paradise

Being back in Florida is a little like being a tourist on vacation.  Things look different and unfamiliar for awhile.  It took a few days to adjust to the climate and for Jubilee’s raging allergies to come to some kind of tolerable level, but we are getting there.  And as long as you stay out of the direct sun in midday and the breeze comes in off the ocean there is a wonderful balminess to the tropical summer warmth.

The bougainvillea are thriving ...

Jubilee and I have settled into a little routine as I wait for my surgery on August 8th.

We go for a walk first thing in the morning when it is just getting light.  This is sometimes the only time of day that Jubilee will walk the neighborhood.  I guess she has her reasons.  I can walk her off the leash because there is almost no traffic.  After our walk I do my yoga and meditating, usually in the back by the pool unless there is no breeze and it is so sweltering that I can’t stand it.  Then we go inside where the air conditioning, set at 78 degrees, feels heavenly.   Breakfast and then swimming - serious lap swimming that is making me feel as healthy as a jogger. (I once figured that 40 double laps of our 30 foot pool makes almost 1/2 mile of swimming.) Jubilee joins me for much of it, so I have to maneuver around her and the ball, but it works.  I go to the library to check my email, update my blogs and websites and whatever else I have going.  I sometimes bring home a movie from the library (or go to the Mos’art!).  Later in the afternoon I try to take Jubilee for a walk, and read or putz around with one of my home projects (like cleaning out the desk and file cabinets).  Then just before bed we try to walk again.  I say “try” because Jubilee can be a real mule about these things.  I think she got too spoiled running free through the woods in PA.  Funny (as in weird) dog.

It’s rather delightful.  I don’t miss not having constant internet one bit.

My notion about living in extreme climates comes down to: don’t fight it and you will come to find its treasures.

Living in an extreme climate - like the tropics or arctic - requires little adjustments.  Like clothing.  You have to dress for the climate.  And knowing how to alternate your inside and outside times.  You really can’t hole yourself up inside just because it’s too hot (or cold) outside.  There are ways to enjoy the outside without becoming overwhelmed.   You also have to make use of the ways that you can cool down, like swimming pools and oceans. 

As for the living with cold, I already know that, like the right coat, a good down comforter for the bed makes a big difference.

Here are some scenes from around town.

I try not to go to Whole Foods too much (or when I’m hungry) because you can easily spend a lot more on food than is necessary.  But it’s so close and convenient that it’s hard to avoid.  The quality of the vegetables and fruit is much better than the regular grocery store.

The library is special.  All kinds of people here - kids, teenagers, retirees, everyone deep into a pursuit of some kind.  I love the mix of races, ages and nationalities.  They are hard (impossible) to categorize - people of all stripes and from everywhere, finding themselves in Palm Beach County in the summertime and knowing the specialness of the library.  Sometimes I look up from whatever I’m doing and wonder about all the stories that each of these people tell, and I’m glad to be amongst them. 

This is the Mos’Art,  a little art movie house in Lake Park (next town south).  I went on Saturday afternoon for a movie and loved the ambiance and the friendliness of everyone.   There were a lot of “singles” like me.  I saw the movie “Samaritan”, which was good, the preview for another movie I intrigued me so I guess I’ll go back today.