Shaking it in Shark Valley...

Shark Valley - Off Tamiami Trail, Miami

A few weekends ago, my Uncle was in town en-route from New Hampshire to Barbados. Unlike his 10 Bajan traveling companions, he was not in the mood to shop (we're similar that way), so I invited him to come on a bike ride I had planned the next day. He agreed. I picked him up from the hotel, and we took off for Shark Valley - a tram road in the Everglades National Park, about 25 or 30 miles outside of Miami.

First, I should probably tell you, the Everglades is NOT a swamp. Its a river... 'The River of Grass' as famously dubbed by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in her book The Everglades: River of Grass.

It's seasonally dominated by a shallow, slow-moving sheet of water that flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay, and its home to a vast variety of plants and animals, though regrettably, no sharks;-)

The ride around the park is a leisurely 7 miles up to a -very space age looking - viewing platform, followed by a slog of the first degree back to the parking lot! Bring Water.. LOTS of it!

First up, were these little beauties.. aren't they cute?!

Then, this one.. 'scuse the shakes - I may have been a bit close! You're not supposed to go more than 10 - 15 ft away from the gators, but that is just impossible on this road! Plus, my brakes were not quite up to par...

I love this bearded old man! He may be my favorite. Hey.. it's thistle! The last time I saw you, I was in the Scottish Highlands! Who've thunk it?!

These 2 are older and wiser, and must be sick of the gawking! Either that or they're seriously lacking manners...

Buzzards.. did you know they smell sweet? Its true, I saw it on Animal Planet.

My true favorite, is this perfect pair...

























S-Bend plumbing.. via the Everglades!

Bajan Seasoning.. the Perfect Pinch

Some of you may recall my Xmas Hols were spent in Barbados. Since I am not one to rub it in, I have decided to forgo posting pictures of gorgeous, tanned men carousing to the strains of the Merrymen, or girls in bikinis frolicking in the warm waters. Besides, the Daily Mail does it so much better, don't you agree?

Anyway, so what to do? Killem, kindly reminded me of a post I had planned to do on Bajan food, or, more precisely, what makes Bajan food taste so damn good! It's all in the Seasoning! It's a recipe made by many, but in my taste buds opinion, 'best' by Cummins.. a wonderful woman who has been with my Grandparents for 37 years at least as long as I've been alive;-)
Learn to make this, and it will transport any fish, chicken or meat you cook, to a whole other realm/planet/universe!

Lets start:

Ingredients: Cummins (NO.. you can't have her!!)

1 bunch of spring onions (green onions)
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper
Bunch of parsley and dill (not too much)
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of sweet marjoram
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion
Lime juice, vinegar*, salt and pepper

*optional

Chop the green onions finely... Cummins is kindly demonstrating for you...
They should end up looking like this...
Now, mix in the dill and parsley. Not too much of either...
Here's the right amount of Sweet Marjoram (Gosh, I need a manicure, and please, don't anyone lift my prints from that!!)
Now the thyme. About this much...

The next ingredients (onion and garlic)
Forgive me, Cummins was getting a bit annoyed with me at this point, and you may notice a deterioration in the quality of pix:
Are grated into the mix..
Then chop in, oh.. about that much pepper - or whatever you can handle without steam coming out your ears...
Finally, add in some lime juice. Cummins is using frozen lime juice since limes are out of season at the mo. Just as good, but you should try to use fresh whenever possible.

Now, you just season with a pinch of salt, pepper and maybe add a splash of vinegar, bottle and you're all set to blow away your wife, mate, husband, lover, significant other with this lively mix of flavour and pepper in your next dish. Just slice a few slits in whatever you're cooking and Season! I am open for dinner invitations.. if one should feel inclined;-)



So, Cummins... since this is your recipe, lets make you famous - you deserve it!
Pose for the camera....


Ahhhh... I do love you Cummins!

Solving The Energy Crisis (Maybe)

Since I am poorly today, and off work *cough, cough*, I've had time to peruse the papers, and one story that's caught my attention is about Wind Turbines. I am specifically referring to the "Minsters Plan Massive Building of Turbines Out at Sea to Power Britain", that's in the Scotsman today.

In it, it talks of plans where up to "7,000 turbines could be installed off the UK's coastline in a bid to boost the production of wind energy 30-fold by 2020."

