Chihuly's back, and Fairchild's got him. . .

Hard to believe, but it was 2005 when Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden introduced "Art In The Garden" with an exhibition of glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.  It was Chihuly's first botanical garden installation and Fairchild quadrupled it's membership from that groundbreaking exhibition .

I was still working pretty much full time in those days, but I did find time to volunteer at Fairchild for the very first time as a once-a-week guide in the Garden's Conservatory, telling visitors about the Chihuly glass exhibited in that building. These days I'm a tram guide on Friday mornings, doing tours at 10, 11 and 12 noon, and once again I am telling guests from all over the world about these unbelievably beautiful sculptures that are all over our 83 acre Garden.

I have two favorite stories about Chihuly.  The first took place about 35 years ago in Aspen, Colorado, during a Miami Ski Club trip.  The ex and I visited one of our favorite art galleries there and saw this large, elegant glass sculpture with a price tag of $1,000 by someone we had never heard of named Dale Chihuly.  I remember laughing and wondering who would spend that much on a piece of glass that wasn't even Tiffany or Steuben.  How wrong we were!  Today a similar piece sells for $30,000 and up.  So much for our artistic eye.

My second favorite story is much more recent, and happened this past November during the installation of the current exhibition at Fairchild.  For the first time the installation has extended into the Garden's Lowlands, an exciting addition for those of us doing tram tours.  The Lowlands consists of 11 man-made lakes dug in the early 1930's and some of them are currently home to 6 alligators and two salt water crocodiles.  (I like to tell people on my tram tours that this is not Disneyland, these are real live animals, and for heaven's sake, don't try to pet them, kiss them, or take your picture with them! You'd be surprised what some people will do.)

As Chihuly's team attempted to install some of his giant bright red and orange glass "Reeds" on the banks of one of the lakes that is very viewable from the tram, the resident gator, obviously not an art lover, took offense at the intrusion.  As fast as the workers installed them and left, the gator was seen climbing up on the bank and use his tail to swat them down! Talk about your art critics.

The exhibition runs through May and it is well worth visiting.  I took a few photos just for fun. The Garden is open on Thursday and Sunday nights for an opportunity to see the sculptures lit, a spectacular sight. If you plan to come on a Friday, let me know ahead of time.  I promise you, I give a helluva good tour!

Happy Channukah. . . Merry Christmas. . .Happy New Year. . .Make it a healthy one!!!!

Blown away. . .my day at the Miami Book Fair



I spent a windy morning yesterday helping to man the WLRN booth at the Miami Book Fair.  It was a (mind) blowing experience.  I arrived at the Fair site in downtown Miami, as per e-mailed instructions, at 9:30am, to meet a young staff member named Dee Diaz, and to quickly realize it was just the two of us wrestling with a zipped up tent stuffed with endless boxes of "stuff".

Our location, as the very first tent Fair-goers encountered, once they passed through the main entrance, was either the best, or the worst, that the Book Fair had to offer.  The best, because we were the first thing they saw as they entered and the last thing they saw as they left.  The worst, because nothing protected us on our north side from the unrelenting north wind.

The boxes of "stuff" turned out to be cd's and dvd's by the likes of Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney (George's aunt, remember her?) and Dinah Shore!  Also lots of Celia Cruz, and for some ungodly reason, a dozen of Il Volo, that young Italian singing group.  Don't laugh, we sold lots of them, at $5 a pop, with all monies going to the station.  More expensive, at $25 each, were the original documentaries done by WLRN through NPR.  These were fascinating and also sold well.



"Honk If You're Weird!"

Then we had books.  Boy did we have books.  With titles I never hear of, but a lot of them sold at $5 each.  We also had give-aways, including the "Honk If You're Weird" bumper sticker I'm holding in the photo.  Not so surprisingly, young people passing by, scooped them up. Please note the green "money apron" I am wearing in the photo.  We were a cash business, Dee and me.  None of that credit card stuff for us.                      

