percolator and made a cup of coffee with it. Jeez, how did we survive back then? At least as long as there is wood to burn I can make a cup of coffee now. Once upon a time I was stuck with no way of making coffee for a while. I now have 7 coffee makers of different types. I am a coffee addict.

Arizona Al		07-May-2011 22:19
Nike: Sorry. for the confusion....my home phone is listed in Mesa, Arizona and my work/professional number is listed in Phoenix. Sorry we did not connect. Arizona Al

Nike		07-May-2011 04:22
Happy Mothers Day to all the ladies. I realize how fortunate I am to still have my Mother and cherish the time I have with her.

Nike		07-May-2011 04:19
AZ AL - I'm sitting here in the PHX airport waiting for my return flight to Atlanta. I called information for your name but could only get your office. Sorry I missed you but hope to see you and the others in October.

LARGO		06-May-2011 23:30
THANKS FRAN.......AND HAPPY MOMMAS DAY TO ALL THE MOMMA GALS ON THIS SITE....HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY...................LARGO

Miami Girl		06-May-2011 02:24
Thanks Fran, same back at ya and all the other girls.

Fran		05-May-2011 23:32
Sending a shout out to LARGO, MIAMI GIRL, ROBERTA, CHARLIS, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! MAY YOUR DAY BE FILLED WITH GOOD FOOD, GOOD DRINKS AND GOOD COMPANY.

whitebelt		03-May-2011 15:27
I have not checked my private messages for quite a while. I checked today and would like to express my appreciation to Larry Martin for supplying this link back in January when I was looking for that old anti-communist film from high school. Whitebelt can be slow, more so the older he gets. :-) http://www.archive.org/details/InOurHan1950_3 Thank you, Larry.

whitebelt		03-May-2011 15:15
The intel they got from the raid will be breaking the balls of Al Qaeda. Direct from the brain of the outfit. There will be lots of bodies collecting around the world before too long that you are unlikely to hear about.

Miami River Rat		03-May-2011 14:41
What I thought was the best episode of "CSI Miami" I'd ever seen was stopped after 45 minutes to announce the killing of OBL. Cool that he's extinguished, but does anybody know when/if that episode will be replayed? How to find out or get a copy? I still can't figure out whodunnit!

Arizona Al		03-May-2011 14:21
I discovered Bin Laden's death yesterday while waiting in the Nassville,Tenn. airport for a connecting flight to Raleigh, N.C. Very glad to hear the news but felt that somehow this was not the safest day for air travel. Not to worry. The flights from Phoenix to Nashville and Nashville to Raleigh were without incident. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive,well and temporarily in Raleigh, North Carolina

Leighton		03-May-2011 10:50
I had no idea that Muslim dietary laws were so similar to Jewish. Honestly, have never known that...learned something today. I was very angry, frankly, to see on Sunday night, that so many young Americans don't know how to handle the American flag. It is not a prop to be draped, dragged, tossed and cheapened. I also found the behavior less than impressive. I fully understand the joy of this situation, but my first reaction was not to climb on a light pole, scream "USA", and shake my fists. I am thrilled that the guy was caught, and killed. Believe me. And I think that gatherings were very appropriate, upon the announcement...it's just that some took on a decidedly unattractive appearance. The situation did lead me to research Hitler's death/suicide...I had once known the details, but it was interesting to read about, again. How Russia handled the body/bodies, etc.

Roberta Perry Hughes		03-May-2011 07:27
Leighton, it would be detrimental for OBL to have any sort of pork, anywhere, on his person, as he was a Muslim. Anyway....I, too, verbalized my wishes for this person, describing every sort of torture there is, evert gross insult, within my imagination. But I stopped. When I realized that I was sinking to his level, mentally, & emotionally..... `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		03-May-2011 03:54
I don't get the "bacon" stuff. In East TN, now. Dad's 80th is tomorrow - family get-together at Peerless (Nike, you've been there). Enjoying all of the GREEN up here.......San Antonio hasn't had rain in 2011.

Parks		03-May-2011 01:25
Scary, we all think alike on this one. I too thought he should be buried with a dead pig. I made the Obama mistake as well.

whitebelt		02-May-2011 20:41
I wouldn't be surprised if Bin Laden was provided with a nice piece of raw pork in his mouth to chew on when he wakes up. A guy needs his strength when he has 72 virgins to take care of. Plus there may be many souls waiting to discuss things with him. I always wanted to give him a dilute Sani-Flush bubble bath. Bet I could let him enjoy it for days while he watched videos of people jumping off those towers. His skin would be sub-atomically scrubbed clean. Those virgins would appreciate that. There are many more to go.

Guest		02-May-2011 19:08
Miami Girl, "wrap him in bacon", that is the funniest!

Miami Girl		02-May-2011 13:03
Leighton, I did the same thing! Hope they wrapped his body in bacon before they dumped it!!

Leighton		02-May-2011 03:33
I called my parents, and mistakenly said "Obama has been killed." Ouch. Had to correct that, quickly.

Nike		30-Apr-2011 18:26
MRR - Starbucks, now you're talking.

Miami River Rat		30-Apr-2011 12:28
Nice spot, Nike, but the Yellow Hammer is a "reservations recommended" restaurant. The best place for us to meet for coffee would be the first Auburn exit off 85 at Tiger Town. There are, I think, three different Starbucks to choose from there. Email me at mike.s.1762@gmail.com. Give me a little notice and I'll be glad to meet you there unless something rips, splits or tears.

Nike		29-Apr-2011 18:34
MRR -- Looks like you're not too far off I-85. I'm working a case in Washington County, Alabama. Next time I drive down, I'll check to see of you're available for a cup of coffee. The Yellow Hammer in Waverly is about half way between Opa Lieka and Dadeville if their coffee is any good.

Miami River Rat		29-Apr-2011 13:56
Nike: I'm in Dadeville, Tallapoosa County. In East Central Alabama about 30 miles north on Hwy 280n from Auburn. I'm actually about 9 miles NE of Dadeville, out in the country. One tornado's direct path went between me and Camp Hill, passing about 2 miles south of me. A whale of a thunderstorm surrounds a tornado's direct path! Whitebelt, I watch the generator load and don't overload it. You are right, that can happen if the operator isn't careful. Still running the generator. There are power lines still down across paved roads in some country areas and that's usually the first thing the electric company does is get lines off the roads. There are poles down in many areas. I guess the power company guys have been kind of busy!

Parks		29-Apr-2011 03:32
Roberta and Rat, glad you guys are ok. We were all worried. I watched the storms going through north of Atlanta on the weather radar. There was a lot of big nasty red areas.

Roberta Perry Hughes		29-Apr-2011 03:13
Relieved to know you are okay, MRR. So are my friends in Greenville, AL, who once again, dodged the tornados that ripped through the state. Amazingly, we were also spared a direct hit, & even the T-storms that hit, come daylight & later in the afternoon, averted our area, going around, or above us. It was a very long night for me, watching, & constantly horrified, at what was unfolding on the TV screen, showing areas that had been hit. I kept vigil, in case I needed to awaken Lewis, & get us to the safest area in our house. All of those many many families, of young folks, & their children, who were killed, makes me feel so guilty, that I was spared. I would trade places with them, if it were possible to do so, rest their souls. The horror of it all, is the fact that tornado season is not over with, yet. There will be more, unfortunately. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		29-Apr-2011 02:08
MRR -- Where in Alabama are you located?

whitebelt		28-Apr-2011 18:24
Thanks for letting us you know you are OK, MRR. Looks like a good while to get electric back on iine. A lot of damage. Hope you have lots of gas cans with gas. Be careful about overloading that generator. Only takes one time for it to get overheated. Good luck.

Miami River Rat		28-Apr-2011 16:01
Thanks for the concern. I've got a big tree down on the barn. One woman killed in town. No electricity except the generator, but otherwise all ok. It's funny, last post here I was talking about having a generator, now it's running! With the generator, we can have water, lights, fridge and freezer, TV and 'puter. That pretty much covers the essentials. One million homes in Alabama are without electricity so it will be some time before it's all restored. In the meantime we can putt-putt along here as long as I keep gas in the generator. See ya'!

whitebelt		28-Apr-2011 13:37
Communications are probably down in Alabama, so MRR may not be able to log in. It would be most nice to hear from him soon. The increased moisture in the air from the ice cap melting will be making for more violent weather of this sort for a while. The wind patterns determine where they will form and those patterns will change. Right now there is a La Nina which is probably causing most of this in the eastern part of the country. The additional moisture will be changing the old patterns of that and La Nino. Expect more randomness for several years. Much of these wind patterns affecting the midwest and east of the coutry are caused by the interaction of wind generated by or interacting with the Rocky Mountains and moist air that sweeps up from Mexico from what I understand. I live about 80 miles east of Pueblo and this is the area those usually start to swirl. There are some stiff winds out here, but I heard it is even fiercer around Pueblo, but they don't have the tornadic activity because they don't have the mixing with the stuff being pulled from the south. The wind there is pretty much what comes off the mountains. Out here and to the east is where the swirling starts. Where that usually starts is determined by where that moist air from the south tends to meet it. La Nina and La Nino move that east and west. It gets wetter the further east you go, mixed with the wind patterns you can expect more activity in the eastern sections of the country for a while. Water carries more weight and is affected by sunlight causing it to expand. The wind can get more vicious. That, coupled with other climatic phenomenon, changes a lot of expectations of how things are going to be environmental wise in coming years. Moral of the story. Move west, and I would suggest somewhere not far east of the Rocky Mountains. Tornados are fairly rare close to them, and you are close to where the water originates. From mid-Colorado down to southern new Mexico also has some very good weather. Extremes are rare. The land is in the 4000 to 6000 range, so it is unlikely rising sea levels will cause a problem for a while. No hurricanes, either. West of those mountains can get very cold in winters, but to the south or east is pretty temperate. The landscape is a lot more interesting than in the east. Here are some photos of the NE part of New Mexico entering from CO on I-25. They don't capture the vista you enter after going through Raton Pass and Raton, NM in all of its glory. If you ever have the chance to visit that area on, you may want to stay. I am especially fond of the area from I-25 to Cimarron, NM. That is where the Plains meets the mountains. After Cimarron you start climbing towards Eagle Nest, NM. Wildlife to view up the kazoo. That is the best of two worlds. The mountains shelter you from the west and supply water. The altitude keeps the air cool in the summer, and the temperature low. Cool sunshine. Tornados and earthquakes are almost non-existent. Fire is not usually a problem there. Fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching galore if you enjoy that. Sufficient oxygen for older lungs. If I had found something I could afford I would be living there. http://www.sangres.com/history/santafetrail/sftrail01.htm Retire out west. Beauty and peace of mind. Get your kids to move out there.

Roberta Perry Hughes		28-Apr-2011 02:10
The grits just might hit the pan, here, in a matter of hours. Big bad tornado hit Tuscaloosa, AL, heading toward Columbus, Macon, etc., & may well hit our area, in the wee hours. Killed some folks in AK, & probably, in AL, too; just getting bits & pieces, on TV, as I type this. I just came online, to be on here, while I can, to check on folks, then shut down & unplug. "Hold on to your lug nuts, it's time for an overhaul." Here's hoping you & yours will be safe, from this latest rage of tornadic activity. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

whitebelt		27-Apr-2011 15:35
MRR, I hope you weren't affected much by those storms in AL.

Fran		27-Apr-2011 14:05
Nike, "Tomato" warnings here until the wee hours of the morning. This week starts our severe storm season. Sorry, I don't know Joe and Nancy Newman. However, we are getting ready for my youngest daughter's graduation from Texas A&M, on May 13th. More severe tomato weather predicted today...

Nike		27-Apr-2011 06:20
Stupid keyboard can't spell...

Nike		27-Apr-2011 06:19
Fran -- I had attempted to thank you yesterday but ny messages wiouldn't go through. Thank you for the warning. The NWS issued a has stated to expect a tomato watch for the Atlanta area today. Fortunately, our highrise condo has an emergency generator that will power the entire 30-story building. I say "tomato" because, after watching The Wizard of OZ, our granddaughter thought we said it was a "tomato" that caused Dorothy's house to spin up in the air. After that, any discussion about tornados was "tomatoes" to her. Stay safe and keep your powder dry in College Station. By the way, do you happen to know Joe and Nancy Newman there? He was my Battery Commander in 1964 on the Nike site in south Florida and a West Point graduate.

Miami River Rat		27-Apr-2011 04:35
I have a 6250 watt generator. We were out of power for 24 days after hurricane Opal in 1995, and 11 days after the ice storm in '93, and eight days after hurricane Ivan in 2005. Also several less memorable two and three day stretches along the way. That generator will run everything except central heat and air and the clothes drier. If you have that and a Coleman camp stove you can go pretty much indefinitely, as long as you have gasoline. I ran mine 24/7 through those times with no problem. With a freezer full of meat and other goodies it was a life saver!

Miami Girl		27-Apr-2011 02:12
Yep, scary is the word and something I wouldn't want to do again. If we had to move back there we'd have a basement for sure - a finished one we could sleep in comfortably during those all night warnings. This hail was small, about 1/2" diameter, but a few years ago we were caught outside with 1" size - no shelter at all and that S**T hurts! Wouldn't recommend that either. The weather this year is just totally off!

whitebelt		27-Apr-2011 00:09
Oooh, Miami Girl, Kansas in a trailer in tornado season. Scary. Was it equipped with parachutes? This hail out here can get downright intimidating. I haven't seen anything over quarter sized yet, but heard they get cueball and softball sized. My friend was living in Kansas years ago when a big one of those softball sized storms hit and trashed every car and building in the area.

Miami Girl		26-Apr-2011 23:40
We had a tornado spotted a little SW of our upstate NY town just a couple hours ago - I saw the hail, grabbed the cat and yelled to my husband upstairs "I'm going to the basement". Lucky for us nothing happened. Sure don't expect them up here, but we lived in a trailer in Kansas years ago, so it could be worse. Whitebelt, we bought a new generator about 5 years ago in case of an ice storm -- it's still brand new and will be going with the house when we sell. Better to be safe than sorry!

whitebelt		26-Apr-2011 22:51
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=generators&ic=48_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=0 That small one for $222 should keep your refrigerator from going bad, plus some lights. You don't want it to run all of the time under a heavy load like the refrigerator, though. Save that for every couple of hours or so just long enough for it to cool and cycle off. This is also handy if you have a gas forced air furnace and your power goes out in winter storms. Never hurts to have a backup.

whitebelt		26-Apr-2011 22:41
You all east and south of here take care. This is some wicked stuff coming your way. Get those valuable documents and things together in case you have to beat feet in a hurry. WalMart sells small generators pretty cheap, almost all online, though. You can get some good ones for just a few hundred. Might be a good investment considering how high the winds are this year and you have a full refrigerator. Lots of power outages will be happening.

Fran		26-Apr-2011 01:08
Whitebelt, So now I know... Nike, Severe weather headed your way...

whitebelt		25-Apr-2011 18:40
Fran, underwear is something your wear in the winter, or if you have to really dress up. Has to do with aeration, keeping mold and such from collecting, heat retention, etc. Keeps the skin cleaner and healthier. You didn't know that? :-) My non-winter uniform is a pair of cut off jeans. Period.

Nike		25-Apr-2011 17:26
AZ AL -- I arrive from Sacramento in Phoenix at 9:03 pm and leave on a redeye to Atlanta at 11:40 pm. That's not very close. I hope to see you in October at the Miamii Rogues sock hop.

Fran		25-Apr-2011 16:04
Whitebelt, Interesting...I heard one time that many do not wear underwear during the hot summer. This little word of wisdom came from an 80 year old woman I met in the doctor's office. Welcome to Texas! Well, it was for me at least...odd.

Arizona Al		25-Apr-2011 13:33
Nike: Actually I am returning from North Carolina on Southwest Airlines on May 6th. Flight arrives in Phoenix at 3:30pm. I live 30 miles from airport. Are the times close? Alan Ogus, Ph.D.

whitebelt		25-Apr-2011 12:57
Fran, back in 1978 me and another guy were returning to Memphis from College Station after doing some work there. After doing 120 on those farm and market roads and three doobies we got into into AR where I turned the wheel over to him on I-30. I laid back and closed my eyes for a while only to be shaken out of my rest by the van suddenly starting to swerve violently. Young Johnny Ray noticed some women skinny dipping in I think it was the White River as we were passing over it. I had to nix his crossing the median and going back for a second look. Naked women can get you killed.

Nike		25-Apr-2011 07:56
AZ AL -- I'll be in Phoenix on Friday May 6th. How far are you from the airport? I have a 2 1/2 hour layover that night on my way back to Atlanta. I would love to get together for a cup of coffee if yo are available.

Fran		25-Apr-2011 03:37
Whitebelt, I'll give you that...You might want to ask Rat, about the girls who danced on the river bank barefoot. He so does have wonderful stories to tell...

Nike		25-Apr-2011 00:55
I'm still trying to figure out the deal with the rabbit with eggs and chickens on easter. I know, just go along with it.

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 19:42
Fran, darling, do it barefoot and nude and all sorts of things can lift along with spirits. :-)

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 19:40
Back to the Colorado River and people dying of thirst and going crazy and all that good stuff in Phoenix. Just found this. Didn't know such a thing happened so recently. "Creation of the current Salton Sea Original caption: Dry Bed of Colorado River Below Imperial Intake [...] River Diverted Into Imperial Canal The creation of the Salton Sea of today started in 1905, when heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused the Colorado River to swell, overrunning a set of headgates for the Alamo Canal. The resulting flood poured down the canal and breached an Imperial Valley dike, eroding two watercourses, the New River in the west, and the Alamo River in the east, each about 60 miles (97 km) long.[6] Over a period of approximately two years these two newly created rivers sporadically carried the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink.[7] The Southern Pacific Railroad attempted to stop the flooding by dumping earth into the canal's headgates area, but the effort was not fast enough, and as the river eroded deeper and deeper into the dry desert sand of the Imperial Valley, a massive waterfall was created that started to cut rapidly upstream along the path of the Alamo Canal that now was occupied by the Colorado. This waterfall was initially 15 feet (4.6 m) high but grew to a height of 80 feet (24 m) before the flow through the breach was finally stopped. It was originally feared that the waterfall would recede upstream to the true main path of the Colorado, attaining a height of up to 100 to 300 feet (30 to 91 m), from where it would be practically impossible to fix the problem. As the basin filled, the town of Salton, a Southern Pacific Railroad siding and Torres-Martinez Indian land were submerged. The sudden influx of water and the lack of any drainage from the basin resulted in the formation of the Salton Sea.[8][9] The continuing intermittent flooding of the Imperial Valley from the Colorado River led to the idea of the need for a dam on the Colorado River for flood control. Eventually, the federal government sponsored survey parties in 1922 that explored the Colorado River for a dam site, ultimately leading to the construction of Hoover Dam in Black Canyon, which was constructed beginning in 1929 and completed in 1935. The dam effectively put an end to the flooding episodes in the Imperial Valley." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea

Fran		24-Apr-2011 19:22
It's amazing what moon light brings to mind...forgot about barefoot...summer time running around barefoot all day. Until mom found out...good times. I still like to dance by the moon light barefoot. Brings me back to a quiet place of peace. No Whitebelt, not naked...just freedom to dance, to lift one's spirit. Rat, Favorite barefoot game...tag. You're it! Summertime and the livin' is easy...

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 18:45
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rVPjrGT54U&feature=related I will confess to a certain bewitchment by the feminine mystique.

Miami River Rat		24-Apr-2011 18:19
Happy Easter to all. I still color eggs, got some grand kids here now to hunt them. With adulthood came the loss on belief in the reason for Easter, but the fun of the holiday still remains. I always loved this line from CCR's song "Green River": "barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight". That does bring back some memories of earlier Miami, and girls on the riverbank, though shoes were all they took off to dance. Y'all hang in there!

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 17:45
Funny thing about religious belief systems. They tend to take back seat when people really know and have to depend on each other to survive. Then a new one emerges over time. I think one of those doeth approach. This kind of goes with man's love of arguing. He even argues with his gods and the devil. Strange creature, this mankind.

Nike		24-Apr-2011 17:32
Many of our friends are religious and I respect that. That respect includes knowing they pray before meals. We always offer them the opportunity to do so when they are having dinner in our home. Although I am a happily married, do not believe in any diety, and despise those who take from our taxes because they are simply too lazy to work, occupy most of the space in jails because they commit most of the crimes, terrorize America and the world using their religion as the basis for "killing the infidels", and have lifestyles that are a bit repuslive if I take the time to think much about it, we have personal friend who are of several religions, gay, and black. So far, no muslims but several protostanrs, catholics, and jews. I hope they respect us as a person rather than whether or not we share their religious beliefs or any ideology. Also, whether or not we have srong opinions against those who take from those that give but give nothing in return but "you owe me because I didn't have the same opportunity you did." Happy Easter everyone.

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 15:45
Arizona Al 24-Apr-2011 14:31 "Cogito ergo sum" One would like to think so. :-) Individuality is in the mind of the individual.

Arizona Al		24-Apr-2011 14:31
"Cogito ergo sum"

whitebelt		24-Apr-2011 13:03
Ah, I awake to an Easter sunrise to a can of worms I must have opened. :-) Happy Easter, everyone. The petroglyphs go back 4500 years, the archaeology 12,000. Relatively speaking. I have spent the last few months on a large forum discussing religion, primarily battling emotional atheists. They tend to a pseudo-intellectualism. I have a considerable presence there. I subscribe to no one's book when it comes to religion. That includes the science these atheists like to cite, which by the way tends to be on the selective side. I have an understanding of the misinterpretations people can make of anything. I am of a very spiritual nature, but it is unlikely to fit the definitions most were trained to accept. I was a spirit once upon a time for about 15 minutes on Old Cutler Road. No bright lights, no Jesus, no nothing but me all by my lonesome hiding in a little spot carved out of the universe, looking out at my next manifestation without a whole lot of eagerness to reach it. Then I was restored to this one. Note I said hiding. I am a very curious mix of science, technology and mysticism. I have spent some time analyzing how this manifestation can be put together, literally how it can arise out of an apparent nothingness. It takes at least thought. I look at things and see how they work. I read things and read between the lines. I am a systemic thinker, even on the level of actually existing. I have taken the basic premises of modern physics and extended them on the universal scale and find that many of the things taken for granted as being absolutes, such as carbon dating, and gravity being the basis of our universe are in error. The interpretations of what is observed is heavily influenced to fit pre-conceived math models. These scientists look at the universe in a static way to make their numbers crunch. I and others look at it in a more dynamic way using the same basic principles and come up with something different. But they be the high priests. I'm a big fan of Jesus, though I do not worship him as a god. Of all the religious beliefs I feel the one based on him is the best, even though some of his teachings has been corrupted and some manmade laws concerning God were added. People will be people. The parable of the mustard seed waxing great and strong to provide a place for the birds of the air to roost is a lot more significant and descriptive of a reality than commonly thought. The Big Bang can be such a tree. There is a higher force. There is a place that was provided for us to vacation in, and in the process develop an understanding and appreciation of the proprietor that may allow us to secure better quarters. Such will not be required by the tips we leave, but by our heartfelt appreciation. It could be the proprietor is lonely and is looking for good company to spend eternity with. Eternity can be monotonous and boring. Women should dance naked in the moonlight every chance they get. Men should understand and appreciate the awesome force God created to shape them with. The fact may be he created something he can' t handle and is looking for help to tame it. :-)

Arizona Al		24-Apr-2011 03:30
Nike: Entonces nosotros pensamos como los mismos. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Con vivo y gusto en Phoenix, Arizona

Nike		23-Apr-2011 20:22
AZ AL - y yo tambien

LARGO		23-Apr-2011 18:24
WHITEBELT....SPIRIT AND FLESH ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS IN MY BOOK...MAYBE NOT YOURS...AND WHERE I DECIDE TO 'BASK' THEM IS NOT FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY...I THINK YOU DWELL IN A SMOKEY 60's PAST FANTASY OF WHAT FREESPIRITEDNESS TRULY IS...LOL......BUT I CAN'T SPEAK FOR YOU....ONLY ASSUME............LARGO

Arizona Al		23-Apr-2011 16:55
Nike: On this 3rd rock from the sun humankind has had a dichotomous explanation of events and phenomena since recorded history. Some accept on faith and belief and some accept on fact and validation. The difference is that the causes and outcomes of an event such as petroglypths or the origin of the universe for that matter can be interpreted/explained by mutually competing and mutually exclusive paradigms. I use the parable that for 2000 years the South PacificTrobriand Island People always beat coconuts with sticks during a solar eclipse and lo and behold the sun always returns to the heavns. They believe that beating the coconuts with the sticks causes thr sun to return. Nikoli Copernicus attributed the return of the sun to the heavans as it simply moves away from the moon's shadow after he conducted celestial observations with a telescope invented by Giahaldi Galaleo. In both cases different patadigms explain the same event and the people have the option of chosing the paradign that best fits for them. If I were forced to place a monetary bet on the cause/effect I woud go with Copernicus...Correlation does not recapitulate causality. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive, well and thinking entirely too hard and deep on a sunny Saturday morning in Phoenix, Arizona Guest

Arizona Al		23-Apr-2011 16:54
Whitebelt: On this 3rd rock from the sun humankind has had a dichotomous explanation of events and phenomena since recorded history. Some accept on faith and belief and some accept on fact and validation. The difference is that the causes and outcomes of an event such as petroglypths or the origin of the universe for that matter can be interpreted/explained by mutually competing and mutually exclusive paradigms. I use the parable that for 2000 years the South PacificTrobriand Island People always beat coconuts with sticks during a solar eclipse and lo and behold the sun always returns to the heavns. They believe that beating the coconuts with the sticks causes thr sun to return. Nikoli Copernicus attributed the return of the sun to the heavans as it simply moves away from the moon's shadow after he conducted celestial observations with a telescope invented by Giahaldi Galaleo. In both cases different patadigms explain the same event and the people have the option of chosing the paradign that best fits for them. If I were forced to place a monetary bet on the cause/effect I woud go with Copernicus...Correlation does not recapitulate causality. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive, well and thinking entirely too hard and deep on a sunny Saturday morning in Phoenix, Arizona

Guest		23-Apr-2011 16:05
AZ AL -- Care to weigh in on this one?

Nike		23-Apr-2011 16:04
Whitebelt -- How could those petraglyphs ne 12K when you know who invented the earth in six days just 6k ago? I have always had a bit of a problem with the differences between the scientific and religious explainations. I understand it is not popular to question these matters but, maybe someday, someone can explain why there is a difference no one will explain. I think I know what I just said but really can't explain it.

Miami Girl		23-Apr-2011 15:33
To this day the smell of vinegar reminds me of coloring those Easter eggs and evokes one of those comfy cozy moments. Even though I consider myself an Agnostic these days I continue to have fond memories of 6am Sunrise Service at St. Timothy's Lutheran Church off Old Cutler Road. Happy Easter to all.

whitebelt		23-Apr-2011 14:24
Largo, being a free spirit and such I thought you would enjoy such things. Basking in nature unrestrained.

LARGO		23-Apr-2011 13:04
MAYBE FOR YOU WHITEBELT......LOL...............LARGO

Roberta Perry Hughes		23-Apr-2011 06:59
Leighton....I'm right there with you, with memories of Easter morning, & waking up to an Easter basket, a stuffed plush rabbit, & a big decorated coconut creme-filled chocolate egg, on the dresser. Those eggs seemed to last forever, in the 'fridge, & mama would slice off a sliver apiece for us, as it was very rich. The chocolate was dark, & very sweet, & there were candy flowers, stems, & leaves, on the top of the egg. I still have my (busted & glued) Knickerbocker hard plastic rabbit coin bank. Her glasses came off, years ago, but I replaced them, with a modified plastic eyeglasses hair barette, which worked fine....! Have yet to replace her missing decorated plastic eggs, that she held in her hands. No big rush. Didn't care too much for the hollow chocolate bunnies. Liked the marshmallow filled colored eggs, jelly beans, & decorated hard boiled eggs, & the little yellow chenille chicks....which can still be found today....! that were placed here & there, in the grass. What a hand-clapping, gleeful delight....! I make a point to remind myself of my many blessings. It can be difficult, at times, but have to keep-on-keeping-on. It could be a lot worse. Delightfully, my dvd R-rated version of The King's Speech arrived in the mail, yesterday, & was waiting for me when we returned from seeing the doc. Too bone tired to view it, it will be there to watch, yet another day. Have some fun....! Get yourself a PAAS egg coloring kit, boil a dozen eggs, & dye them. Place them in a basket, or even a rattan paper plate holder. If you can't eat 'em up, as is, grate them, & make egg salad for sandwiches. I used to do this every year, for many years, & Lewis would help me. It was joyful fun....! Easter bunny & goodies aside....He is risen. Have a blessed & safe Easter weekend. The Truth is out there.....

Leighton		23-Apr-2011 06:34
I have a great Regular 8 home movie from 66. Easter egg hunt before church....Mom was in control of the camera, and Dad lobbed a perfect egg bullseye at the camera lens. I imagine that a discussion followed......

Leighton		23-Apr-2011 06:30
Huh????? 4/20 was two days ago. I have no idea what anyone is talking about. Remember when getting a new outfit on Easter Sunday was so great? Well, except for that powder blue leisure suit and wedge heels in 1976, I'm willing to forget that.

Arizona Al		23-Apr-2011 01:25
Whitebelt: I do not discount the "Phoenix Lights of 1997" I and many others observed the same phenomenon. I do not rule out the possibility that they were extraterrestial and from another planet or galaxy nor do I rule out the possibility that they were terrestial and from this planet. Each vignette has a statistical probabiIity of .5 (50%) in a totally random population. I suppose that characterizes the definition of agnosticism :) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Fran		22-Apr-2011 22:13
Whitebelt, Yes it does...now that's a thought. I'll think of you next full moon.:) Easter Blessings being sent to all of you who post here.

Charles Knight		22-Apr-2011 21:38
I believe in Alien life. I just don't fancy the idea of anal probes...Charles.

whitebelt		22-Apr-2011 20:25
AZ Al, though I am a technician and am very good at finding causes for effects, except for a few times, I don't discount things such as that out of hand. Life is not as simple as it looks. Fran and Largo, dancing naked in the moonlight is more fun than reading physics books. Adds something to the experience of life.

