We are 100 years old today, officially! Time for a party, I do believe. There was quite an interesting article about it in one of the newspaper inserts today.
Originally part of Monroe county, which now is at the very southern FL tip, and includes, Key West, which must have been enormous, and then part of Dade county, (Miami), it became a county of its own on April 30, 1909. In fact, at one time, the county seat of Dade county was in Juno, roughly between Juno Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, in northern PB county. Since its inception, PB county has been pieced off into at least 4 other county units, Broward, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, and Martin counties all taking part of it.
In spite of that, Palm Beach county is still the largest county east of the Mississippi, and larger than the state of Rhode Island! By a sizeable amount, according to Wikepedia. And having only about 5,000 total residents in 1909, the 2006 figures say something over 1,300,000 people now, and one of the 20 most populous counties in the country. (Easy enough to believe during the winter snowbird season and trying to get thru traffic!) Also, according to Wikepedia, we are the most wealthy county in the state. Not sure whether that is a totally good thing or not, if one is not part of that high-dollar income bracket, but it does provide some pretty fancy homes, etc, to drive around and look at. (And wonder just where the $$$ come from to pay for such places.)
Anyhow, it is a big day locally. Not sure if there is going to be any cake to share, but we are going to the Fellowship Dinner at church tonight, (meatloaf--hurray), and rarely is there a shortage of desserts of some kind.
Wonder what the next 100 years will bring? Or even the next 10, if we are still around at that point.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Being 'fostered', I think.
Not sure if there is a better term to use, or not. Being adopted as 'staff' might be more descriptive, were it a full time connection.
Some weeks ago, a very pretty black cat would sometimes be found around our house. Often, in the early morning, (Yes, Virginia, there is a dawn!), she would be resting under my truck, parked in the driveway, and would sometimes sort of mosey over closer to say hello, or whatever. Seems the people across the street had been feeding her, along with their own cats, but they do not lay claim to her, nor did they seem to know just where her official home was.
Other times, she might be sleeping, (a cat-nap, of course,) in our backyard, or we might see her carefully walking along the top of the fence, to get to either the front or rear of our house.
Well, as things go, Carol had occasion to purchase an off-brand of canned tuna a while back, and it had a 'fishy' taste that neither of us liked, but we ate it the first time. The next time she opened a can, again the smell was not real pleasing, and she tried a third can, with the same result. She then opened, and used, a can of her regular brand, and capped the two open cans, thinking perhaps of taking them to the store and checking to see if this was a normal smell/taste. After a couple of days, she hadn't gotten to the store, and happened to mention that just maybe, the cat outside might like some of it. WELL, she not only opened a can of tuna---but a can of worms, as well!!!
By the time the two cans of tuna were gone, a modest portion at a time, the habit of breakfast behind the house was well established, to the point of my feeling bad when I was going to run out of tuna, so I picked up a couple of cans of cat food, and the process began. She is here almost every morning, frequently waiting for us to appear, and sometimes when we happen to go out the utility room door, into the backyard, she will come jumping over the fence from behind our house, and come running up for a treat. She is not getting fed enough to sustain her, at our house, that is, and obviously has others feeding her as well. In fact, the couple across the street have named her "User", for her habit of coming by their house to eat as well.
She always waits so patiently, posing in classic cat poses, and never making any noises, at least until I go out to retrieve her feeding dish, and then she is very verbal, greeting and letting me know how hungry she is. She does not come into the house, although she has gotten curious enough lately that I think she would, given an opportunity, by my wife has no desire for that to happen.
Speaking of being verbal---do cats talk to each other??? This morning, when I looked out to see if she was waiting, she was laying in the grass, and just a couple of feet away, was ANOTHER cat, this one grey and white, maybe a B/F, but the two of them were just waiting for the first sign of life in the house. When I went after the dish, the second one took off, but a couple of minutes later, when I brought the filled dish back, the extra cat was hovering out by the fence, watching the proceedings. (And probably wondering if the feeding dishes only came in singles!) One is enough, cats, that is, but it will be interesting to see if the second one shows up again, even if I did find today the Wal-Mart has the canned food for half what I had paid at the local drug store.
Some weeks ago, a very pretty black cat would sometimes be found around our house. Often, in the early morning, (Yes, Virginia, there is a dawn!), she would be resting under my truck, parked in the driveway, and would sometimes sort of mosey over closer to say hello, or whatever. Seems the people across the street had been feeding her, along with their own cats, but they do not lay claim to her, nor did they seem to know just where her official home was.
Other times, she might be sleeping, (a cat-nap, of course,) in our backyard, or we might see her carefully walking along the top of the fence, to get to either the front or rear of our house.
