SIESTA KEY ORCHIDS

LITTLE BUG....BIG TROUBLE

Lyme Disease is carried by Ticks, mostly very small Deer Ticks. They are very common in Nantucket. If one gets on you and you remove it right away, you will probably not catch the disease. If you do not notice it for a day of two (and they can be much smaller that this guy on the finger) your risk increases. Fortunately, the treatment if started immediately is simple, inexpensive, and generally effective. If you see a ring around the Rosy rash like this one, that is fairly diagnostic. It is not the only rash pattern and if in doubt, there is a lab test you can get to see if you were exposed.

Avoid walking through bushes, especially ones where animals such as deer congregate. This is basically anywhere on Nantucket, except for inside some buildings. You never know if you are going to have a self limited version of Lyme, but there are enough people who get serious lifelong problems with the untreated disease so...DON'T RISK IT. They may not be able to transplant your heart at Cottage Hospital but I think they can diagnose Lyme pretty well.

CANDLE WARNING

Remembering my youth and the BB gun I had and the ladders I climbed on to repair the two story roof I distinctly remember NO WARNING LABELS on anything. Nothing on the gun like "do not put this in your ear and pull the trigger" or on the ladder either.

Nowadays, there are warning labels on EVERYthing. My recent purchase of some candles for home decoration and illumination revealed these labels on each candle. I should not be surprised. Viagra comes with a warning that it does not prevent diseases. Are we a nation of MORONS?

HIBISCUS in my YARD on Siesta Key

BOYZ in da HOODie

Symbols mean something. The Hooded Sweatshirt aka HOODIE is a symbol of thinking you are or maybe actually are a Bad Ass, THUG, or Gangsta.

Today, there are gatherings all over America of people wearing Hoodies in solidarity of the one month anniversary of the shooting of a young man in Orlando. I don't have an opinion of whether Mr. Zimmerman a latino, was justified in shooting the young black male who was wearing a hoodie or if it was a crime that should be punishable by improsonment. I do know that even though I am fairly large guy, with military and police training, my antennae go up whenever I see young men of any color in a group all wearing this article of clothing.

When the tension level goes up, mistakes and impulsive actions like drawing a gun and shooting, are more likely to occur. I am not blaming the victim any more than I would blame the female college student who was raped on her way home in the dark, inebriated, partially clothed, but I DO KNOW that simple risk management suggests that there are always things one can choose to do that will lessen the likelihood of something bad happening. Not wearing a hoodie is one of these choices. Wear one at your own risk (to a degree). By the way, I did not photo-shop this photo, this is actually a Hoodie that is for sale on the internet.

COSTA RICA review

PLEASE GO TO http://notablenibbles.blogspot.com/

and see the wonderful food reviews and other adventures in Costa Rica that were recently experienced by my daughter-in-law, Grace.

Oh my GAWD

In the book 1984, George Orwell wrote about the "two minutes of hate" in which the people would gather in front of their TV monitors (which were two way and were everywhere) and yell and scream at the image of Emanuel Goldstein, their hated enemy. Somehow, the folks in power reasoned that this would be cathartic and allow them to blow off steam. It may have worked in the book, but every time I hear the name of or see this person on TV it is like I am being water-boarded.

The Queen of the World of Odious, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, opines with a voice that can only remind one of fingernails on a chalk board about why all of our problems today are George Bush's fault, any why Barack Obama is the only solution. Orwell was indeed a visionary. Now it is up to me to convert in the same simplistic Liberal manner, all things wrong into one object of hate. Debby is indeed, in this respect, providing public service.

Cafe' l"Europe in SARASOTA

Last night, the Kitty and I went out to Cafe' l'Europe on St. Armand's Circle here in Sarasota. The name is very appropriate for both the restaurant and its neighborhood as it has a Verrrrry European flair. One almost feels transported to Paris were it not for the palm trees.

This restaurant has been in business for almost 40 years and used to be one of the only fine restaurants in town and a special occasion destination for our family. Today is is only one of many great restaurants as Sarasota has grown in sophistication. The proprietor, who has since died, was an extremely civic minded man who often hosted clubs in his back room. I belonged to several of these organizations and was grateful for the chance to eat there.

Last night was a treat. The ambiance, service, and vibe, extended all the way out onto the sidewalk tables on a beautiful Sarasota night. The food was excellent. I ordered the grilled salmon, and a salad with candied walnuts, arugula, beets, and goat cheese. Not only yummy, but too much to eat there so I took half the fish home. Prices were appropriate for the food and drink and special surroundings. Anyone coming to Sarasota needs to visit St. Armand's Circle and eat at one of the great restaurants there. Cafe' l'Europe would be a good choice.

MEAN SPIRITED?

Political season upon us full force and immigration and control of the borders is certainly a top priority for the Republicans especially as they campaign in the border states (not the Canadian border)

You would think that Americans would get it. You either have laws and obey them or you have anarchy. Fewer laws would be nice however. Democrats seem to want to have no limit on illegal immigration. I personally like guest worker programs and legal immigration but maybe in this era of no personal responsibility, we should give to government a pass on not doing their job at all. Spit on the sidewalk and they are all over you. Sneak into the country with a load of weed on your back and live here for 20 years with no social security number and paying no taxes while overburdening the schools, hospitals, and prisons...NO PROBLEM.