Fran		22-Apr-2011 18:40
LARGO, ISN'T DANCING BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON GRAND! EASTER BLESSINGS TO ALL, HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY.

Arizona Al		22-Apr-2011 15:33
Whitebelt: I was living in North Scottsdale at the time and the lights were at an approximate azimuth of 60 degrees transversing the McDowell Mountain Range to the East of my location. They were yellow/orange/white in appearance and appeared to be in a V or W formation. My wife Elvie (girlfriend at the time) and several neighbors watched the event until the lights were no longer visable behing the mountains. I have no idea what they were or where they eminated from but see them I did indeed. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

LARGO		22-Apr-2011 15:28
AHHHHHHHH.........................WHEN THE MOON IS FULL AND THE WOLFBANE BLOOMS.....................LARGO...JUMPING OVER THE MOON......

whitebelt		22-Apr-2011 03:22
AZ Al, you have planned well, it appears. Would you describe what you saw re the lights? Have read some about them. Flares? Life is stranger than commonly depicted or professed by the establishment.

Arizona Al		22-Apr-2011 02:17
Whitebelt: I have married into a devout Mormon family who have stockpiled enough food and water resources to insure survival of the prophet Joseph Smith's prediction of the apocolyps. If that fails I shall commander the closest WalMart:). BTW I personally observed the "Phoenix Lights" in 1997. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

whitebelt		22-Apr-2011 01:04
A little history about Las Animas. I live a mile from the rivers junction and two miles from Boggsville. Bent's Fort is about 14 miles west. Just had a big fire last week that burned up the vegetation of the junction and 11,000 acres of prairie. Volunteer fire departments. No property was lost, but a few last ditch stands that saved some. http://www.sangres.com/history/boggsville.htm http://www.sangres.com/history/boggsvillewomen.htm Has always been a crossroads of people here. Goes back 12,000 years. Not far away along the Purgatoire are petroglyphs that go back thousands of years carved on the rocks that I want to visit this year. Rocky Ford is a neat little town further west, about 50 miles from Pueblo. Pueblo has WalMart, Lowe's, Home Depot and other trappings of civilization. Easy ride. If you have a chance read about the Taos uprising, and especially that Ceran St. Vrain. He was one formidable man among many of the early 1800's. Those people did not play games.

whitebelt		22-Apr-2011 00:07
Miami Girl, it is only 20 miles, and is in La Junta. They have a VA outpatient or something clinic there. I haven't registered with it yet. I think it was like 20 miles from Pinecrest to Miami Springs. Probably near the same from Pinecrest to Jackson Medical Center. Much better traffic situation here. More seniors and more medical will come. Lots of old timers here as it is. There is even a nursing home in town. Plus, if you did have to drive to the doctor's office it gives you some place to go. Some excitement. :-) AZ Al, Phoenix is where A Boy and His Dog was set. Perfect Mad Max sort of place. If that Colorado dries up you will very soon be in very deep doodoo. Just takes one earthquake. At any time. Keep lots of water in jugs along with the weaponry in case you need to break out of there. Maybe form a group that can leave together for security. A LONG ways to civilization from there through desperate people, and then you have to contend with those skinwalkers on Navajo land at night. Have you considered getting settled in further north in the mountains? Flagstaff, maybe Durango, CO? More defensible. Except from the UFOs. But they tend to abduct people closer to the San Luis Valley. And their horses and cattle. Then they take them to Dulce, NM and do experiments on them. And hybridization with various ET life forms. But what better way to get fresh meat than have them flee in panic from a place like Phoenix. Just stand on the road and direct traffic down a long dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Never to be seen again. At least on earth. Watch out for odd looking redheaded people doing that. Those Phoenix Lights of years back was a recon trip for resources. You don't want to get caught in the herd when it gets stampeded. :-)

Miami Girl		21-Apr-2011 22:08
Whitebelt, your Las Animas looks like a pretty good place to live. According to City-data.com you had only one murder in 6 years, and less than 3,000 people! Idyllic for retired people except for the 26 miles to the nearest medical center, something we seniors have to consider. Too far from our families for us to consider, but you are a lucky guy.

Arizona Al		21-Apr-2011 20:29
Whitebelt: Thanks for increasing my paranoia coefficient exponentially:) Alan Ogus,Ph.D. Alive and well (for the moment) in Phoenix, Arizona

whitebelt		20-Apr-2011 13:53
If something happens to the Colorado River, Roberta, you will see that happening all the way to LA, too. It only takes a day or so to die of dehydration in 120 degree heat. Gets up that high and you start getting into needing a lot of water to drink. Phoenix is one of the scariest places to live in the case of such a natural disaster. Any large urban area nowadays is scary to live in if the poop hits the fan. Millions of desperate people. Why I like it out here in the middle of nowhere. They are pretty self-sufficient out here. Got water, crops, limited access and long distance from major urban centers, and lots of guns, with the ability to absorb some more population within limits. Plus the weather is not that bad. Gets hot, but not that bad, gets cold but not brutal like a little bit north. Almost the sweet spot. Get on Google Earth and check out the highways in the area of Las Animas, CO. One major highway, and it is two lane for the most part. That is mostly crops and range land in the area. There is a huge water table under much of the Plains, just have to go a bit deep to get it. That water rights thing is the only thing that limits more productivity in the area.

Roberta Perry Hughes		20-Apr-2011 06:29
They mine water in AZ, like they mine coal in W.VA. Arizona is a desert. Nothing lasts forever. Future reality horror movie: Mass migration, out of AZ, due to zero available water. Cars, over-heating on the freeways, holding up the flow of traffic, in an already bumper-to- bumper mass exodus from the cities. Left behind are fully-furnished Spanish architecture-style homes, complete with a terra cotta roof, lavish patios, and now-empty in-ground swimming pools, and once-green lawns and plants, that used to be the pride of the home owners. Country Clubs, that once boasted exclusive membership, as well as shops and businesses, are like ghost towns, a scenario that can be seen all over the State. People are getting out of their cars. Agitated and desperate, they attack the driver of the stalled car, and push the car off of the freeway, leaving the bleeding driver and his family behind, as traffic continues its snail's pace. Dehydration is setting in rapidly, among the many people in the long lines of cars and big rigs, and there are more lines, at exits, trying to get onto off the ramp, to join the exodus toward a destination they hope will have available water. As their numbers continue to grow..... `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

whitebelt		20-Apr-2011 02:03
Years ago I heard 60 and 80 foot were pretty much about the required depths for good water. A few years ago Silver Springs got so dry they had to stop the glass bottom boats. What was that, 80 foot deep water? I guess it has recharged since. Read years ago that Lake Okeechobee could only really sustain about a million people. 17 million in Florida, gillions of golf courses, very heavy water usage. There is a problem there. Out West they have this water rights thing based on seniority. Buying and selling water rights is big business. The cities have been buying water rights from farmers for years to supply the cities. The kids inherit a farm and don't want to farm and sell the rights and move to the cities. They have something called the Rio Grande Compact from years ago where certain percentages of the water is shared between CO, NM, TX, and Mexico. It is rationed according to water rights. Some big problems with water have been arising. Even Tampa and places in the south have been buying water from long distances away.

Miami River Rat		20-Apr-2011 01:35
We had a 12-foot deep well down on the place at Old Curler Road. We could irrigate the whole place (nine acres) or run three water hoses at once and never pump it dry. Good water, with a little iron in it. Made the nursery plants a very deep green. I don't know how much longer South Florida will be like that. Millions of people using water every day will certainly take the water table down sooner or later.

Leighton		19-Apr-2011 06:29
Enjoying e-mails and phone calls with friends. Several have dumped Facebook. Nice to be ahead of the curve. Headed to East TN next week, for a visit. Dad's 80th. If a major storm front were headed my way, I'd not be shopping at Lowe's....

whitebelt		18-Apr-2011 13:35
Parks, where I grew up around Brownsville, euphemistically called Hialeah Heights, we had a 20 foot well for years with excellent water until they installed city water. City water was cheaper than the electricity for the pump. Got a little smell toward the end, but it tested safe. Very little iron in it. Never had any iron stains from it. The water was only about 10 foot down. Had a backup pitcher pump for it. My mother said they tapped into an underground stream.

Parks		18-Apr-2011 04:37
I've gotten a real lesson on water over the past few days. I think I had reported earlier that my friend Harold had taken a core sample of the rock under my yard down to about sixteen feet. This left a very nice 3 inch hole into which I dropped a pipe on Friday. I hooked up a gas powered pump and like magic lots of water came out. It's pretty stinky but it will be good for my trees. Yesterday we took "core samples" at two places in Darrells yard. Drilling wells, I mean taking core samples is very hard work. Today Susan and I went to the Fruit and Spice Park in Redland. They were having an event called Blues, Brews and Barbeque. It had good music, good food, and Budwiser. I like Budwiser and I don't want to hear any crap from you beer snobs! After leaving the park we went down to Robert is Here. We picked up some peppers, coconut candy and fresh orange juice. Since we were close, I took Susan down to see the water plant in the woods. She enjoyed the ride through the pine forrest and was impressed by the plant. There was a flag flying at the plant that had the letters FKAA on it. Using my vastly diminished brain, I finally figured out that FKAA was the Florida Keys Aquaduct Authority. A quick Google found this:http://www.fkaa.com/our_water_source.htm That's a picture of the water plant at the top of the page.

Nike		18-Apr-2011 00:56
Parks -- That is precisely what that pumping station is for.

whitebelt		17-Apr-2011 17:58
Parks, don't confuse the nice spring water coming off the mountains with what is in the ground out here. There is some seriously hard and chemical laden water out here. Plus uranium and other additional flavors added. I just thought New Mexico was bad, and it was. An example of how hard the water was here before the RO a few years ago. I had my tap to the mains replaced last year. Was old lead 3/4 pipe from the 50's. It was solid caked except for an area that a 3/16th cabinet tipped screwdriver would make. About like a blade of grass. My neighbor is having hers replaced tomorrow. The water now is almost perfect water, but I still use my Brita for drinking water.

Parks		17-Apr-2011 15:51
Hi Whitebelt, Why do they use reverse osmosis water makers out there? I thought you had plenty of nice fresh water in CO. RO water is really nice. It's great for washing cars and boats. Doesn't leave many water spots. Not that I ever wash my car. Speaking of water, last week I was down in Homestead and drove down a road that had a sign that said "Navy Wells Pineland Preserve". At the end of the road was a big water treatment plant tucked away in the woods. I think this is where the water that is pumped south through that big pipe beside US1 comes from. It supplies water to the upper keys and a big RO unit in Key West supplies the southern keys. Navy Wells is just south of Robert is Here.

Fran		16-Apr-2011 15:24
Whitebelt, There are federal programs for rebates. Check out this site, energy star.gov/index. Enter your zip code and check the list for the rebates in your local area.Good luck!

Fran		16-Apr-2011 15:06
Whitebelt, Sounds like a sweet little town. My choice exactly!

whitebelt		16-Apr-2011 14:09
Fran, my utility provider, other than gas, is a town of less than 3000 people with diesel generators for electric. They also provide water and sewers. A municipal utility. They need the money. I love the system and people here. The water is reverse osmosis, almost zero hardness and additives. The power doesn't go out very often at all, and is then usually brought up quickly. The police department is pretty laid back. The fire department is volunteer. Those guys and volunteers from surrounding areas just spent a week fighting a big fire and no property was lost. They made some serious last ditch stands to protect some places. The locals spent 36 hours straight on duty when the fire first broke out. A refreshing ethic and way of life out here. Las Animas, CO. A sweet little town.

Fran		16-Apr-2011 01:11
Whitebelt, Don't forget to check with your utility provider. They may have a rebate for a new "Energy Saver" furnace.

whitebelt		15-Apr-2011 19:55
Fran, thanks for mentioning berries. That would be perfect for landscaping some of the yard and attracting birds. Don't know why I didn't think of it before. Have been holding off on one side of the house in anticipation of that concrete roof being removed. If and when such happens berry bushes would make a great hedge there. If any you live in rural areas you should look into USDA loans for any improvements needed for your golden years. Age 62 and above can be eligible for grants up to $7500 I believe. Loans are like one percent from what I heard. Low cost mortgages, too. You just have to be in an area that falls under their jurisdiction.

Fran		15-Apr-2011 19:05
Whitebelt, Good for you...only one berry bush survived. Good thing, Black berries are one of my favorites. My yellow and purple tomatoes are beautiful. Mini roses are blooming now, just in time for Easter. Good luck with the loan! Happy trails to you...

Guest		15-Apr-2011 17:43
like your update whitebelt, been watching live cams of baby hummingbirds fledge their nests

whitebelt		15-Apr-2011 17:26
I see tornadoes are headed for the Southeast. The system that is spawning them started doing so to the east of here. We have had some pretty stiff winds for a few days and they pretty much last until summer. Now is tornado season, but the lack of moisture in this area may be pushing where they form further east. This year is starting off dry and windy early. Had a prairie and river bottom fire that burned over 11,000 acres come within less than a mile from where I live. I never felt threatened by it, but that thing burned for days. Kept popping back to life. Lots of fires early this year in the West. Got my garden and flowers planted. Expecting the hummingbirds to start showing up soon. Hope to get things well settled this year. A new roof and furnace , and the hot tub building finished up if my USDA loan come through. Then just sit back and take it easy. Going to be a wild year. Want to watch it from the sidelines.

Arizona Al		14-Apr-2011 16:46
Roberta: Maybe this syllogism will bring you comfort. I have concluded that facebook is the cloud home of and to the preteens, teens and 20-30 year olds. In other words, the cyberspace generation whose social values, customs and mores are in tune to their and not our generation. I keep this in mind each and every time I venture in to the facebook dark underbelly of cyberspace. To quote the great late Richard Pryor "They lives here we just visiting". Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona Al		14-Apr-2011 16:37
Roberta: You can control and set facebook filters so you are not sent a reminder/advisory email every time someone posts, responds, or tags you. I certainly did and am no longer innundated with a message every time someone on my friends or friends of friends list just ate dinner or has a bad case of flatulence:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. ALive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona Al		14-Apr-2011 16:32
Miami Girl: My parents did indeed take me to see the Mayflower II but I was much more interested in the Chalks Flying Service Gruman Goose that was docked adjacent to the Mayflower:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Roberta Perry Hughes		14-Apr-2011 04:55
Well. Ex-SQUEEZE me, folks....! I merely stated that I am new on FB, and right now, it is a bit overwhelming for me. It will take time to learn how to navigate the place, and there does not seem to be enough hours in the day for me, as it is. I do want to see the photos on folks' profiles, but there are so many, I do not know where to start, really. I see a gazillion photos on the Profile of my married nephew, of my sister's grandson, yet he has not sent his mother the first one of her grandchild growing up, over-the-years, for her to place in a frame, or an album to enjoy. And it hurts my feelings for her, and angers me, too, at the thoughtlessness of it. Yet, he has chosen to share with all of his FB friends. Go figure. Audrey has literally begged him to send her school pictures, snapshots, etc., but to no avail. She has been pining over it for a long time, now, and she is not in good health. Then, there are my husband's kids, who have done the very same thing to him, as his grandchildren have grown up, and great-grandchildren have been born, and are growing, and he does not know when their birthdays are, nor their names, let alone, seen them. And even within their own families, photos they have not had printed out, to send to my husband, via the USPS, such as while on their vacations, special events, special occasions, etc., they're all there, on each of their Profiles, on FB, and have been for....who knows how long....??? Lewis' health is not the best in the world, and he has his good days and bad, and I struggle with him, at times, with his occasional forgetfulness. Medications are helping, of course, and he does great, during the day, for the most part. But I can see Father Time, and the ravages of borderline Parkinson's Disease, beginning to take its toll on him, and it is heartbreaking, to see him change so much, physically, and I worry, too, of course, with the Dementia, that so far, we are holding at bay. I have go stay on my toes, for any new symptoms, so I can alert his Neurologist. Now, this eye-opener, on Facebook, has been hurtful, for both of us, to see how these grown kids, with kids of their own, and even grandkids, gravitate mainly toward their own age group, and their co-workers, plain and simple. I have a full plate....a buffet table, in fact....and I have to wait until after I get Lewis settled in for the night, to occasionally, cook meals ahead to be reheated next day, so that meal preparation is one load off my mind, or, clean up my kitchen, or whatever, before I go online, or read, or do anything that I find enjoyable, for myself. I call Lewis' kids for him, and give him the phone, so he can talk to them. I remind him of when they have a birthday coming up, or an anniversary....even though they rarely, if ever, acknowledge his, and have never acknowledged mine, and they certainly do not acknowledge our anniversary (20 years, this August). I see former classmates on there, and former neighbors from Miami, who used to write to me, or email me, and then, no word, and there they are, on frickin' Facebook. Mostly, I am just visiting, for right now. I find it odd, that they STILL have to go through email, to post on FB. What's with that....?? When I hear from anyone, I have to go in and delete those weird-looking email I.D.s from my address book. I love this website. It is comfortable to me, and like home. I hope FB doesn't cause it to be neglected, too much, in the future. I just wanted y'all to know about my (family) FB experience. It is not very nice, to see what we have been being left out from sharing, and I have mixed feelings about it. I will give it a chance, however. But I am still a fan of the so-called "old ways." ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		14-Apr-2011 03:44
I have NO idea what that meant. Comparing GOING TO THE MOON, to Facebook? This isn't a discussion of the merits of "technology", but the abuse of it. I will CERTAINLY not thank Steve Jobs for ANYTHING. Read more about him. And I can catch up on the world without Facebook - much better, actually. Less clutter. I'm not sure what "live and let live" has to do with criticism, in general. Perhaps we should not discuss our opinions, at all. God Forbid.

Miami Girl		14-Apr-2011 00:44
Go for it Largo "live and let live" you're my kind of gal! Here's a memory some may have forgotten, how many of you Miami babies got the chance to visit the Mayflower II when it wintered down there in 1957? I saw it on a field trip (must have been 5th or 6th grade - AZ Al do you remember going?). I t's still alive and well 54 years later here in Plymouth, MA. Bet it's lasted longer than the first one did, of course it would since it only goes sailing on rare occasions.

LARGO		13-Apr-2011 19:32
FRAN...YOU GOT IT SISTAH!!...AND DON'T FORGET "MEOW MEOW"...THE CAT

Fran		13-Apr-2011 18:23
LARGO, SAY HELLO TO KING FRIDAY, LADY ELAINE FAIRCHILDE, PRINCE TUESDAY, QUEEN SARA SATURDAY AND LADY A. YES, INDEED IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

LARGO		13-Apr-2011 16:18
WELL RE: FACEBOOK...AND TO ALL YOU 'NAYSAYERS'...THIS IS 'MY' OPINION...NOT HERE TO CHANGE 'ANYONES MIND'..OR 'ARGUE THE ISSUE'...IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE...AND UNTIL I AM PHYSICALLY OR TECHNICALLY ATTACKED (you better have some skills)...I REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...DAMNIT!!!....THAT BEING NAIVELY SAID...AHEMMMM!.....I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE...LOVE MY FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD...INDIA, AUSTRALIA, GERMANY, ITALY ETC..AND RIGHT HERE IN THE USA...AND MY OTHER SITES...AHHH! NO! NO!... I DO NOT SIT ON MY BUM ALL DAY AND POST...I AM A BUSY GAL....WITH MANY OTHER INTEREST....ALTHOUGH LOOKING BACK ON MY VAST PHOTO COLLECTION (THANKS TO MY BELOVED MINI BLACKBERRY HAND COMPUTER/CAMERA..AN ARTISTS DREAM TOOL)...I HOWEVER... DO BELIEVE THAT I MAKE A VERY STRONG STATEMENT FOR "THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY CRAZY CAT PERSONS"....THAT BEING SAID..TECHNOLOGY IN THE PROPER SENSE IS A WONDROUS GIFT AND TOOL..FOR THOSE 'BLACKHEARTS' WHO CHOOSE TO USE IT IN A CORRUPT FASHION...TO YOU I SAY "KARMA TAKES BIG BITES"......LUCKILY I GOT THE HANG OF IT..THANKS TO TECHY DAUGHTER, GRANDBOY AND FRIENDS...I AM A LATE BLOOMER IN THE 'LEFT BRAINED' SENSE...I HAVE ONLY HAD A COMPUTER SINCE '05...AND STILL HAVE THE SAME ONE...A LITTLE MAC LAPTOP iBook G4 WHICH I ADORE!...I WAS TOLD THAT THE MAC IS A SAFE COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR AN 'ALL OVER THE PLACE COMMUNICATOR' SUCH AS MYSELF...AND YEAAAA..THUS IT HAS BEEN A TRUISM...THANK YOU STEVE JOBS......I BELONG TO SEVERAL GARDENING, CHILD/SENIOR & ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS AND ECO SITES AS WELL AS ART GROUPS..THESE ARE 'MY INTEREST'...THE WHOLE POINT OF FACEBOOK.... AND AT DAYS END I CAN POP IN WHILE DIN DIN IS STEWING, BROILING, OR BAKING..OR WHILE HAVING MY A.M. ESPRESSO....AND CATCH UP WITH THE WORLD...MAYBE ITS MY CURIOUS 'GEMINI SPIRIT'...I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT MY FRIEND WHO PERISHED IN AFRICA...OR THE BIRTH ...TO THE MOMENT!!...OF A FRIENDS GRANDCHILD...AMONG A MILLION OTHER THINGS THAT INTEREST ME (SO QUICKLY).. AND THAT I CARE ABOUT....DO WHAT 'YOU' WANT....LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WORRY ABOUT SUCH THINGS....THERE ARE REALLY MUCH LARGER ISSUES...AND I POSE THE QUERY..."WOULD WE HAVE EVER MADE IT TO THE MOON IF WE SAT AROUND WITH OUR FINGER UP OUR "NOSE" AND WORRIED ABOUT THE REPERCUSSIONS???"...HUH?????......ROTF&LOL.......BTW..I DID NOT USE SPELLCHECK...SO YOU GRADERS AND CHECKERS...HAVE A BALL!!!.....................................LARGO...PS....IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD...............

Leighton		13-Apr-2011 05:28
I think I made that clear, concerning myself. I don't go there. But I sure as hell will criticize it. And will continue to do so. Without hesitation.

Miami River Rat		13-Apr-2011 03:54
Concerning facebook, I like it and I use it. I suggest that anyone that doesn't like it simply not go there.

Leighton		13-Apr-2011 01:30
Forgot that I have an account in here. Whitebelt, I think that I'd live there in a second - I want my 8 square miles.

whitebelt		12-Apr-2011 15:39
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7517531.html The hinterlands. Not bad if you are prepared for it. Kind of nice, actually.

Jackie		12-Apr-2011 14:49
To say nothing about "its" and "it's"!! Or when to use an apostrophe with a word ending in "s". Two of my pet peeves. (I'm obviously not as concerned with sentence fragments) Spelling, grammar, cursive writing, and such are not taught because THEY ARE NOT TESTED ON STANDARIZED TESTS!!!! And who can blame the schools when so much funding comes as a result of test scores? And who can blame the teachers, when their pay and even their jobs depend on their students' performances on tests they find boring and pointless? The writing tests that many states now administer are merely formula essays. They do give slight weight to grammar and spelling, but if the meaning is clear, it's pretty much overlooked.

Leighton		12-Apr-2011 05:34
Roberta, amen. Nobody can spell these days. Just read almost any blog on the Internet. I feel guilty because I take short cuts in here. My "old school" HS English teacher died at 94 this year. She was TOUGH. I'll never forget.....she asked me a question, the subject of which I have long forgotten.....but the jist of it was, "together, or separate?" I correctly answered, "separate." Her response? "SPELL IT." Thank God, I did, correctly!! Now, "their, they're, there" is apparently rocket science...

Leighton		12-Apr-2011 05:26
For example, an acquaintance of mine is on FB....he lists his address, has photos of his house, the names of his young kids, "cute" photos of his kids in the tub......Seriously????? I called him on it, and he got mad, but I noticed that he "edited" his listing. WHAT are people thinking? Another person listed their address, and photos of every room in their house....and then announced that they were going on vacation! Common sense does not prevail on FB. (And, no, all of my friends aren't idiots.)

Roberta Perry Hughes		12-Apr-2011 05:23
Leighton, I agree. Even better, take pen in hand, and patronize the USPS. No one hardly gives them a thought, 'til they want to send an overnight mail, or registered letter, or sporadically, mail off a package. I still use snail mail. I am down to maybe two, who still write to me. People have gotten lazy. Emails are mostly b.s., but rarely, is personal, or newsy. Texting teaches kids that they do not have to learn how to spell. They let kids have calculators in math class, so they don't learn their mulitplication tables, or use flash cards in school, anymore, and now, they are wanting to kill the teaching the expressive art of cursive writing. I had fantastic English teachers, in high school, here in the Peach State. They instilled in us a zeal and thirst for knowledge, and a desire to read, literature, and poetry. They taught us to be able to communicate, via the handwritten word, e.g., how to write a business letter; fill out a job application; write a note of thanks; write a personal letter; etc., in preparation for our lives outside the classroom. Outdated methods? Perhaps. But they were THE BEST, and something is sadly lost in the translation, in today's culture of gadgetry and techno-crap, as seen in the methods they use in schools. Give me the old ways, quaint as they seem, they were so very personable, and in touch. One's penmanship said a lot about a person, and was a unique identity, all its own. Facebook. The Social Network. For me, the jury is still out. Hugs to everyone, and my wish for calm skies, and fresh air. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		12-Apr-2011 05:04
While still on FB, I got to the point where I just blocked almost everybody's posts. One person I know, while on vacation, deemed it necessary to announce everything that they did. "We're driving through Atlanta, now. Ate at McDonald's...the bathroom was dirty."!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really? And all of those "friend" collectors!!!! You know, the folks who "friend" (that's NOT a verb) everyone in their high school year book? Granted, it's a great way to find people, I guess...but I usually wish that I hadn't, once they start discussing their breakfast menus. Plus, if you didn't know it, Facebook tracks every site you go to - seriously. It's very Big Brother/1984. I am far from a conspiracy fanatic, but it's downright creepy, that they track you, and provide the info to other sites. I didn't believe it, at first, but after Googling, found out where to go on the site, and yep, my Internet history was all there. Nope, nothing to hide - it's just odd, that we are willingly surrendering our privacy.

Leighton		12-Apr-2011 04:27
I'll say it again, remember when family photos and home movies were considered punishment by guests? Facebook isn't mandatory for modern living, and I gladly cut mine off. I got the hang of it, and found it to be useless. People can't find the time to return phone calls, business or personal, but they can certainly post hourly on FB. Such is the nature of social media, I suppose. I also hate texting. Just pick up the damn phone, and call me.

Miami River Rat		12-Apr-2011 01:45
Facebook is good when you get used to it. Some people never take the trouble to get the hang of facebook, and that's ok too. Miami Girl if you'd have spelled it "savvy" your spell checker probably wouldn't have objected. :-)

Miami Girl		11-Apr-2011 23:02
You are right Roberta, it took me a long time to really get in to fb and I still don't mess with it like those young wipper-snappers do. Posting things from their phones even, I'm never going to be that tech savey (spell check is telling me "savey" isn't a word - but ya'll know what I mean).

Roberta Perry Hughes		11-Apr-2011 21:00
Hello, everyone. I joined FB, but not so sure that I like it. It seems to be so jumble, and there just aren't enough hours in the day for me, as it is. I will take my time, however, and view the lovely and interesting photos that I know are on there, posted by our Rogues and Roguettes. It's just that it is overwhelming to me, right now, and so time consuming, so please forgive me, if I have yet to add a comment on your Wall. I have a lot to learn about it, and I prefer websites like this one, with a much easier forum and comments section. It is comfortable, and homey, here. FB is like Grand Central Station, in comparison. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Fran		10-Apr-2011 04:22
Thanks, Rat, they are a great group of girls. Coaches are outstanding!

Miami River Rat		09-Apr-2011 14:16
Fran, I was pulling for TA&M from the sweet 16 on. They are my kind of team, tough physically and mentally. Congrats!

Miami Girl		08-Apr-2011 21:52
I'm watching "The Kennedy's" mainly for the memories of the old days and times and have to admit I'm enjoying it, but what do I know? Certainly don't have any knowledge of production - I admit I'm a numskull when it comes to art. Don't know much about it, but I know what I like - lol!

Leighton		08-Apr-2011 05:27
I avoid dirt, whenever possible. During Christmas, while visiting my parents, I did repot my two college "houseplants" from 1981 - somehow, they've survived 30 years. I think that it was the Miracle-Gro that I fed them during their first year. My nephew poured a Coke in one of them, the croton, and it may not survive. I'm not happy - they both probably would have outlived me. The other is any ivy, which would survive the Apocalypse.

Leighton		08-Apr-2011 05:16
No, not watching "The Kennedys" - looks bad, and reviews have been horrible. I usually watch for myself, but I have no interest.

Fran		08-Apr-2011 04:16
Hey, Rat, how about our Aggie Lady Ballers? National champs...cool.

Miami Girl		08-Apr-2011 01:20
Leighton, I wonder if you're watching "The Kennedy's" on the Reelz channel and if you are, what's your take on it? Those that made it said everything is pretty well documented as fact except of course the private talks in the bedroom. It seems they really did a great job with the authenticity, or am I being totally naive? Fran and Largo, wish I could be digging in the dirt - it's still a little chilly here, but at least the snow is gone.

Fran		07-Apr-2011 21:38
LARGO! YUP DIGGIN' IN THE DIRT TOO. YELLOW AND PURPLE TOMATOES ARE GROWING LIKE CRAZY. ONLY BERRY TO MAKE IT WAS THE BLACK BERRY. GREAT, I LOVE THEM. MY MINI ROSES ARE THRIVING. SEEING BOTH DOCTORS NEXT WEEK. SORRY FOR THE PUN...COULDN'T HELP IT. LIFE IS GOOD...