Admittedly, I don't know too much about turbines, wind farms and the ilk, but I have been reading about something, that to me, seems much more simple and efficient - Geothermal Heat Pumps. Every home should have one!

Basically what happens, is you dig a big hole by your house, sink a series of pipes, commonly called a "loop," down in said hole, and then it circulates a fluid (water, or a mixture of water and antifreeze) that absorbs heat from, or relinquishes heat to, the surrounding soil, which then acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. (You may notice, I am well versed in the art of copy/paste). Here's a visual for all you men visual types..

Seems simple enough doesn't it? They seem to have been around awhile, and even factoring in the average cost of $7,500 (£3,665) per installation, I am unable to determine why they are not more popular, or prolific. If more homes had them, it would surely help relieve, if not alleviate, our huge dependency on oil - good for the country - plus it would be great for the homeowner, as it translates to hundreds of $$'s saved in heating/cooling costs over the long term.

So, my question is, why isn't this more popular? (I am specifically referring to regions where it would be feasible of course).

If you're interested, or if you know, please let me know, as I am stumped. I did look at this pdf, but frankly, it was far too boring technical to complete.

Besides, I am far more interested in your thoughts than my own most of the time:-)

No Man's Land (AKA: My Dream Home)

I tend to have a somewhat reclusive nature. On one hand, I am quite 'garrulous' (or so I've been informed) and good natured, but a deeper part of me craves solitude and self-reflection. Okay, maybe not so much self-reflection, but definitely solitude. Don't know why it is, but I've always pictured myself retiring to a little cottage in the middle of nowhere; there I would while away the hours in front of a crackling fire, with a cup a tea and a good book in hand. Course, I would have my dogs (and cats) at my feet, keeping me cozy.
In this mental image, the wind is always howling outside, and the cottage is creaking with age.

Yes, I may be somewhat strange.

But then, a couple of months ago - July 15th to be precise - the Daily Mail printed this gem of an article, replete with photos, of No Man's Land - a Victorian sea fort off the coast of Portsmouth. My jaw dropped, and my previous fantasy dissipated like water off a ducks back when faced with the possibilities (you know, for self-reflection and such) owning such a property would afford.
I mean, surrounded by the sea, your only neighbors dolphins, whales and the occasional sea bird, who could resist?

My true, previously unrealized dream, really involves vast open miles of North Sea, a helicopter pad, and luxurious accommodation.
Who knew?
Excuse me while I go root about in the couch cushions... this lifestyle doesn't come cheap, but £4M for this piece of paradise?
I'll take it!

Lovely, ain't it?
My own little spa..
I could be persuaded to entertain occasionally - I would have the room, obviously.
I might also install a cannon, you know for effect.. and maybe to keep the BBC licensing folk away...

The fact that No Man's land is still within the jurisdiction of the UK, did give me some pause, but I got over it.

Modern Day Camping

Gianinna and her computer! She was cooooold;-)

I was just a (teeny) bit jealous, as I had my laptop too, but couldn't pick up any signal. Now, I knew my laptop had wireless built in, but, I naively thought that meant it automatically picked up wireless, but oh no.. Who knew there was a wireless switch on laptops (besides, the 400,000,000 of you) that needed to be manually switched on?

Thanks to Staples for rescuing me from my wires;-)

Road Trip: $400
Best part of road trip?
Saving hundreds of $$$'s, cause I now have free internet!

Chalk & Cheese

Ahh, ain't he cute? Look at that wicked little face..


And then, there's this...


'
Damn.

Strict Unbending Rules For Dealing With Stray Cats

1. Stray cats will not be fed.

2. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food.

3. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with a little milk.

4. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with warm milk, yummy treats and leftover fish scraps.

5. Stray cats will not be encouraged to make this house their permanent residence.

6. Stray cats will not be petted, played with or picked up and cuddled unnecessarily.

7. Stray cats that are petted, played with, picked up and cuddled will absolutely not be given a name.

8. Stray cats with or without a name will not be allowed inside the house at any time.

9. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except at certain times.

10. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except on days ending in "y".

11. Stray cats allowed inside will not be permitted to jump up on or sharpen their claws on the furniture.

12. Stray cats will not be permitted to jump up on, or sharpen claws on the really good furniture.

13. Stray cats will be permitted on all furniture but must sharpen claws on new $114.99 sisal-rope cat-scratching post with three perches.