 It was not a pretty day, on and off drizzly, but the Book Fair is amazing.  Once my shift was over I got to walk around and even grab an arepa (my addiction at outdoor events) for lunch.  Couldn't resist buying a book at one of the tents dedicated to kid's books.  Got one about dinosaurs for my great-grandson Grayson, who is a dinosaur aficionado.  If you've never been to the Miami Book Fair, you don't know what you're missing.  Put it on your calendar for next year!
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An eating experience. . .

I made a return visit to the 18th Annual Americas Food & Beverage Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center today, and I may never eat again.  It's a trade-only event and I've written about attending  it in the past. I seem to be on the Show's books as the "Secretary" of Collins Fish & Seafood Company ever since Benard enrolled me with that title several years ago, even though I've never worked there.  But that's the reason for my annual invitation  and why we made the pilgrimage to Miami Beach this morning. 

When I say I'll never eat again, I'm not kidding.  You need strength and a huge appetite to make it through the multiple aisles of this giant show where every booth is offering something else to eat or drink. Latin America is heavily represented so the spice-level of some offerings is more than you can imagine.  However, everything gets washed down with little paper cups of wine, coconut water, mango juice, energy drinks, a few fluids you never heard of, and even a welcome bottle of ice cold  Icelandic Water.

The pictures tell the story.  Particularly the one of the very tired lady after three hours of walking and eating.
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Cheese, wonderful cheese, in every flavor

Brie with chutney.  Yum!

Luscious lobster.

He's not real, but the wine was.

H


Unbelievable fruits and veggies

No caption necessary.

A very special weekend. . . .

If you have to have a "big birthday", this was definitely the way to do it.  The celebration began with Andrea's arrival on Tuesday and really ramped up with the arrival of the kids, grandson Adam and his wife Amy, and great-grandson Grayson on Friday morning.

Pool party, l to r: Andrea, Jo, Grayson, Adam

I adore Adam and Amy, but the real attraction was the little one, and in truth, the weekend revolved around this three year old bundle of deliciousness. This was Grayson's first visit to Grove Isle and I wanted it to be perfect.  He totally approved of his great-grandmother's arrangements for an apartment on the same 7th floor as my condo, and showed it by his obvious enjoyment of the view from the wrap-around patio, his favorite spot in the apartment, his love of the swimming pool, and his expertise on the swings and slides in the kid's  playground on Grove Isle. 

In between, we grown-ups (including great-grandfather Ralph and grandfather Eliot) supped our way through a sushi feast (Adam's favorite) on Friday night and Pollo Tropical (Andrea's favorite) on Saturday night, all washed down with mucho bottles of beer, wine and diet Coke.

Fun on the swings

Five years ago I celebrated the big "80th" with a fancy party at a restaurant.  Sunday, the 19th, was the actual date of my birthday.  After the kids left, Andrea and I were invited to a private celebration dinner at Capital Grille.  For the hell of it, I decided to wear the same outfit I wore five years ago to that party..  That was my way of defying the calendar and saying "Age is just a number. . .especially if you are lucky enough to be healthy and still have your wits."

The good news is, it still fits!
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Running on the condo patio

Look at that smile!

The birthday girl.

 

October 19th is fast approaching. . . .

I have a birthday coming next week.  It's what some would call a big one, but I've decided to down-size it.  When you are my age, you are allowed to do that. 

I'd rather count my blessings.  Not sure from what side of the family my older sister and I got our genes, and I'm not sure either of us have done a very good job of passing them along to the next generation, but we are definitely the lucky ones with remarkable health and agility despite our age.

In the meantime, I've decided to re-do my bucket list.  My desire to visit the polar bears in Antarctica is still near the top, but so far not a soul has offered to go with me and it seems like a kind of cold trip to do on my own.  I still want to climb Machu Pichu while I can make it without help, and I've added Rio on my list and a visit with my friend Axel who lives there.

Most exciting this past year has been a remarkable up-tick in my free lance writing business. . . the paid kind, not just the pro bono stuff!  (I always did love a good pay check!)  I've seen my writing published in newspapers and magazines many time over the years in my role as a public relations person, but rarely with my name attached.  Have to admit I was excited to find myself recently on the masthead of a very fancy upscale magazine called the South Florida Luxury Guide as a "Contributing Writer of Home & Design".  Wow!  I'm still here, folks!

