We left friendly Daytona Beach last Saturday and drove south to our January digs. On the way and during this week, I missed taking pictures of 4 major events. The first miss was our quick stop to visit family members starting their first ever winter in Vero Beach Florida. Kicking myself ---- no picture of the latest snowbirds! (And of course they would be smiling because the weather back home is brutally cold and snowy...)
Arriving in a familiar part of Miami Beach, we settled in with Pat organizing the apartment and me parking the car! Big place by our standards: one-bedroom 490 sq. ft. Covered parking, one block from ocean waterway, 8th floor city view, pool, balcony, a/c, etc. (Nice folks, they even included some construction noises across the street and in the next unit!)
Then Miss #2, by about 3 hours. We walked through the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon and noticed chairs and TV trucks. Duh --- always find out what's happening! That evening the gardens were filled with hundreds of happy gay couples who had just got married that day, the first day it was legal in Florida. Even their Pastor himself tied the knot. We watched the evening news kicking ourselves we missed the celebrations, just blocks away.
Miss #3. In the Cuban section of Miami, local Kiwanis held a festival of Los 3 Reyes (The 3 Kings) denoting the 3 Wise Men bearing gifts for Jesus. These kids got their Christmas gifts 2 weeks late but the joy and wonder would have made a great picture. (Just across the causeway from us...)
Miss #4. Then we were actually driving through Little Havana when we saw a happy crowd and the ever-present TV trucks. Duh --- always find out what's happening! That morning a group of Cuban dissidents had been released from jail as part of the new U.S. relations with Cuba. Men dancing with mojitos --- woulda been another fun photo.
Otherwise, it looks good for the next 4 weeks. Daily power walks criss-crossing the numbered streets. Majestic ocean liners and container ships up close. Miles of sand and surf. Hispanic-flavoured people-watching in the patios and parks.
What stands out? A surprisingly thick tree canopy with unfamiliar species and gnarly trunks. The night scene on Art Deco/neon Ocean Road. And pelicans that stare and say "No more missed pictures, camera boy!"
Then Miss #2, by about 3 hours. We walked through the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon and noticed chairs and TV trucks. Duh --- always find out what's happening! That evening the gardens were filled with hundreds of happy gay couples who had just got married that day, the first day it was legal in Florida. Even their Pastor himself tied the knot. We watched the evening news kicking ourselves we missed the celebrations, just blocks away.
Miss #3. In the Cuban section of Miami, local Kiwanis held a festival of Los 3 Reyes (The 3 Kings) denoting the 3 Wise Men bearing gifts for Jesus. These kids got their Christmas gifts 2 weeks late but the joy and wonder would have made a great picture. (Just across the causeway from us...)
Miss #4. Then we were actually driving through Little Havana when we saw a happy crowd and the ever-present TV trucks. Duh --- always find out what's happening! That morning a group of Cuban dissidents had been released from jail as part of the new U.S. relations with Cuba. Men dancing with mojitos --- woulda been another fun photo.
Otherwise, it looks good for the next 4 weeks. Daily power walks criss-crossing the numbered streets. Majestic ocean liners and container ships up close. Miles of sand and surf. Hispanic-flavoured people-watching in the patios and parks.
What stands out? A surprisingly thick tree canopy with unfamiliar species and gnarly trunks. The night scene on Art Deco/neon Ocean Road. And pelicans that stare and say "No more missed pictures, camera boy!"
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