Backing Out Of A Brightline Train Station Deal? Say It Ain't So!

I heard on the local television news this week that the Stuart city commissioners, two of whom were just recently elected, voted 5-0 to revisit the agreement to build a train station in downtown Stuart, Florida that they made with Brightline, which operates a high-speed train between Miami and Orlando. There was quite a competition the past few years between Stuart and Fort Pierce to be the location for that station, which would be, at least for now, the only stop between West Palm Beach and Orlando. Stuart won, and everyone in the city was both surprised and ecstatic about it, since Fort Pierce had been the clear-cut favorite. However, with new commissioners elected on a platform of slower growth, they might very well back out of the deal. Major concerns are the cost ($30 million), the increase in traffic, and possible new development in downtown Stuart that might destroy its character. And does it really matter if the station is built in Fort Pierce instead? I myself was all in favor of the station being built in Stuart until I found out how expensive those Brightline tickets are. A trip from the Orlando Airport to West Palm Beach (30 miles south of Stuart) costs $99 one way. Round trip $198. No wonder Brightline is struggling financially - what a rip-off. You can take a redeye flight on Frontier from Denver to Orlando for $75. Does this not strike you as crazy, or what? Build the damn station in the middle of the Everglades as far as I am concerned. And by the way, the photograph above is of a Brightline train passing through downtown Stuart. And yes - that is indeed a sailfish fountain in the foreground. Stuart, as everyone knows, is the "sailfish capitol of the world," although the only one I have ever seen is that one in the fountain.

Three-Inch Teeth

I just finished reading Three-Inch Teeth, the latest Joe Pickett novel by C.J. Box. This book was actually published last February, but I just got around to reading it. My sister Susan and I attended the author event for this book, where Box read several passages from the novel, answered questions, and signed books for readers, and we enjoyed it very much. These days, instead of just showing up at a bookstore for an author talk, and then deciding if you want to buy the book, you have to purchase tickets in advance that include a copy of the novel. The event is then held in an auditorium. I understand the reasoning for this, but still don't like it. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book very much. This time, a rogue grizzly bear is attacking and killing people across Wyoming, including the potential fiancée of game warden Joe Pickett's daughter Sheridan. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped to put in prison years ago, has been released from prison, and seeks revenge against the people who put him in jail and who he feels were responsible for the death of his family. It is an exciting read, and I recommend picking up a copy today.

The Funky Side Of Fort Pierce

Fort Pierce is a port town, settled around 1882, which in recent years has revitalized its downtown and waterfront. However, it is dealing with a nagging crime problem in other parts of the city. Lately, it is most famous for being the location of the federal courthouse where Donald Trump was supposed to be tried for hoarding and refusing to return top secret, classified documents. Until Trump appointee and federal judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case on grounds the government did not have the power to appoint a special prosecutor. An appeal has been filed, and so we will just have to see if the case goes forward, and whether it resumes in Fort Pierce. And so far, reporters have not been very impressed with the town. It is very much like a typical Florida seaside town but does seem to have its funky side. I took the photograph on the left of that cow wearing a hat and a Hawaiian lei in the parking lot of an ice cream store that features, of all things, "boozy flavors." Is that real alcohol they put in their homemade ice cream, and is it legal to sell to minors? So many questions, so few answers.

Just down the street is a "psychic boutique," offering life coaching, spiritual guidance, and psychic readings, starting at $20. I have not seen any lines out the door when I have passed by, but it is the summer, after all, and not exactly prime time for tourist season in Florida. Although if a hurricane does show up on the horizon, it would be a useful place to go to find out if you should evacuate or not. Of course, they would probably double the cost of the session to reveal that kind of information, but what the hell. It is an emergency after all, right?

And, of course, there is the "World Peace Manatee," as seen in front of the Seven Gables House in the photograph on the left, which I have featured on this blog before. This house was built around 1905 and was restored and moved to the waterfront back in the 1990s. It is now the Visitor's Information Center, operated by the Fort Pierce Chamber of Commerce. In addition to its architectural features, it also became a bordello back in 1943 and was popular with servicemen stationed there during World War II. That tidbit of information is not mentioned by the Chamber of Commerce. I learned about that particular fact from the Urban Florida Photographer on flickr. And as for the World Peace Manatee, I haven't a clue.