The best part of the upcoming birthday celebration will be the arrival of my family. . .daughter Andrea, grandson Adam and his wife Amy, and my delicious great-grandson Grayson.

Speaking of my bucket list, check off one more wish.  I always wanted to ride the carousel with my great-grandson. It happened at the Zoo in Jacksonville recently. That's Grayson on the tiger and Great-grandma Jo riding the leopard next to him.  And I actually hopped up there without a drop of help from anyone!
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Hope springs eternal. . . .

Why, oh why, do I buy a lotto ticket?

Because I have big plans for what I will do with those multi-millions when I win them.  Starting with paying off all of grandson Adam's and his wife's school loans, my condo mortgage, etc. etc.  I've already decided I am going to purchase me a 2-bedroom suite on that ocean liner that sails constantly around the world.  I'll set up a calendar for who gets to sail with me, when you will get on and where you will have to get off, because my next friend is waiting. "You get on in Nice, France, and get off in Barcelona, Spain."  That sort of thing. I promise I'll be a wonderful hostess and traveling companion.

The reason I am ranting is because I just checked the numbers on the ticket I bought yesterday at Publix on my way out of the store.  I refuse to spend more than $1 at a time on a QuickPick.  Makes you think I don't hav much confidence in winning, doesn't it? 

Once again I don't have a single matching number.  They should give a booby prize for pickers like me.  I am practically professional at not picking a single matching number.  I mean really, not a single one?  Jeez, gimme a break.

Has anyone you know ever actually won one of these things?  Maybe I have to travel to some remote little North Florida town and stop at some tumble down 7 Eleven one of these days.  Those always seem to be the only places that manage to sell winning tickets to the Florida Lottery.

I've got a birthday coming in October and a few mil would make a lovely birthday gift, don't you agree?  Any one out there have some lucky numbers I can borrow?????.  You can be the first guest in my round-the-world ship suite, if you do.
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A word about voting this November. . .

Last week marked the 94th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, the congressional act that gave woman the right to vote.  My mother taught my sister and me that voting was a sacred trust because she well remembered how important that right was to her mother and to her.

My mother was born in the United States, but her mother came to America as a very young woman from the town of Gyngos in Hungary.  Her proudest days were when she became an American citizen and that historic moment in 1920 when she cast her first vote. Mother told us how she took off from work on election day to accompany my grandmother to the polls because she knew there would be many people (read that as men) objecting to the ridiculous idea of women voting.  And object they did, hooting and hollering in a threatening manner as lines of proud women walked bravely up to the voting place for the very first time in our nation's history..

Democrat, Republican or Independent.  Man or woman. The right to vote is very precious. If you don't express your opinion at the ballot box this November, you have no right to complain.

Need I say more????
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Some wisdom from Maya Angelou

I've always admired Maya Angelou.  So when a friend sent me an e-mail this morning with a series of her remarkable quotes on life in general and women in particular, I had to pass some of them on to you, my faithful blog readers.  (Even if you're a guy and not a girl, they're still worth reading.)

I've selected some that reflect my own thoughts on the situation and particularly appealed to me.  Let me know if you agree!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE.. . a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age. . .

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE. . .a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.. .

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE. . one friend who always makes her laugh. . and one who lets her cry. . .

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE. . a feeling of control over her destiny. . .

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW. . how to fall in love without losing herslf. .

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW. . when to try harder. . and when to walk away. .

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW. . how to live alone. . even if she doesn't like it. . .

AND FINALLY. . .

BE YOURSELF. . .EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.

Way to go, Maya. . .you were one amazing lady!  Thanks for the memories.

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You gotta love animals. . . .

Ever had a lemur sit on your head? Had a white faced Capuchin monkey sit on your shoulder and lick your cheek, or allow a giant Seychelles turtle to munch on a carrot out of your hand?

I did all of the above on Sunday at Jungle Island, thanks to my friend Paul's daughter-in-law Augusta, who serves as head of Guest Relations at that remarkable tourist attraction on the MacArthur Causeway between Miami and Miami Beach.. Augusta assigned a young woman named Nina to guide us "back of the house" and the experience was fabulous. I'm not sure how many people have ever experienced sitting on the floor with a dozen furry little creatures leaping on, over and around you in their frantic search for food! food! more food!. The handful of chopped up apple we each had started with was gone in the first few seconds, but that didn't stop the onslaught, not for a minute.

