SIZE 28's

So many people have been wrong for such a long time. BigFoot is not in the Pacific Northwest, he is right here. Face it, after he fell into the vat of Nair, he had to do something with that pasty white skin of his. So, what better way to blend in than to come down to sunny South Florida, get a tan, and kick back. I shot this right after he left Starbucks. Proof positive. It must be him and it must be Theme Day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

TANGO WITH A MANGO

Not too long ago, I showed you of a picture of a Mango Tree full of fruit. I told you about the overabundance of Mangos and how they are seemingly, everywhere. Here is a table my neighbor set out on the side walk. On it, are free Mangos. Go on, help yourself. She has baskets and baskets of them. She would be happy to fill up the trunk of your car. Just ask her. Try a filet of Yellow Tail Snapper topped with Mango Salsa, followed by a little Mango sorbet. The cuisine is called Floribbean, it's local and it's wonderful! Enjoy!

FRED AND ETHEL

While wandering around downtown the other day, I came across these two strange looking objects. Being a little slow on the uptake, I figured out the big fellow was a trash can. Not a bad looking trash can and aerodynamic at that. His little buddy had me buffaloed. I thought it might be one of those gizmos you see at a movie theater that has a strap mechanism that can be pulled out and attached to another similar one to create a queue. Upon further investigation I was able to sniff out the answer. It's an ashtray! My, how the world has changed! After all that investigation I need a couple of days of R and R. Back in a few days.

NEVER FORGET

To those who gave that we might have, may you rest in peace.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY-ANGLIN'S PIER

This is Anglin's Pier. It has been a fixture for years. There is nothing quite like taking a stroll to the end as a Full Moon is rising from the Atlantic on a warm summer's evening. Many people fish from this pier as well. People have caught every fish imaginable from it. Some of the pier had to be rebuilt after our plethora of hurricanes a few years ago. Young couples can be seen walking hand in hand on a Saturday evening, some may be seen on SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

DO I HEAR THE SUPREMES ?

This is the last of this week's series on what people put in and on their lawns. The person that put the above item in his or her lawn had a specific reason. It piqued my curiosity so much that I headed for the door to solve the mystery. As I approached the door it hit me. Whatever the reason he had would never be as good as what I imagined. So, I smiled and retreated laughing all the way. So, dear reader, fill in the blank yourself. I guarantee you it will be better than any reason he had.

TREVI FOUNTAIN NOT

This is number three in our series on what people put in their front yards. This is another McMansion. The front yard has been replaced by a courtyard. And right in the middle is this fountain. Rather nice for a private residence, not your typical, run of the mill, garden variety fountain. The thing that stuck me, however, is that it must be awfully difficult to navigate in a car given that it is smack dab in the middle of the driveway. They really need  "Go Slow" sign on the front gate. Perhaps, a little less ego and a bit more common sense. We should all have such problems.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

This is number two in our series of what people put in their front yards. During the last decade, people have been buying houses, tearing them down, and erecting what we affectionately refer to as McMansions. They usually build a house that is larger than the original one and considerably bigger than the lot was designed for. Thus, less yard and greenery. You are looking at the entire front yard of this oceanfront home. So, they personalize it by putting their art work on the wall separating their yard from the neighbor's. It is a rather interesting sculpture of a garden. No weeding, fertilizing, or watering. Looks perfect every day of the year. Found, the eternal Spring.

ANYBODY SEEN THE BABY'S BLOCKS?

This week we begin a series on what people put in their front yards. There are so many variations on this theme that we will probably revisit the subject from time to time. A good example is the sculpture above. Abstraction. Geometrical. Modern. It speaks to the inner conflict of man. Yea, sure. But it is intriguing. 

ANCHORS AWEIGH

This is an angle you don't often get of a cruse ship. Imagine you are a dolphin cavorting in front of this lumbering behemoth. Interesting. Now squint just a little. It almost looks like the ship is wearing a pair of sunglasses. Enough of that. Please enlarge the photo and look underneath the starboard anchor, it helps to put things in perspective.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY-EFFORTLESS FLIGHT

Have you ever been to a beach and watched the Pelicans? They fly so effortlessly. Gliding more so than flying. Very little flapping of their wings;more jet than prop. This statue at the beach captures their essence beautifully. They may look stationary but they are headed right for SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

I GWANA, YOU GWANA, WE ALL GWANA

This is your run of the mill, garden variety Iguana. There really is nothing unusual about him except, the garden is mine. We never had these lizards until a few years ago. They began showing up after one of our hurricanes. They were rather amusing at first. You would see them eating an Hibiscus flower while lounging in the Sun. It's what most tourists do in our town (the flower is usually adorning their libation). The problem began when they(the Iguanas) heard the sermon that goes, "Be fruitful and multiply." They did and now we are over-run with them. On a recent dog walk, my wife and I counted over 15 of them in one location. Enough is enough. The guy above is about average in size, some are considerably larger. With no natural predators, their numbers will continue to increase. Oh happy days!