The Jonathan Dickinson State Park Fiasco

It was announced the other day that two 18-hole golf courses, along with a 9-hole course, would be built on 1,000 acres of rare scrub land at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, which is located just outside of Hobe Sound, Florida. It is all part of Governor Ron DeSantis' Great Outdoors Initiative, which targets a number of Florida state parks for major changes. Protests about this golf course proposal began immediately, and in less than a day, a Facebook page set up to oppose the plan had 45,000 followers. The organization behind the proposal, Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, stated that the golf courses would benefit a non-profit called Folds of Honor. However, it appears Tuskegee Dunes Foundation is a shell corporation, and its location, board members, and contact information are all unknown. Tuskegee Dunes withdrew the proposal the following day after the outcry, but people are still worried the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (ironic, isn't it?) could just find someone else to put in those courses. Another one of DeSantis' ideas is to put chaplains in public schools to counsel children, but the problem with this is that the Satanic Church wants their chaplains in schools, too. It is a shame DeSantis did not get the Republican presidential nomination. Think of all the fun ideas he could have proposed. Perhaps Yellowstone National Park turned into the largest golf complex in the world? In any case, I took the photograph above of my sister Susan years ago as we cruised up the Loxahatchee River in Jonathan Dickenson State Park toward Trapper Nelson's campsite. Nelson was a colorful local character who lived out in the wild where the park is now located, but as far as I know, he never did play golf. Strange.

A Baseball Update: The Chicago White Sox Have Reached One Hundred Losses

My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, hit one hundred losses this past Sunday afternoon, a full week before the start of September. They are now on pace to lose 124 games, which would break the modern-day record of 120 losses by the 1962 New York Mets in their inaugural season. Thanks to the two-hour time difference between Denver and Stuart, Florida, I have been able to watch more White Sox games on MLB.com these days, which is, of course, both a good and a bad thing. As for the Sox's North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, they beat Pittsburg 18-8 last night to get back to .500, and although they are still a longshot to make the playoffs, they still have a chance. My adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, are 29.5 games out of first, but a mere 22 games from a wildcard berth. Enough said.

The White Sox announcers, John Schriffen (on the left in the photo) and Steve Stone (on the right) seem to be taking it all in stride, still making the game interesting despite the team's losing ways, focusing on individual performances, and best of all, always entertaining chit-chat. There have been rumors that Stone, who is a youngish 77, might retire after this season, which I very much hope is not true. He is one of the main reasons I subscribe to MLB.com these days, which has become a bit pricey in recent years. I still remember him back when he was broadcasting Cubs games with Harry Caray, and I would hate to see still another baseball legend disappear from public view. And retiring at 77? Much too early, in my opinion. At least for a baseball legend.

A Tropical Wave

A tropical wave is nothing like a hurricane - a hurricane can cause massive damage and loss of life. A tropical wave, for the most part, is just annoying. Lots of rain and puddles of water in the street. The weather forecasters predicted tropical waves for several days this past week.  Last Friday was one such day, and as I was driving south on I-95 from Stuart toward Palm Beach, I saw dark clouds on the horizon. But I paid them no mind. Big deal, right? Then it started raining, and soon it was a tropical downpour. I could barely see out of the windshield. I pulled over to the far-right lane and followed the car in front at a snail's pace. When the exit to Donald Ross Road came into view, I exited and slowly made my way to nearby Roger Dean Stadium, which I parked in front of and waited out the storm. Nothing bad can happen at Roger Dean Stadium, right? Eventually the rain lightened up to a mere trickle, which is when I took the photo on the left. and I got back on the freeway heading south. By the time I got to Palm Beach, it was as if the rain never happened. Weather is definitely weird here. In any case, I drove over to Mar-a-Lago to give Donald Trump a piece of my mind, but he wasn't home. Damn! After all that, too.