LARGO		07-Apr-2011 19:43
HUMMMMMM...........THAT COULD BE VERY MISUNDERSTOOD...LOL!!!....AHHH..WHATEVER........LARGO

LARGO		07-Apr-2011 19:38
HEY THERE...FRAN..MG..ET AL....NOT TO WORRY I'M FINE...NOT SO MUCH REFLECTIVE AS BUSY AS HELL-O!!!.........IT'S SPRING!!!...I AM PAINTING & DIGGIN' IN DA DIRT YA'LL....FRAN....WHAT ARE YA UP TO GAL?...I KNOW WHAT MIAMI GIRL IS DOIN...PACKING AND TOSSING FOR THEIR BIG MOVE...I AM SOOO POOPED BY DAYS END I FALL ASLEEP WITH 'THE TWELFTH INSIGHT' (JAMES REDFIELD) ON MY FACE!..................LATER...............LARGO

Leighton		06-Apr-2011 06:45
Roberta, Have you watched the new "Mildred Pierce" HBO mini-series, so far? I HATE IT! I'm such a fan of Crawford's 1945 version. Sure, they altered the Cain novel back then - but to great effect. This new version has horrible casting, and an annoying obsession with set design. I think that Ann Blyth is the only surviving member of the original cast. Bruce Bennett ("Bert") died at age 100 (!), in 2007.

Leighton		06-Apr-2011 06:32
On a different note, while I sit here with insomnia, I'm watching the horrible Showtime network - well, several channels were provided "for free" by my provider. (For good reason, I'm discovering.) Tomorrow morning, on FAMILY Showtime, they are "showing" the 1970 "classic,"..."Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon." (1970) I'm sure that most of you remember it - a group of "misfits" bond, including Liza Minnelli. Her character endures (onscreen) a disfiguring by a guy, pouring BATTERY ACID on her face. In WHAT universe is this a FAMILY FILM??? Why am I bringing this up? Well, we've been discussing kids. I simply cannot believe what parents allow their children to watch, these days. I've worked in the production industry for 25 years, and I'm pretty strict with what I allow kids to watch. We all remember what traumatized us, film-wise, and it was tame, compared to today's overload. "ABC Family" and The Disney Channel are bad enough. But, really, Showtime, REALLY?

Leighton		06-Apr-2011 06:07
Interesting responses, to say the least. I'm not qualified to respond, so I won't. Just glad that everyone is now happy.

whitebelt		05-Apr-2011 13:20
Corporal punishment can lose its effect if it is just part of a ritual. It is much more effective if applied as an immediate, and to the child, irrational action. My son was almost 2 the first time I swatted his little butt but good. I caught him climbing over the rail of a balcony four floors up. He had his ankle over the top rail ready to flip over it. In his innocence I guess he was just exploring. I was terrified. A severe spanking ensued and a lot of hugging afterwards then occurred. I can't say that it was administered in a cold and calculated manner. His next spanking was a couple of years later, one of which I am not proud of. I had had a bad week at work and came home one day and the wife was complaining about what a brat he had been, and then he mouthed off at me. I used a belt on that one and instilled the fear of god in him. I lost it. Sheer anger. But even then I was careful not to damage, but just apply pain. One reason switches work so well. Nothing like them on the back of the legs. That was a permanent attitude adjustment for him the rest of his life. Took nothing more than a look to keep him from getting carried away after that. There were two more minor paddlings after that, administered to him and his step-sister after their quarrelling all day got on the second wife's nerves. Those were cold, calculated and minor, but they worked. He is 40 now, and has done fairly well. He married a controlling bitch, too early, and spent 20 years with her and produced 2 grandchildren. He finally had to get out of it. He is finding himself now. His children were raised the new way of time out and talking to and are really good kids. So was he. But I spent a lot less time working on that than he did. Over the years when growing up when he did have questions about things in life I would sit and explain in a detached way and explain the ramifications of courses of action. Taught him to think a bit before leaping. He was an only child and was quite spoiled those early years. After getting out of the Army life took a tumultiuous turn for him and me. He went through a lot, but he came out great. I had worries for many years that he would lose control of himself emotionally and do something really bad, but have found recently he has his stuff together enough to overcome that. We aren't bonded as good buddies, but after several years he has come to appreciate some things I did. We are closer in ways, but on a deep intellectual level, not an emotional needs level. He grew into a taller and more stately tree than his dad did, and inclined the same way. Gives me a very warm and fuzzy feeling seeing that tree from the outside, not in the shade of, or looking down at. That was corporal punishment on the family level. A reactive sort. I didn't want no more switching, so I showed my mother more respect than I might have otherwise. The humiliation I felt as Mr Renato applied three good swats with a paddle to my young butt made me kinda not want to risk such against. BTW, three is the magic number for pain. That first gets your attention, that second is holy sh*t that hurt, three is you could not take another one without losing it. I just wonder why they can't bring back public floggings for some crimes. Turning some tough guy into a whimpering baby in front of his peers for egregious behavior is an effective deterrent to further such transgressions. Of course, you always have those in society that will exploit such for personal enjoyment and/or power and control within a social group, but a jury system should alleviate that to a large degree. You take that young man that gets into burglary or car theft and whip him until he whimpers in public and you will have someone much easier to put on the straight and narrow with a little love and understanding afterwards. You can't just whip and discard. It has to be an extended family sort of thing.

Nike		05-Apr-2011 08:24
Leighton -- I don't mean to say that corporal punishment always works, even if adminsitered properly. For example, I administered corporal punishment to both my sons as fairly and with as much love as you could imagine. Both are now in their forties. We did everything by the book -- I worked for IBM, we attended church every time the doors were open, vacationed as a family, athletics, booster clubs, personal involvement, lived in the suburbs, station wagon, dog, and cat. Hell, I was even married to Donna Reed. Se was wearing a dress, pearls and heels when I came home every evening and announced, "Margaret, I'm home". Sorry, wrong show. That Jim Anderson (Robert Young) on Father knows Best. I digress. Now, both in their forties, I haven't heard from either of them in several years. The six children between the two of them are between the ages of nine and twenty-one. I miss seeing them and having them part of my life. One son started drinking at age sixteen. I stopped counting rehabilitation and recovery centers centers many years ago. After frequent DUIs, losing jobs, and frequent calls to come get him out of jail just one more time, I wouldn't go any more. That was seven years ago and I haven't heard from him since. The other son divorced me when I divorced his mother after thirty-eight years of marriage in 2001. Isn't that is what you do when you discover she is having an affair with your "now former" best friend of twenty-four years? Actually, it was September 10, 2001. Whew, what a week that was. I don't blame anyone for anything. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. That's life. I don't consider myself a victim. Everyone makes choices and choices have consequences. I accept responsibility for all my choices. The good, bad, and ugly. Anyway, life is great now. Two years after the divorce, while living in Atlanta, I met Nancy who I had met but not seen since forty years earlier. She wasn't married and was living in Dallas. We started a telephone relationship talking about old songs, old cars, and things like we reminise here on "The Blog". I have never been happier. We married after a few weeks. Getitng back to corporal punishment, I admit it is still part of my life. I allow Nancy to use corporal punishment on me when I'm being a bad boy which I try to be often as possible.

Leighton		05-Apr-2011 03:21
I'll never agree on this issue. And actually, I've lived with children (roommates had them). Not everyone who disagrees with corporal punishment, subscribes to Dr. Spock, obviously. My nephews have turned out great, without being switched or belted. In regards to October...in this day, and age, I never know where I'm going to be. Back to punishment - I'll never forget how strict Miami Christian School was in the 70s - and downright creepy. My sister was caught chewing gum on the bus (WHAT A CRIME!), and the bus driver, an assistant principal, asked her to come up front, and then he proceeded to YANK HER HAIR BACK AND FORTH, WHILE DRIVING. That would result in an arrest today, and should. Once, they also forced her to kneel on the pavement (!!) to measure her "short skirt" - Dad (a minister) had something to say about that. My Mom wore boots and mini-skirts, good grief. And lest you think my parents were "liberal" - um, NO WAY. Nothing is as "cut and dried" as it seems, these days.

Nike		04-Apr-2011 21:47
AZAL -- Hope and the others you can make it to the Miami Rogues gathering this October. I know it is quite a distance for you in Arizona, Whitebelt in Colorado, Fran & Leighton in Texas, and Miami Girl in Ohio.

whitebelt		04-Apr-2011 13:35
With age comes wisdom. :-) Hopefully.

Arizona Al		04-Apr-2011 13:25
I can not fathom how we children of the baby boom generation ever managed to survive past adolescence with all of the strict discipine (including corporal punishment) that was practiced and delivered by our parents, schools, churches,neighbors, employers and most all societal components in general. Nike: I validate your position:):) Alan L. Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well (as a result of the strict diecipline received in his youth) in Phoenix, Arizona

Nike		04-Apr-2011 12:36
Corporal punishment was effective for many generations when it was administered properly and in the the spirit of serving as a deterrant. Just as in other segments of our life, there are the abusers who need to be held accountable. That is why police officers, paramedics, school teachers, day care workers, and emergency room personnel are taught how to recognize and report physicl abuses. Unfortunately, liberal laws made by those who subscribed to the Dr. Spock philosophy of "just explain to them what they have done wrong and they will understand" have made it impossible to apply corporal punishment in the schools by administrators or even in public places by parents. Mr. K, former Dean at Shenandoah Junior High would roll over in his grave. His whacks on my butt (while reading the "Keep your chin up" on his desk I was leaning over) hurt like hell but they worked as punishment for my deed and served as a deterrant to doing that deed again. Don't get me started.....

whitebelt		04-Apr-2011 11:25
Leighton, there is a difference between visiting with them and living with them everyday. Visiting makes you an unknown quantity. Living day to day with them lets some learn how to play you. Just one of those things of life. There is a difference between gratuitous violence inflicted upon children, which usually involves punching and knocking around, and the judicious application of physical discomfort, especially those switches. I remember having to go out and bring one in to my mother on occasion. I will never forget the paddle Mr Renato at Miami Jackson was known to use on occasion. Headstrong children, and there are lots of them, think twice when faced with severe disapproval instead of being talked to. Amongst humans, long experience has proven enforced discipline makes for better civilizations. As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.

Leighton		04-Apr-2011 05:17
I may not be a parent, but I know how to get children to behave, without hitting them. I'd readily agree, that the "time out" concept is idiotic. Conversation is the key. It's easy to pound a kid out of anger - much harder to discuss. But that's what adults do. Ah, the good old days of belts and switches?

Leighton		04-Apr-2011 04:57
Is this glorifying spanking?

Parks		04-Apr-2011 00:44
Whitebelt, thanks for the link. That fellow can write. I'll probably visit the site often. An update on Everglades Tomatoes: The plants are so prolific that we can't eat them all. Susan has found that she can dry them and they are really good. She cuts them in half and puts them on the racks of her dryer. They end up about the size of rasins. Do ya'll have any other ways to preserve tomatoes? We don't have a pressure canner. Susan doesn't think they would be good for making tomato sauce. They are very small so there is too much skin for the pulp you get.

whitebelt		02-Apr-2011 16:10
Just ran across a blog with some neat stories. http://www.oldsantafetradingco.com/blog/ Here is one. "In my memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, I told the story about getting a spanking in junior high for running across some stupid desks. Then that night my father gave me a spanking at home because I’d gotten a spanking at school. Usually I didn’t get more than one a day. Twice was rare and it was kind of an unwritten rule. So if I got a licking in the morning I could relax and be my normal self for the rest of the day. My father mostly had me figured out and was surprisingly intuitive. For that reason it was hard for me to roll something past him. For instance, sometimes he’d sense that I’d committed a misdeed of some kind but wasn’t positive. Maybe he’d suspect that I’d ditched school to go fishing with Herbert Persky, or some other miniscule infraction. I never lied to him. On those occasions he’d send me to the back hedge to pull a switch the thickness of which I figured was commensurate with the seriousness of the alleged violation. One of my secret tricks was to put a leaf from the hedge in my mouth and chew on it. It was truly a bitter taste so it helped take my mind off of what was about to happen. Anyway, the size of the switch was critical to the process so it was always a test of wits, me against my father. I quickly learned that it was not in my best interest to pull a switch that was unreasonably thin because he’d go out and replace it with one that was exaggerated the other way. But if he was just medium mad I’d pick a medium-thick switch and forget the leaf. No big deal. On rare occasions my father would underestimated what I’d done and he wasn’t really mad. That meant I could pick a thin switch and it’d be a waltz-around. But always during the dance I’d exaggerate the severity of the inflicted pain. That was another secret I had. And a thick handkerchief in both back pockets was good too. I was developing techniques that would serve me well when I got to high school. But if my father was really, really mad he’d head for the back hedge himself and I knew I was about to be a star player the World Series of switchings. The velocity with which he slammed the screen door on the way out was indicative of the rigorousness of my impending whipping. Sometimes I knew my father was mad at something else and was taking it out on me. I could tell because what I’d done didn’t merit the punishment, like the time I locked my little sister out of the bathroom. Those lickings never hurt because I knew he was just blowing off steam. I was always willing to help if it made him feel better. Besides, I was so far ahead a good hanging couldn’t catch him up with me. It can’t be just a coincidence that I never drank, smoked, did drugs, cussed or got pierced and tattooed. Maybe we should reintroduce spanking into our school systems. I’d vote for it. What do you think?"

whitebelt		02-Apr-2011 15:24
Just ran across a blog with some neat stories. http://www.oldsantafetradingco.com/blog/ Here is one. "In my memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, I told the story about getting a spanking in junior high for running across some stupid desks. Then that night my father gave me a spanking at home because I’d gotten a spanking at school. Usually I didn’t get more than one a day. Twice was rare and it was kind of an unwritten rule. So if I got a licking in the morning I could relax and be my normal self for the rest of the day. My father mostly had me figured out and was surprisingly intuitive. For that reason it was hard for me to roll something past him. For instance, sometimes he’d sense that I’d committed a misdeed of some kind but wasn’t positive. Maybe he’d suspect that I’d ditched school to go fishing with Herbert Persky, or some other miniscule infraction. I never lied to him. On those occasions he’d send me to the back hedge to pull a switch the thickness of which I figured was commensurate with the seriousness of the alleged violation. One of my secret tricks was to put a leaf from the hedge in my mouth and chew on it. It was truly a bitter taste so it helped take my mind off of what was about to happen. Anyway, the size of the switch was critical to the process so it was always a test of wits, me against my father. I quickly learned that it was not in my best interest to pull a switch that was unreasonably thin because he’d go out and replace it with one that was exaggerated the other way. But if he was just medium mad I’d pick a medium-thick switch and forget the leaf. No big deal. On rare occasions my father would underestimated what I’d done and he wasn’t really mad. That meant I could pick a thin switch and it’d be a waltz-around. But always during the dance I’d exaggerate the severity of the inflicted pain. That was another secret I had. And a thick handkerchief in both back pockets was good too. I was developing techniques that would serve me well when I got to high school. But if my father was really, really mad he’d head for the back hedge himself and I knew I was about to be a star player the World Series of switchings. The velocity with which he slammed the screen door on the way out was indicative of the rigorousness of my impending whipping. Sometimes I knew my father was mad at something else and was taking it out on me. I could tell because what I’d done didn’t merit the punishment, like the time I locked my little sister out of the bathroom. Those lickings never hurt because I knew he was just blowing off steam. I was always willing to help if it made him feel better. Besides, I was so far ahead a good hanging couldn’t catch him up with me. It can’t be just a coincidence that I never drank, smoked, did drugs, cussed or got pierced and tattooed. Maybe we should reintroduce spanking into our school systems. I’d vote for it. What do you think?"

Parks		02-Apr-2011 03:42
Hi Rat! You called it the Swivel Bridge because it swivels to open! Next time you're in town give me a call. I haven't been to Grossman's Hammock since they plugged the spring. What's the point? That was the only thing of interest there.

Miami River Rat		02-Apr-2011 01:02
I'm back from The Land of Sunshine and Beautiful Flowers. The trip was not as bad as feared. Got down to Robert is Here and loaded up on the essentials. Robert had ripe Hayden mangoes imported from somewhere so it was pig-out time. Went to Grossman's Hammock, Mineral Springs, Chekika or whatever you want to call it these days. I know Green is all the rage, but frankly this spot was better when it was a private enterprise. The park service capped the artesian well and turned it off. As a result, the lake with it's white sand beach is a dry hole, the wonderful slough for canoeing and fishing is nothing but a damp draw and memories of dates and picnics past are all that's left there. There is one alligator hole there with standing water. Looks like they had a good hatch three years ago. Parks, I didn't make it to the Galloway Nursery, the turnpike is as close to Galloway Road as I got. Now that you have refreshed my memory I do remember that the fish hatchery was near the "swivel bridge", therefore on South River Drive. Why we called it the "swivel bridge" I don't know, but that's how all the kids around there called it. One of the bridge tenders was a nice guy and would give us rides on it by opening and closing when traffic was sparse. It was just a short bicycle ride to there from my home place. My nephew starts some new treatments next week so we've all got our fingers crossed. Later...

Leighton		31-Mar-2011 05:41
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to Google a bit deeper, looking for off-the-beaten-path options. My location managing experiences should prove helpful. Off the subject, I've been scouting some obscene McMansions for a commercial. It's insane what people will pay, for a truly horrendous monstrosity. For the same money, people could buy an amazing, classic, historic home, but they prefer to live in something that looks like it was designed by a Hobbit on crack. We are quite fortunate to have several historic-designated neighborhoods, that prevent tear-downs. But each evening, I walk in another nearby neighborhood, with no such restrictions, and I see one wonderful, classic home, after another, being bulldozed, for some God-awful garbage. Why do the current wealthy feel the need to live in something that looks like an ugly hotel lobby??????

Miami Girl		29-Mar-2011 22:15
Fran, yes I do see Largo's FB posts but I was worried she was mad at these old Miami Rouges. Okay, just a little paranoia here. Whitebelt, glad you're back. ........................................................................................................................................

whitebelt		29-Mar-2011 16:44
Still alive and kicking in wet Las Animas, CO this morning. Had a visitor for a few days. Leighton, most any motel should have a weekly rate in Miami. There used to be a Residence Inn on the west side of the airport. Has your father tried any of his old preacher connections to find a place?

Fran		29-Mar-2011 15:37
Miami Girl, I too am concerned about Charlis, no word in weeks. LARGO, is in a reflective state of mind, centering her self. Check her FB page. I would like to think that Whitebelt is tending to his garden and all is well.

Miami Girl		29-Mar-2011 14:27
Leighton, I was just reading my Budget Travel Magazine and saw "tradewindsapartmenthotel dot com" (had to write it this way since my experience is that a regular website address goes away in this comments gallery site). Anyway, their rates for a one bedroom apartment starts at $625 for a 5 night minimum stay. I also like tripadvisor dot com (go to their vacation rentals page) but find most 1 or 2 bedroom places start at over $1,000 a week for both Miami and Miami Beach - but I didn't look too far into it. You'd think with the high foreclosure rate in that area, some people would think of this option and rent out their places, maybe there's a place you can check for that. Good luck and hope ya'll have a great time!! I'm worried about Whitebelt, LARGO and Charlis -- nothing from them lately!! Anybody know?? ............................................................................................................................................

Parks		29-Mar-2011 14:22
Nike, I'll expect photos of the launch. I went over to Everglades City last weekend with Darrell and Dave. The new one mile bridge on the Trail is well along. It looks like all the pilings are driven and the caps are being poured. This bridge will let a lot more water into the park. The view from the bridge will be impressive. Dave is a hydrologist with Everglades National Park. I learned a lot about the Glades just driving over and back with him. CK - Loop Road is closed for the next 13 months at the Gator Hook Strand. You can still enter at either end but you can't make the loop.

Fran		29-Mar-2011 11:57
Leighton, Miami Girl, may have some suggestions.

Nike		29-Mar-2011 11:40
Parks -- I am launching the 4' tall Nike Hercues this weekend along with a friend who is launching a 1:25 scale (14' tall) Saturn V. See www(dot)SaturnVRocket(dot)net Don -- Demi saw the picture of Eddie and has ask about meeting him. She wanted to know if he had any girlfriends.

Nike		29-Mar-2011 11:35
Whitebelt -- I sent an email to your personal - RUOK?

Leighton		29-Mar-2011 02:41
Hello, I have a favor to ask.....I know that my parents would love to make a trip down to Miami, and I'm willing to drive them, Are there any weekly rentals - a house? I know that I can Google it, but just wondered if anybody has any ideas. Maybe late summer? Thanks!

Roberta Perry Hughes		28-Mar-2011 08:29
Nike.... Whatever happened to the guava trees....? ..."They took all the trees and put 'em in a Tree Museum. Now, people come from miles around, just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone....? They paved Paradise and put up a Parking Lot...." ___"Big Yellow Taxi," by Joni Mitchell ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		27-Mar-2011 17:49
Roberta, ALthough I was stationed on a nuclear missile site and trained in the prevention, detection and treatment of an exposure due to fallout, I'm afraid I can't speak to this disaster. I have been monitoring the "experts" on The Truth Channel (FOX News) and seem a bit more realxed than at first. They all pretty much agree that if any fallout actually made it to the southeast United States, it would be so diluted it would be less harmful than the crap we breathe daily. That guava jelly sounds great and reminds me of the "good ole days" in Miami when we got it in a can at the corner market at SW 8th Street (Charles & Charlies) and smeared it on crackers. What ever happened to all the guava trees?

Roberta Perry Hughes		27-Mar-2011 07:42
Nike, We have the pine pollen here, too. Having lots of rain, & tornadic conditions, as well. Spring has sprung, all right. Florida has love bugs; we have the spotted whores (lady bugs), and later on, the yellow sweat bees, that will bite plugs out of you....not to mention the mean-tempered fire ants. But would rather put up with our pests, than to deal with the many poisonous ones in Australia. Don't even want to visit "Oz." Hope everyone will be safe, from this Spring bitt-chy weather. Hope they will have access to help from the American Red Cross folks, for shelter, fresh drinking water, and other needs. Nike, what is your input, on this disaster with the nuclear power plant in Japan....? Just curious.... Miami River Rat, I hope your trip was a safe one, and that your nephew is as comfortable and pain-free as possible, bless him. I will order some guava jelly online. I ran out of my supply of it, long ago, and wanting some more, for hot, buttered toast. My wish, for us all, is for kind weather, and for the Jet Stream to not blow that radiation our way. That's a pretty tall order, I know, but, got my fingers crossed. It is now in the sea. Between that, and the Gulf Oil disaster, I am hoping there are folks who have been raising salt water fish, in many hatcheries. Push comes to shove, we can always eat farm raised catfish. They are very good, with hush puppies, cheese grits, and cole slaw. Bream, too, but you really have to work, to eat Bream, as they have wall-to-wall fine bones, throughout their meat. Not a fish for children, to be sure, nor for edentulous folks, either. But....! There's no crude oil in them, nor radiation. We are in for more of the same, all this week, weather-wise. I will be glad when it has passed on over, to the Atlantic. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Nike		27-Mar-2011 02:40
It's that time in Atlanta - the dreaded "Green Pollen Monster." I don't remember a layer of green pollen from the pine trees for two weeks every Spring while growing up in Miami. I also don't remember "Love Bugs." Maybe Parks and Don can send their iguanas to middle Florida in Love Bug season.

Parks		24-Mar-2011 05:21
Tonight was Florida Movie Night hosted by Snapper. We watched "Sunshine State". I enjoyed it. It had Edy Falco and Mary Steenburgen in it. It had several plots running through it but the big one was developers vs. old land owners.

Parks		24-Mar-2011 05:17
Hi Rat, I don't know about the two story house on Galloway. I'll be going by there on Friday and take a look. Are you sure the fish hatchery you remember wasn't on South River Drive? I remember there being a wholesale aquarium supply on South River Drive near the old swing bridge. Saunders! It was called Saunders Aquarium Supply. Next to the building there were long concrete tanks that fish were raised in. Margret Grutzbach and her husband had started the hatchery and when Mr. Grutzbach died Margret sold it to Mr. Saunders. She continued to live on the property until she died in her 90's. The property had waterfront on the Tamiami Canal and Mrs. G kept a twenty something foot boat with a big outboard there. When she was well into her 80's she would take that boat out by herself and fish for snapper in the area of Stiltsville. Boy could she tell stories about old Miami. Her father had come here with Henry Flaglers Railroad. On the subject of memory, I can remember the first letter of many names but can't pull up the rest without a lot of thought. I knew the aquarium supply's name started with S but it took me several seconds to come up with Saunders. Does that happen to any of the rest of you?

Roberta Perry Hughes		24-Mar-2011 02:44
Thanks, everyone, for the input, re: Fish Hatcheries. The one Marcie's family was in charge of raised small, colorful tropical fishes, the sort you see in aquariums, in homes and businesses, and are for sale in Pet Shops. Tetrads, I think (?) was one of the ones they raised, and there may have been angel fish....THAT sort of fish; NOT the sort found in a grocery store, or a fish market, for eating. Looking back, there might NOT have been a sign, out front, but I am very certain, as to the location of their house, and that behind it was a large area, where long, large, aerated cement troughs were, that held the various species of tropical fish. In retrospect, I am thinking that it may have been a budding, but growing business, the raising of tropical fishes, I mean. I recall reading something, much later, that some are rare, highly-prized species, and can be quite valuable, like a rare orchid, or tropical bird. What sort of Fish Hatcheries are the ones that you are recalling....? Does this new info ring any bells, the fact that the one I am remembering was the sort that raised the aquarium size tropical fishes....? Oh, how I wish I still had Marcie's letters to me, from Oz....! We lose so many things, with the passage of time, and eons later, when we least expect it, a memory stirs the fog and mist surrounding Father Time's video diaries, in an intermittent parade of faces, places, and things, and we try to connect the interlocking pieces of the puzzle, to make some sense of it all. "Two heads are better than one," and this Comments page helps each of us out, at times, to sharpen our collective memories, for a location, a name, an event, or the name of a business, that we cannot quite bring into clarity. Don's incomparable Photo Galleries serve as visible evidence, that we didn't just imagine it all, the world that was ours, in our Salad Days, in Old Miami, Hialeah, The Gables, and surrounding areas. It is all still there, frozen in time, just as we remember it to be....! How lucky we are, to have such a treasure, as this site is, for us all....! And also, to have the collective oral histories, of the Posters on here, and all of our personal memories, that we share, too....! We get so many questions answered, and mysteries solved, and it is GREAT....! Thanks, Don, for this wonderful gift....! You're the BEST.....!! ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Miami Girl		24-Mar-2011 00:51
Al now I feel totally bumfuzzled, I don't remember that at all :{ I guess that means I'm not old yet since those really old memories are suppose to be clear as a bell while we forget what we did yesterday.

Arizona Al		23-Mar-2011 21:32
Roberta..Miami Girl: There was a fish hatchery off of Old Cutler Road in the vicinity of Franjo Road and the Mango Groves in the late 1950s-early 1960s. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Miami Girl		23-Mar-2011 12:39
Roberta, I do remember a fish hatchery but thought it was on Rt 1, somewhere in the vicinity of the Dixie Drive-in on the east side of the road.

Miami River Rat		23-Mar-2011 04:39
Thanks, Roberta and thanks to Parks for the info. That address of the nursery on Galloway; Is there a very old two story house near there, located on a strip of farmland between Galloway road and a canal, on the east side of Galloway? One time I took out a girl whose dad grew caladiums and truck crops there, if that old house is still standing. I'll join Roberta in "Damn the ravages of time." Roberta, I don't recall that hatchery, the only fish hatchery I remember is one that was on North River Drive, a little west of 27th avenue.

Roberta Perry Hughes		22-Mar-2011 09:31
Miami River Rat, Your nephew and his family will be in our prayers. Have a safe trip, and I know you will be a big comfort to your sister, and to her son and his family as well. Take care of your precious self. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Roberta Perry Hughes		22-Mar-2011 09:24
Does anyone recall a Fish Hatchery, up on Sunset Drive, ca. 1958....? My friend and classmate, Marcie, who was in the 6th grade with me, at Blue Lakes Elementary, lived there, as her father operated it. I used to ride home with her, on my bike, and it was a long way, from where I lived. I had to keep an eye on the time, when I visited her after school, to be sure to not be out at dusk, as I had no light on my bicycle. We rode down S.W. 56th Street, from school, then turned left at the Cities Service Gas Station, on the corner of 101st Avenue. We rode all the way to the end, past the Kendall Hospital and Clinic, and past the fenced-in Kendall Home, then turned right, on to Sunset Drive. Her house, and the Fish Hatchery, which had a big sign in front of it, was about 8 blocks or so, down Sunset Drive, on the right. It could have been even further than that. All I remember is that it was a very long ride, from school, and I could not begin to imagine, having to make such a round trip as that, every weekday that school was in session. Marcie could have entered the Tour de France, as she rode her Columbia Built like a speed demon. It was all I could do, to keep up with her, as I was used to a more leisurely cruise, on my Schwinn Spitfire. Her father was transferred to a Hatchery in Australia, that same school year, and Marcie became my pen pal, for a time. She sent me lots of souvenirs and postcards, which I would take to school, and proudly share with the class. Oh, damn the ravages of time, on the human brain's memory capacity....! I cannot, for the life of me, recall Marcie's last name, nor the name of that Fish Hatchery, either, though I can clearly recall the bike ride to and from there, and every detail of it, as I would go with Marcie to feed the fishes, which was her after school job. I have often wondered where Marcie ended up in life, and what she is doing now, if she is still living, and have also wondered if that Fish Hatchery is still there, and in operation. Can anyone remember that Fish Hatchery, or can they tell me anything about what became of it, if it is no longer there....? Don, would you ask Jeff, next time you talk to him, if he can shed any light on this for me....? Thanks, in advance. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Parks		22-Mar-2011 04:56
Hi Rat, sorry to hear such bad news. I bought my seeds online but Susan got some Everglades Tomato plants here: Galloway Farm Nursery 7790 Southwest 87th AvenueMiami, FL 33173-3506 (305) 274-7472 We should get together for lunch but it sounds like you will be very busy this trip. You might stop at the Fruit and Spice Park on your way to or from Robert's. Chris the park manager is a friend of mine. He told me last week that the tomatoes were growing wild around the lake in the park. If you ask him, I'm sure he would give you some tomatoes to get seeds from. It would give you a chance to taste them also. http://fruitandspicepark.org/friends/

Parks		22-Mar-2011 04:38
Fran, let me know how they grow for you. We're hoping that they will survive into summer.

Miami River Rat		22-Mar-2011 03:47
Parks, any suggestions of where to buy the everglades tomato seed locally? I expect to be in South Florida later this week and will for certain make a mad dash to Robert Is Here to stock up on guava jelly and so forth. Not a happy trip this time, sister's son has been diagnosed with some serious cancer. He's forty-five years old with two kids in grade school. Bummer.