OBAMA UNPLUGGED

Unless you are one of those tree-hugging weenies that lives on roots and berries and wears Hemp, you cannot be happy with our nation's energy policies. We have wasted billions of dollars on green energy companies that turned out to be poor investments. One of these, Solyndra, single handedly cost American taxpayers $500,000,000. The Chevy VOLT which was touted as the answer to our transportation needs, is as popular as poison ivy. They had to cease production temporarily while demand catches up to the meager supply. It is not that I am against green energy research, it is just that this pack of fools who dole out money to companies who have no chance of success is an insult to hard working Americans. On top of that, after the companies fail and the Government money goes down the toilet, management writes themselves huge bonuses. Money goes back to presidential campaigns (all Democrat in this case) and the cycle repeats itself.

This morning's news is that the average price of a gallon of gas is $3.80. This is DOUBLE the cost of a gallon when our current president took office. I hope the Obama supporters who can barely afford to fill their tank reconsider their decision in light of this grim economic reality.

How GENERATION "Y" Got Its Name

And an ORCHID in an Oak Tree

Orchids are beautiful flowers, often given at Senior Proms and Weddings for beautiful women to carry. They are also a popular house plant and a suitable gift to bring to someone's house if you are invited to dinner. They flower for weeks and then they appear to die. The leaves get a little brown and all that remains of the flower is a stem sticking up in the air. The plants are NOT dead. Take them outside and somehow wedge them into the crotch of a tree or tie them somewhere that they get a little water, not much sun, and....the most important ingredient...total neglect. They will come back to life once or twice a year. Now is one of those times. This orchid has been in our Big Oak tree in the front years for several years and rewards us with these beautiful blooms.

FUNCTION over FASHION

Stepping out of a doctor's office into the parking lot I could not help but notice that ALL of the cars in the parking lot were WHITE. So I took this photo with my ever-present iPhone. Every make and model and year of car were different except they were all white.

There are some "cool" people down here who have to have a black car with black interior to park out in the sun all day like a solar panel. You can put you hand on the surface of one of these dark colored cars and get a burn. The white cars remain much cooler both to the touch and inside. Real Floridians buy white cars. We have several. Call us overly practical but it beats a second degree burn from accidentally touching your own car while opening the door. Ouch.

DID YOU KNOW...?

The 4th Amendment of the Constitution says:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

This means that you don't have to consent to you, your car, or your house being searched. On the other hand, the police DO NOT have to tell you that you have the right to refuse. So when you are stopped for speeding or whatever and they ask you if it would be OK if they could search your car because a car just like yours was seen leaving a convenience store robbery for example, you could ask them "Do I have to?" And they have to honestly say no. Or you could just say , "No, thank you" and if the officer rests his hand on his gun and seems to be intimating that if you don't things could go worse for you, he could be guilty of both civil and criminal transgressions.

Maybe you have nothing to hide, but what if the valet that parked your car last night at the restaurant left his "stash" in your center console? OR your kid's friend dropped an OxyContin on the floor when they borrowed your car to go the game and you don't have a prescription for that drug? As Laura Bush said during the war on drugs..."JUST SAY NO."

I PARK ANYWHERE without fear of getting a dent

Every once in a while you see something that makes you aware of how much freedom folks have when they are not overly invested in possessions. If you drive a nice car, you sometimes pass up a parking space because it is too tight or seems to be next to a car or truck that has never been well cared for.

I would be willing to bet that the owner of this vehicle does not have those concerns.

NANTUCKET on my mind

I was thinking about being outside more here is beautiful SARASOTA. It is bright and sunny and riding in an open car would be nice IF it were not for the fact that pollen is staring to fall from the Oak trees, among others and covering everything like a blanket of snow. Flocks of folks are complaining about running noses, watery eyes, and sneezing. I am among them. If it would rain, perhaps things would get better, and we aren't even in the height of the bloom.

What's next? SPEED MEDITATION?

Forgive me if I don't get 21st century America, and tell me if I am mistaken, but isn't the whole point of yoga relaxation and Ommmmmm harmony? It is part and parcel of a lifestyle of not being attached to outcomes and deadlines, comparisons with others, and living in the moment? Is it not part of that movement towards greater spirituality and New Age contemplative life? Or is it just Football for flexible women?

OXYMORON or just plain MORON?

We have two post offices that service our home. One is huge and had a line out the door today, while the smaller one had two people ahead of me. I am glad I went to the smaller one which was one the way home anyway.

While I was at the Main Post Office, I could not help but notice this prominent sign on the entry door. It probably means that it does not automatically open but if you do something manual, it then opens itself. Anyhow, it is very confusing especially for those for whom English is a second language. I am calling a lawyer right now to get to the bottom of this.

CHARMIN'g

IRONY

Isn't It Ironic?

The food stamp program, part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever.

Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture, asks us to "Please Do Not Feed the Animals because the
animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.'