NOT SURFSIDE 6 BUT PIER 66

Every city has a signature building, one that unmistakable identifies it. This is ours, Pier 66. While there are buildings here that are better architecturally, this one clearly says you are in Fort Lauderdale. It has been a landmark since the 60's. Not in the same league with those in London, Paris or Rome but ancient by our standards. The view from the top is spectacular.

ATHENA-GODDESS OF THE SEA

May I present, ATHENA. She is a Superyacht and she is awesome. At 295 feet(90 meters), she is the largest private sailing yacht in the world. This is as close to her as I could get. By clicking ATHENA, you will be directed to a site with pictures and loads of information on her. She was made in Holland, is a 3-masted schooner and is breath taking to behold.  

LE JOUR DE MERE HEUREUX

Happy Mother's Day to all moms. Wouldn't it be nice to take mom to France for Mother's Day. She would love this little bistro. It is located right on the Avenue Champs-Las Olas. Now you thought I had that confused with the Avenue Champs-Elysees. Not so. This is actually a little bit of Saint-Tropez, not Paris, right here. Just a little something for mom on her day and, the best part, no jet lag. Bring her on down. She'll love you for it.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY-TOUCHDOWN

There are numerous skies with different sky formations to view at SKYWATCH FRIDAY. From time to time you will see some here as well. At this time of the year, our skies tend to be blue, very, very blue. So we have to incorporate something else into the photo to make it interesting. I thought this particular utility pole arrangement qualifies. To view other skies, take a turn over to SKYWATCH. I'm sure there are storm clouds somewhere, just not here.

VENETIAN TAXI

Our city's moniker is, "The Venice of America." When you think of Venice, the first thing that comes to mind is the gondola. So to keep up with our older brethren, it is only fitting that we have a gondola of our very own. Perhaps, one day,Venice may be known as "The Fort Lauderdale of Italy." Doubtful!

BASS IN THE BLENDER

Modern art can be thought provoking, quizzical, and a whole host of other words. It can be considered good or bad or like this. This particular piece is certainly "outside the box." It did not  have a title or a name attached to it. I can't come up with one either. If you can, please let me know.

CINCO de HOLD THE MAYO

Today is Cinco de Mayo. People assume that this is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated in many parts of the world. This is not true. The real cause for celebration is that it is MY BIRTHDAY. I am eternally grateful to all those people that will consume vast quantities of food and alcohol on this day that I have never met. To show my appreciation, I offer the photo above. It is not mine, and it is not what it appears to be. What is it you ask? Well my friends, it is a cake. I'd like to think of it as my birthday cake that I would like to share with each of you as a way of saying thank you for stopping by and commenting on this site. So refrain from song and grab a cyber fork, let the party begin.

The cake is from MIKES AMAZING CAKES of Redmond, Washington. His artistry is beyond comprehension. And yes, it is a cake.

LOOK FOR PINEAPPLE LION AROUND

For the last two days you have seen a pride of lions. For the Vegans in the audience, I present the second item that people adorn the entrance to their homes with. The ever popular Pineapple. Christopher Columbus brought it back to Europe in 1493. The Spaniards knew they were welcome if a pineapple was placed by the entrance to a village. The symbolism spread to Europe, then to Colonial North America. It has come to symbolize hospitality all over the world. I wonder in lions eat pineapple...

LIONS AT THE GATE

If you click the picture to enlarge it, you will see the well behaved brothers of yesterday's lion. He was relegated to the back yard for misbehaving. These handsome young fellows stand guard at the front entrance to the manor. They have a place of honor, well deserved, no doubt. There seems to be a preponderance of one of two statues in our area:there are lions or there are pineapples. What's in front of homes in your area?

NOT RICHARD THE LIONHEARTED

I came across this statue in the backyard of a home. It seems kind of odd sitting on a nondescript pedestal in an out of the way spot in someone's back yard. Is he being punished for biting the mailman? Come back tomorrow to see what his "better behaved" brothers are doing.