Parks		22-Mar-2011 03:22
Fran, let me know how they grow for you. We're hoping that they will survive into summer.

Fran		21-Mar-2011 23:01
Parks, Ordering Wild Everglades seeds from Internet site. I have planted purple and yellow tomatoes this week. I can't wait to try the cherry tomatoes. I think we had these when I was living there. We ate them like candy. Roberta, I transplanted my mini roses. All is well although it's hot, may move them inside.

Roberta Perry Hughes		21-Mar-2011 12:25
Parks, Wish I could be there, to raid your garden, when the fruits and veggies are ready..... Sounds soooooo scrumptious.....! It has been H - O - T, here; got up to 91 degrees, this past Monday; going to have two days, this week, in the 80's.....Summer temperatures, at the beginning of Spring. Just hope and pray there are no bad clashes in the atmosphere, to cause the bad weather that has been so destructive, this month, in various areas of the US. My sister's grandson, Cpl. Steven David Lane, USMC, and the rest of his Company, are now a mere 100 miles, from ground zero, Japan. Their mission is search and recovery of the dead, and on a where needed basis, otherwise. I have no idea, how long they will be there, but I am hoping that they won't tarry too long, and will be back in Okinawa, or even better, stateside, soon. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Parks		21-Mar-2011 02:57
Hi Guys, I know a lot of you are getting your garden ready for spring planting. I would like to suggest you try planting Everglades Tomatoes. Susan has had great luck with these little gems this winter and they taste wonderful! The darn things grow like weeds and don't need constant spraying for insects. They like Miracle Grow. You can order the seeds on line, just goggle "everglades tomato". The growing season is coming to an end down here. Susan's garden gave us lots of broccoli, greens, lettuce and tomatoes this year. We are still looking forward to some onions. Those Everglades Tomatoes are still blooming! When you pop one in your mouth, at first it just tastes like a regular tomato, then in about a second the full flavor hits and you know what a tomato should taste like. The mango trees are heavy with blooms. I think it will be a good year for mangos.

Fran		17-Mar-2011 23:55
TO ALL WHO POST HERE...HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Fran		17-Mar-2011 14:47
Roberta, Lucky you living in such a beautiful area. The peace and quiet are meaningful to those who do enjoy that type of living. When growing up I enjoyed visiting that area during summer vacations. Miami Girl, What a special gift to be able to relocate! Living near your son and family will make retirement even better. Home is what you make of it...both of you will make home special for each of your families. Good luck with the sell of your home. Happy gardening to both of you!

Roberta Perry Hughes		17-Mar-2011 14:15
Miami Girl..... I have always been told that I get my exercise jumping to conclusions. I do love the area where I live. I have peace and quiet, of living in the country, for the most part. But even so, unexpected events can occur, right outside one's door, to make your hair stand on end, and just be stricken speechless. I had such an event to occur, earlier this month, but I finally have some closure to it, and we were very lucky, and I count my blessings for it. I wish you well, with your relocation, and I know that you will have a rewarding life, to be near your family. Oh! The holiday dinners....! Wow. AzAl, always great to hear from you. Know what you mean, about the warm temperatures. It was 81, this past Monday, and we will hit the 80's again, this week. Time to dust off the fans, and clean a.c. filters.... `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Ariziona Al		17-Mar-2011 13:24
Hello Rogues on Usual Suspects: The temperature in the Valley of the Sun hit 91 Degrees F yesterday. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive, well and a bit warm in Phoenix,Arizona

Miami Girl		17-Mar-2011 13:10
Roberta and Fran, one has to be aware and prepared without going nuts about it of those things that "can" go wrong. As everyone knows there's no 100% safe 24/7. Even those areas in our wonderful country that seem to have no or very little natural disasters - there's always those crumbling infrastructures (bridges, etc) and planes that can crash on your house. Georgia is where our son and grandkids live and where we have to be at this time in our lives. We're looking forward to it with happiness and won't worry about tornadoes and nuclear accidents. When all is said and done we are lucky to be living in this time, I can't imagine living in the dark ages when they didn't have a lot of our current dangers but everyday life was hell on earth. However.....I would never choose to move to the West Coast! I'll take a "cane" anyday over "the big one"

Roberta Perry Hughes		17-Mar-2011 11:59
Fran, you're right of course. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When Nuclear Power Plants and such are built nearby, and very close to a faultline, stock up on your supply of marshmallows. There are drawbacks to moving Anywhere, USA, these days, and there is dreadful information, about various neighborhoods, that is not made public, until it is too late, for those who live there, and you see it, on the news, and you learn about places like Love Canal, and what became of those who lived there. None of us knows What Lies Beneath our homes. Remember the Radon Gas story, and how everyone bought those detectors for their walls? Now, there's the recent natural gas line explosions, due to rusted out pipes, that installed it, many decades ago, and now, they are leaking.... Then there was the run for plastic sheeting and duct tape, to seal your windows, against Anthrax, borne on the air. Like that was going to protect them exposure. I merely posted my thoughts about what is built near where I live, in hopes that Nike could maybe, give me some reassurance about it. It was not my intent to upset anyone who posts on here, and if I have done so, you all have my heartfelt apology. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Fran		17-Mar-2011 05:44
Roberta I believe that there is a Nuke Sub base not far from you. I'm not sure if Miami Girl realizes that the base will be in her neck of the woods too. We can't live in fear, we continue making the world a better place to live.

Roberta Perry Hughes		17-Mar-2011 05:08
In case you could not read it, my name for Moamar Ghadafi is.... Moron Godawful. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Roberta Perry Hughes		17-Mar-2011 05:02
With these recent multiple natural disasters in Japan, and the ominous threat of a catastrophic nuclear meltdown, there is a lot of concern among the States that have nuclear power plants....especially those that are located on or near a fault line. A mere 34 miles south of Augusta, here in Georgia, lies Plant Voegtle, in Waynesboro, and there is another one, in Baxley. Even as we speak, they are in the process of adding yet another cone to the one in Plant Voegtle, which is not too far from where I live. There are folks who want the progress on this project to be temporarily halted, until more information is learned about all possible scenarios....which to me, is a little like closing the barn door after the horse got out, and galloped down the highway. Approximately 80 miles from home, is the SRS, moniker for the Savannah River Site, built in the 1950's to produce the basic materials used in the fabrication of nuclear weapons. Their logo is an image of a fiery mushroom cloud. The SRS is 310 square miles, located on lands in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell, SC, and is 20 miles southeast of Augusta, SC. It employs approx. 10,000 people. (see Wikipedia). There is an earthquake faultline located between the two States, and even though they say the likelihood of a tsunami is not probable, it still makes one a bit uneasy, due to other natural disasters, such as Cat. 5 hurricanes, or F-5 tornadoes....and even the everpresent threat of terrorism. It is fodder for paranoia, to be sure: "What are 'they' NOT telling us....?" Of course, in this troubled world of ours, there is absolutely no corner of the globe that is really and truly "safe." If it isn't a natural disaster-prone area, it is a war zone, or countries ruled by ruthlessly evil people, who are, literally, insane, such as Moron Godawful, (my name for Moamar Ghadafi), or the brother of Infidel Castrated (the name given to Fidel Castro, by the USMC), and of course, Yo' Mamma, been on Laudnum, (my name for Osama Bin Laden). Nike....can you shed any light on this for me....? Grant a bit of reassurance....? I love this wonderful website, to be able to peruse the many nostalgic images in the Photo Galleries, to take me back, to a place where, to me, at least, seemed to be an innocent and peaceful world. Then, I have glimpses of people building bomb shelters, and there being one set up in the basement of a county court house, even in a small town in rural Georgia, and seeing the "instructions" on TV, by the Civil Defense, on how to go into the "air raid position," should the sirens go off, and you're caught outside.....like that would have helped one to survive the fallout, or radiation from a nuclear attack. I remember the "air raid drills," when I was in the first grade, which was a leftover practice from WWII, I'm sure. And, not too long ago, remember the masses, running out and buying plastic sheeting and duct tape, to seal their windows, from possible anthrax exposure....? If we but think back, it seems there was always something, to cause us to be fearful. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		17-Mar-2011 01:59
Oh, Lord.

Nike		17-Mar-2011 01:13
Stupid keyboard. Can't spell.

Nike		17-Mar-2011 01:12
Whitebelt -- The problem with Metro Dade public safety is they are unionized and the unions befefits and pensions are out of this world. Once again, govermnent unions are what is killing municipal, county, and state goivernments on top of the mismanaged governments. Atlanta is like a little DC. Our Mayor, Kasim Reed is a relpica of Barak Hussain Obama. Hmm, Obama, O;Bama, could he be Irish?

Miami Girl		16-Mar-2011 21:58
Glad you're back Largo, we missed you! Yep, movin' to the Peach State, as soon as our house sells - waiting for Spring to market it since there's zip curb appeal now with the melting snow.

LARGO		16-Mar-2011 21:27
HELLO TO ALL MY OLE FLORIDA BUDDIES....BEEN CATCHIN' UP WITH YA'LL...WE HAVE A NEWBIE I SEE....I'LL PROBABLY GET ADMONISHED FOR SHOUTING!!!!!!!....LOL...OMG....BTW....WTF...ETC....I HAVE BEEN IN INTENSIVE GARDEN THERAPY (AS I KNOW SOME OF YOU SHARE THIS NEED TO WEED AS WELL)....I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON SOMETHING GREEN TO PEEP IT'S LIL HEAD OUT...SHOW IT'S VERY PURTIEST SELF...AND IF ITS A WEED...I THANK IT...AND PULL IT...AND MOVE ON...THE BEST OF THERAPY...GETTIN RID OF STUFF................MY FAVE ORANGE TREE IS SIMPLY WHITE WITH FRAGRENT BLOSSOMS...AND MY BABY PERSIAN LIME...THE MARGARITA TREE!!! (OH YES IT IS!)..IS FOLLOWING SUIT...JUST SPRAYED THE MAGIC OIL ON THEM ALL....I ENJOYED THE JUICE OF THE ORANGE ALL WINTER....SOMETIMES WITH A LITTLE 'JACK D' IN IT.......THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL PINK GRAPEFRUIT...THAT BLOOMS EVERY OTHER YEAR.....NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE BLOOMS THIS YEAR...BUT ITS TO BIG TO PULL. WILL BE TOLERANT AND SEE HOW GOES IT....THOSE RUBY REDS ARE SOOOO GOOD..........NIKE...YEAH...GIVE ME A LITTLE LEAD TIME ON YOUR NEXT TRIP...LOOK FORWARD TO IT.....MIAMI GIRL (MZ JEAN) AND I CONNECTED.....A BIT AGO.......HEY MG...WHERE ARE YOU MOVING TO....GEORGIA SOMEWHERE?...MOVING IS A B-ATCH!!!......MY NEXT ONE WILL BE TO 'THE URN'.......HEY FRAN..ROBERTA...WB..RAT..DON..CHARLES OF THE EVERGLADES....I FOUND OUR INDIGENOUS FIRST AMERICANS...TO BE MORE THAN GRACIOUS AND HOSPITABLE...BACK ALL THOSE MANY YEARS AGO......WISH I KNEW WHERE THOSE PORTRAITS WERE..................BEST TO ALL...BE KIND TO EACH OTHER........................LARGO

Miami Girl		16-Mar-2011 18:57
I'm packing up stuff to move and just found the receipt for my 1/4k diamond engagement ring and matching white gold wedding ring in 1964 cost a whopping $145.00!! My how times change.

Fran		16-Mar-2011 15:58
Whitebelt, I thought so...you are right the muck came from the Everglades. We made pinch pots out of the muck and let them bake in the sun. A neighbor of ours who did not take precautions when handling the muck. Developed Florida sores on his legs and an itch on his hands. He learned the hard way...we however used thick dish washing gloves to make the pots. After seeing his sores, stayed far away from the muck. Roberta, Isn't that system called a "plug" system of planting the sod. That method encourages rapid root growth. My dad used that type of method and the yard was lush and green. He also "air laid" his shrubs when wanting to expand his plantings. All of this talk about muck and grass kinda makes me miss him...

whitebelt		16-Mar-2011 13:23
Fran, there is clay in it, too. I think that muck came from the Everglades. Don, back in the early 90's Dade County police started at around 30K a year if I remember right. Much higher than a State Trooper. After just a very few years they could be in the 60K range, with cars they could take home to Broward county. They didn't need any raises. Police chiefs in parts of New Mexico are lucky to make 50K. Metro is a milking machine. I don't recall taxes being on the low side when I was there.

Fran		16-Mar-2011 09:38
Roberta, Enjoyed reading your fond memories of your wonderful yard and home. I will share this memory cause I know some of you have acted out too. One afternoon after playing with my oldest sister. I had had enough of her bossing me around. I was glad to have to make the beds up with the fresh sheets mom gave me to put on the beds. While my sister was out doing something I mixed baby powder and baking powder. Then I sprinkled the mix all over her white sheets. Later we had to take a nap and yes she did not discover the mixture until she woke up with her whole body covered in that mess. It was a thrill to be able to get her back for all of that bossing. I could never be the mommy. She was the mommy and I was the neighbor next door. Mom, not so happy...had to sit out after dinner tag with the neighbors. Oh, how it was worth it...we laugh about what happen every time we get together. Happy times, happy childhood of make believe...

Roberta Perry Hughes		16-Mar-2011 09:17
When we moved to our new home, at 9985 SW 55th Street and 99th Place, our yard was nothing but sand. My father set out small clumps of grass, and soon, we had a green polka-dotted yard, on a white background. He watered the grass clumps everyday, unless it rained. As they grew, they began to "connect the dots" until we had a fully green lawn. I remember the load of sand that came, and how he distributed it over our lawn. And there was one time, later on, that a load of thick, black muck, the consist- ency of cooled, moist brownies, that had been crushed between your hands, was dumped into a mounded hill, awaiting distribution on the lawn. It was very pungent-smelling, and unpleasant to handle it, but we gave it a go, anyway, in an attempt for it to be for our amusement. I remember that there were tiny white snails, throughout it, and its odor made its composition questionable. We country-raised kids began to comment that it reminded us of a pig pen, or a cow lot. Very soon, our parents had a fit, that we were handling the muck, and made us go wash up. It was yucky, to try and get our hands clean, and the foul stuff embedded beneath our fingernails. We had to soak them in a bowl of warm soapy water, and use a manicure stick to scrape it out, which took a while. I never did find out where muck came from, but our parents warned us, that we could possibly develop sores, or other skin irritations, from having handled it. We warned the neighborhood kids, not to play on it, or handle it. Our lawn was full and lush, and was a rich green color, and it turned out to be prettier than our neighbor's yards, who had chosen to lay sod blocks, for an instant....and more expensive....lawn. My father planted tropical fruit trees, and bought a couple of green tractors, made of heavy metal, that he hooked up to the garden hose, and they followed the track he laid out from the hose, when he turned the tractors around. They were called "walking sprinklers." My mother sold them in a yard sale, years later, along with the whirling sprinkler, and our original webbed lawn furniture. All of those "retro" items from the '50's, are quite pricey, on the secondary market, including the dinette set we had, our large wicker picnic basket, Pyrex nesting mixing bowls, sets of 8 banded ice tea glasses in their caddy, with a matching pitcher that has an ice lip....etc, etc, etc. My father had all of the manual garden tools, like an edger, hedge clippers, and a pruner, and he took pride in our yard, and worked on it on the weekends. My mother did the flower beds, and they sported tall mother-in-law tongues, huge elephant ears, split leaf philodendron, calladiums, colleus, lipstick red poinsettias, snow white poinsettias, roses, touch-me-nots, bachelor's buttons, gailardia, aka painted daisies, and we had bouganvillias, angel trumpets, and of course, my favorite of all: hibiscus, in scarlet, and tangerine. On a visit back to my old neighborhood, years later, I was so shocked, at how small our yard was, and our house, too, and the streets seemed to be a lot shorter, in distance. But how I loved living there, in that neighborhood, as a child! How I miss those happy times, and the beach, and the Venetian Pool, and riding my Schwinn Spitfire all over the place, without fear of being harmed, or abducted! I miss life, as it was then, and the relative peace, that was our world. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		16-Mar-2011 07:01
Dirt...mud....Native Americans....what?

Don Boyd		16-Mar-2011 04:18
Miami-Dade County's voters have ousted our Mayor Carlos Alvarez (former and retired Director of Miami-Dade Police) and county commissioner Natacha Seijas by a 88% yes vote to recall each of them. He proposed a budget increasing our property taxes, in a time when homes down here are now worth 40 to 50% of what they were selling for, so the county could give 13% raises to police officers. Seijas was one of the majority of commissioners who voted for the budget. Seijas represented the district of west Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Palm Springs North and the Country Club of Miami area for the past 18 years and I feel that she should have been recalled at least 17 years ago. Some of us are so ecstatic over this that there should be a huge community party somewhere to celebrate. If not I will get seriously polluted at Bryson's Irish Pub in Virginia Gardens on St. Patty's Day evening. Yes, Whitebelt, Norman Braman (the driving force behind the mayor's recall) has big cojones and now he's a big hero in this county. I talked to Jeff Levine about half an hour ago and he said to tell everyone hello for him. Don .

Don Boyd		16-Mar-2011 04:18
Miami-Dade County's voters have ousted our Mayor Carlos Alvarez (former and retired Director of Miami-Dade Police) and county commissioner Natacha Seijas by a 88% yes vote to recall each of them. He proposed a budget increasing our property taxes, in a time when homes down here are now worth 40 to 50% of what they were selling for, so the county could give 13% raises to police officers. Seijas was one of the majority of commissioners who voted for the budget. Seijas represented the district of west Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Palm Springs North and the Country Club of Miami area for the past 18 years and I feel that she should have been recalled at least 17 years ago. Some of us are so ecstatic over this that there should be a huge community party somewhere to celebrate. If not I will get seriously polluted at Bryson's Irish Pub in Virginia Gardens on St. Patty's Day evening. Yes, Whitebelt, Norman Braman (the driving force behind the mayor's recall) has big cojones and now he's a big hero in this county. I talked to Jeff Levine about half an hour ago and he said to tell everyone hello for him. Don .

Fran		16-Mar-2011 03:15
Whitebelt, Does your mud contain clay? I know that our Georgia dirt contained clay. What a mess? Miami Girl, Loved the sand, built cities and lost several favorite cars. I think the sand was for the roots of the grass to keep them moist. We, my siblings and I pretended that the sand was snow. True grit...:)

Charles Knight		16-Mar-2011 02:37
Unless I am deaf, dumb, and blind, I disagree with Current Floridian's assumption that the white man is hated by the Miccosukee. As a small child I spent many a night asleep in Chikees. Both Seminole and Miccosukee. I have been in bands with some of the tribal leaders of the Miccosukee. To look at me you would not think there was any native blood in these veins, wrong again. Both of these tribes are relatively new to the neighborhood and they know it. The white mans disregard for the mother planet is a natives bane.

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 23:17
Miami Girl, I remember that being a common practice. Was nothing but sand under it, anyhow. Maybe it helped keep sand in the sod as the rain washed it down. I don't know. I prefer weeds over grass. Got to mow them both, but the weeds are green and you don't have to care for them. They grow like weeds. Fran, growing up there and playing in the mud gave me a shock when I found out what real mud was. Seeing snow the first time was much less impressive on my mind. Just planted onions today in concrete. At least it is when wet. I just thought I saw real mud after that Miami mud. This stuff IS mud. Slippery when walking on and heavier with each step mud. Mud that takes a LOT of washing of with a hose. I think this is the real deal. Millions of years of river bottom, fine wind blown dust, dead bug parts, and buffalo shit. Atop the bottom of an old sea.

Miami Girl		15-Mar-2011 22:56
Fran, your mention of caves in the backyard reminded me of the truckloads of sand the parents used to have delivered in Cutler Ridge for spreading on the yard. Us kids would have a good couple days digging tunnels in that nice cool sand from one side while a friend started from the other side to meet in the middle. It's a miracle we didn't get buried under the ton of sand. People up here in the North find it funny we put sand in the yard..... to help the grass grow I guess. I don't know if those in the rest of South Florida did that.

Fran		15-Mar-2011 22:18
Whitebelt, Slumbering thingies, hmmm, now that's a thought. Who knew that playing in the dirt could be so much fun.:) Brings to mind an old Miami memory, building caves and mud pies in our back yard as a child. Good times...

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 21:50
Fran, my love, I think you may underestimate the warmth of your touch and the life it can bring to slumbering physical thingies. Water lines here are buried 4 feet deep to avoid freezing. Winter dirt is cold.

Nike		15-Mar-2011 20:26
Current Floridian, In your latest post, you stated, "the miccosukkee dislike the white man today as much as they always did but i do not doubt there may be a few exceptions." I surmise the exception is everytime a "white mans" walk into a Miccosukkee casino. Come on, Fess up. Tell us what bug you really have up your shorts.

Fran		15-Mar-2011 20:05
Whitebelt, Cold dirt? Not sure, it's pretty warm here all year long. I guess it would be creepy if it were cold. However, it's warm and fuzzy here. :)

Miami Girl		15-Mar-2011 18:08
Whitebelt, I love your outlook on retirement! Keep up the ramblings - everybody!

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 16:30
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MIAMI_DADE_MAYOR_RECALL?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US Good ol' Miami government. Bloodsuckers r they. Norm Braman has lots of cojones.

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 16:26
Fran, the feel of cold dirt in the hands comes through even gloves. Gives me the creeps. May your berry bushes blossom bountifully and beautifully. :-)

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 16:23
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COME_TO_KANSAS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US Retirement should not be in some condo in some overpopulated and money hungry area. The shifts in demographics have opened up new opportunities for us in our golden years. You want to die in some condo or hospital and get thrown on the assembly line of death in some overpopulated area? Or do you want to smell the air, watch the sunrises and sunsets, feed the chickens and goats, and just interact with a few people with low crime and anxieties in your last days? If you are on a fixed income, why not get the most bang for your buck and least strain on your nerves? It's not like you have to get up and drive to work every day. The money you can save can pay for trips you WANT to take.

Fran		15-Mar-2011 16:17
Whitebelt, Glad to hear your ramblings of soon to be winter past. Preparing for a long hot summer and happy to be able to enjoy the rays. I was able to plant berry bushes this year...have no idea if I will be successful. However, it's fun just to be able to feel the earth with my garden gloves. Happy St. Patrick's Day, Cheers!!!

whitebelt		15-Mar-2011 15:53
Ahh, the passions of the displaced have been aroused. :-) Once upon a time I wished such devastation because of the riffraff that Miami had attracted over the years. But then I go to thinking. Do I really miss the mosquitos and other bug life? The humidity? The lack of landscape? No. I do miss the saltwater, but given time, it may come to me. Was a sea here once upon a time, anyhow. After a tsunami can you imagine the humidity and bugs? Ughs. What is Florida's population now, 17 million? It was about 3 million when we were youngin's. Let them have it. It isn't no fun there anymore, but they do keep the bugs down and provide cool places to sleep when visiting. Whitebelt is happy out in the middle of the High Plains where all he has to worry about is the tornado season, tarantula migrations, lots of bugs that are easily controlled with Spectracide, fine wind blown dust, the smell of cowshit in the air on occasion, and his hot tub, which he has found is extremely expensive to keep warmed through cold winters using the built in electric heater and which he will endeavor to find an alternate and cheaper methodology of heating such before next winter. His resurrected furnace performed beautifully, though. Kept the house nice and toasty even at -20. But electric hot tub heaters that set your meter to spinning like a tornado is something more suited to the wealthier. But even then the electric bill was cheaper than most places I have been. Can't wait for the last frost. Have lots of flowers and garden veggies to plant. My poor Desert Roses are also i need of some fresh air and abundant sunshine. This learning curve of the first year caused them some suffering, but they are tough. Miss Soledad, my cat, has learned the routine of getting her daily brushing and dispensation of treats when she is in need of them. Such a simple creature, so easy to train. Going to be a weird year, but the anticipation of warm weather makes it so much more easy to deal with. Stock up on food and basic necessities. Don't worry about flashlight batteries and other technology things so much. Get your assets liquid. Be in a position to roll up your roots if necessary and move. Don't weigh yourselves down too much. Be as agile as you can at our ages. We are going to have some excitement brought back into our lives this year. Don't dawdle in doing such, either. Swami Whitebelt knows all and sees all. Thinks he does, anyhow. :-) Nike, the Virgin Islands kinda don't look so appealing anymore, eh? :-) Paradise is where you can live and breathe and bitch about things and view the wonders and powers of nature from a distance. Haven't rambled for a while on here. :-)

current floridian		15-Mar-2011 15:31
i am a current immigrant from elsewhere, of european and hispanic ancestors living in florida for almost 50 years and not perfect by any means. enjoy reading most of the posts, and finding this particular one in really bad taste considering the current events . . . so i stand by my comment and i have my reasons for my sensitivity which i don't care to share . . . but at least it got the comments flowing. it is admirable how you came to your buddy's defense i must say. the miccosukkee dislike the white man today as much as they always did but i do not doubt there may be a few exceptions

Nike		15-Mar-2011 14:20
Actually, a tsunami went through Washington, DC last november -- on election day. Let's hope the replacements do what they promised. Don't get me started.... Speaking of the Miami Rogues reunion, it's only a few months until the weekend of October 22nd. Are you ready? Be there or be square. LARGO, WHERE ARE YOU? Sorry we missed you when coming through St Augustine a couple of weeks ago. We didn't get in until about 8:30 pm. and it would have been a very late weekend. We'll give more notice on future trips.

Arizona Al		15-Mar-2011 14:14
Current Floridian: As a former (yes native) Floridian, I concur in principle with MRR regarding the benefits of a significant population reduction in South Florida. If it came to pass by cognitive persuasion or divine machination I might actually consider a prodigal visit to the city of Miami that I left never to return in 1969. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Miami River Rat		15-Mar-2011 13:40
Somehow, Y'all turned into t;all in my prior post. But t;all knew that, right? :-)

Miami River Rat		15-Mar-2011 13:37
I failed all those courses in sensitivity training. Anybody surprised? About my ancestors and their relationship with the Seminole & Miccosukee people, while my people were an exception, history of the area clearly states that that family, at least, was well liked and much respected. "Mom" named thus by the indians themselves, from a few generations back, sat up many a night nursing a sick indian child or helping one to be born. But yeah, if I were Emperor of the Universe I'd think the population of South Florida down to between 50 and 75,000. Most of those that post here would't need no stinkin' badges, t;all are IN!

Charles Knight		15-Mar-2011 13:16
Current Floridian. My ancestors were natives. In light of the disaster in Japan I understand your sentiments. Rat is a good guy. We can not all be politically correct all of the time. I am sure you're just as imperfect as the rest of us. It is not my job to correct or berate people when they say or do something that I may find distasteful. Is it yours? Are you a native Floridian? If not, then you would not be considered a 'current Floridian', merely another immigrant from elsewhere. Are you incognito? What's your name? Please have the courtesy to identify yourself.

Miami Girl		15-Mar-2011 12:43
Thanks Nike, we regular Rouges know what MRR meant. It's called "tongue in cheek" current floridian! I've got family members in Miami and I'm sure they would laugh at his remark. But I did see a Discovery Channel show about this: "a mega-tsunami caused by a massive landslide as a large section of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands in the Eastern Atlantic, collapses into the ocean following a volcanic eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma. If (when) this occurs, modeling results indicate a wall of water up to 300 feet high would race across the Atlantic and reach the East Coast in about nine hours with devastating effects. A video from a Discovery Channel Special has a vivid portrayal illustrating this phenomenon, including an explanation of why Washington and Philadelphia are particularly vulnerable due to the focusing of wave energy by the shape of the Chesapeake Bay". A very scary scenario.

Nike		15-Mar-2011 11:32
That's right, "laces." I meant shoe laces. Stupid keyboard.

Nike		15-Mar-2011 11:31
current floridian -- His comments had nothing to do with what happened in Japan. Are you impying no one can use the word tsunami? For how long? If you are so sensitive, contact Florida State University about their mascot. Get a grip. You are certainly welsome to opine and blog here. However, you will find others will be more inclinded to communicate with you about old Miami people, laces, and things.

current floridian		15-Mar-2011 07:50
what an insensitive and selfish comment to make in the wake of what has just happened. the rat moniker suits you well. be assured the native indians of florida found your ancestors as intrusive and unwelcome as you find those who currently live here

Miami River Rat		15-Mar-2011 03:49
Idle thought: If a 30 foot tsunami hit the Atlantic coast of Florida with enough speed, it would put everything south of Lake Okeechobee under water for an hour or so. Maybe that would be enough to run five or six million people out of there and the place would be more like it's supposed to be! I might even go back if that many people left. I expect me, Parks and the indians (who would somehow survive) would be plenty. Charles Knight would probably return as well. Ah, daydreams....

Miami Girl		13-Mar-2011 13:36
Roberta, glad to hear your family members are safe. Bet you're enjoying the 70's in Georgia - it's 33 degrees here right now, that means the snow is melting and everyone is looking forward to SPRING. Got to think positive! LARGO, WHERE'D YA GO?

Roberta Perry Hughes		12-Mar-2011 05:38
Nona (Grubb) Malley's son, Steve, is getting on with his life, post New Zealand earthquake, she said, along with the other victims. She also told me that the survivors are in the process of sending as much help as they can, to the survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami. Meanwhile, my first cousin, Roy Tauer, aka Roy Caulder, formerly of Miami Springs and later, Hialeah, who now lives on his boat in California, was not in the path of the destructive waves. Friends in both California and Oregon, are also safe, and I pray that everyone's families and friends are also safe. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Arizona AL		10-Mar-2011 20:54
Fran (Blush!)

Fran		10-Mar-2011 14:53
Al, Social success? Not at all, your ability to not be affected by your position. It has been said the educated man speaks the language of all men. You have been able to function within most groups. Success can be measured by your ability to do so. :)

Ariziona Al		10-Mar-2011 14:14
Fran: Success (whatever /however it may be defined) has exponentially facilitated my proclivities and predilections to obviate the mainstream social status quo:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive, well and keeping well out of mainstream social gentry in Phoenix, Arizona.