Well, as things go, Carol had occasion to purchase an off-brand of canned tuna a while back, and it had a 'fishy' taste that neither of us liked, but we ate it the first time. The next time she opened a can, again the smell was not real pleasing, and she tried a third can, with the same result. She then opened, and used, a can of her regular brand, and capped the two open cans, thinking perhaps of taking them to the store and checking to see if this was a normal smell/taste. After a couple of days, she hadn't gotten to the store, and happened to mention that just maybe, the cat outside might like some of it. WELL, she not only opened a can of tuna---but a can of worms, as well!!!
By the time the two cans of tuna were gone, a modest portion at a time, the habit of breakfast behind the house was well established, to the point of my feeling bad when I was going to run out of tuna, so I picked up a couple of cans of cat food, and the process began. She is here almost every morning, frequently waiting for us to appear, and sometimes when we happen to go out the utility room door, into the backyard, she will come jumping over the fence from behind our house, and come running up for a treat. She is not getting fed enough to sustain her, at our house, that is, and obviously has others feeding her as well. In fact, the couple across the street have named her "User", for her habit of coming by their house to eat as well.
She always waits so patiently, posing in classic cat poses, and never making any noises, at least until I go out to retrieve her feeding dish, and then she is very verbal, greeting and letting me know how hungry she is. She does not come into the house, although she has gotten curious enough lately that I think she would, given an opportunity, by my wife has no desire for that to happen.
Speaking of being verbal---do cats talk to each other??? This morning, when I looked out to see if she was waiting, she was laying in the grass, and just a couple of feet away, was ANOTHER cat, this one grey and white, maybe a B/F, but the two of them were just waiting for the first sign of life in the house. When I went after the dish, the second one took off, but a couple of minutes later, when I brought the filled dish back, the extra cat was hovering out by the fence, watching the proceedings. (And probably wondering if the feeding dishes only came in singles!) One is enough, cats, that is, but it will be interesting to see if the second one shows up again, even if I did find today the Wal-Mart has the canned food for half what I had paid at the local drug store.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Catching up
My blogger son in Utah has taken me to task for not blogging about the Boynton Beach, FL, lady who called the police last week, telling them that she was watching thieves in her house, as she was on the phone, getting ready to clean out all of the electronics, etc, that they could find.
She had installed the system after being burglarized last fall, and was able to log, with her computer at work, to see what was going on. She did not make a real habit of checking, but had a gut feeling that she needed to do it that day, at just the right time. She saw two guys roaming thru the house, eating food from her frig, and gathering items together, ready to load them into a van, driven by two other BGs, who were raiding a neighboring home while they waited!!
It was interesting to see the BGs suddenly dash from front to back of the house, only to discover that the local PD had the house surrounded, as well as stopping the van! My son was quick to point out that the technology used for the surveillance came from a company out in Utah.
And now for the bad news----the noon news broadcast reported that the BGs had all gotten out on bail already!! Nothing like a quick turn-around. It will take a WHOLE lot longer than that for them to see the inside of a courtroom, and face a jury, I am sure. Hopefully, to provide them with some time in jail. Which will probably be used to find out how to avoid getting caught the next time. Certainly not to learn some job skills, to avoid having to get their cash by robbing homes. After all, w-o-r-k is a 4 letter word.
She had installed the system after being burglarized last fall, and was able to log, with her computer at work, to see what was going on. She did not make a real habit of checking, but had a gut feeling that she needed to do it that day, at just the right time. She saw two guys roaming thru the house, eating food from her frig, and gathering items together, ready to load them into a van, driven by two other BGs, who were raiding a neighboring home while they waited!!
It was interesting to see the BGs suddenly dash from front to back of the house, only to discover that the local PD had the house surrounded, as well as stopping the van! My son was quick to point out that the technology used for the surveillance came from a company out in Utah.
And now for the bad news----the noon news broadcast reported that the BGs had all gotten out on bail already!! Nothing like a quick turn-around. It will take a WHOLE lot longer than that for them to see the inside of a courtroom, and face a jury, I am sure. Hopefully, to provide them with some time in jail. Which will probably be used to find out how to avoid getting caught the next time. Certainly not to learn some job skills, to avoid having to get their cash by robbing homes. After all, w-o-r-k is a 4 letter word.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
So much for political rhetoric------------
And it hasn't taken long, either. During the campaign recently, Rev Rick Warren pointedly asked both candidates, for their definition of marriage, and both men responded that it was between one man and one woman, the Biblical definition. But already, barely two months into office, the now President has deliberately opted to bring in gay and lesbian couples and their 'children' for the Easter Egg Roll, seeking to normalize, or legitimatize, these supposed couples as part of his agenda.