Lemurs, I learned, are native to Madagascar, that strange endangered habitat in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I talk about all the endangered plant life in Madagascar during my tram tours at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, but these adorable little creatures were much more fun than any botanical wonder. As for the giant Seychelles turtle, Nina instructed me to only let him eat half way up the carrot. The turtle I fed obviously didn't get the memo. He opened wide and came down frighteningly close to my not so steady hand with one big crunch! By the way, both he and his companion are estimated to be 100+ years of age. There are no real records because they outlive everybody who keeps tabs on them.

If you love animals as much as I do, you will love a visit to Jungle Island, even if you don't get lucky enough to have a one-on-one with a loveable little lemur. If you are up for a private tour, be sure to ask for Nina. She's the best!
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Captions:
Above right: Feeding #85, the giant turtle

Left: Nina, our guide, with a Capuchin monkey

Right: Lemurs, lemurs, everywhere!

Below: Heads up! There's a lemur on my shoulder.

About growing old. . . . .

I've got to applaud the opening lines of a column in today's Miami Herald by a lady named Gina Barreca who is an English professor at the University of Connecticut, a feminist scholar, a writer of eight books and a columnist for the Hartford Courant.  It goes like this:

"I've lived my life with enthusiasm, courage, raucousness and passion.  Why on Earth would I want to grow old gracefully?"

Here, here, Ms. Barreca.  I'll drink to that!  Growing old gracefully is one of those phrases that we've heard so often we've come to think that must be the way to go. Sorry guys, sitting quietly on the sidelines, becoming contemplative and introspective while watching the rest of the world go by, just doesn't appeal to me.  As Ms. Barreca goes on to say, "Not only am I not going gentle into that good night, I don't plan to go gracefully into that late afternoon!"  In other words, I'm still here, folks. I may be an octogenarian these days, but I intend to live my life to the fullest as long as the good Lord and good health allows me to.

That's the reason why I truly enjoy volunteering and why I don't mind blowing my horn about the    fact that I continue to get paid to write websites and brochures for clients who find me on my website.  As I've mentioned many times before, my Mother's "writing gene" is the gift that keeps on giving!

After a certain age it is said that you finally become the indisputable authority on the subject of yourself.  I agree.  I am an adventurer.  Always have been and guess I always will be.  Never want to stop learning.  Never want to stop meeting new people and discovering something wonderful and interesting.

 It may not be graceful, but it's my personal version of how to grow older.  You know, I think I really will drink to that!
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Photo caption:  84 1/2 and counting.  Photo taken at Miami Lighthouse event two months ago.

Mango Mania. . .

It was International Mango Festival time again at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden this past weekend.  I think they should rename this uber-popular event as "Delicious Chaos". . .it's a wild and crazy 48 hours, I can attest to that.

Once again I volunteered for the Mango Tasting Room, opting for the Sunday morning shift from 9AM to 1PM.  This year I was assigned to the table at the entrance where you paid your dollar to my fellow volunteer Dr. Jean Ross, (money goes to the Garden fund) and then got handed a ballot and a pencil and a quick spiel about voting for your three favorite varieties by yours truly. 

Needless to say, neither Jean nor I got to sit down or stop working frantically for four solid hours as an endess line of adults, kids and infants, some in arms and some in strollers, walked, skipped, and rolled on by, intent on geting to the tasting tables where big  bowls of diced mangoes, from Florida, Mexico, India and the "country of this year's Festival" Colombia, were waiting to be tasted and rated.   (A low bow to those ladies in the kitchen who had been slicing and dicing since I arrived at 8:30 and were still going strong when I left my station at 1.)

Not sure who the official winner was,  but I personally voted for the Malliki from India.  I highly recommend it. It is absolutely delicious.