Leighton		09-Mar-2011 08:29
Highly recommend Rob Reiner's 2010 film "Flipped." Although based on a contemporary children's/teen novel, Reiner wisely switched the time period to mainly 1963 (starts in 57). The characters would be 60, now, so some of you might enjoy it. It's a very simple film, but well made. Liked the casting, although the age of the parents is about 15 years too old - but it still works. Next up on my Netflix queue is "Get Low," a period film directed by my USC film school classmate, who won the 2004 Oscar for Best Short Film - "Two Soldiers" (William Faulkner short story). "Get Low" is set in East TN (would have loved to work on it), but filmed in Georgia, due to that state's film incentives.

whitebelt		08-Mar-2011 20:16
http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/2011/03/becoming-the-witness.html Ran across the above very interesting article. I think we are all old enough to identify.

Parks		08-Mar-2011 14:58
Don, Stop thinking about Roberta in her Brownie uniform.

Fran		08-Mar-2011 14:30
Al, Gotcha! I do remember you stating that you were not part of that gang. Good to hear that success has not changed you.:) Roberta, I too still have my GS pins. However, never became a Junior Scout.

Arizona Al		08-Mar-2011 13:43
Fran: I never and categorically repeat never wore any of the referenced fashion ensemble while attending Palmetto High. I was one of the "hoods" who wore engineer boots, Levis (which often earned one a trip to "Uncle" Frank Paskewicz's Office), garrison belt, and denim long sleeve shirts. I had better things to do with the money I earned bagging groceries at the Perrine Grand Union Grocery Store such as keep my mototcycle full of gas rather than looking like Beau Brummel:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive, well and still in Levis and engineer boots in Phoenix, Arizona

John		08-Mar-2011 06:46
I dressed better in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grade than I do now. Really. I started working at about 12 or 13 yrs old mowing lawns, dish-washing or busing tables at Uncle John's Pancake House, McDonald's, or umpiring at Suniland Park. All was to pay for that status wear, Bought most of my clothes at Puritans located in Dadeland mall and would get Gant shirts, Gold Cup socks and Canterbury belts for Christmas. Seemed like it mattered most in Jr. High.

Fran		08-Mar-2011 00:23
Al, Gant Shirts, Weejuns, hmmm, looking good.:)

Arizona Al		07-Mar-2011 19:53
John: Well almost 50 years has a way of either occluding or obviating neural memory trace:) Glad I was able to recall most of the fashion ensemble from Palmetto High 1964:) Thanks for filling in the blanks!! Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Roberta Perry Hughes		07-Mar-2011 08:23
What I sometimes wore in school, in Miami, in the 1950's, as did others: In fifth grade, at Tropical Elementary, 102nd Avenue, every Thursday, I wore the regulation Brownie uniform, socks, lace-up oxford shoes, pin, felt beanie, and belt. On the other days of the week, I would sometimes wear a plastic figural scatter pin, of a blond girl in a Brownie uniform, on the collar of my blouse. I still have all of my old regulation Brownie Scout pins. Wish I had kept my felt beanie, as they do not wear them in Miami, anymore....too hot. After we flew up, to Girl Scouts, I did not continue with my membership, but I did get the regulation GS pin that day, and I still have it, too. Scatter pins were very popular, in the 1950's, as were sweater guards, and Timex watches. I have two vintage Poodle scatter pins in my collection, and several sweater guards, including a pair of gilt flamingos, and a pair of enameled ballerinas, which are my favorites. I know you girls who were in high school when my sister was, can recall the costume jewelry you wore, then. You can find them on eBay, along with sweater guards, and Esterbrook pens. Lots of neat stuff was around, back in the day. I wish I had an update for you, re: my cousin Steve Malley, in New Zealand. I am sure that he has shelter, food, and water....or at least, I pray that he and the others, do, as well. Hopefully, no news is good news. I will call Nona, tomorrow evening. I pray for only good weather, wherever y'all are. Hugs to all. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

John		07-Mar-2011 01:59
Arizona Al said 03-Feb-2011 03:42 "Palmetto High 1964: Weejuns, Gant Shirts, Madras Shirts, Kakki Pants, Gold Cup Socks and a belt from The Varsirty Shop. Fortunately I wore Levis, Garrison Belt, Engineer Boofts, non-band name shirt and socks from Eagle Army-Navy Store. Needless to interject that I was part of the "Hoods" and not the Preppy Majority. Thank God!" Al, Add Bostonians to the shoes along w/ Weejuns mentioned (either or was good to go), scotch guard pants, and the belt was Canterbury, You nailed everything else.

Nike		05-Mar-2011 09:50
Leighton -- RIght you are. We hired a paralegal that was previously making about $60K/year for about $35K/year with profit sharing which is based on her performance reviews. We also hired a marketing representative for $12/hour but with significanly higher commissions so she is unlimited as to how much she can make. The more she makes, the more we make. Just as you have said, she is glad to have the opportunity. We are glad to have her. What a concept. Ahh..., retirement.

Leighton		05-Mar-2011 02:24
My personal beef, is...folks in my generation, with well-paid-jobs-plus-great-benefits, who constantly moan about having to work so hard. Do they not realize that tens of thousands of unemployed professionals, would KILL for their job??!! It astounds me. Not everyone can find a job these days, no matter how hard they search. It amazed me, when so many businesses, during the worst of the recession, didn't hire these qualified people at one-third of their previous salary. It was a gold mine for businesses. I personally approached so many of these opportunities, with zero "attitude," and a strong willingness to work, and was shocked at the result. Unfortunately, it can often be detrimental for professionals to take certain jobs, once the economic climate improves. Of course, it's called "leaving it off your resume..." But, it's much more complicated than that...

Leighton		05-Mar-2011 01:51
Gotcha - totally misread it. Thanks for clarification. My mistake.

Miami Girl		04-Mar-2011 15:00
Nike I totally agree! There's way too many who know how to (and do) "work the system". Back when we were young, struggling financially due to being married with child and an enlisted military family, living in a trailer court off base with no rental insurance, if a tornado came through and took everything we owned, the only thing we would have expected is maybe some donated clothes from local churches plus some coffee and donuts from the Red Cross. Certainly no financial reimbursement from FEMA with prepaid credit cards and we didn't even expect anything from the military community. Today the country is full of "entitlement babies" who want it all while contributing nothing. And everyone thinks we baby boomers were self absorbed!!! I also say "don't get me started".............

Nike		04-Mar-2011 11:18
As I read my previous comment, I should have clarified that I meant the others I encountered were non-Mexicans. Wherever I go, it seems that the Hispancis, Asians, Indians, etc all seem to be employed Often in a job with long hours and sometimes two jobs, hard-working, and polite. At the same time, some members of our society always complain they are oppressed, discriminated against by other members of our society, and therefore "entitled" to a handout without paying back into the American system which provides those services and checks. There are plenty jobs available. Maybe they arn't the jobs they want or pay the amount they want to be paid but there are plenty jobs. Many are still unemployed because they feel "entitled" to unemployment pay until their eligibility runs out. Don't get me started....

Nike		04-Mar-2011 11:08
Leighton -- I was actually commenting how the Mexicans I encountered were hard-working, and polite "members" of our society while some I encountered always seem to feel oppressed, deprived, and discriminated against by those that have earned what they have. It was not intended as a political view, just a personal observation from someone who has worked hard for what he has and continues to, even in retirement.

Leighton		04-Mar-2011 05:49
Nike - are you assuming that every Hispanic that you encountered in Brownsville is an illegal Mexican? Just curious. I have no desire to start a political discussion, but as a 22-year resident of South Texas, I can certainly provide a perspective. Parks, although I often feel like moving up North, since everybody and their Babyboomer cousin is moving South, I doubt that I could survive. For my nearly fifty years, I've spent most of the time in: Miami, New Orleans, LA and SA. Generally, if I were to complain about a "group," it would be my own self-absorbed forty-something generation. They drive me insane. Imagine them dealing with The Great Depression, WW2 or Vietnam???

Parks		03-Mar-2011 06:05
Judd, that was the worst of it. I couldn't catch any ice because the fish kept taking my bait.

Judd		03-Mar-2011 05:45
Parks, I once went ice fishing, caught 300 pounds of ice, and darn near drowned catching it, and caught pneumonia, to boot. No more ice fishing , for me, that was enough. I gave it up. Judd Tysin.

Parks		03-Mar-2011 05:25
Hi Guys, I just got back from an ice fishing trip to New Hampshire. I've learned my lesson. I won't go north of Florida between October and May. Heavy snow fall, stuck cars, scraping ice off windshields, freezing rain, canceled flight, delayed flight, missed connection, at least I didn't fall through the ice this time.

Arizona Al		02-Mar-2011 21:28
Whitebelt: I love the desert too:) Arizona Al

Nike		02-Mar-2011 13:51
I woke up in Brownsville, Texas this morning. My dinner of Texas chili and BBQ was cooked and served by mexicans, my shuttle van from the motel to the resturant was driven by a Mexican who has two daughters at the UT-Brownsville getting a good education, the front desk staff is all Mexican, and the housekeepers (you guessed it) are all Mexican. They are all polite and seem to be hard wrokers in their respective jobs. I'm glad I speak a little Spanish. The only homeless I saw and one panhandler was (you guessed it) America's impoverished who would probably tell you they didn't have opportunities for education and there are no jobs available. I do believe anyone who takes from our system should contribute. Don't get me started.....

Miami Girl		02-Mar-2011 13:40
Leighton, you should write a "tell all" book -- after you retire. lol

Leighton		02-Mar-2011 04:13
I worked on a BRIEF episodic syndicated TV series, myself, here in SA, back in 94. A WEIRD, expensive Aaron Spelling production, called "Heaven Help Us." Lasted only 13 episodes. The "plot," OK hold on, involved a young couple, who on their wedding day, are in a small plane, that CRASHES into the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel. They become "angels" (or something) who are guided by Head Angel Ricardo Montalban (!!!) to help special guest stars every week, with problems, to "earn" their way to heaven (or something). John Schneider starred. It was WEIRD. They started out with older stars - Shirley Jones, Tom Bosley, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - then suddenly switched to the 90210 crowd. Obviously, a rehash of Spelling's "Fantasy island"and "Love Boat." I will say, that both Montalban and Schneider were very friendly, classy guys. The show nearly killed me...we had ten locations per episode, and were setting up the next episode, while filming another. UGH. I also worked on an 98 indie film with Spelling's "Dynasty"producers - the Shapiros. (By the way, they're now putting together a feature film "Dynasty: The Early Years"- or something.) Oh, the filming stories I have....

Leighton		02-Mar-2011 03:48
Does anybody remember back in the 60s/70s, when they'd show "failed" TV pilots as summer "special events"? Back then, contracts required networks to actually show the pilots, whether they went to series, or not. So, you'd get an evening of "special" comedies or dramas. There are a few books covering failed TV pilots, and it's FASCINATING what didn't make it, or that they even filmed the stupid things, to begin with. Disney-ABC is kinda surprising me with the comedy pilot, "Good Christian Bitches" - Annie Potts just signed on. Set in Dallas. I CANNOT imagine that there won't be some kind of backlash, with that title. But, that's the preacher's kid in me, I guess......

whitebelt		02-Mar-2011 01:01
Forgot, move the mouse to the left after the trailer after the animated background starts. Back and forth for panorama.

whitebelt		02-Mar-2011 00:59
http://www.rangomovie.com/ I have to see that movie. Cool website. Want to see Cowboys and Aliens, too. Lived in SE AZ once. Was my favorite place of all. Love the desert Might have to drive a hundred miles to see them, though. :-(

Fran		01-Mar-2011 19:47
Leighton, Sounds like a plan...I'll do just that.

Leighton		01-Mar-2011 01:27
Fran, Well, work is "eeking" back...times are still tough, but I try not to stress too much. Honestly, locals never go to the River Walk - it's tourista hell. So many of the restaurants are lame, or chains. It is unique, though. The city hired a "professional" about the parking issues downtown, and his wonderful plan was to RAISE the parking rates at night to $10. They COULD have created a local "citizen" discount card, or something. The good restaurants are not on the "river" (it's basically more of a small canal, to be honest). Let me know the next time you're in the area, and I'll make some recommendations. Thanks for asking! This recession has taught me some lessons I'll never forget.....

Leighton		01-Mar-2011 01:14
The "Pan Am" show is an ABC PILOT - it may not go to series, but I think it has a good chance. For every 15 pilots, one makes it to the schedule.

whitebelt		01-Mar-2011 01:02
Don, there is a TV show about Pan am stewardesses due out. They make mention of the scene in Space Odyssey: 2001. http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/28/pan.am.comeback/index.html?hpt=C2

Fran		01-Mar-2011 00:27
Leighton, I do understand ...I guess being in the middle of this mess. You / I seem to develop a different attitude concerning the illegals. The situation here is not like the transition that took place in Miami. The in flux brought about a need for them to work, educate them selves and their children. The goals and way of life is not the same for those living here...True, it's not all of those who cross the border but millions have taken advantage of this country. How are you? Working? Enjoying the River Walk?

Leighton		01-Mar-2011 00:08
Fran, I agree on the "drug lord" issue...I think, sad to say, that nothing short of a US military involvement, will bring that to an end. It's a frightening mess. I just don't want to see the issue of the 13 million (plus) illegal immigrants in this country somehow "wrapped into" the solution. A few years ago, I worked for an organization promoting a discussion/solution to the immigration issue. It was absolutely horrifying to witness some of the extreme attitudes and comments coming from web posters/bloggers. This site isn't about that discussion, but I want to clarify my question to you.

Leighton		28-Feb-2011 05:06
The most predictable Oscars, ever, but that's OK. Hated "The Social Network" and "The Kids are Alright," so I was pleased with the results.......even if "The King's Speech" is historically inaccurate. Good to see Kirk Douglas - what an ICON!! Roberta - sure you're happy.....

Fran		27-Feb-2011 23:20
Leighton, You know about the drugs , murders, people smuggling, gang rapes. It's a pit gone wrong...There are good people there but the other force there takes away what is good. Our border cities are suffering...no lie. I won't debate the issue...just stating the situation that my cousin and the others on his team are faced with every day.

Leighton		27-Feb-2011 22:51
What is reported about the border, exactly?

Fran		27-Feb-2011 19:53
Miami Girl and Roberta, I share your thoughts and prayers as well. Roberta, Nona, graduated with my cousin Mike. Mike is working for the federal government on the border/border patrol. We take time every day to pray for our friends and family, to keep them safe and out of harms way. I will remember all of you....Each day is a gift... P.S. What is reported about the border is true and then some.

Miami Girl		27-Feb-2011 15:15
Roberta: First through Largo's family friend Bob, now through your 2nd cousin we can touch the world through family, friends and websites like this one. It's an amazing time we live in! Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family while they're going through these uncertain time waiting to hear more from Steve. Our dreams used to be about enjoying retirement through travel - now more than ever I think I just want to enjoy home and family, once we move back down south! Best wishes to you and Lewis continuing on you're road to recovery and all the other wonderful friends here.

Roberta Perry Hughes		27-Feb-2011 10:58
My second cousin, Steve Malley, lost everything except his life, in the New Zealand earthquake. He sent a twitter message the day after the quake to another second cousin, using a borrowed phone, for her to his parents that he is okay. Steve's parents are my first cousin, Nona Grubb Malley, who is a 1964 graduate of Miami Norland High, and her husband, Charles Malley, a former priest, now, a retired free-lance writer. They live in The Rock, Georgia. That tweet was Nona's only news, about her son, and I hope that she will hear from him, soon. It seems that everyone, everywhere, is having their share of woes and sorrows. Lewis and I have had some rough patches, ourselves, but I know that we have not been singled-out, and that, compared to the plight of legions of folks, we are truly blessed, in comparison. All we can do, is to pray for the strength to endure whatever befalls us, and to pray for others, who are also facing great strife, and unbelievable situations. Warmest regards to you all. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		27-Feb-2011 07:00
I would definitely avoid pirates.

Miami River Rat		24-Feb-2011 05:29
Largo.: Sorry for your loss. I'm not good with words at times like this. Here's hoping all concerned mend quickly, and maybe now our armed forces will do something about the piracy deal. We have a precedent: "The shores of Tripoli" came to be because of the Barbary Pirates, so we can go get 'em if we make up our minds.

whitebelt		23-Feb-2011 14:12
Dave is still here, preparing for one of the more eventful years we as a generation have seen to unfold. It is hard to understand how those pirates have been allowed to roam so far from home. I just read a CNN article where there were 19 of them in this instance. The small yacht must of just wandered into the wrong area and there was no bigger prey. They probably found a stash of Bibles that the group had been distributing around the world in their travels, the article said they estimated they had distributed about 10,000 over the years. This probably contributed to their deaths. Something just doesn't make sense about this, though. A large group of pirates killing their hostages with the U.S. Navy closing in on them on the high seas. Totally irrational. Looks like a very early Spring here. The birds have been here since the middle of January, even before the big freeze we had. Sure to be some cold days and night yet, though. I will wait for the hummingbirds before planting my garden, though. May be a profound tornado season this year. It will be an eventful year, on the environmental and social scales. Try not to leave yourselves at the mercy of the way things have been done during our lives. Be fluid, financially and worldview wise. The times, they are a changin'.

Jackie		23-Feb-2011 13:46
Largo, We grieve for your friends and are shocked by the cruelty they were subjected to. How can the world continue to be vicimized by this outrage?

Arizona Al		23-Feb-2011 13:09
Roberta: I am still alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona Al

Roberta Perry Hughes		23-Feb-2011 09:06
LARGO, When I saw this on the news, yesterday, I was speechless, and it literally made me sick. I had so hoped and prayed that your friends would be released, by those godless bas-tar-dos, or at least, rescued from them, the way the crew from that oil tanker was, by our Navy Seals. That particular crew was beyond "lucky." I cannot understand why the U.S. has not sent some nuclear subs out there, to seek and destroy these ruthless, evil people, and then, follow up, to where they live and breed, like the rats they are, and continue with the mission, until they are just anihilated. No sea going vessel is safe from them, not even cruise ships, let alone private yachts, oil tankers, or virtually, anything that floats. Remember those folks in New Zealand, in your prayers, too. It seems that no corner of the globe is peaceful, these days. Natural disasters are one thing; but murder on the high seas, via mercenary, soul-less, pea-brained pirates, is a whole 'nuther situation. Meanwhile, my deepest heartfelt comfort goes out to all of us Rogues and Roguettes, for when something befalls one of our own, or their family, or their pals, it's personal. Great big group hugs, to everyone. I care about you, one and all. P.S.----Anyone heard from Whitebelt, lately, or Az Al....? ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

NIKE		23-Feb-2011 07:02
LARGO -- OUR CONDOLENCES TO YOU ON THE DEATH OF BOB RIGGLE, HIS WIFE AND THEIR FRIENDS' WHO WERE KILLED AFTER BEING TAKEN HOSTAGE BY SOMALI PIRATES LAST FRIDAY. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS HORRIFIC ACT INCLUDING BEING FROM AN IMPOVERISHED COUNTRY RUN BY WARLORDS, AGE, INTELLIGENCE (OR LACK OF) RACE, RELIGION OR BEING DOPED UP ON DRUGS. I WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER THE TERM FORGIVENESS WHEN DISCUSSING WHAT THESE BARBARIANS HAVE DONE FOR MONEY TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS WHO WERE SIMPLY DOING GOOD DEEDS FOR OTHERS, REGARDLESS OF ANY LEFT-WING OR RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES. IT IS MY DESIRE THAT THEY ALL BE EXECUTED BY THE MILITARY SINCE THEY FIRED ON A UNITED STATED MILITARY VESSEL. HAVING SAID THAT, I WILL EMAIL YOU ABOUT MEETING YOU FRIDAY EVENING. PLEASE JOIN US FOR DINNER. HEY, IS THIS A DATE?

LARGO		23-Feb-2011 01:05
I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS HERE FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND NOW SADLY... CONDOLENCES...I CAN TELL YOU THAT BOB WAS A GREAT ADVENTURER AS WERE THEY ALL...JUST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WITH HUGE HEARTS....SPREADING THE GOOD WORD....THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE SUFFERING THE SAME PLIGHT BY THESE PIRATES...MANY ALIVE AND SUFFERING...HELL YEAH I WISH THE MILITARY HAD TAKEN THEM OUT SOONER...IT IS WHAT IT IS ......BUT FOR NOW MY SISTER... COL. CHARLENE POLAND HOLT MD..US ARMY RETIRED......FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE SEATTLE AREA AND AROUND THE WORLD WHO KNEW THEM ARE REMEMBERING ALL THE GOOD STUFF........THANK YOU ALL..FRAN,( GOT YOUR FB MESSAGES TOO..HUGS!) DON,(SO GREATFUL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS SITE & BRING US ALL TOGETHER) JEAN,('MIAMI GIRL'..SO GLAD I MET YOU IN PERSON)... ROBERTA (SO HAPPY TO KNOW YOU AND YOUR COWBOY ARE BETTER)...AND NIKE I WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU AND NANCY FRIDAY...E-MAIL ME WITH TIME AND DETAILS...@.. SHEILAALARGO@YAHOO.COM ......CHERISH EACH OTHER FOLKS...IT CAN END IN A BLINK!!!.............................LARGO

Don Boyd		22-Feb-2011 16:46
Largo, my condolences on the death of your family friend. RIP! http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/four-americans-killed-somali-pirates Don .

Miami Girl		22-Feb-2011 16:36
LARGO, just read about the tragedy of your family friend. We hope our Navy blows those pirates straight to hell!!

Fran		22-Feb-2011 14:42
LARGO, I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS...SHOCKING.

Nike		22-Feb-2011 03:25
LARGO -- NANCY AND I WILL BE IN ST AUGUSTINE THIS FRIDAY EVENING. WOULD YOU CARE TO JOIN US FOR A DRINK AT THE CASA MONICA?

Charles Knight		21-Feb-2011 23:10
Ha ha...Some things just don't change.

Fran		21-Feb-2011 13:35
Roberta, Good to hear that you are on the mend. My prayers go out to you and Lewis, be safe. GET WELL! LARGO, SENT A MESSAGE ON FB FOR YOU...YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. LORD, KEEP THEM SAFE AND SOON TO BE SENT HOME... Charlis and Nike haven't heard from you all lately? Hoping that all is well...

Roberta Perry Hughes		21-Feb-2011 10:12
Re: Getting on with our lives..... I just got out of the hospital....again....twice, now, in as many months. Both times, it was determined that a vicious virus of some sort befell me. As any infection can kill a diabetic, it was quite a rough patch. My arms are black-and-blue, and I am sore, all over. I am still weak, of course, but gradually improving, and finally, hydrated. Hardest part for me was leaving Lewis home alone, but folks, let me tell you, he did GREAT....!! I was the one who was the basket case, as I cried everyday, just thinking about not being there for him. All I had to do was to hear two footfalls of walking-heeled cowboy boots on the terazzo flooring of the hallway, and I knew it was my Lewis....! And then, I did not want him to leave me. I tried so to get him to stay, at least for one night with me, as there was a small sofa bed in my room that would acommodate him, and of course, a private bath, and he could get guest trays, or go to the cafeteria for meals. But he chose not to stay, and I cannot blame him, because I was very ill. It is a miracle that he did not catch what I had, to be sure. Leighton, I watched Gosford Park, when I got home, but will have to watch it over again, as I nodded off too many times to know what was going on in it, other than to recognize some of the actors, such as Kelly MacDonnald; Michael Gambon; Helen Mirren; Kristen Thomas Scott; and Tom Hollander; to name a few. I am looking forward to Oscar night, and rooting for the 12 nominated catergories for The King's Speech. It took 7 out of 14 BAFTA nominations, so I am hoping for at least half of the 12, for Oscars, including Best Picture. Meanwhile, back to an old Miami memory.... When I was a fifth grade student at Tropical Elementary, there was a Special Ed. wing where I volunteered for a half hour, 3 times a week. The teacher's name was Mr. Hill. I cannot recall his first name, but he was one of the finest, and most dedicated teachers I ever knew. Does anyone remember Mr. Hill, or know what he is doing today....? LARGO.... OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS. I PRAY THEY WILL ALL BE RESCUED, SOON. ...."Oh! Hear us when we cry to Thee, for those in peril on the sea....." Those pirates are out there, and to me, absolutely nothing is worth crossing their path, far out at sea, with no land in sight, and no help forthcoming, any time soon. But that's just me. I have always liked for the sea to stay where it is, and I will view it from the shore. And even then, "when you can see the sea, the sea can see you." It is as vastly unpredictable as it is vast, and these days, it is peopled by evil, predatory beings, to whom life is cheap. Senior class trips? There are many lovely resorts, stateside, for graduates to enjoy, that will be costly enough, and the money would be better spent toward their college tuition, books, and wardrobes. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Leighton		21-Feb-2011 06:46
ANYWAY, Roberta, I was going to comment, that while I was reading about touring theater productions going through SA this year, I noticed that the "book" for the musical "Mary Poppins," was written by "Downton Abbey" author Julian Fellowes. Interesting. Watched "Inception" tonight. I wondered if it is as confusing to others, as I found it to be. After viewing several film sites, I see that it is. Fun to watch, but "mind-blowing", to be sure.

Leighton		21-Feb-2011 06:32
I stand by my comments. I sent you an e-mail asking if something was wrong, and I was told no, not at all, even though I attempted to post several times, and I've been on here for four years, and obviously know what I'm doing. Obviously some weird glitch. No, my skills don't "suck" in the least. Your response was worded in a manner that could be read in ANY number of ways. There are several people in here whom I enjoy talking to - I'll stick with that, and NEVER ask a question of you again.

Don Boyd		21-Feb-2011 04:02
Leighton, don't get pissy with me over my response. Your interpretation skills surely suck because I was referring to other people who normally post here being busy with other things in their lives and I was referring to MY Facebook friends who live all day on their PC's posting comments. You are in neither category of other people who normally post here or a Facebook friend of mine. Nowhere did I say that you are on your Mac all day long nor did I infer that. Good Lord yourself. Don .

Leighton		21-Feb-2011 01:42
And my "ten" posts were not SEPARATE posts, just a continued attempt to get one statement in there, regarding a previous discussion. Now I'm off to watch a movie, finish a book and hang out with my dogs...

Leighton		21-Feb-2011 01:39
Huh? Not sure what your attitude is all about, frankly. I have TONS to do every day, including work, hang out with friends, exercise, watch movies, read books, etc. I do not LIVE on my Mac, or the Internet, and I despise Facebook. I can also multi-task, and often have six pages open, while working, and researching. My point was, I TRIED TEN TIMES to post, and it wouldn't take, over three days, for whatever reason. Yes, I tested other rooms. It was weird. Not making it up. Good Lord.

LARGO		21-Feb-2011 00:48
PRAYERS UP FOR BOB RIGGLE,DVM.. AND THE OTHER 3 AMERICANS OF THE YACHT 'QUEST' TAKEN HOSTAGE BY SOMALI PIRATES FRIDAY. BOB WAS MY SISTERS VET IN THE TACOMA/SEATTLE AREA A FEW YEARS BACK...AND FAMILY FRIEND...THAT'S ALL WE KNOW FOR NOW..WHAT THE NEWS HAS TO SAY.....THANKS...........LARGO

Don Boyd		21-Feb-2011 00:27
I don't know, Leighton, numerous other galleries on the site have been receiving comments every day and the odds of one gallery being inoperative are slim to none. I guess that folks are busy with their lives and not living on the PC all day long like a lot of Facebook friends that post all day long. For all the fans of Marcella's Italian restaurants in the north end of the county and Hollywood: Rick Hall sent me a message about the the man who owned Marcella's on 183 Street (NW or NE? I know one was there but can't remember where on 183rd but I think it was in the Norland area) has an Italian restaurant with the same garlic rolls that everyone loved at Marcella's. The restaurant is Papa Giuseppe's, 660 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach. It is located just east of I-95. Rick visited the restaurant recently and says the garlic rolls are the same as Marcella's. Thanks to Rick for the tip and now I've got to take my wife up there to try it out because she's suffering Marcella's withdrawal symptoms after 30 years. My wife and I went to the Coconut Grove Art Show yesterday afternoon in perfect South Florida winter weather. We had blue skies, low humidity and temps in the low to mid 70's with a nice breeze off the bay that almost made it a little chilly in the shade. While my wife walked around to look at art I stood on the corner of Main and Grand to photograph some beauties walking around and all I could think of was that the art shows of the 1970's were far more interesting when the ladies were mostly braless and wearing halter and other skimpy tops. While standing there leaning against a "Walk - Don't Walk" pole, I was approached by a young lady in her early 20's who made small talk with me for a minute or so. She said she noticed me while she was crossing the street and that we should go out that night and have a great time together. I almost jokingly asked "how much?" but figured that would get me arrested for soliciting a prostitute if she was a police decoy so I just turned her down saying that I was waiting for my wife to return and she thanked me for my time and walked away. That was my first time being solicited at the art show but then again I haven't been down there for at least five years and maybe things have changed. Oh Miami, what have you become? Don .

Leighton		20-Feb-2011 20:50
I tried about ten times, and nothing would post since my last comment below. Plus, I can't believe this room would stay that quiet, for so long....

Hugh J		20-Feb-2011 19:26
Testing to see if people can post here.

Leighton		15-Feb-2011 23:23
Sorry....Lansbury

Leighton		15-Feb-2011 23:21
I think that the Biltmore Estate in Asheville probably has the most promise, in terms of its history. Many films have been shot there, but playing as another location. Turns out that "Downton Abbey" Season ("Series" is the term in the UK) Two will be eight episodes (PBS will probably edit to five, as they edited the first season's seven episodes into four), PLUS a Christmas special. AND, Angela Landsbury has supposedly been cast as a Crawley relative!! I think Trump wanted to build a resort around Mar-a-lago, but for now, he has restored it, with spa and golf. Check out maralogaclubDOTcom.

Miami River Rat		15-Feb-2011 15:15
Something worth looking at is Charles Knight's Everglades/Gatorhook picture album on facebook. He's got a bunch of really good stuff there. One picture is Charlie with writer Randy Wayne White. I like White's books. While they're not my absolute favorites, they are good. I never miss one because you can count on at least one great line in every one of his books. A few examples: From "Sanibel Flats" : "You know, if you shoot a border guard this trip is going to get weird". And from "The Man Who Invented Florida: "Dear Lord, I've never been one to question your ways, but why did you give me a trigger finger and a tallywhacker if you didn't want me to use 'em?" Funny stuff! Y'all hang in there!