And where has our "Christian--non/Muslim" President been this past week? Busy making overtures with the leaders of Muslim countries, trying his best to get them into his fold of friends and allies. And of course, offering Hamas millions of $$$ recently, to allow them to rebuild their damage, caused when Isreal attacked to stop the over-the-border rocket attacks killing Isreali people! What does Hamas expect, when they keep shooting rockets into villages unprovoked? Do they Isreal is just going to set back and let it continue? Anyone with two good brain cells to rub together should know that Isreal does not have a reputation for allowing that sort of thing to continue, without putting a stop to it under their own conditions. And Hamas crying about losing civilians?? If they had any guts, they would not be hiding behind women and kids! Isreal went out of their way, to broadcast warnings, to allow civilians to leave areas that were going to come under fire, and what did Hamas do? All the big important men(?) gathered their families around them for protection. If they want to fight a war, it is about time for them to organize, wear uniforms, and be prepared to stand on their own and fight, not hide like the bunch of cowards they are.
What kind of an outcry would there be, if our troops in Iraq, decided to dress like the population, to make it easier to infiltrate and sneak up on the opponents? But it is fine, by their standards, to wear normal civilian dress, hide their weapons, and move about with families in tow, for cover. We would have been victors, and our men home by now, if they were up against a real 'army'. Civilian causalties--unfortunate--but of their choosing, not our soldiers choice.
And where has our "Christian--non/Muslim" President been this past week? Busy making overtures with the leaders of Muslim countries, trying his best to get them into his fold of friends and allies. And of course, offering Hamas millions of $$$ recently, to allow them to rebuild their damage, caused when Isreal attacked to stop the over-the-border rocket attacks killing Isreali people! What does Hamas expect, when they keep shooting rockets into villages unprovoked? Do they Isreal is just going to set back and let it continue? Anyone with two good brain cells to rub together should know that Isreal does not have a reputation for allowing that sort of thing to continue, without putting a stop to it under their own conditions. And Hamas crying about losing civilians?? If they had any guts, they would not be hiding behind women and kids! Isreal went out of their way, to broadcast warnings, to allow civilians to leave areas that were going to come under fire, and what did Hamas do? All the big important men(?) gathered their families around them for protection. If they want to fight a war, it is about time for them to organize, wear uniforms, and be prepared to stand on their own and fight, not hide like the bunch of cowards they are.
What kind of an outcry would there be, if our troops in Iraq, decided to dress like the population, to make it easier to infiltrate and sneak up on the opponents? But it is fine, by their standards, to wear normal civilian dress, hide their weapons, and move about with families in tow, for cover. We would have been victors, and our men home by now, if they were up against a real 'army'. Civilian causalties--unfortunate--but of their choosing, not our soldiers choice.
Would you believe 17 below???
OK, not below zero, but below normal for this time of the year. And Monday we were up to record setting highs, in the 90s. Sure be glad when it settles down, and stays warm/hot/whatever you want to call it. But highs in the 80s would suit me. The winds have been high along with the low temps, until today, so yesterday was rather nasty outside.
I put on a heavy shirt yesterday, to go out and mow, and it was still nippy, particularly in the front yard. The back, being all fenced in, was not quite so bad. Dry conditions have not made the grass grow as well as normal, but once again, there were tufts of high grass, and some weeds, that were doing well, so a quick cutting was needed. I think a blade sharpening is also needed, and can hardly wait to figure out how to jack up the front, to be able to get at the blades under the deck. I did pick up a spare belt, to drive the blades, at HD yesterday. Hoping not to get caught with a broken belt in the middle of a mowing session. I will take a look at the original when I get to the blades, and decide whether or not to replace it at that point, but at least a spare is at hand.
At the very least, having to replace belts during the middle of mowing, beats the need for replacing belts, or worse, in the middle of a snowblowing job!
I put on a heavy shirt yesterday, to go out and mow, and it was still nippy, particularly in the front yard. The back, being all fenced in, was not quite so bad. Dry conditions have not made the grass grow as well as normal, but once again, there were tufts of high grass, and some weeds, that were doing well, so a quick cutting was needed. I think a blade sharpening is also needed, and can hardly wait to figure out how to jack up the front, to be able to get at the blades under the deck. I did pick up a spare belt, to drive the blades, at HD yesterday. Hoping not to get caught with a broken belt in the middle of a mowing session. I will take a look at the original when I get to the blades, and decide whether or not to replace it at that point, but at least a spare is at hand.
At the very least, having to replace belts during the middle of mowing, beats the need for replacing belts, or worse, in the middle of a snowblowing job!
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