14. Stray cats will answer the call of nature outdoors in the sand.

15. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the three-piece, high-impact plastic tray filled with Fresh'n'Sweet kitty litter.

16. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the hooded litter pan with a three-panel privacy screen and plenty of head room.

17. Stray cats will sleep outside.

18. Stray cats will sleep in the garage.

19. Stray cats will sleep in the house.

20. Stray cats will sleep in a cardboard box lined with an old blanket.

21. Stray cats will sleep in the special Kitty-Komfort-Bed with non-allergenic lambs wool pillow.

22. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in my bed.

23. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in my bed, except at the foot.

24. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in my bed under the covers.

25. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in my bed under the covers except at the foot.

26. Stray cats will not play on the desk.

27. Stray cats will not play on the desk near the computer.

28. Stray cats are forbidden to walk on the computer keyboard on the desk when the human is asdfjjhhkl;ljfd.;oier'puyykmm4hbdm9lo9j USING IT.


Yes, Sam.. that means YOU!

FIREFOX/RSS - Why I Like It

Let me start by saying, I am not technical, I don't really know what I am talking about, and please don't blame me for any computer problems you encounter if you try this.

Whew, now that's out of the way, here goes:

When I first downloaded FireFox, I never thought I would come to love it for the RSS feeds. I initially switched because my i-geek friend kept telling me how much better, faster and safer it was compared to IE (Internet Explorer), and I am always up for learning something new when it comes to the computer;-) Admittedly, it took a while (I am no longer 18 folks) for me to like it, as the 'tabs' are very different (I kept 'x' ing out all the time) and took some getting used to, but the RSS feeds kept me here.

Why use RSS feeds?

Because I read a lot of content (blogs, news etc) and the feeds allow me to quickly check websites for NEW content, without having to click through to them. For example, I am sitting here writing this, wondering how to pare it down a bit, and I decide to see if Theo has really gone to bed.. So, I click on my little Theo Spark button on the top of the window and up pops his headlines. I can see his last post - Bedtime Totty - and, since I saw that earlier, I can deduce he has indeed gone to bed at 7pm and nothing new is available. All of this can be done in a nanosecond, without disturbing what I'm currently doing (or adding to his already grossly inflated ego regarding his stats;-). The same goes for any of my favorite sites - I mean, if I had click through to Pioneer Woman every day, you're talking like 20 10 page loads (at least) - just to see if something new has been added! Crazy... I'm no stalker!

Now, the only blogger I regularly read that is not part of the wonderful world of RSS, is Hitch. I don't know why, but his blog just-will-not-load on RSS! I have theory its partly due to his famed and world-renowned (no Hitch, not that) 'flounces'. Maybe Blogger is waiting to see how long this return lasts before they put him on RSS? I doubt it, but bugger me if its not annoying;-(


Anyway, here is a current screen shot of my computer..
Ooh, bad pix! But, can you see those little orange boxes at the top? Those are my RSS feeds.. and they go all down the side too.

Here check this one out... Here you can see I am on Hercules, but I am also looking for his other headlines (RSS only loads one page at a time). If I wanted to, I could move from him to Tuscan or The Telegraph.. or any other feeds I have running on my system, in just one click. And, if there is nothing new, I don't have to click at all. It's a real time saver, and I just LOVE it
One word of warning to all you blogger's out there - if you don't put a Headline/Title, RSS won't read that post.

How To Start?

First, you need to download Firefox (Google it if outside of the US).

Once downloaded you can start using it as your primary search engine, and anytime you run across a blog you like, you can either click on Bookmark this page (which will act like favorites) or Subscribe to this page, which is RSS, and will create those little orange boxes in your toolbar.

(I just found an expert to explain further if you're interested).

That's IT!

P.S.
The tabs.. you get used to them.. I like them more than windows now. Also, I still keep IE around - my credit card virtual number pop-up thingy doesn't work with FireFox - so its good to have both, but other than that, I am thoroughly happy with my browsing experience.

P.P.S. There is another program called a Reader (Google has one) which is super fast and convenient if you read a LOT - oh, say 25+ blogs/sites. I have it, but I don't like it as much as it forces me to click on the post to read the comments (and on the blogs I read, the comments are usually the funniest part).
The thing about Readers is they save everything.. that means, if a blog gets closed, or a post gets posted then unpublished, Reader keeps a copy. I am not so comfortable with that notion, but its good to know..