Roberta Perry Hughes		15-Feb-2011 10:59
Leighton, I was right: it is Tom Hollander, as the Duke of Windsor. Check out the website, Enchanted Serenity of Period Films. You would love it, I'm sure....!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roberta Perry Hughes		15-Feb-2011 10:48
Leighton, I agree, re: "Any Human Heart." So far, MacFadyen's character is a satyr, of sorts, but I tuned in, due to the cast: James Broadbent; Gillian Anderson (as Wallis Simpson); Rupert Vansitart (very identifiable voice); and isn't that Tom Hollander, as the Duke of Windsor...? Guess I'll call up the cast, and see. Didn't care for learning that Ian Fleming owned a "great pornography collection." I probably won't watch episodes 2 and 3. My copy of "Gosford Park," on DVD, should be arriving, any day, now, from amazon.com. Can hardly wait to see it. Someone should make a movie about Vizcaya, it's original owner, and it's construction, hey day, etc., on through its decline, and later, its resurrection. I would love seeing the vintage wardrobes and the cars, of the era, and art deco bric-a-brac, showcased in alcoves throughout the house. Also, hearing the music of the day, being cranked out on a large Victrola, or an Edison Phonograph, and watching the folks dancing the latest moves. Can you see it, in your mind's eye....? Then, there's the household staff, that does everything from cleaning, to cooking, to car parking. There must be hundreds of stories there, among them, and all of the factual gossip they are privvy to. There just has to be a story there, worthy of the telling, for our entertainment, and the title could only be, "Vizcaya." Also, someone should write about Maralargo (sic), the home once owned by the Post cereal folks, if I remember correctly. Marjorie Merriweather Post sold the house, and its contents, to The Donald, or I am wrong, there...? Oh! The parties, and dinners held there, in those sumptuous surroundings....! The rich and famous, who came and went, and always, Miami's dark underbelly, of the Mob, popping up, now and then, on guest lists. Oh, my...! Affairs that abounded, as easily as borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor, or inviting someone up to view their etchings. Scandalous....! Within these films, of course, would be the frequenting of the popular Clubs of the day, and going to the Track, in Hialeah, to see, and to be seen, in the grandest of finery. A movie that would, once again, showcase Miami in her hey day, like a grand dame of society, herself, at the center of it all. There are hundreds of stories in our town, waiting to be told. Biops, about William Haas, and the 1960's wildly popular dee jays, and their rival radio stations. Just pick an era in time, and there just has to be a film, hiding in there, that no one has ever thought of making. ####################################################################

Leighton		15-Feb-2011 04:46
Just saw "The Social Network" - hated it. A paint-by-numbers "Story of Facebook" - cannot fathom so many nominations, and NOT Best Picture. Not surprising, though - the Hollywood powers-that-be see themselves in Zuckerberg. Now, I MUST catch "The King's Speech," historical inaccuracies, and all. For a GREAT fictional business drama, see 1954's "Executive Suite." So glad that I canceled my Facebook account last month. I had no desire to witness a permanent "Christmas newsletter," and be "friended" (ugh) by people whom I never spoke to in high school (for whatever reason). This Miami room is as public as I ever intend to be on the Internet. And to think that Facebook began as a childish college site to "slam" people. Now, we learn what people had for breakfast. I haven't celebrated Valentine's since grade school in Miami...shoe boxes decorated for Valentine's cards. (And somewhat of a popularity contest.) It's sure a boon for restaurants these days...and the floral industry (and Hallmark). Roberta, trying to watch "Masterpiece Theater" 's "Any Human Heart," but not feeling the love.

Roberta Perry Hughes		14-Feb-2011 07:02
Lewis got me an adorable potted miniature red rose, with the sweetest scent, and tiny buds and leaves, and with adorable fully-opened mini-roses...! I love it, and so glad that he remembered that I do not approve of cut flowers. Happy Valentine's Day, to everyone, and I hope that sweet sentiments came your way. We really should be this affectionately demonstrative on a daily basis, actually, and not just once a year. A big happy dance goes out to the recipients for the BAFTA Awards, last night, and I am proud to report that "The King's Speech" won seven of their fourteen nominated categories, including: Best English Film, Best Film, Best Original Screen Play, Best Music Score, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and of course, Best Actor went to Colin Firth. They 'tossed a bone' to the Director of "The Social Network," and Best Cinematography went to the REMAKE of "True Grit." Onward and upward, to the Academy Awards, on the 27th, where "The King's Speech" leads, with twelve nominations. May these BAFTA recipients also take home an Oscar, in their respective categories....and add another one, for Tom Hooper, as Best Director. Big cuddly hugs to everyone, and I hope that you will Be My Valentine....! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miami Girl		14-Feb-2011 00:37
Thanks Fran, same to you!

Fran		14-Feb-2011 00:12
To all who post here...Happy Valentine"s Day!!! Much love and good wishes are being sent your way...

Leighton		13-Feb-2011 06:30
Sorry, Charlie. Dumped the scary Big Brother Facebook. Hope that there's a way that I can keep up with you, otherwise.

Miami Girl		13-Feb-2011 01:05
I've missed so many of King's books while I was "on hiatus" from him, so I think I'll check out "Gerald's Game". Charlie, love all the "Gator Hook" pictures on fb - a interesting life you had growing up!

Leighton		12-Feb-2011 23:59
Yes, I remember "Gerald's Game" quite well....was reading it on a small prop plane from East TN to Atlanta in 92. Just as we were landing, a freak storm hit with wind sheer. Our little plane flew sideways above the tarmac, and I just prayed that it stayed together when we hit the ground. Well, the pilot did a good job, and we landed - the last to do so for three hours. The flight attendant opened the cockpit door, and I could hear about as many expletives as I've ever heard in one sitting, from the pilot. Yes, I read King's "On Writing" guide/biography - interesting. I also thought of Cloris Leachman for "Duma Key", but think she'd ham it up - don't know if Maggie Smith does an American accent. Yes, the lawn jockey could be a great scare on film, if done correctly. The book-on-CD is read by John Slattery of "Mad Men" - he's the right age, and could play the lead himself, I suppose. Several of King's recent books have been influence by his near-death accident - however, it was the failed TV series "Kingdom Hospital" in 94, that reflects it the most. I couldn't sit through it, as it was too cartoonish. I do NOT like his direct-for-TV stuff - hated "Rose Red" mini-series.

Roberta Perry Hughes		12-Feb-2011 11:49
I have always wanted "Gerald's Game" to be made into a movie. Put Michael Chiklis, in the role of Gerald, and Julianne Moore as his wife. Vin Diesel could be the grave robber with acromegaly, who sits in a chair in the bedroom, watching and waiting, and Harry Connick, Jr. as the man who helps rescue Gerald's wife. A friend gave me "Gerald's Game," in paperback, and I couldn't put it down. It was a page-turner, to be sure, and I found myself reading exerpts aloud from it, to my husband, and ended up having to just flat-out start over, and read the whole book to him. Have any of you read this book....?? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LARGO		12-Feb-2011 10:28
BTW LEIGHTON...MEANT TO ASK WHOSE VOICE IS ON YOUR DUMA KEY CD?..IS IT BELIEVABLE?

LARGO		12-Feb-2011 10:23
LEIGHTON..MIAMI GIRL....I TOO AM A STEPHEN KING FAN...BUT SELECTIVE..."DUMA KEY" BY FAR MY FAV TO DATE......LEIGHTON..AS FOR YOUR CHOICE OF DAVID MORSE AS EDGAR FREEMANTLE...YEAH!...HE DOES DARK BROODING AND MISUNDERSTOOD...FRIGHTENINGLY WELL...GOOD CHOICE...........THROUGHOUT THE READ I SAW NOTHING BUT MR. KING HIMSELF AS THE LOVEABLE 'WIREMAN'...AND HE LIKES TO BE IN HIS OWN MOVIES. THE LATE GREAT JESSICA TANDY WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT ELIZABETH EASTLAKE...HUMMM ..."OLIVIA" TO FRAIL..AN AGED UP VANESSA REDGRAVE...?..SHE'S 74..GOOD CHOPS....THERE'S CLORIS LEACHMAN AT 85..DOES DRAMATIC AS WELL AS COMEDY...WHAT SAY YA?............ALSO HAVE A BOOK THAT (EVEN THO HE SAYS ITS NOT) IS SEMI AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL CALLED: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT--ON WRITING...BY STEPHEN KING...HE HAS GREAT HUMOR...GIVES YOU A GLIMPSE INTO HIS UPBRINGING AND INSPIRATIONS. ALSO I WONDER IF HIS PERSONAL NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO SOME OF THE DUMA KEY MISTIQUE...I SAW THAT DAMN LAWN JOCKEY IN MY SLEEP!!!...LOL

Leighton		12-Feb-2011 00:41
LOVE "Duma Key" - I listened to the book-on-CD three times while driving cross country during the past few years. I usually hate listening to books, as the voice talent goes too over-the-top with characterizations. Although I despise the new Internet trend, of everybody and their cross-eyed cousin, "casting" movies, I couldn't help but think that David Morse would do well in the lead. Yes, he's done several King adaptations, but he's a really good fit. For Elizabeth Eastlake,...I wonder how 94 year-old Olivia de Havilland is faring - she lives in France, but they could film her scenes there. Anyway, my only complaint with the novel, is the rehash of similar characters from King's 2002 TV mini-series "Rose Red" (his take on the creepy Winchester House) - the black maid, and the talking doll. (Not to be confused with his novel "Rose Madder.") In King's 2008 short story collection, "Just After Sunset," there are a few Florida-based entries - two really good ones, as a matter of fact. One does for portable toilets, what "Psycho" did for showers. Just reread my favorite King short story, "The Road Virus Heads North," from 2002's "Everything's Eventual." Did NOT care for the adaptation in the TV mini-series "Nightmares & Dreamscapes," a confusing title, due to the fact that the book of that name, does not contain this story. LOTS of King-based movies coming soon....a new "The Stand," the "Dark Tower" movies/TV series from Ron Howard, "From a Buick Eight," "Firestarter" remake, "The Talisman," etc. Yes, I'm a King fanatic....

Miami Girl		11-Feb-2011 20:37
Just finished reading "Duma Key" Stephen King's first Florida novel. The Washington Post says it best: "A tale of conflict between the forces of horror and the redemptive power of creativity.....King has in no way lost his unmatched gift for ensnaring and chilling his readers with 'terrible fishbelly fingers.' " With an imagination like his, what must have those dark nights of his childhood been like -- I just had monsters in the closet and under the bed!

whitebelt		11-Feb-2011 13:54
Gotcha on the earthquakes. Went through one overseas. There is nothing like one to make you feel really small and insignificant in the larger scheme of things. All that sediment along the river helps transmit those waves.

Leighton		11-Feb-2011 05:28
No reason to go to Dyersburg, for sure. From a film standpoint (of course, my interest), a few scenes for 1957's "Raintree County" were filmed at nearby Reelfoot Lake, formed in 1812 by the 7.0 New Madrid (MO) earthquake. Few people realize that there is a New Madrid Fault, running from Memphis to St. Louis. If (and when) it lets loose again, it will be bad, due to a total absence of building requirements. We had a 4.3 in Dyersburg, in 1975, and it was bizarre. I felt a few earthquakes, when living in LA, 85 - 87, and they always unnerved me....the ROLLING ground, rather than shaking.

whitebelt		10-Feb-2011 13:56
I heard of Dyersburg, but never went there. Peyton Places exist everywhere. People is people. Memphis and that area had a very strong sense of righteousness and a very strong streak of hypocrisy amongst many folk there. Smoked a lot of dope there.

Leighton		10-Feb-2011 06:01
Furthermore, in 1980 (!), we still had a segregated "Most Beautiful White" and "Most Beautiful Black" contest going on. AND, we were not allowed a prom, as we were specifically told, that they didn't want mixed racial dating! That's no longer the case, but it blows my mind that the restrictions existed in 1980.

Leighton		10-Feb-2011 05:49
Whitebelt, From '74 - '80, I lived in Dyersburg, TN, a regular "Peyton Place," if there ever was one. Very active small town of about 15,000. At that point, it was trapped in the 50s. Our PUBLIC high school had a membership sorority and fraternity (which I refused to join, as it discriminated against black and Jewish people - in the 70s!!!). The town is still active, but I'm afraid it's on the drug route from Mexico to points north, these days - tons of drug arrests. Lots of money still there. Watching "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" on TCM right now - gotta love it.

whitebelt		09-Feb-2011 16:10
An invigorating -4 degrees in Las Animas this morning at 9 AM. To think if we paid carbon credits we could have avoided this global warming. After 5 days of freezing and subzero temps and two of those waiting for New Mexico Gas Company to get around to lighting things back up I walked some former neighbors through relighting over the phone a couple of days ago. The gas company finally showed up late yesterday. A very ugly story about how thousands and thousand of people were sacrificed to the cold to keep Santa Fe New Mexico up and running with no curtailments there that have been revealed yet. It got down to -46 in some of those places they shut gas off to keep Santa Fe's economy going and its people warm. It was so cold it froze things in Mexico below El Paso.

whitebelt		09-Feb-2011 14:05
Leighton, I lived in Memphis in the late 70's. They had TV north of there back then? :-)

Leighton		09-Feb-2011 05:21
Rewatching "Downton Abbey" already with a friend. The US April airing of BBC's "Upstairs, Downstairs" is actually a sequel to the earlier 1970s series, and now set in 1936. Jean Marsh will be reprising her role of over 30 years ago! (But just three episodes were filmed.) My mistake - the original Darth Vader Super Bowl ad was one minute online, and cut to 30 seconds for the game. It lost a lot, but is still a favorite. Was recently watching the very last two-part "Flipper" episode on Netflix (when the two boys leave Florida), and who pops up, but Christine Baranski, as one of the new kids! (Using her birth name in the credits.) Interesting. Yes, my love of movies started with all of those Sat. afternoon TV matinees in Miami (60s/70s)...Tarzan, Holmes, etc., etc. When we moved to West TN above Memphis, the local CBS affiliate showed uncut movies after the news, almost every night. On the weekends, I was up till 3 A. Unfortunately, a programmer made a mistake in the mid-70s, and I saw a bizarrely explicit film, while in the 7th grade. YIKES. Needless to say, multiple apologies were made the next day, via the news. Most of my film knowledge was obtained before the arrival of VHS in the late 70s...of course, my Dad bought a Beta player...

Parks		07-Feb-2011 15:26
Hi Roberta, Yes I enjoy Burn Notice. It is really shot in Miami unlike CSI Miami and Dexter. Both of which are set in Miami but filmed somewhere else. It really hate that. There is another show filmed in South Florida called The Glades. It's worth watching.

Roberta Perry Hughes		07-Feb-2011 12:30
Leighton.... The only Sherlock Holmes that is tops with me, starred the late great Jeremy Brett, and I revere David Suchet, as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. However, as a child growing up in Miami, I think I saw most every Sherlock Holmes black-and-white film, that starred Basil Rathbone. He, too, was most impressive. Absolutely hated the modern version, on PBS. The original time frame and settings, for this piece, is half of its charm. I like a few of the Britcoms, like Doc Martin, The Worst Week of My Life, As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, and I also enjoyed Coupling. But I agree with you: it's the dramas that are the true Masterpieces of filmdom, and absolutely no one does it better than the UK. There is a newer version of Upstairs Downstairs available on DVD right now. Has any of you been watching Burn Notice....? It is set in Miami. I want to get the series on DVD, if it is available. God be with those who are without a source of heat. Most folks have better shelter than the Native Peoples of New Mexico do. But cold is cold. My heart goes out to all who are cold, and hungry, including animals. Be well, y'all. Be thankful, for a warm home, and food. Hugs, all around. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leighton		07-Feb-2011 00:37
VW RUINED their perfect spot. Idiots. That Darth Vader commercial was incredible at 30 seconds in preview on the Internet, but I just saw a 15 second version that was totally weak. I hope they showed the full version earlier. If not, somebody deserves to be fired...

Leighton		07-Feb-2011 00:15
OK, sorta watching the game, now - lots of commercials I didn't see on the Internet. Not only are they $3 million for thirty seconds, ad time, but some are costing that much to produce. CRAZY. The problem is, I can remember the commercial, but not some of the PRODUCTS. D'OH!! Roberta - having "Downton Abbey" withdrawl - for four weeks on Sunday night, was glued to Masterpiece Classic. Did you watch the contemporary Sherlock Holmes series before Christmas? I don't "get" Brit comedy, but they sure know how to do the dramas...

whitebelt		06-Feb-2011 20:05
The gas is still out in northern New Mexico. Four days so far. Has been below freezing most of that time. They are supposed to be relighting everything today and tomorrow. They sacrificed some communites to keep Santa Fe and Los Alamos up. They could have shut down the heavy industrial users instead. Can you imagine living a mile and higher in altitude with subzero temps for days without heat? Those communities they shut down don't have the retail sources to meet the demand to buy other means of heating, nor the community resources to aid. They shut down the Indian reservations, too.

Parks		06-Feb-2011 16:00
Hi Rat, Two or three million leaving would be nice. At least the influx has slowed. I going to help Snapper build his strip planked canoe today. It should be fun. Super Bowl Commercials, my favorite was the Herding Cats commercial. It was hilarious but probably not very effective. I remember the commercial but not what they were selling.

Miami River Rat		06-Feb-2011 15:17
I haven't vanished, just hibernating and wishing this awful winter would stop the foolishness. I've already used up most of my supply of firewood and I'd expected to have a little left over. It's too cold, wet and nasty outside to cut more and even if i did, green wood doesn't make much heat, the stuff needs to season for about 6 months before it's much good. Oh well, I'll quit griping and think about Parks workin' outside in shirt sleeves. If just two or three million people would leave South Florida and never come back, I'd think about returning home!

Roberta Perry Hughes		06-Feb-2011 10:10
Dontcha just love it....?? I just ordered "Gosford Park," and am looking forward to it. Stars Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson, and Helen Mirren. It was written by the same author, as "Downton Abbey. Can hardly wait for season two, of "Downton Abbey." All of my favorites are in this series, including Brendan Coyle, Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, and Jim Carter. PBS is a treasure, to be sure....! *********************************************************************************************************

Leighton		06-Feb-2011 07:02
"Downton Abbey" is WONDERFUL. I am so excited that they are going to film a second season. Can you believe that the Brits had to watch it with commercials, and we got it on PBS?

Roberta Perry Hughes		06-Feb-2011 06:56
I, too, only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials....most especially when I could give a flying-fart-in-space, as to who wins, between the two teams who are slated to duke-it-out on the gridiron....such as these two teams, in particular. I loved watching when the Dolphins won, of course, but my favorite was when the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, as I followed Joe Namath's career from his days with The Crimson Tide of 'Bama. He was an amazing QB, and his long passes were awesome to watch. As a child in Miami, however, it was Johnny Unitas that we revered, watching him connect that pigskin into the waiting arms of his wide receiver, Lenny Moore. We loved to see the Colts, from that particular era, whip the Steelers. We might opt to view a movie, instead. I bought Downton Abbey, but own several other BBC miniseries, and a nice tea tray, of hot Earl Grey, and freshly-baked scones, sounds a lot more tempting, than to watch the teams who beat the teams that I wanted to be there. What will y'all be serving up....? Had one of the teams I was rooting for made it, I would have made some glazed meatballs, some barbecue chicken wings, and served warm rolls with them....and lots of napkins. Probably had some salty snacks, too, like Cheetos, chips, or Doritos....dip, of course. Instead, it will be Tea Time, and a nice Bonnet and Bustle saga to enjoy. However you spend your day, have a good one....!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Leighton		06-Feb-2011 06:04
Yes, Largo - I have problems with UM and priorities. I graduated in 84 - the year that they won the national championship. I understand the value of sports in universities, but UM was NOT generous, at that time, with academic scholarships. While MANY of the athletes had full scholarships, it took me 20 years to pay off my loans, and I graduated 4.0, and the top of my class (in my department). Such is life. I actually was paid to tutor one of those athletes (work study), and there's no way that he deserved a full scholarship. But, I chose to transfer from Tulane, to attend film school at Miami, and left a full scholarship behind. Stupid on my part.

LARGO		06-Feb-2011 04:49
YEAH MIAMI GAL...COME BACK IN APRIL...PERFECT!!!.. I HOPE...LOL......*I AM WITH YOU LEIGHTON ON THE WHOLE "STUPER BOWL"...I JUST WISH THEY WOULD TREAT TEACHERS WITH THE SAME FINANCIAL RESPECT AS OUR ATHLETES...BUT HEY...THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT...NOT LIKE YOU CAN TUNE INTO A HISTORY CLASS...POP A BREWSKY AND ROAR WITH FROTHING ENTHUSIASTIC ABANDONMENT!!!!......AH WELL...PRIORITIES...AMERICA SURE HAS THOSE RIGHT!.........................LARGO.

Leighton		06-Feb-2011 03:38
Never watch the Super Bowl for the game, just the commercials. But most have leaked this year on the Internet. VW's "The Force" is, by far, the best. Google it. Now I won't have to watch the game - certainly don't care about the half-time show this year. My least favorite commercials so far - the Pepsi spots, and the horrible HomeAway ad - you'll see what I mean. I remember when the Dolphins won, in 72 & 73 - the streets went crazy in 72. It was Super Bowl X, where they filmed scenes for "Black Sunday" at the Orange Bowl.

Miami Girl		06-Feb-2011 02:06
We're gettin' that beautiful kind of snow tonight that covers the trees, it's gonna be a winter wonderland out there in the morning. Lucky me, don't have to go anywhere. Largo, I just finished reading "Maria" with all kinds of historical info about your beloved St. Auggie - can't wait to get back there one day, when it's warmer and we don't freeze our buns off. Now, onto my next book "The Electric Barracuda" and see what Charlie's up to..... HAPPY SUPER BOWL EVERYBODY!!!

LARGO		05-Feb-2011 23:27
HAPPY STUPER BOWL EVE YA'LL.....SURE HOPE THAT ROOF IN DALLAS HOLDS UP...THEY'VE ALREADY HAD A WARNING!!.....................JUST SAYIN'.............LARGO.................IN FOGGY AUGGIE

Roberta Perry Hughes		04-Feb-2011 07:32
We have been watching "Burn Notice," in syndication on My Network TV, an auxilliary station of CBS. It is set in Miami, and features two back-to-back episodes, on Wednesday nights. Here lately, however, Women's Basketball has preempted it, and I cannot get it until midnight. Lewis cannot watch it, that late, and I usually cannot tune in, either. We used to have a weather channel, which was a third auxilliary station of CBS, but now, it shows non-stop country music videos....! We need to have our weather channel back, that featured the local and surrounding areas, by the towns, with the fly over of Doppler radar, that showed the storm systems or rain moving over, or heading our way, plus, a five day forecast, and hour by hour temperatures, up until sunrise. Unless you catch your local morning, noon, and evening news, you have no idea what to expect, overnight, or come sunrise. For us to lose our weather channel is sich a disservice, and I intend to call the station, and complain, and ask them what on earth is going on. Dear God, I pray for those who are without a source of heat, or who have busted pipes, and no power. We don't know how blessed we are, until we read about those who are in dire straits, as far as not having life-sustaining creature comforts, when temperatures drop to deadly digits, across our Nation. It was an unimaginable nightmare, to see the footage of the big rigs and cars, stranded on the interstate, in one of the Dakotas. Big rigs can idle their engines, and run their heat, without consequences, other than burning fuel. But cars are in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, if they idle their engines. What a situation. I cannot begin to imagine, getting caught like that. When my son drove OTR, he got caught like that, in Pennsylvania, and had to spend the night on the highway. He had just refueled, so he was lucky, to be able to idle his truck, and have a source of heat, until he could get out of there, next day. Be careful out there, y'all. Be prepared for outages, shortages, etc. Be well. Stay warm. Take care of your precious selves. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parks		04-Feb-2011 04:26
With all this talk of snow I can't pass up the opportunity to say that I worked all day outside in a short sleeve shirt. Got a little sun burn too. Now would be a good time to visit Miami. (Note to Chamber of Commerce: Thanks for the check.) LARGO, I HAVEN'T TRIED FACE BOOK YET BUT THE NICE COMPUTER LADY REMINDED ME THAT MY BUSINESS HAS A FACE BOOK PAGE THAT SHE MAINTAINS. WHEN I GET A CHANCE I'LL HAVE HER SHOW ME HOW IT WORKS. I STILL WANT TO SEE YOUR ART.

Leighton		04-Feb-2011 03:41
Hooray - an inch of snow predicted tonight. South Texans freak out. WHAT is this herd mentality, to make a run on the grocery store for one damn inch of snow? Yes, it's rare, but REALLY?? Looking forward to 68 degrees on Sunday. Is the Sears still at Coral Way & Douglas? THAT was where we shopped, and of course, Burdines. HATE the Macy's takeover of EVERY independent dept. store in the US. THRILLED to see that Miami is planning on restoring the Miami Marine Stadium (if it happens). I'll never forget seeing Elvis's "Clambake" - lots of Miami locations, but blatantly rear-projection stuff. Mainly LA filming. Good grief, in the final scene, you can see the Southern California MOUNTAINS in the background shots. I think Miami has two fall season pilots filming for fall. One being the new "Charlie's Angels," I think.

Fran		04-Feb-2011 03:35
College Station: 3 to 4 inches of snow tomorrow morning. Bundle up!

Fran		03-Feb-2011 21:04
Whitebelt, Early this morning a farmer came into town and told the guys at the diner that the tits on his boar hog fell off. Mighty cold and temps dropping... Miami Girl, Loved my red Capezio flats and the red clutch to match! English Leather, hmmmm good memories. Oh, yes Canoe was a fav' for guys too. I did iron my hair between two sheets of wax paper. I was lucky never burned the ends like some of my gal friends. Dating (sigh)...good times.

whitebelt		03-Feb-2011 19:20
Just got a call from a friend in New Mexico. Much of the state has lost its natural gas supply because of the rolling blackouts in Texas where most of it comes from. It is 8 degrees where she lives as I write this. Water pipes freezing and people about rioting in the stores to get electric heaters.

Miami Girl		03-Feb-2011 18:04
I do remember all those things mentioned below, my personal fav's were: English Leather or British Sterling for the guys (today will occasionally stop in the store and have a sniff---taking me back in time), Capezio flats, madras shirts and skirts (wrap around with the large pin holding it together). Thank GOD panty girdles, long line bras and hose with garter belts are OUT (no girdle for this boomer, even now). Also liked the 5-7-9 Shops but by my high school years could never get below the size 7! Never used or heard of jello for hair setting gel. Remember the urban myth of the girl with a beehive hair-do that discovered a nest of roaches living in it when blood started dripping down her neck in class??

Roberta Perry Hughes		03-Feb-2011 06:35
When I was in high school (Class of '66) girls wore coachman double sided button front skirts; pullover shell tops; spaghetti strap sundresses, worn with a strapless bra; long line bras; panty girdles; mesh nylon hose; petti-pants; half slips; seersucker shirtwaist dresses; sleeveless dresses; pinwale corduroy jumpers with a long sleeved shirt-type blouse worn beneath it; slingshot shifts, worn with a polyester blouse that featured a pussycat bow; wrap-around skirts; woven Scotch plaid kilt-like skirts, with a large decorative brass safety pin to the side of it; large cable knit pullover sweaters; car coats; barn jackets; circle pins; Princess rings; pearl rings; charm bracelets; Cabretta leather jackets, in various colors; wool coats with fur collars; cashmere sweaters, for those who could afford them; detatchable white rabbit fur collars, worn with a button down sweater that was turned backwards; Bobbie Brooks fashions; flip hairstyles; using Jell-o as a setting gel; ironing hair to make it straight; pudding bowl haircuts, a la the Beatles; accordian pleated plastic rain bonnets; all-weather coats; paisley print jersey dresses and blouses; Windsong cologne; Ambush cologne; and girls crowded around the latest issue of "Seventeen" magazine, in the library. The boys wore pistol legged pants, usually white ones, with a maroon or burgundy shirt; seersucker shirts, worn with a coordinating tie, and tailored slacks (inspired by our young Bookkeeping teacher); Jade East cologne, by Swank; British Sterling cologne; English Leather cologne; leather jackets, in various colors; Letter jackets, worn by the athletes; mascot jackets with the school's name, in the school's colors; jeans; Butch cuts, later replaced by longer, side parted hair styles; but no boy sported the pudding bowl hair style, a la the Beatles. In my sister Audrey's high school years, it was Ship 'n Shore blouses; button front full skirts; Dolman sleeves; raglan sleeves; Peter Pan collars; weskits; vests; convertible elasticized top white Gypsy blouses, that could be worn over-the-shoulders, provided they wore a strapless bra; full, billowing circle skirts, in bright primary colors, with lots of crinolines worn beneath; straight skirts, with a back kick pleat; garter belts; panty girdles; French roll hair styles; ponytails; the bubble cut; the poodle cut; the page boy hairstyle; the ducktail; fragrances by Coty, Lanvin, Arpege, and Evening in Paris; Cutex lipstick and matching nail polish; Revlon, Max Factor, and Tangee cosmetics; pedal pushers; capri pants; anklets and charm bracelets; heart shaped lockets; I.D. bracelets; scatter pins; bangle bracelets; sweater twin sets; sweater guards; topper coats; full length coats; hooded rain coats; shrugs; bolero jackets, usually worn over a strapless, or spaghetti strap dress, for the sake of the dress code; shawls; head scarves. I personally loved the unique black-on-white newsprint fabric, made into clothing. You do not see it, anymore, and I miss it. I wish it would make a come back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

whitebelt		03-Feb-2011 05:12
Jackson/Byrons, Richards, and Thom McCan was pretty much where we got our clothes and shoes. Polyester pants, preferably the continental tab thing to fasten them, and button down collar shirts. Jackson/Byrons used to sell records if I remember right. There was also a store in Northside Shopping Center that sold records. I LOVED the Western Auto in Flamingo Plaza. Don, you ought to remember that one. They had the best Christmas catalogues, too. Drooled all over the sports equipment and fishing and gun stuff. Huge section of electric trains, too. Sears in Northside was another haunt. Things were so much more expensive back then compared to today, especially clothes and shoes. I love WalMart. I loved when the British invasion hit. No more Vaseline hair tonic. Hated that stuff. Greasy hair in Miami. Ugh. Filthy shirt collars. Handkerchiefs. That used to be a big thing. How you carried your handkerchief in your back pocket or suit. Nothing like carrying around a used handkerchief in your back pocket, full of sweat and snot.