Once my shift was over I was joined by two good friends, Sandy and Gill, who arrived in time for lunch. The variety of food stalls for this event is positively overwhelming. . suffice to say I chose Seafood Paella from a Cuban booth (could have lived without all those little octopussy things but otherwide delicious) , Gill had a Greek salad and some kind of meat dish from the Greek booth, and Sandy opted for a Nathan's Kosher hotdog.

After lunch we took a run through the Exotic Butterfly Garden, a truly magical experience, and stopped in for a few minutes at the Mango Auction, about to start in front of a packed audience in the Garden House.

At that point I began to realize I am no longer 21, and if I didn't get in my car and head for home, a cold shower, and bed, I was going to pass out.  It was a fun day but a definitely tiring one.  If you've never been to the Mango Festival, it's definitely worth putting on your schedule for next year.

The photos are courtesy of Sandy.  I was too tired by that time to focus.
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Photo captions:
Above:  The Mango Auction display

Left:  Gill, Sandy and the short person

How to impress your grandson in one easy lesson. . .

Post a photo of yourself hanging out with Pitbull in the bar at the Grove Isle Club.  Can't believe what a friendly nice guy this very famous guy is. 

Are you impressed?  My grandson was.

A remarkable morning. . .

Our book club recently read "The Lady In Gold"by Anne Marie O'Connor, the story of the famous painting by Gustav Klimt of Adele Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy socialite in Vienna, Austria in the early 1900's, that was stolen by the Nazis in their plundering of all art owned by Jewish families during the pre-war period. The painting was renamed "The Lady in Gold" because Hitler did not want anyone to know that this remarkable protrait was that of a Jewish woman.

Long after the war, and after many years of negotiating with the Austrian government, the painting was finally returned to Block-Bauer's grand-daughter, Marie Altmann, now in her 90's and living in the United States. Altmann believed that the painting belonged in a museum and it currently hangs in the Neue Galerie on Fifth Avenue & 85th Street in New York City.

I tell you this because I recently spent four days in Connecticut visiting a childhood friend of mine and I was determined to get into the city and see the famous painting in person, along with an exhibition of .the art of the burgeoning Modernists of the 1930's that Hitler called "Entartete Kunst ". . . ."Degenerate Art".

I felt very adventurous as I took the train by myself from Stamford into NYC's Grand Central Station early last Thursday morning. As we rolled through Mt. Vernon, the city in Westchester County where I grew up, I flashed on the many mornings I took this very train to my job as the assistant editor in a publishing firm. I was in my early 20's then. If you haven't noticed, I am slightly older now.

The entire exhibit was absolutely wonderful. Starting with the magnificent life size portrait of Bloch-
Bauer that dominates an entire wall. Equally fascinating was the "Degenerate Art" exhibition by artists like Paul Klee, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and Marcel Breuer. The current exhibit only runs through June 30th, but if you are in the city before then, I highly recommend it. Housed in a circa 1914 mansion, I found it totally fascinating and I think you will as well.
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Photo captions: (1) "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer - The Lady In Gold"
(2) Neue Galerie's brochure on the "Degenerate Art" exhibit

A visit to the wild and wonderful Wynwood. . .

Remember when Miami was considered a city of old people sitting around waiting to die?  Take a Friday Night Gallery Walk in Wynwood and I guarantee you, you'll come away thinking there's a new law in town against anyone over 30.

My friend Sheila and I ventured out to Wynwood last night for the express purpose of visiting a particular gallery where a former art teacher of ours was showing.  Neither of us were aware that it was the Third Friday Gallery Walk Night. What an incredible evening!

For starters, we misread the address we were looking for and found ourselves in the most fabulous gallery either of us have ever had the pleasure of visiting. And we"ve both done plenty of galleries in our time. Art Fusion Center, on the corner of North Miami Ave. and 36th Street,  is run by a charming and extremely talented young man named William Braemer.  The Gallery features artists from all over the world and the work is uniformly stunning. We ended up spending close to an hour in this gallery alone.

From the Art Fusion Center we marched onward, on foot,  as the streets got more and more crowded.  We ended up in the much acclaimed Wynwood Walls area where we feasted on arepas (my addiction redux!) from one of the dozens of food trucks that lined the street, and admired the brilliantly painted walls and doors that surround the open area. Take a look at some of the photos, this is "graffiti" raised to high art.  (And don't miss the selfie of Sheila and me, after partaking of champagne, wine and beer at various galleries we visited.)