Yesterday they predicted another tropical wave, and I was damned if I was going to get caught in another downpour. I stuck to surface streets and drove down to the pier at Juno Beach, where I took the photograph on the right. And although there were clouds and some rain, there was no massive downpour, thank goodness. Virtually the entire oceanfront in both Jupiter and Juno Beach, Florida is public beach, with lots of mangroves and other vegetation separating it from A1A, which is the highway that parallels the Atlantic from Key West all the way to the Georgia border. The Juno Beach pier, by the way, charges an admission fee, which to me was a bit of a surprise. I have been on other piers, including the Santa Monica Pier in California, and they were all free. The fee was only two dollars for a spectator (as opposed to a fisherman), but I didn't have two dollars and didn't want to use a credit card. Plus, it was drizzling out, and paying money to walk out on a pier in the rain is not my idea of fun. I wonder what Donald Trump would have done?

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About The Ashley Gang

The cover story for the summer issue of Indian River Magazine is all about the Ashley Gang, which terrorized the east coast of Florida back in the 1910s and 1920s. This gang spent a lot of time around Stuart and the rest of Martin County, Florida. It all started when John Ashley killed a Seminole Indian named DeSoto Tiger after robbing him of 84 otter pelts, and recruiting family members and others to join him, began holding up banks, trains, and other targets, ending in a shootout at the Sebastian River Bridge, with Ashley and 3 gang members shot dead. Since this is the 100th anniversary of that bloody ending, Indian River Magazine is featuring a three-part series about the gang, and the Elliot Museum in Stuart has added a permanent exhibit about them. I have to say, the first part of that three-part series was very detailed, with far more information that I ever cared to know. I think I will skip the next two segments. I think I will also skip the museum exhibit, too.

The reason so many people are interested in this gang around here is because they robbed the Bank of Stuart twice, once in 1915 and once in 1922. Between 1990 and 1999 there was a restaurant in downtown Stuart called The Ashley, located in the building that housed that bank. The Ashley featured photographs and newspaper clippings about the gang, and was actually a very nice place to dine, right around the corner from the downtown plaza along the St. Lucie River. And yes, that is indeed my mother Mary and sister Susan standing in front of that very restaurant in the photograph on the right. I don't think we actually ever ate there - it was a bit on the pricey side, and my mother was every bit as thrifty as I am today. Go figure. That location now houses Spritz City Bistro. And by the way, I perused their menu online recently, and I don't intend to dine there any time soon, either. Once a cheapskate, always a cheapskate.

Life In The Red State

Florida, as everyone knows, is a solidly Republican state. There are Trump signs and flags everywhere, and as I mentioned in a previous blog post, there is even a MAGA manatee. I have not seen a single Harris for President sign anywhere in South Florida, which to me is pretty remarkable. Perhaps Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a decree banning them from public display. I wouldn't doubt it. But the people we have met here all seem pretty nice. A few weeks ago, my sister Susan and I started talking with a couple at what I refer to as the Jolly Sailor Pub (it is actually the outdoor bar of the Sailor's Return Restaurant, located in Sunset Bay Marina here in Stuart), and occasionally one of them would make a nonchalant remark about what hell it would be living in a blue state, or what a cesspool Chicago, my old home town, is, but we simply let it pass. We especially did not talk politics with them, or for that matter, anyone else. I have learned from experience that you will never change their minds, and when everyone around you is armed to the teeth, discretion is the better part of valor. And you can quote me on that.

A Little PEACE Of Paradise

While doing research on old houses in Stuart, Florida, the other day, I ran across a vacation rental called the PEACE Cottage "in the heart of downtown Stuart" and built in 1925. Now to me the heart of downtown Stuart is the middle of the business district, but since this place is located just a three-block walk from there, I'll let it slide. I drove over, strolled past the place, and took the photograph on the left. This cottage has its own dock on Frazier Creek, but I decided not to head into the backyard to see it for myself. Everyone carries concealed weapons down here, so better safe than sorry. The interesting thing about this house is that one of Al Capone's girlfriends once lived there and would walk to the train station in her red high-heeled shoes to meet him whenever he was headed down to Miami from Chicago. Now that is a fun fact.