Leighton		03-Feb-2011 05:12
While my high school period included leisure suits, silk shirts and disco in the 70s, my early 80s college years witnessed a lot of the styles that you describe. As a kid in the 60s, it was Tough Cords, which Sears now emphasizes as a girls (?) line, and Hang Ten shirts. A predicted inch of snow in SA tomorrow night - the first time in the 21 years that I've lived here. Perhaps THREE inches SOUTH of us. Yuck. But then 70 on Sunday. Watching "Terms of Endearment" on TCM - wow, Shirley MacLaine was my current age. Time's a flyin'.........

Arizoba Al		03-Feb-2011 03:42
Palmetto High 1964: Weejuns, Gant Shirts, Madras Shirts, Kakki Pants, Gold Cup Socks and a belt from The Varsirty Shop. Fortunately I wore Levis, Garrison Belt, Engineer Boofts, non-band name shirt and socks from Eagle Army-Navy Store. Needless to interject that I was part of the "Hoods" and not the Preppy Majority. Thank God!

LARGO		03-Feb-2011 00:58
PALMETTO HI CIRCA 1960 TO 63.....IN THE DAY.....PLEATED SKIRTS/ HARBURT STRAIGHT SKIRTS/ ALSO MADRAS BLOUSES/ VILLIGERS/ CAPEZIO FLATS/ BERNARDO THONG SANDLES...KEDS.....SHOPS...PILGRIMS AND JUDI LESLIE'S @ DADELAND...NEVER DID THE WEEJUNS....LIKED CLOGS BEFORE THEY WERE IN......CRAZY DAZY!!!..............LARGO

Fran		02-Feb-2011 23:38
Whitebelt, Weejuns loved them! Gant shirts, Gant anything. Gator skirts, poor boy tops, Lady Bug shirt dresses, Helen Tracy blouses, Blue Trotters, JC water walkers, Board shorts, Banana Republic T-shirts. Oh, man what fun!

Nike		02-Feb-2011 23:37
LARGO -- I just read what I wrote and see what you mean -- stupid keyboard.

whitebelt		02-Feb-2011 22:51
Nike, leaving your shirt tail out. Rolled cuffs. White socks and black loafers. Weejuns. Pegged pants. Corduroy pants. It is 3 degrees, the high of the day here in sunny, yes, sunny, Las Animas, CO. Expected high tomorrow of 27. Need to break out the shorts.

Fran		02-Feb-2011 21:27
LARGO, HMMMMMMMM,"KNIGHT IN STEAMING ARMOUR" sounds like a nice thought.:) LIVING IN COOPER CITY DURING A FREEZE, FRONT YARD PLANTS WOULD TURN TO MUSH. WE WOULD LET THE TOP LEAVES DRY, TRIM AND THE PLANTS WOULD COME BACK LATER IN THE SPRING. YES, IT WAS SAD, I HAVEN'T SHARED THAT INFO WITH BUT ONLY 3 PEOPLE. YOU BEING THE THIRD PERSON.LIFE WHO KNEW, THAT THIS JOURNEY WOULD BE SO DIFFICULT AT TIMES? I ENJOY YOUR POSTINGS "FREE SPIRITED" WOULD HAPPILY DESCRIBE YOU. THAT MY FRIEND IS THE LOVELY YOU.

LARGO		02-Feb-2011 20:59
PARKS...EVER GET ON FACEBOOK?...THERE'S A HANDFUL OF US FROM THIS SITE OVER THERE...DON INCLUDED........I FEEL A SENSE OF "CABIN FEVER" AS I READ OVER THE 'WINTERY' MUSINGS OF MY FRIENDS HERE.....LIKE ON THE OLD SHOW "NORTHERN EXPOSURE"...AS THE TOWN FOLK GATHERED AND WAITED FOR THE ANNUAL SOUND OF ICE BREAKING....SIGNALING THAT SPRING WAS NEAR...MISS THAT SHOW........NIKE..(NOT MAKING FUN)...I TRIP OVER WORDS ALL THE TIME...BUT WHEN YOU MISSPELL...I LOVE IT 'CAUSE IT'S USUALLY A CLASSIC....LOL...................ROBERTA...NEXT TIME YOU ALL OR A FRIEND IS OUT TO ACE OR HD...PLZ GET ONE OF THOSE LITTLE 3" LED FLASHLITES WITH A LOOP ON THE END SO YOU CAN WEAR IT OR CARRY IN YOUR POCKET...AND KEEP IT AT YOUR BEDSIDE AT NITE...I TOOK A NASTY FALL AWHILE BACK DURING A BLACKOUT.. LOOKING FOR THE DARN FLASHLITE...NOTHING BROKE ...BUT NOW I HAVE IT WITH ME... ;~) SOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ... WHATS WITH THE MILLION SHARK MARCH OFF THE GOLD COAST OF FLORIDA???...I LOVE THE BEACHES HERE...BUT I ONLY GO IN ANKLE DEEP ANY MORE...ASIDE FROM HORRIBLE COLD, RIOTS, SHARKS & WILD BOARS LOOSING THEIR 'GIRLS' (GADS FRAN THATS TOO SAD TO PONDER)...I'VE HEARD SIMILAR STORIES.......*DOES ANYONE REMEMBER IN S. FLORIDA WHEN IT WOULD RARELY GO TO FREEZING??....WHAT A MESS WITH ALL THE DEAD PLANT DEBRIS PILED FOR WEEKS AT THE CURB....WELL ...ENOUGH EH?......PLEASE ALL OF YOU STAY SAFE, WARM AND DRY AND ENJOY YOUR SUPER BOWL WEEKENDS....I SHALL BE READING 'THE ELECTRIC BARRACUDA'..WITH MY NEW WHOLEPAGE MAGNIFIER...LOOKING FOR OUR "KNIGHT IN STEAMING ARMOUR"....HAHAHAHA!!......................LARGO

Nike		02-Feb-2011 18:07
I read an article today about guys wearing their belt buckle just to the left if centerline to be "cool." It made me remember many other things that gus did to be "cool" in the fifties and sixties: - Fruit loops (cloth tab in the back of a shit just below the collar) - Bleeding Madris shirts - Collar turned up - Carring cigarettes in the sleeve of a t-shirt - Duck tails - Flattops haircut - Taps on the heels of our shoes What have I forgotten? What did the gals do to be cool way back then?

Leighton		02-Feb-2011 17:25
The Category 5 "cyclone" hitting Australia is under-reported, due to the Egyptian crisis and our winter storm. Add that to the area's massive flooding...I can only imagine the result. Guess I should jump to weather.com, or a Queensland site.

Leighton		02-Feb-2011 17:17
Yes, as a location scout, I know Texas. We actually hit 18 last night - not too spared. Today, rolling outages throughout SA and all major Texas cities, to prevent power grid failure. Have had two outages, so far. A pain, when you work at home, and all on the computer. Hitting the save button every minute, now. And it was 83 on Sunday - yikes. Two more "teen nights," then up to 70 this weekend. I remember that Miami had yo-yo weather in the winter - day versus night, anyway...

Ariziona Al		02-Feb-2011 15:19
Unusually cold in the Valley of the Sun. Temperature around freezing (32F) for the next 2 nights. Day time high today in low 50s and in the 60s tomorrow. Even Arizona is not immune from the Winter of 2010-2011:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well and actually wearing a jacket in Phoenix, Arizona

Roberta Perry Hughes		02-Feb-2011 13:59
Good morning, everyone. It is 61 degrees, here in the CSRA, with winds of 20-30 mph. The skies are partly cloudy, and we are expected to have chances of rain. Last night, we had intermittent deluges of rain lasting 10 to 15 minutes, when suddenly, it would stop, like flipping a switch. Distant thunder rumbled in the background, like a hungry stomach. Long about midnight, the lights flickered, and blip! No power. I sat here in the dark, in my task chair, where I had been on the computer. I called to Lewis, to shine his flashlight my way, so that I could locate my own. Found some candles, and rigged them up on the dining room table, after I put in a call to the power company. Sat there, and worked the Sunday crossword puzzle, and Jumblewords, by candle light, and thought about Abraham Lincoln, reading by the light from his fireplace. I thought about all of y'all, who live where the white stuff comes to town, and prayed y'all were safe and warm, and your pets and plants were inside. I always think about the homeless folks, and even the homeless stray animals, having to try to seek shelter, during inclement weather. Plus, all the herds of cattle and horses, as well. "The Children's Blizzard," by David Laskins, is a historical novel about the freak blizzard that struck suddenly, in January 1888, just when children were walking home from school. It had been an unusually warm day, that morning, so they were not dressed for cold weather. That blizzard came down from the arctic, and was extremely large, similar to this one that has hit. It would seem that, so-called "global warming" and its effects, has been around a long long time. Stay warm. Be well. Be careful. #########################################################################

Fran		02-Feb-2011 13:38
Local forecast, -3 wind chill, but we were lucky. The low was 20 instead of 13 degrees. SA is more than 2 hours southwest of us. Good that SA was spared. Rolling electric outages during the day here. Power was off for two hours this morning. CK, had to order the book in large print. Should be in next week.... Featured "new" arrival at our local Barnes and Noble.

Leighton		02-Feb-2011 08:00
18 to 25 degrees across Texas tonight - very unusual. Haven't heard of any -3 wind chills. Living an episode of "I Love Lucy" right now - while closing the blinds to keep in the heat, I managed to break my roommate's favorite vase. Grabbed a tube of SuperGlue, and fixed it - now to sneak it back. No good will come of this. "Lucccyyyyyyy" "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Watching weird '69 film on TCM - "Last Summer" - with Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison. Part of the 31 days of Oscar. Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for Catherine Burns, who did little after that. It was the film that led Hershey to change her last name to "Seagull," for a while. Whatever. Maybe some of you remember it. Was a bit controversial for its time...

Fran		02-Feb-2011 04:59
Whitebelt, Not much better in College Station...cold today, high of 60's. Then the rain came...freezing rain and horrible winds. Tomorrow in the teens. wind chill temp -3, too cold for me. Local farmer states that the tits on his wild boar fell off. Who knew, coldest winter in over a 100 years. Bundle up...should be in the 60's for the Super Bowl. One can only hope...:)

whitebelt		02-Feb-2011 03:21
At 8 PM it is -2 degrees in Las Animas, CO, with a wind chill factor of -20. It is expected to drop to about -14 with a wind chill down to -33 overnight. It has been no higher than 2 degrees all day long. Was cold yesterday. Will be cold tomorrow, and the day after. It was up into the 60's a couple days last week. This is a very large arctic mass. And a very cold one. The power company had issues today. The power went on and off several times, and stayed off for a couple of hours twice. They have a reverse 911 system that alerted residents about the power problems and to seek shelter because it was god damned cold. Luckily my backup gas heater worked out rather well, except it doesn't underneath the house like the furnace. It was 20 degrees in my hot tub building. The electric meter is spinning like crazy. I read an article today where Al Gore says this cold is a result of global warming.

Kellie Jocoy		02-Feb-2011 00:53
Hi all! I was wondering if anyone remembers or has photos of Pioneer City? It was a western themed park in Davie during 1966 through 1968. Loved going on the horses! Kellie

Nike		31-Jan-2011 21:26
Abandoned Florida -- I came across an interesting website www. AbandonedFL .com -- Abandoned Florida is dedicated to preserving Florida’s past through documentation, be that through photos, videos or interviews, of interesting places around the state. The website was created after a hospital was demolished in Miami with no information about it and no pictures of it, and thinking that other sites would eventually follow, the website was born. We are passionate about preservation and just wish to share some of Florida’s lost history.

charlis		29-Jan-2011 20:05
Charlie M died? I miss him. I remember the tour he gave me of the station at the old address on Biscayne, and snacks together at the deli next door to the Miami Beach station on 41st St....

Leighton		29-Jan-2011 06:02
Whoops, forgot the club membership rules. CK, can't wait to see the book. Someday, somehow, somebody will make a film about the Gator Hook Lodge. I guarantee it. It's just too good. The way that narrator says "Life After People," kinda creeps me out. I've watched a few episodes. It IS indeed bizarre, how quickly places/things "age." I walked by our old mountain cabin in East TN recently, and you'd think it hadn't been touched in 100 years, and we only sold it 20 years ago. Shocking, actually.

Parks		29-Jan-2011 02:42
Nike, Great news on the missle! Let me know if I can help. I just got back from fishing with my friends Darrell and Bill who worked at the Park for many years. I told them you were looking for one, now I can tell them you found it. CK, I'll buy a copy of the book tomorrow. I just returned from my annual shad fishing trip on the St. Johns River. We stay in a cabin in Blue Springs State Park. If you are ever in the area of Sanford Florida I highly recommend you try to spend a night or two in the park. The cabins are really nice two bedroom, bath, kitchen living room with fireplace and a screened porch complete with rocking chairs. No TV, no internet. Cost about $90 per night. I went to sleep listening to a Barred Owl asking "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all". We counted at least 10 Bald Eagles and saw one trying to steal a meal from an Osprey.

Fran		29-Jan-2011 00:18
Charlie, Sounds great, can't wait to read the book, much happiness wished to you and yours.

Charles Knight		28-Jan-2011 23:22
Hi gang, just wanted to check in with you all and remind you that Tim Dorsey's 'Electric Barracuda' is now available at your local bookstore as well as Amazon. He kept his word. Lucky Cole and I are featured toward the end of the story. There is also a lot about Ervin Rouse, the Loop road, and my family's bar 'Gator Hook Lodge'. I haven't had time to read the book as of yet but my lovely wife Leslie found the chapters that we're in. Looks like a lot of fun. Charlie.

Miami Girl		28-Jan-2011 18:28
Nike/Don, great news about the missile and doubt anyone on LeJune would notice, they're all too interested in cutting in and out of traffic and beating the next light. I don't know how many of you are familiar with Homestead Air Force Base as it was before Andrew, but when we visited it on Monday we felt we had been transported into that show "Life After People". The Reserve base "gate" is much further down the road than the old one was so we turned left before we got to it - drove past the old barracks and Enlisted Club then before getting to the fence surrounding the old flight line the roads started disappearing into overgrowth - paved roads now only about 8 feet wide for the first 50 feet then disappeared altogether!!! We started getting a creepy feeling - almost expecting to happen upon a nefarious bunch of drug sellers. So needless to say we got the hell out! You can't go home again folks, it only exists in our minds.

Nike		28-Jan-2011 16:03
Don -- I hope to be there when the Nike is delivered to the Miami airport. If so, I'll let you and Parks know in advance so you can be there. What a photo op. Maybe we can mount it in a launcher on LeJune Road pointed skyward with smoke bombs ignited in the boosters during peak traffic. Think anyone would notice?

Don Boyd		28-Jan-2011 07:23
Nike, I'm glad I had a contact to help you out and it's all for a great cause in my opinion. C'mon back one of these days and we'll get those key lime milk shakes. : ) Don

Leighton		28-Jan-2011 04:47
Oliver Stone is a major "revisionist" - and I refuse to watch his films. Granted, "Hollywood" has always rewritten history, but I find it much less acceptable in 2011. A recent "historical" film that I loved? "United 93" Off subject....is anybody watching the broadcast of "Downton Abbey" on PBS? LOVE it. No wonder that this BBC production was one of the highest rated shows in its history, last year, in the UK. (And one of the most expensive.) Thrilled to learn that they are filming a second "series" (what the Brits call "seasons") this year. Perfect acting, directing and location filming. I'll admit to working on a "biopic," myself. "The Newton Boys" - released 1998. We did have an historian on set. For two weeks of filming in San Antonio, I spent FIVE MONTHS of location managing prep. We "played" 1920s Chicago and Toronto. While they did utilize some of the earliest CGI technology, most of the set-dressing was done the old-fashioned way - physically. It was INSANE. I worked with City, State and Federal offices to alter downtown SA - anything that wasn't "period," had to go. One shot was five seconds long, but I had to remove light poles, signal lights, air-conditioning units, signs, meters, etc. etc. Also worked on the TNT mini-series "Rough Riders" - South Texas became Cuba and Florida - during a DROUGHT. Ugh. Wait, yet ANOTHER biopic - "Selena" - the jerk producers didn't give me credit on that one. It was accurate, though - her family was on the set, and advisors. Oh, another historical drama I didn't get credit on - "American Outlaws" - the Jesse James story. Yes, that film messed with history BIG TIME - kind of a "Beverly Hills, 90210" version of events - it rightfully tanked. One of the biggest bombs in film history, was Disney's 2004 version of "The Alamo," which filmed in nearby Austin. I was the Film Commissioner at that time, here in SA, and had nothing to do with it. The media harassed me constantly....WHY is it not filming in SA???? DUH. As if they would film at the actual Alamo, now in the center of downtown? The film, with marketing, cost around $250 million, but made one-tenth of that on release. While "Ishtar" and "Heaven's Gate" remain synonymous with the words "film bomb," that film managed to be erased from everyone's memory. I know...this has nothing to do with Miami...sorry.

Nike		28-Jan-2011 01:29
A bit of great news -- I have just been notified the Army is donating a Nike Hercules missile, sans warhead, electronics, guidance, and booster fuel to us for display at the Nike missile base in Everglades National Park. It needs a new paint job but other than that is in pristine condition. Thanks to the GREAT DON BOYD, we have been notified that the George T. Baker Aviation School at Miami International Airport will sand and repaint the Nike as a school project this summer at no charge. Don, I owe you bigtime. You have an lifetime membership at Robert is Here for free Key Lime Shakes. Seriously, I couldn't have pulled this off without his help.

Miami Girl		27-Jan-2011 23:16
Leighton, I also have a problem with the "altered" reality in those biopics. Those who don't study history come to view these movies as fact - thus eventually changing history in some small minds (the main example I can think of is Oliver Stone's JFK). I'm actually looking forward to seeing at least three of those nominated movies this year, prior years haven't had many I've been interested in. Roberta, you and Lewis are an inspiration to all. I love your positive outlook on life and the obvious love you have for each other. Keep strong and enjoying every moment - even during those "occasional spats" - it's life and it's wonderful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our house in NY sells quickly and we move to Augusta, GA -- maybe then we can meet in person.

Jackie		27-Jan-2011 15:37
Roberta, thanks for the update on Lewis's condition. In spite of the hardships, the two of you are truly blessed to have found each other. You are an inspiration to all of us.

Leighton		27-Jan-2011 05:32
I do plan on seeing "The King's Speech" on DVD, but I am unhappy with the increasing number of articles detailing how historically inaccurate the film actually is. Being in the industry myself, I know that films take liberties with history in biopics. But some of what they have apparently "altered," is not acceptable. I'll try to post the link to one of the pieces. Movies are movies, but I do think that there is a responsibility to be reasonably true-to-life. Actually, the Oscars will - as usual - spread the awards around. Natalie Portman will most likely win Best Actress, and Colin Firth, Best Actor. Best Supporting Actor will be Christian Bale, I bet. Supporting Actress is the main toss-up. Best Pic? I'd guess "The Social Network." Somewhere, they'll honor the "True Grit" remake.

Roberta Perry Hughes		26-Jan-2011 10:03
Hooray....!! "The King's Speech" leads the Oscars, with 12 nominations, including Best Actor for Colin Firth, as well as a Best Picture nod. My fingers are crossed for a sweep, in all the nominated categories. It is predicted that it will sweep the 14 nominated categories, for the BAFTA Awards, and hopefully, for the upcoming SAG Awards. I hope that some of you have gone to see this multi-award winning film. I am not well enough, unfortunately, to travel to where it is playing. I will have to wait for it to be released on DVD, and amazon.com is taking pre-orders, already. Lewis' Neurologist tweaked his medications regime, yesterday, by increasing his Sinemet dosage from 3 times daily, to 4. We are both looking forward to his improved ambulatory status, in the near future, especially during the evening hours. He continues to do quite well, during the day, for which I am truly grateful, and we have much for which to be thankful. So far, his condition is considered to be "moderate," and the Parkinson's Disease is termed as "borderline." Most assuredly, he has come a long way, since the onset of this disease, and the two of us have weathered many a crisis, and have shared buckets of tears, since Day One. We no longer take life for granted, and we celebrate even the smallest of triumphs, in our daily lives. Lucky for him, he married a football fan, who also likes to watch the annual Augusta Masters Golf Tournament, and the ending games of March Madness. I watch Western movies with him, and he enjoys my collection of BBC Masterpiece Theater miniseries, and PBS programs, including "Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot," starring David Suchet, and we like the same TV series, like NCIS, Castle, The Mentalist, The Big Bang Theory, and reruns of Law and Order: CI. Many times, I read him the Comments on this website, and we view the photos in the Galleries. I have long ago "introduced" him to all of you wonderful regular posters, in the Rogues Gallery. In general, it's all good, even with the occasional spats we sometimes have. We help one another, everyday, and we are lucky, for our rapport and compatibility. Love is very much alive, in our home, and we wish the very same, for your own. Those of you who still live in the area, give Miami a big "Hello" for me. All these long years later, I still miss the place, and all of the memories I hold in my heart of hearts. Thanks, Don, for this wonderful gift you have given to us. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Fran		25-Jan-2011 12:53
Roberta, What a great story!

Roberta Perry Hughes		25-Jan-2011 08:46
Jack LaLane.....he had two white German Shepherds, named Happy and Smiley. He always ended his show doing jumping jacks, to a recording of "Camptown Races," being played badly on what sounded like a Hammond organ. One day, these two dogs were on camera, and as LaLane was doing his jumping jacks in time to the music, ol' Happy began to hump Smiley. LaLane would stop his routine, make the dogs behave, and go right back to his routine, which, of course, the two dogs would continue with their own "exercises," and you could hear the camera man, and other techs, laughing, in the background. Must have been a live show, as LaLane had to just carry on, and pray for the end of the broadcast. Didn't see too much of those dogs, after that one episode. Everyone talked about it at school, for days. Was anyone else watching, on that particular morning....?? ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Parks		25-Jan-2011 02:32
Miami Girl, sorry I missed you. Maybe next time.

Miami Girl		25-Jan-2011 02:19
Good ol' Charlie Murdock, I well remember those dances at the Cutler Ridge Shopping Center -- I happen to be sitting in the La Quinta Inn across Caribbean Blvd right now, of course the old shopping center isn't there as we knew it, but the spirit will always be as long as us boomers are around to remember. Parks, sorry I didn't check this site yesterday when we returned from the cruise, maybe we all could have linked up for lunch or something! Yesterday we visited the Redland Hotel where we had reservations, She couldn't locate the confirmation but after about 15 minutes did find our email exchange so she would have had to boot someone else out of the room since our reservation was first, but after checking out the room we respectfully declined to stay there. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't recommend the place. Today I went to Knaus Berry Farm, got some Guava Jelly but skipped the sticky buns because next was Robert Is Here where I HAD to have the Key Lime Milkshake, then found out I couldn't taste it because of the crappy cold I caught on the cruise!! LIFE AIN'T FAIR SOMETIMES. Then we went to Key Largo for lunch at Rib Daddys - still couldn't taste but I loved being down there. A wonderful day in sunny Florida, especially when those back home had -15 degrees this morning! Leaving tomorrow to go back to the frozen north............NUTS!!!!

Leighton		24-Jan-2011 06:22
He was 96. Yeah, grew up with him, in some way or another.

whitebelt		24-Jan-2011 04:36
Jack LaLanne died today at age 97. I used to hate having to watch his show in the morning when my mother had it on. Talk about an institution. These are quotes of him. "if man made it, don't eat it", and "if it tastes good, spit it out."

Parks		23-Jan-2011 03:36
As with many invasive species like the Brazilian Pepper plant, the Malaluca Tree, the Everglades pythons, the walking cat fish and many others, the Pink Snails originated overseas, Italy to be exact. Go here to see photos and learn about them:http://www.pinksnails.com/ Coconut Grove had its own street art thing, Peacocks of course. The city of Miami had giant roosters. LARGO, THANKS FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT. THE CLASS WENT WELL AND EVERYBODY HAD A GOOD TIME. I’LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT FACE BOOK. ONE OF THE PHOTO SITES I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS SMUGMUG. THAT IS WHERE MY FRIEND SNAPPER HAS POSTED PHOTOS OF OUR BOATS. THIS IS THE LINK TO THE ONE WHERE PHOTOS OF THE POLE BOAT ARE:http://jmlynn.smugmug.com/Boats/Voyage-of-the-Sandflea/11653893_sm3ev#821813009_4UbAg I think I’ve posted that before but it will give you an idea of the type of site I meant. Miami Girl is due in town tomorrow. Wish I could figure out how to meet up with her and say hi face to face. Darrell, Bill and I are headed to Blue Springs State Park next week for our annual shad fishing on the St. Johns River. Charles Knight, Are you out there? I met a swamp rat today. He runs the Skunk Ape Research Center in Ochoppie. (Spelling?) He wants to build pole boats to give Everglades tours.

LARGO		22-Jan-2011 19:41
FRAN!!...PARKS!!.....SNAIL MYSTERY SOLVED...WHAT SITES ARE U TALKING ABOUT...RE "THOSE SITES" ?...FACEBOOK IS AN EASY SITE..AND FUN...AND FREE!!!..ASK DON TO SHOW YOU HOW...*DON...HELP!!................MY SISTER WAS MARRIED IN PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL...MARCH '73.....FAIRYTALE WEDDING...BEAUTIFUL CHURCH!!....JACKSONVILLE DID A SIMILAR THINGS AS THE FLAMINGOS AND SNAILS SEVERAL YEARS BACK..BEFORE I MOVED HERE...THEY CREATED FULL SIZED JAGUARS FOR LOCAL ARTIST TO PAINT.."JAGS NFL TEAM"...AND HAD THEM ALL OVER THE CITY...PARKS...I THINK YOU WILL DO GREAT AS A TEACHER...YOU LOVE WHAT U DO...JUST TEACH FROM THAT ENTHUSIASM YOUR HEART...GOOD LUCK...LET US KNOW......LARGO.....WAITING FOR WARMER DAYS

Parks		22-Jan-2011 02:55
This afternoon Susan and I were driving to Coconut Grove and went through the traffic circle at Lejune Road and Old Cutler. There were four of the giant snails going around the circle. They are so outrageous you just have to smile. We needed a smile as we were going to a memorial service for a friend who recently passed. The service was at Plymouth Congregational on Main Highway. It's a stunning church if you ever get a chance to visit. LARGO, PLEASE POST SOME PHOTOS OF YOUR WORK ON ONE OF THOSE PHOTO SITES SO WE CAN ALL GET A LOOK. A FRIEND OF MINE, PEIRE PIERCE, WHO IS A TERIFFIC SCULPTER, MOVED TO THE ST. AUGUSTINE AREA A FEW YEARS AGO. HE MAKES SMALL BRONZES OF FISH THAT ARE OFTEN BOUGHT AS TROPHYS FOR FANCY FISHING TOURNAMENTS. Tomorrow is the day I teach the boat building class. Wish me luck, I’ve never tried to teach anything.

Fran		22-Jan-2011 00:00
PARKS AND LARGO, THE PINK SNAILS CAME FROM MIAMI BEACH...DUE TO TEENS DEFACING THEM. THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES AGREED TO TAKE THEM AND DISPLAY THEM AROUND THE CITY. TWO WERE SOLD TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND THE REST WERE DISPLAYED. THEY ARE PART OF A TRAVELING ARTS DISPLAY. SOON THEY WILL TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY BRING JOY TO THOSE WHO LIKE THAT KIND OF ART FORM. AS FOR MYSELF, I LOVE THE PINK FLAMINGOS AND THE PINK SNAILS DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. OH, THE PINK FLAMINGOS WERE PART OF A DOWNTOWN GABLES PROJECT TO INVITE LOCAL ARTISTS TO DECORATE THEM, BRING INTEREST TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

LARGO		21-Jan-2011 21:43
PARKS...LOVE THE PINK SNAILS STORY...DID YOU EVER FIND OUT WHAT THE DEAL WAS? THERE ARE 'SOME' PHOTOS ON MY FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM....I AM WORKING ON A NEW BODY OF WORK...MOST OF THE PHOTOS OF MY PAINTINGS & DEMENTIONAL WORK RANGE FROM 1965 TO PRESENT...YIKES 45 YEARS...MANY DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL STYLES...I LEFT THE S. FLORIDA AREA MID 70'S...FOR AWHILE...BUT WAS INVOLVED IN MANY SHOWS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS THERE...MY FAVORITE WAS THE COCONUT GROVE ART FESTIVAL...THEY HAD GREAT ORGANIZERS...I ALWAYS SOLD WELL THERE...WONDERFUL ART COMMUNITY BACK THEN....AND MANY OF US GYPSIED UP AND DOWN THE EAST AND WEST COAST...CAMPING AND SELLING OUR WORK..KIDS AND ALL...IT WAS A FUN, AND MUCH DIFFERENT TIME.....IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND CLIQUE-ISH TODAY.....I LIKE THINGS LIGHT AND SIMPLE...............LARGO

Ariziona Al		21-Jan-2011 18:51
Charlie Murdock was the Host at WQAM's Friday Night Teen Dances at the Cutler Ridge Community Center circa 1961-1963. The Rockin Ramrods supplied the live music. My self and the other delinquent Ridge Rats supplied mischief and mayhem.Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Don Boyd		21-Jan-2011 15:27
. Disk jockey and program director Charlie Murdock, formerly at WQAM 560AM in the 1950's and 1960's, passed away last Sunday, January 16th at age 78, in Panama City, Florida where he was visiting friends. The article about his death is at: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110118/NEWS0104/101190355/ I remember he used to have his young daughter Martha Sue talking on the show from time to time. He used to have the late afternoon drive time shift on WQAM and he was always doing promotional announcements for Flynn's Dixie Ribs on Dixie Highway. Don .