By 9pm the streets were so crowded that it was  becoming more and more difficult to walk.  The young people were just getting started when Sheila and I looked at each other and siliently agreed it was time for us older guys to head for home.

It's an experience, people, and I highly recommend it.  Wear comfortable shoes and be ready for one wild and crazy evening.  Miami is truly an exciting place these days.
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Dr. Ruth and sex after 80. . .

My friend Ellen asked me if I'd like to join her today at the uber luxurious new Palace, in Coral Gables, to have lunch and hear a talk by the sexologist, Dr. Ruth.  I haven't heard that name in years.  "My God," I said.  "Is  she still alive?  She must be 102!"

Dr. Ruth is very much alive, and as lively and funny as ever.  And by the way, she's only 87.

The Palace is Miami's new hot place to live for wealthy seniors who want the services of fine food three meals a day, all kinds of entertainment, classes, spa services, you name it.  It is in the center of Coral Gables "Miracle Mile" area, accessible to everything and very elegant.  Ellen had an invitation for two and asked me to join her. It was a blast.

Dr. Ruth pulls no punches when it come to sex and seniors.  She's a  believer. 
 
"Got a partner and one of you has lost interest?  Let's make a deal!  I'll do this for you if you'll do that!"

"Don't have a partner?  Invest in a good vibrator."

I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  Although the audience was 90% women, there were a number of men in attendance which made it all the more interesting when we got to the questions at the end of her talk. What really cracked everyone up was when she prefaced the question period with, "If it makes you more comfortable, you can say your question is for "a friend".

Dr. Ruth is truly a piece of work and the morning was an absolute delight, followed by a fabulous buffet lunch.  The Palace is not my cup of tea at the moment, I'll stick with Grove Isle, but they definitely know how to entertain.  If you get a chance to hear Dr. Ruth, I highly recommend her.

Thanks, Ellen.  It was a really fun morning.
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Photo caption:  Dr. Ruth the way you may remember her, and Dr. Ruth today

 

It's not such a "Small World" anymore. . .

Just got back from three days at Disney World and I can tell you that 25 years later, nothing looks the same!  For one thing, that cute little Magic Kingdom with the ultra modern, super convenient  monorail that took you where ever you wanted to go????  Forgeddabout it.  You need a road map and an app on your iPhone to find your way around Mickey's much expanded world these days.

One afternoon we had a Back Stage Safari tour booked in the Animal Kingdom, a park that didn't exist the last time I visited. To my surprise, it took a 20 minute bus ride from the Comtemporary Hotel where we were staying, just to get to that park's front entrance.  The tour was fabulous, taking Benard and me "back of the house" to the food storage areas and the veterinary offices, including the operating room with a table large enough to handle surgery on a full grown lion or hippo.We also got up close and personal with a white rhino as she was munching on some dried up twigs which the keeper told us is her version of Lays Potato Chips.

Disney World is totally digitalized these days. . .all our plans and reservations, especially dinner reservations,  were made well ahead of time on line, and were available to us by clicking on the Mickey app on my cell phone.  Without reservations, you could starve to death, the wait lines are so horrendous for walk-ins.

In the mail, prior to our leaving home, came our personalized "bracelets", (see photo of mine), that must be worn at all times while at DisneyWorld. There are no keys to the hotel room, you simply hold the Mickey side of the bracelet to the door handle, a green light goes on, and welcome home!  You also need the bracelet to authenicate your FastPass reservations for everything but the kitchen sink.  That included the fingerprint of your digital finger.  My fingerprint refused to recognize me several times which I found upsetting but the very nice Disney "cast member" at those various ride entrances, (we were told they are not called employees, perish forbid), all reassured me that I was who I thought I was, and they had other ways to prove it. That was definitely comforting.