If anyone has been wondering about RSS, I hope this helps.. and remember.. I am not liable!

Brothers

Daisy has inspired me! Here are my 'brothers' - the real apples of my parents eyes!!
(I do have a 'human' brother too, but he's not as pretty)

This gorgeous boy is Spike..He had some crazy hair when he was just a pup, hence the name Spike...

His beautiful and regal older brother Jack...
Out running at the Barbados Clay Pigeon Club (Dad takes them there every day for their.. shushhhh, *walk*)..
Jack looking wistful (probably dreaming of going shooting, and peeved to be indoors)..
Spike.. he LOVES the sofa..
and the bed/ball...
Sorry, but I doubt any dogs can compare..

... to these two!

EARTHQUAKE!!! (update)

For more than 20 seconds an earthquake which measured five on the Richter Scale shook the island to its inner core and left Barbadians badly shaken as well.

The earthquake which originally measured 7.4 on the Richter scale vibrated its way through the Eastern Caribbean sometime after 2 p.m.
By the time it reached Barbados, it was measuring five, but it was enough to scare the living daylights out of all those who felt it.


A resident checks the damages on his apartment building in the St. George parish, central Barbados, after a powerful earthquake rocked the eastern Caribbean on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.4, was centered 26 miles, 42 kilometers, southeast of Roseau, the capital of Dominica, where the shaking lasted for about 20 seconds. The quake was felt hundreds of miles away in Puerto Rico to the west, and Venezuela and Suriname to the south.

Update: 6:48am - Miami Time


I've been informed (by reliable sources - Mum & Dad) that Barbados has just sustained an earthquake!!!

Apparently, people were fleeing Grantley Adams airport in terror (Dad was flying in and missed it by 1/2 hour) & Mum said the chandeliers were shaking! I lived in Los Angeles for several years, so they're nothing new to me, but it does not bode well for Martinique and Guadeloupe... who apparently got it worse.

Factoid #1: The last time an earthquake rocked Barbados was back in 1953.
Factoid #2: Today, Nov 30th, is independence day in Barbados (independence from England).

Breaking News Via Lady Jane... I like it!

Road Trip Rehash - Part 2

I have decided to rush through Part 2 as frankly, work has been killing me (nothing like a vacation to make you need a vacation!!), and I am bored, and don't want to bore you, with the retelling. Anyway, for posterity, here we go, Savannah and beyond...

We stopped in Savannah as one of the fellows from The Hostel in the Forest had asked for a lift to visit his Mum & Dad for Thanksgiving (even though "he could only stand one night" due to fact "they watch TV"). *kids*
The 'squares' - which make up the historic city - are quite beautiful...
And the perfect place to relax and read the paper...

CHARM oozes in Savannah, and its a great place to stop and bike around... Speaking of bikes, these are ours (yes, we did use 'em) in front of an old home...

Bit more majestic..

Famous too: Owen-Thomas House...
(Famed as a place where Lafayette spent the night in 1825, as well as being considered the finest example of English Regency architecture in America - by architectural historians).
Now, off to North Carolina!!!
I confess, when I first saw the mountains, a shiver went through me.. and not of the cold.
The picture doesn't do it justice...
We climbed one too.. up to the flag.
This is Chimney Rock, and the only reason we climbed, is we were too poor to pay the entrance, so snuck in and hiked. It was not easy in the least!
Here's Chimney Rock from another angle. For some reason, they don't use this angle in their advertising publications....
The reason we were poor? We'd gone skiing...
Okay, we didn't ski, we tried to ski, and the only thing I have to say about skiing is DON'T DO IT!!! (Or, at least not without all protective equipment, and the possibility of a snowmobile ride back down). Admittedly this would have been nicer without the snow machines.. they were HORRIBLE (and very, very LOUD)...
I was miserable, and every hair on my head turned into an icicle. Gianinna uses the photo as a 'pick-me up'. Needless to say, you won't see it here. We weren't the only miserable ones though...
Back at camp...
This was nice - and a surprise - as we only went for a little bike ride around the park, not expecting to hike up and see this...
Nothing as impressive as the BIG ONE though....
Pretty country.. I'm glad I went.

Finito!