Leighton		21-Jan-2011 00:38
AA, actually, the area was much more educated and progressive in the past. Lots of Germans around, and some major industrial plants - that ended in WW2. My late grandparents moved there in the 20s - I spent time there, starting in the 60s, as a kid. The small towns were bustling, and there was a lot going on. During the 70s, people moved out en masse, and the deep valley Appalachian folks took their place. A flood of wealthy Northerners started moving in in the 90s, for medical and Eastman Kodak jobs, but they have succeeded in isolating themselves, and not giving a damn about the local communities - well, Kingsport benefits from Eastman - sorta - although pollution is ignored, from the plant. Also, my Dad was a pastor in some of the mountain communities there in the 50s - just after seminary - and he still talks about their pride, and desire to learn. Today, I encounter some truly frightening people. They are proud to be uneducated...and care nothing about history, the arts, sensible economic development, etc. All they want is Walmart and fast food restaurants. And they ridicule anyone who tries to improve the situation. While living there last year, I spoke with several people who put out a lot of time and money, attempting to revive the area, but they were essentially chased off. Western NC towns are discovering their downtowns and history quite successfully - of course, they are seeing a different kind of influx, of new "settlers." I may end up settling there myself, one day, and I just hope things change...

Arizona Al		20-Jan-2011 05:29
Leighton: I attended Appalacian State University in Boone,N.C. 1972-1974. Spent quite a bit of time between Boone, Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, Va. If you think the area is a "bit colloquial" today you should have seen it in the early 1970s. Alan Ogus, Ph.D... M.A. Appalachian State University 1974.

Arizona Al		20-Jan-2011 05:24
Nike: One of my best friends from college daze is from Crossnore, N.C. He is still living there to this day. His mother was the Postmistress in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His name is Bert (Colbert) Palmer. The world is flat! Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

Nike		20-Jan-2011 05:04
Leighton -- I think I may have eatent there in the late nineteen eighties. I was there on business and my parents drove over from Crossnore, NC near Boone where they lived back then and we had dinner. Regarding Starbucks, I'm not saying I'm addicted to Starbucks but, I have every Starbucks in America downloaded in my car's GPS. When someone asks how I take my coffee, I tell them, "IV Drip."

Leighton		20-Jan-2011 03:34
Nike - that was a former Wendy's, and one of the first Starbucks drive-thru's in the country. It is always crazy busy with the new money crowd of JC. Sorry I didn't know you were passing through - my parents would have taken you to the iconic Peerless Steakhouse - boring new building, but a history since 1938. You might have enjoyed visiting the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon, VA - across from the famous Barter Theater...

Parks		19-Jan-2011 05:26
HI LARGO, TELL US ABOUT YOUR ART. HAVE YOU POSTED PICTURES ON THE INTERNET ANYWHERE? There is a kind of neat art event going on in Coral Gables now. As I was driving to work last week I saw about a dozen giant pink snails in a parking lot. I realized that I hadn't been drinking and they really were there. Over the next several days the snails would leave the lot and appear at other spots around Coral Gables. Then more appeared! I think they must have been breeding. This morning I saw the last of them leave the parking lot in the back of a U Haul trailer. He seemed quite content riding there. Coral Gables is now infested with giant pink snails. I'm going to write the Mayor and suggest he fill all the swimming pools in the city with beer. That should get rid of them. If he doesn't want to get rid of them, he should at least put saddles on them so people could ride them around town.

LARGO		18-Jan-2011 17:33
BEING AN ARTIST AND CRAFTER....FESTIVALS ARE HOW WE GET OUR CUSTOMER FLOW......'ONE' REASON I LIKE ST. AUGUSTINE IS THE HUGE AMOUNT OF FESTIVALS THAT ABOUND IN THE AREA....AND THEN THERE IS THE TOURIST TRADE...SO THIS SORTA GETS ME UP TO MAKE THE COFFEE...AND THE CREATIVITY BEGINS!!!!.......LARGO

Nike		18-Jan-2011 04:26
Leighton -- I thought about you as Nancy and I had coffee at Starbucks on Roan Street in Johnson City this evening. We are driving from Atlanta to New York and the snow was pretty hard coming over the mountain from Ashville to Tri-Cities. We have stopped for the night here in Wythe, VA and will conrtinue in the morning if the roads are passable.

whitebelt		17-Jan-2011 15:17
Leighton, I will agree with you about those areas where some groups of people are dumb and proud of it.

Leighton		16-Jan-2011 09:13
Yes, know Jonesborough well. Dropped by once in December to eat. Not into the whole storytelling concept myself, but am aware of it. I don't even like to hear actors/performers read books on tape. Although movies are my chosen profession, it's a whole different ballgame. I remember a time in 87 - I was working at Nashville's Davis-Kidd Booksellers. Each Saturday morning, they hosted storytelling for children, and that day, a young Shirley Temple-ish girl was yelling her story in a fake Irish brogue. After twenty minutes, the female clerk next to me whispered, "Does anyone have a gun?" I laughed so hard, that I had to excuse myself. Nike - it was The State of Franklin. Again, my likes and dislikes of East TN are about 50-50. Nice scenery, but I've met enough of the most blatant, blissful and intentionally ignorant folks, to last a lifetime. Well, except for East TX, where I spent two months location managing a movie, once. The locals seemed to get much pleasure from throwing my road barricades on the roofs...OF THEIR OWN BARNS. D'oh.....

Nike		16-Jan-2011 03:14
LARGO -- I THINK JONESBOROUGH WAS ACTUALLY A STATE A WHILE BEFORE NORTH CAROLINA WAS DIVIDED TO BECOME TENNESSEE.

LARGO		16-Jan-2011 00:30
LEIGHTON...MY SISTER LINDA POLAND IS THE 'RESIDENT STORYTELLER' IN JONESNOROUGH TN...THE OLDEST TOWN IN TENNESSEE...JUST OUTSIDE JOHNSON CITY....THIS TINY TOWN IS THE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL STARTING THE FIRST FRIDAY EVERY OCTOBER...EVERY YEAR...IT IS A STELLAR EVENT....TELLERS AND ARTS AND CRAFT COME FROM THE WORLD OVER...ITS AN AMAZING TIME IF YOU ENJOY THIS SORT OF THING...APPALACHIAN HISTORY FOOD AND JUST THE YUMMIEST OF FUN....DO YOU KNOW OF IT...???..........SO MAKE YOUR VISITS IN OCTOBER...AND SOAK UP SOME FUN STUFF..............LARGO

Nike		15-Jan-2011 17:31
Leighton -- I agree. There are too many people that are more interested in tearing down what can be revitalized and preserved for a profit. Even though they got their profits, the economy is now paying the price. Many of the urban stripmall developments are standing empty at whose expense? Don't get me started....... Miami Rogues -- Maybe the best idea is for everyone to choose where to stay while in Miami for the Miami Rogues Party at a place somewhere convenient to all. After the 60's style party, everyone can stumble or take a cab to their hotel room. Don and Parks can ride together. We can still do different things as small groups such as Nike site, Crandon Park, ols neighborhoods, etc. Ideas??

Miami Girl		15-Jan-2011 12:25
Fran, the Trump Hotel is just a few highrises down from here & I think the rooms start at $400.00! The Sahara (with the camels still out front) is next door but either had worse reviews or is more expensive - cant remember). Parks we'll be in Honestead after the cruise on the 23rd & 24th, so it looks like we'll just miss you!! :(

Leighton		15-Jan-2011 06:05
Nike - they are in the Tri-Cities. An area, I'm sad to say, that doesn't appreciate its history. It was ravaged in the 70s, by the horrible "urban renewal" concept - it must have been a poster child area. They don't seem to understand the concept of rejuvenating downtowns. It's all about suburban sprawl, on a small scale. Just across the mountains, in Western NC, every small town is discovering its roots, and doing a great job. I love Asheville, though it's over-populated, and ridiculously expensive. Salaries don't match the cost-of-living. If I went to Miami - I'd stay in an interesting property on South Beach - some are affordable. I see that the Silver Sands Motel (Resort) is STILL around in Key Biscayne - it had a great beach bar in the 80s, but that's long gone. Crazy variety of reviews on the Internet, from horrible to great. I shot a student film at the Place St. Michel in Coral Gables, in the 80s - it's still there. Rooms are about $189 a night.

Parks		15-Jan-2011 04:26
Whitebelt you are always good for a laugh. You sure do have that cat trained. Miami Girl, when are you going down to Homestead? There is a festival at the Redland Fruit and Spice Park this weekend and I'll be teaching my boat building class there next Saturday.

Fran		15-Jan-2011 03:48
Sorry to hear... are the other hotels near the Bird?

Miami Girl		15-Jan-2011 02:14
Okay ya'll who are planning on attending the Oct reunion, I'm at the Thunderbird Hotel and rate it about a 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. It's dated, but not that bad. We (actually it was me, I can't blame my husband) decided to save money the first night on this trip and stayed at a $59.00 Red Roof Inn - I rate it a 2.0 - I didn't even want to walk around barefoot on that carpet. Then we've stopped at La Quinta and Marriott (my favorite and it get's my 9.0 rating). Never stayed at The Ritz or a Trump Hotel so I can't compare them (Marriott's are the top of my list). We're paying $133.00 because we wanted a refundable rate when the reservations were made since ya never know when one of us old people will have to cancel due to sickness - but the web site has rooms available for $83.00. Even the $133. is good for Miami Beach. It's got a great pool and bar area for a party so it'd be good to get a pool side ground floor room.

Arizona Al		15-Jan-2011 01:18
Kenny Blanton: Well 1976 sounds right. My memory and conciousness occlude a bit after 35 years. A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse:) Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona

whitebelt		14-Jan-2011 17:39
Heh heh. Cat's are such simple minded creatures. So easy to manipulate. I have my Soledad well trained. When she wants a treat she has to come ask me for one. When she wants to play she leads me to the fishing rod or plops down for a game of spin the cat or just to get mushied up. When she wants to be brushed she leads me to the brush and even flops over to get her sides brushed. Lot to brush, too, as she has gotten rather plump. I even have her trained to meow loudly at me while she is perched on her cat condo when she needs something, like those treats, brushing, or playing. Such simple minded creatures, so easy to train.

Kenny Blanton		14-Jan-2011 14:32
July 7th, 8th & 9th

Kenny Blanton		14-Jan-2011 14:31
Arizona Al -- Those Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts were on July &, 8, & 9th, 1976 at The Fox Theater. They recorded the album "One More From The Road" there. happy New Year to all!!

Charles Knight		14-Jan-2011 14:01
Leighton...You've got some history there buddy.

Nike		14-Jan-2011 11:10
Leighton -- Where is your home in East Tennessee?

Leighton		14-Jan-2011 04:58
Yes, anxious for SA to hit the 70s again next week. Just hope that I'm not forced to go back to East TN this month, due to the lingering recession. They've had EIGHT snow fronts since Dec 1 - unheard of. Yuck. Forgot about the October gathering - doubt that I can afford to go. Would kill to see Miami, again. It has been almost 23 years since my last visit. I'm the "kid" of the group - hit 49 in March. I experienced Miami in two distinctly different times.....'67 - '73, then '82 - '85. During my Mom's Christmas open house this year, we pulled out an interesting item to display...a church hymnal, with Richard Nixon's official presidential seal and signature, signed to my parents. Back in '72, Bebe Rebozo brought Nixon to my Dad's church in Miami - Shenandoah Presbyterian, on 8th Street. Dad was Associate Minister. That Sunday, Dad was filling in at a church in Miami Beach, and we stayed home - one of the VERY few times we weren't at Shenandoah. My parents were SO upset, to miss seeing him. So, Rebozo had Nixon sign a new hymnal that was dedicated that same Sunday. Originally, Nixon was going to deliver it personally to my parents - imagine that. The Secret Service arriving in the Fairlawn neighborhood!! By the way, Dad turns 80 in May, and is still preaching in East TN. He is a prince of a man, and the epitome of what a true minister should be. (And Mom is a church secretary, and organist...still! (She's not that old, and would kill me for relaying my Dad's age...) It was actually one of four signatures that we had on display. The second was Jimmy Stewart's - on a 50s Pan Am map - my grandparents were on a plane with him, probably to Cuba. Then, I have several Virginia Mayo autographs - I interviewed her in '86, while at USC film school. Finally, I have one of Bob "Gilligan" Denver, personalized for me, when he dedicated a ride at Sea World, here in SA, in the 90s. It made for interesting conversations during open house. In the 70s, it was common for ministers to hold open houses at Christmas, because the home was owned by the church in those days - called "manses" by Presbyterians. I'll never forget the one in '71. It was held after church on Sunday night, and the ENTIRE congregation showed up - we were NOT prepared. Mom sent us to the garage, to make more ham "roll-up" sandwiches...to this day, it's a standing joke with my sisters. "Go in the garage, and make more sandwiches!!!!!!!"

LARGO		14-Jan-2011 02:39
WHAT FUN WITH MIAMI GAL AND HER HUBBY DON....GADS IT WAS COLD HERE FOR THEIR VISIT...23 TONIGHT.......THINK THEY ENJOYED OUR LITTLE TOWN....SENDING DON A PHOTO FOR THE ROGUES GALLERY....CANNOT WAIT FOR SPRING...LOL...LARGO

Nike		13-Jan-2011 12:00
The theme of that movie has reemerged in a recent book entitled, "The Audacity of Hope, by Barak Hussain Obama." If you can't see it, you aren't paying attention.

whitebelt		13-Jan-2011 00:51
Back in the 60's they showed a film in high school about communism. There was a utopian sort of government voted in and then realities hit people. There was a story about a family that had to move from their home and a scene where during the move the truck driver said you voted for it. Does anyone remember the name of that film?

charlis		12-Jan-2011 23:34
Hey, we are the only state without snow! Supposed to be in the upper 20's here in the Tampa area with wind chill a lot lower.

Miami Girl		12-Jan-2011 20:54
We're here in St, Augustine, gonna meet up with Largo in a couple hours to have a drink or two----or three, then goin' on a ghost hunt.

whitebelt		12-Jan-2011 16:22
It is almost 9:30 AM and it is 2 degrees in sunny Las Animas, CO. I have nothing I want to do outside today.

Fran		12-Jan-2011 13:16
Okay, folks it's a cool 26 degrees and falling...dark and dank. Looking forward to Sunday...high of 70. Miami is but a dream...can't wait for October.:)

Fran		10-Jan-2011 18:51
Jackie, Oh, how I miss those lazy winter days in Georgia. Wait a minute! It's freezing here...dark and dank. Still I loved playing outdoors, drinking hot tea by the fire and building snow tents in the family room. Good times...

Jackie		10-Jan-2011 16:56
Atlanta Jouornal-Constitution Travel section yesterday featured MiMo (Miami Modern) up in the area of the Coppertone billboard. It's supposed to represent the 50's, and maybe some of it does, but I don't remember of any place like the Iron Flower where they teach pole dancing...Maybe I just led a too-sheltered life!. 5 1/2 inches of snow in Canton, about 28 degrees. Kids, dogs, and at least one crazy grandma are having a blast. At 71, I made my first snow angel. (I'll spare you the description of how I got up off the ground....It wasn't pretty!!!)

Nike		10-Jan-2011 13:07
WB - 10-4, Mark (on the left) is a good friend and co-author or Rings of Supersonic Steel.

Parks		10-Jan-2011 03:46
Nike, that's great news. I'm looking forward to the pictures. How do we get it down here? I don't think my truck will pull a trailer that big! Whitebelt, thanks for the link to the Nike video.

Nike		10-Jan-2011 02:28
WB - 10-4, Mark (on the left) is a good friend and co-author or Rings of Supersonic Steel.

whitebelt		09-Jan-2011 22:40
Nike, have you seen this? About Nike sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOFfdq5m5V0

Nike		09-Jan-2011 21:50
Parks -- I have located a real Nike Hercules missile (41 feet long and 10,000 pounds) for display at the Nike site at Everglades National Park. It is in storage at the Anniston Army Depot between Atlanta and Birmngham. If the snow and ice isn't too bad, I'm driving over on Tuesday for an onsite inspection. It's supposed to start snowing in Atlanta in the next couple of hours and snow all night . I'll take some photos and send them to you. CK -- good to hear you're back.

Charles Knight		09-Jan-2011 18:12
Yep...On the 25th.

Parks		09-Jan-2011 15:47
Hi CK. Did you see that a new Tim Dorsey book will be out this month?

Fran		09-Jan-2011 15:10
Good morning, Charles...:)

Charles Knight		09-Jan-2011 14:32
Hello all.

whitebelt		08-Jan-2011 15:43
There are plugins and such where you can download those videos. Firefox has them for sure. Just amazing the things people dig out of their closets and take the time to save in digital form and then post it. I love people. From 1962. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sptj6tApj5s We had such varied pop music back then.

Miami Girl		08-Jan-2011 11:57
That darn YouTube is addicting, I just kept finding something else to listen to and watch!! But thanks Whitebelt, I loved it.

Parks		08-Jan-2011 05:17
Thanks a lot Whitebelt! Now I'll be up all night listening to music on YouTube and craving a Poor Boy sandwich.

Fran		07-Jan-2011 22:20
Whitebelt, Memories, can be beautiful and new... of the way we were...thanks.

whitebelt		07-Jan-2011 19:27
Buddy Holly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku5UeUT7yIQ&feature=related

whitebelt		07-Jan-2011 18:13
These, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq4NhcfurgU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfH4qBWIDi4

whitebelt		07-Jan-2011 18:01
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzCgqfRIKJM That ought to bring back some memories. God bless the internet and people who dig these things up. That's my theme song.

Nike		07-Jan-2011 11:39
Touche

Leighton		06-Jan-2011 19:41
Being that Wikipedia isn't properly fact-checked, I'll agree with that comparison...

Nike		06-Jan-2011 12:24
For those unfortunate ones who have never experienced The Varsity," it is an Atlanta institution that sits at I-75 and North Avenue across the highway bridge from Georgia Tech. It is where anyone who is anybody has heard Erby sing out, "What'll ya have, what'll ya have." The story you hear was that a student at Georgia Tech (Frank Gordy) in 1928, flunked out and told he would never amount to anything. Frank opened The Varsity to show them he could not only make a good living, but do it on the coat tails of Georgia Tech. As neat as it sounds, Wikipedia, second only in truth to FOX News, has the real story which is quite interesting, especially down the page in the Culture section. Just Google "The Varsity." Does anyone know why they were called "car hops?"

Leighton		06-Jan-2011 05:09
Subtract one of the "Worlds"

Leighton		06-Jan-2011 05:08
Back in warm San Antonio...any birds falling from the sky where you are?????? I visited The Varsity downtown once.......late 70s. Otherwise, I've only passed through the Atlanta airport the past 30 years. Our family vacations from Miami to East TN in the 60s/70s always included a drive through Atlanta, but we always stopped in Valdosta. We'd leave Miami at 4A, so we could swim in the pool there, for several hours - Holiday Inn. My associations with Valdosta are Fresca, hotel bleach and a pancake breakfast. The old Country Sedan, with no seat belts, and a weird wooden platform my Dad made for my little sister's crib. They'd be arrested today. Never went to Lion Country Safari - just lusted after the signs. It seemed so exotic. Oh, and my Dad always promised that we'd ride the Miami blimp before we moved - never happened. Did anybody go to The World of Sid & Marty Krofft World in the 70s - now the CNN Building???? I think that themed area lasted about 18 months. Google it - awesome for a 70s kid - sorry that I missed it...

Miami Girl		06-Jan-2011 00:34
Nike, never been to the Varsity but since I've just read all about it we'll be sure to go next time. Is it in Underground Atlanta? Jackie, you're so right about Atlanta traffic - it's the same in Miami we discovered last month, they're both as bad as the DC Beltway and I-95 all the way up to an including Boston, the worst of the worst on the east coast. I guess LA is on par with them. I like small town life.

Fran		05-Jan-2011 18:54
AZ AL. I met the necked dog and slaw dog at the Varsity. We traveled over 27 miles for one of those dogs and large onion rings. Good times...

Ariziona Al		05-Jan-2011 17:35
Nike: Is the Varsity a very large grille where the menu consists mainly of hot dogs and hot dog derivatives? I think I was there circa 1970 on an excursion to Underground Atlanta. I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Fox Theater in 1974 or maybe it was 1975. Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jackie		05-Jan-2011 14:11
Thanks, Nike. We rarely go south unless we're headed for Florida to see the boys. In the almost four years we've lived here, we've been to the Fox, the Varsity, Atlanta Station, the Aquarium, the Carter Center, the gardens, and a Braves game. I don't think we drove to any of them because we were with daughter's family or another group. Atlanta traffic is terrifying!! When we go through, we try to miss rush hour and drive staight down I75. We'll give a wave your way when we pass through this Friday morning,

Nike		04-Jan-2011 22:42
Probably like in Miami when we were in our homes and school withour air conditioning. Keep us in mind anytime you are passing through. Did you ever stop at The Varsity in Atlanta?

Miami Girl		04-Jan-2011 22:36
Thanks Nike, I've gone through and around Atlanta about a million times but not this trip. I liked it a lot better back in the 50's when it was a sleepy little southern town (well okay I suppose even then it was a city). Everything was better back then - except we didn't have air conditioning..........how in the heck did we stand it?

Nike		04-Jan-2011 21:17
Miami Girl -- If you are passing through Atlanta, Nancy and I would love to have you stop by for a visit. Jackie -- Canton is only 45 minutes away - Stop in sometime. We are across the street from Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza.

Roberta Perry Hughes		04-Jan-2011 09:59
Perks, huh? Well, seeing as how I only have one, I guess I just have a "perk," and if my ambulatory status wasn't severely compromised, I could possibly be a waitress at a restaurant named "Hooter." :) Temps are dipping down at night this week, and days will be a mite chillier, too. The warm spell we enjoyed was all too brief. I ask blessings on whomever invented the electric blanket, every Winter, and blessings on whomever invented air-conditioning, every Summer. I am thankful that gnats don't bite, and fire ants don't fly, and pray for every ladybug to be infertile. (If they would stay in the fields, and not come in the house, I would like them a lot better, the little spotted 'hos). My cowboy sends his best regards to everyone, and he and I are keeping on keeping on, minute-by-minute, and taking life as it comes our way, and doing the best we can. Take care of your precious selves, y'all. Huggums and smoochies, all around. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

whitebelt		04-Jan-2011 02:45
:-) Miami Girl, i ain't worried about the ammo as long as the gun works.

Miami Girl		04-Jan-2011 02:39
LARGO we're leaving this lake effect snow tomorrow and lookin' forward to seeing you! I'll be calling you as soon as we're checked in on the 12th -- keep that warm sunshine there! Roberta I'll try to see the movie, been hearing a lot about it. Hope you get to see it when it comes out on DVD or pay per view. Whitebelt better watch out, those hot tubs can cause infertility -- oh wait probably that would be okay, who wants kids at our age? I'm one of those baby boomers turning 65 this year that the media's been harping on,

whitebelt		04-Jan-2011 01:43
Careful, Charlis, perkies turn me into an animal. Spent some time in it today. First since Christmas. Kind of neat laying there in hot water in a quiet tub, then having the pump kick on low when the heater kicks in and you feel that hot gentle stream caressing your body, and watching the steam rise into the cool air through the bright sunshine streaming in through the big window I put in. The steam swirls like clouds and makes all these neat shapes and forms, and even the occasional rainbow. Very soothing and almost heaven like. Just kind of floating in a mist of time and space. You get nice and toasty and step out into the brisk air, but you are so warm you take your time drying off and putting your clothes on for the walk through the snow into the nice warm house where your cat starts bugging you for treats. Life is hard out on the Plains.

charlis		03-Jan-2011 23:32
weather is so screwed up here in Tampa... Saturday was supposed to be sunny and in the 70's... cloudy all day. Sunday was supposed to be sunny until the afternoon when clouds would roll in with rain late in the day and Monday was supposed to be sunny after early rain. Saturday was cloudy, woke up to rain on Sunday and it rained off and on all day, and Monday was cloudy with a few sprinkles around 8AM... wish I worked as a weatherman... get paid even when the forecasts are wrong.

charlis		03-Jan-2011 23:29
this is going to be a good year... the odds are in our favor... 1-1-11, 1-11-11, 11-1-11, 1-11-11... we missed out on the last time all the number were the same... 1-1-1111, 1-11-1111, 11-1-1111, and 11-11-1111... the next time something like this will happened will be 2-2-2222 and 2-22-2222. The years that have 0 in front of the year do not count, ie: 9-9-09. yes, I have too much time on my brain.

charlis		03-Jan-2011 23:18
white... still want to use the hot tub... nothing better than soaking in it when temp is cold...

LARGO		03-Jan-2011 18:04
HEY EVERYONE!!!...BALLOCKS...PERKIES AN ET AL.....NOT GLOATING...BUT HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN TO BLOW THE DUST OF CHRISTMAS PAST AWAY....WARM AND SUNNY...HAVE TO LAYER UP HERE..NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WEATHER WISE.......*LOOKING SO FORWARD TO JEAN HALE "MIAMI GIRL".. AND HER HUBBY'S VISIT NEXT WEEK...SURE HOPE THE WEATHER STAYS CIVIL FOR THEM...THEY WILL BE MY FIRST 'IN PERSON' ROGUES TO MEET...MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME GALLERY PICS...AND A TOAST TO YOU ALL.........................LARGO

whitebelt		03-Jan-2011 17:30
Love those perkys, Fran. Especially in T-shirts. :-)

Fran		03-Jan-2011 15:12
I guess you could say , that's perky to be a female. :) Roberta, I will try to see the movie. I have seen the special on the History channel concerning his struggle. It's a bright sunny day, 48 degrees, no rain in sight, good to be in Texas!

Ariziona Al		03-Jan-2011 14:46
Hellz Bellz..It actually dipped below freezing for 2 consecutive nights in the Phoenix area. Similar to Whitebelt, my cajones also appeared to be minature replicas of their former grand selves but I am not sure if it was a result of the ambient temperature, severe misuse in my youth or the natural aging process:). Alan Ogus, Ph.D. Alive and well wearing mucklocks, mittens and ear muffs in Phoenix, Arizona

Ariziona Al		03-Jan-2011 14:40
Whitebelt: Thanks for the accolades. "My record proves me guilty, Your Honor." Presented to the Court by Otis D. Wafford (1988) during his sentencing for his 54th DWI Offense in Raleigh, North Carolina. Post Script..Otis Wafford passed away at the McCain Correctional Facility in 1990 from liver failure.

whitebelt		03-Jan-2011 14:24
Thank you, Parks. AZ Al is the better wordsmith as he is more focused and better educated. I was just casting about for something less graphic and more colorful because of the ladies being present to describe how effing cold it was out there. It is 7 degrees at this time and I have to go out and get some groceries and cigarettes a little later. Maybe tomorrow.

Roberta Perry Hughes		03-Jan-2011 07:21
As the English would say..... "Ballocks....!!" LOL Speaking of the English, don't miss "The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth, as King George VI; Geoffrey Rush, as Lionel Logue, a London-based Australian speech therapist; and Helena Bonham-Carter, as Queen Elizabeth. King George VI suffered from a debilitating stammer since childhood, and he did not expect to become the King of England, and be required to make public speeches, and live speeches on the radio, prior to and during the WWII. Lionel Logue, who helped many a WWI Vet overcome stuttering, post-war, helps the King to become a public speaker. At first, the two are like oil and water, but became good friends. It has already won many awards, worldwide, and at film festivals across the globe, and has been nominated for 7 Golden Globes....one for every category, including Best Film, and is expected to be a front runner, for Oscar nominations in all categories as well. It is currently playing in Miami, and the greater Miami area. Please, folks, go see this film for me. It is playing nowhere near where I live, and even if it were, I would not have the opportunity to go see it. Thanks. ***********************************************************************************************************

Parks		03-Jan-2011 01:37
Whitebelt, I don't know who is the better wordsmith, you or Az Al but I always get a laugh out of your writing. When I read "miniature replicas of their former grand selves" I almost did a spit take.

whitebelt		02-Jan-2011 13:34
Well, it is -3 here in balmy Las Animas, CO, surely a welcome effect of global warming as it was -14 yesterday morning. Have the hot tub set at 103 degrees and was considering jumping into it yesterday morning to start off the New Year. However, as there was about a half inch of snow on the walkway and steps 30 odd feet from the hot tub room, and opening the back door resulted in a sudden blast of arctic air penetrating my bathrobe and essentially rendering my cojones into miniature replicas of their former grand selves, I kinda decided I really didn't want to jump in the hot tub to celebrate New Years Day at that time. I am so glad the furnace is working. Oh, so glad. God is great. Luckily this kind of cold is not an everyday thing here. Hope you all have a great year.

Roberta Perry Hughes		02-Jan-2011 06:20
It's a bit windy, and rainy, here in the CSRA, and in the mid-to-high 50's. Don't know how to act, not having to run the heat....! Prayers go out to everyone who suffered, due to the tornadoes that came across the U.S.; I cannot even begin to imagine such loss. Glad to see the back of 2010, and can only trust that 2011 will be a better year, for the world entire. ############################################################################

Fran		01-Jan-2011 23:10
Is it time for football, you bet!!! Love this time of year. Sending wishes for a great new year, good times good cheer. Sun is out, cold and there is a breeze (sigh) winter in College Station, TX.:)

Parks		01-Jan-2011 19:24
Happy New Year Ya'll! It's a day to make the Chamber of Commerce smile in Miami. Clear blue sky in the mid seventies. Come On Down!

LARGO		01-Jan-2011 18:43
OOOPPS!!!.....HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN AWHILE..LOL..............LARGO

Guest		01-Jan-2011 18:42
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!...WARM IN ST. AUGGIE!!!........LARGO

Jackie		01-Jan-2011 17:27
Happpy New Year to all from Canton, Ga. Rain and 56 degrees. I agree, Miami River Rat, that Dec was quite the surprise, weatherwise. The all-day snow on Christmas was great. The drive home that evening from our daughter's house (about 5 minutes away) on icy roads, not so much!

charlis		01-Jan-2011 16:40
Happy New Year to all!

Nike		01-Jan-2011 16:13
Happy New Year to all the Miami Rogues - Raining and 61 degrees in Hotlanta Resolutions for 2011: 1. Lose the weight I have gained through the holidays through eating right and my fitness program 2. Become completely debt free by the end of this year 3. Have a great Miami Rogues Rally in Miami this October

Miami River Rat		01-Jan-2011 15:46
Well then, Happy New Year! Dank and raining here in East Alabama with tornado warnings about. However, I'm glad to be done with the coldest December on record. Now it's time for some FOOTBALL!

Don Boyd		01-Jan-2011 06:56
Okay, the new Comments gallery is now up and running. Happy New Year to everyone! Please use this gallery for all comments starting 1/1/11. Thanks! Don .

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