The only thing missing during our three day visit was a couple of kids.  Couldn't help but remember my first visit to DisneyWorld in October of 1971 for the opening of the park.  Daughter Andrea was a senior at the University of Florida and she drove over from Gainsville with Steve Litwin, the son of our dear friends, Elmer and Janice Litwin, to meet the four of us plus Steve's little sister Sharon, at the park.  Both Andrea and Steve are grandparents these days and Sharon has grown children of her own.  Wow!  Time passes, but Mickey and Minnie looked exactly the same.  Wish I knew their secret.

If you get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. . .just be sure to wear comfortable shoes!  And don't forget your "bracelet".
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Photo caption:  Resting up on a handy dragon after an exhausting day in the Animal Kingdom.

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You can't win 'em all. . .

I was invited to spend yesterday afternoon at Gulfstream Race Track.  It was a gorgeous day and those in the know told me that "the track was fast."  I believe that's a good thing.  My method of betting, however, apparently leaves much to be desired.  At least when it comes to picking a winner.

My choices tend to go thusly: In the second race there was a horse named Big Gus.  My friend Faith's son is named Gus so, of course, I bet on him.  Big Gus actually pulled it off, so I was literally off to the races.  Races 3 through 5 were not so beneficial. Don't ask why I chose my picks. . once I thought the jockey was cute, another time I swear the horse looked at me.  Race 6 was an obvious choice.  There was a horse named "Run Anna Run".  My grand-niece Ana Muniz Leen is a great runner these days.  And guess what!  Anna, the horse, ran like the wind and crossed the finish line first.  (She/he was also the favorite in the race, but that's beside the point.

The 8th race was the last race of the day for us.  I insisted on staying because a horse named "Joanie's Image" was running in that race.  So what if he/she (I think the horses are all male, even if they have female names) was posted at 40 to 1, then 50 to 1, and finally at 70 to 1.  Not very good odds, I was told, accompanied by a pitying look.  I didn't care.  I bet $2 on my namesake to Show.  Even I didn't expect this horse to win.  If you were expecting an upset, forgeddaboutit.  But he did come in 4th so I almost won.  Almost, apparently, doesn't quite make it at the track.

I don't think I have a big future as a gambler, or for that matter, as a picker of winners.  But it was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  I recommend it.  Especially if someone else is doing the betting for you.
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Bad way to start the day. . . .

I'm feeling slightly passe this morning.  The Today Show was on the TV and there was lots of excitement about an upcoming musical guest that in all truth I've never paid much attention to.  Rap is not my thing, as I've mentioned in the past.

My head jerked up when I heard "Mr. 305" and they introduced Pitbull to lots of screaming and excited yelling.  OMG!  He looks familiar, and I don't mean from TV.  305 is my area code and I remembered vaguely that Pitbull comes from Miami and was brought up in the Hialeah area.

What I didn't realize is that the very well dressed, bald young man I've seen several times in the bar at the Club here in Grove Isle where I live, is very, very famous.  My friend Sheila always says hello to him and he always responds in a most friendly manner. Who knew he's got the #1 song on the charts, I think it's called "Timber", pronounced "Timbah", and he sang it this morning while lots of very sexy girls wearing tank tops that I swear read "I'm Going Down" shimmied around him.  Even the Today Show female anchors were going crazy! 

No, I am not stuck in the Sinatra era, musicwise, but I have to admit Pitbull and his rapper like have passed me by.  I did stop and watch him perform and he is good.  What amazed me was that every young woman in the audience, and there were crowds of them on the outdoor plaza, knew every word of the song.  I guess we used to know every word that our favorite singers sang, but this was the first time I ever heard these lyrics, that's for sure.

I think I'll pay more attention the next time I see Mr. 305 in the bar.  Or maybe I'll just watch CNN in the morning from now on, so I don't have to start my day on such an age-revealing note.
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Oh what a beautiful morning. . . .

Like the lyric from the long ago song from the show "Oklahoma" : "Oh what a  beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day".  I found myself humming that as I walked around our island this morning.  The waters of Biscayne Bay were like glass and the sun was just starting to break through the clouds.

To make it even more perfect, my favorite bird, the blue-black anhinga, was drying his wings on one of the poles that mark the deep water passageway out of Grove Isle.  I had to whip out my iphone and take his picture with the Key Biscayne bridge and the towers of downtown Miami shimmering in the background.

Usually I do my morning walk with two friends and we are so busy talking that we don't take time to really drink in the natural beauty of our surroundings.  This morning I was walking alone, with even my earphones left home.   Sometimes it's not a bad idea to take time out and simply enjoy the beauty of the morning.   This special place called Miami where we live.

It was so calm and peaceful that I decided I wanted to share it with all of you.  What a lovely way to start the day.
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Early morning in Miami. . .

At 7:30 this morning, my friend Sandy and I were standing on a street corner in Downtown Miami holding up signs. Hers read "Go, Alli, Go" and mine read "Go, Ana, Go".  You have to have been a once-upon-a-time long distance runner to understand the importance of what we were doing.

Sandy was watching for her daughter Allison, and I was watching for both Allison and my grand-niece Ana, who has become the premier runner in our family. They were both running in the Michelob Ultra 13.1 Mile Half Marathon on an absolutely glorious day in Miami.   On hand also was Ana's husband Craig and their two youngsters.  Years ago, Craig's dad, my nephew Bobby, used to run in 10k races with me and my ex, so I get a real kick out of seeing this generation carrying the torch.

Once both women passed within minutes of each other, along with guys in tutus, couples running hand in hand, and one funny young man with Dr. Dribble written on his tank shirt, who was actually bouncing two basketballs in front of him as he ran, we raced back to our car and headed over to Miami Beach and the finish line..  Long distance runners are not normal people, folks, you have to have a very special competitive spirit to run 13.1 miles and still be smiling as you cross the finish line.  Both Alli and Ana were grinning from ear to ear.

Alli proudly wore her medal around her neck when we went for late breakfast with friends on Lincoln Road.  We both laughed out loud when she gave me a  close-up of the big round metal medallion with Michelob Ultra 13.1 prominently displayed on the front.   Michelob, the company that sponsors the run, need I remind you, is a very upscale beer company.  A second look at the medal and you suddenly realize it also doubles as a beer bottle opener!  Way to go, Michelob.  Congratulations, Alli and Ana!
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A walk on the wild side. . . .

You've heard of ZooMiami's uber-elegant fundraiser, "Feast With The Beasts", haven't you?  That's a little out of my price range these days, but yesterday I had "Lunch With The Bunch", and it was wonderful!

To be accurate, I didn't actually share my hot dog and fries with any four legged friends, although I would have been more than glad to.  But I did spend more than three hours roaming our fabulous   740-acre zoo on foot with my good friend Diane.  Diane serves as a volunteer docent at ZooMiami, and she knows every animal's back story. She can give you the lowdown on the giant gorilla's love life and explain in detail the difference between the African and Indian elephants. Having my own personal guide made the afternoon even more remarkable.

In addition to the living and breathing animals, birds and reptiles that inhabit this fabulous place, ZooMiami currently has an exhibition called "Creatures of The Habitat - A Gazillion-Piece Animal Adventure".  I don't know the sculptor's name who created them, but the exhibit consists of life size renditions of a whole variety of animals, all created out of literally hundreds of thousands of LEGOS!  Take a look at my photo of the Polar Bear to see what I mean.  The likenesses are incredible.  And by the way, that's Diane in the backgrouund.  (There's also a photo of me playing with Legos inside the exhibition hall. Who said I was totally grown up??)

I am a confirmed animal lover, preferably the live kind, but even if they are made out of Legos. I couldn't stop photographing these gorgeous creatures throughout the afternoon, so what I've posted is only a sampling.

As we walked through the various areas of this lushly landscaped paradise where all the animals roam freely and are separated from gaping people like me only by a watery moat, I thought about my childhood in New York when my Father used to take my sister and me to the Bronx Zoo for a special treat. All the animals were in cages, literally behind bars in those days. It makes me sad just to think about it. Fortunately, the animals at this Zoo live in areas that closely resemble their natural habitats and are lovingly cared for.

If you haven't been to ZooMiami lately, I strongly recommend a visit.  Even without Diane to clue you in on the mating habits of the Galapagos tortoise, I promise you an unforgettable experience.
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