I took a walk all around the neighborhood and liked it a lot. There are a lot of really nice old cottages around, and the landscaping is quite impressive. And is the case for a lot of this area, there are also brand-new McMansions for the people who feel they need a larger, more modern residence, hopefully with as many bathrooms as people living there. I personally prefer the 1920s era places, such as the one in the photograph on the right.

I've always liked downtown Stuart, which has a lot of nice shops and restaurants and is located along the St. Lucie River. In fact, it was recently named the best coastal small town in America by USA Today, beating out Key West, Florida, no less. A panel of experts cited the St. Lucie River, Flagler and Shepard Parks, and the Stuart Heritage Museum as reasons for naming Stuart number one in the rankings. I myself have always stayed close to the river when walking around town, and so this was the first time I have explored this part of town, which is away from the St. Lucie River, but still very nice. But I do have to ask - did Al Capone actually spend time here? Inquiring minds want to know.

Speaking Of Chicago...

I am at a loss down here in Florida because I am not getting my monthly issues of Chicago Magazine. My mail is being forwarded, but the post office does not forward periodicals. Or for that matter, most of the rest of my mail either. Lately I have been getting my Chicago news wherever I can. I saw an article on the internet recently about a new record listing price for a home in the Chicagoland area - a 1929 Winnetka estate fronting on Lake Michigan that is selling for $35 million. Winnetka is, of course, located north of Chicago in what is called the North Shore, a posh area we from the South Side of Chicago seldom - if ever - have visited, and which we imagine to be a lot like living in Oz. 

The house, located on 2.3 acres at 419 Sheridan Road, is 20,000 square feet, originally owned by Popular Mechanics publisher Henry Haven Windsor Jr., and has a swimming pool, boardwalk along the lake, as well as a boathouse for your yacht, everything a young family starting out needs. The current owners are Muneer Satter, a retired Goldman Sachs executive, and Kristen Hertel. Goldman Sachs, of course, was the poster child for the financial meltdown that caused the Great Recession back in 2008, but of course, I digress. From the photographs, I think this might be a very suitable house to make a bid on. I encourage blog readers to make an offer, although if you actually wind up buying it, you will probably spend all your time cleaning those 8 bedrooms and 6.5 baths (the house has 22 rooms). And as for the yard work, good luck finding time for catching a White Sox game (or on that side of town, a Cubs game) on the weekends.

Chicago Is In The Political Spotlight - Time To Remember 1968?

The Democratic National Convention is taking place this week in Chicago, and pro-Palestinian protestors are holding demonstrations and marching outside the United Center, where the convention is being held.  This takes me back to 1968, when the Democratic National Convention was also held in Chicago, and there were riots, along with instances of police brutality, as protestors demonstrated against the Vietnam war. The most violent events took place in Grant Park and along Michigan Avenue, right in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel, where Hubert Humphrey, the presidential nominee, and other top Democrats were staying. The photograph on the left is of that very same Michigan Avenue, which I took in 2010, the last time I visited Chicago. And I was very surprised to find the ghostly image of Mayor Richard J. Daley front and center. Scary. 

At the time, I was living at home and attending Rich Central High School. And my sister Susan was living in a studio apartment at 1130 South Michigan, just blocks from where all those events were occurring. When she came home to visit, I asked her all about it - the protestors, the police in riot gear, the National Guard troops, the tear gas being used. She told me she knew nothing about what had happened as she took the Roosevelt Road bus to work the next morning but told me that explained all those soldiers driving around in jeeps and the funny smell in the air.  I learned that day Susan was not a political person, or for that matter, even vaguely interested in current events.  And will anything like what happened in 1968 repeat itself this time? Definitely not. The Chicago Police are well aware of the public reaction to their actions back then, and emotions these days are not nearly at the fever pitch they were during the Vietnam war. I think. And by the way, the photograph on the right I took from my sister Susan and brother-in-law George's apartment at 1130 South Michigan a few years after the 1968 convention, showing South Michigan Avenue as it looked back then. Riot free, I might add. 

Dining At DAS Beer Garden

My sister Susan (seen in the photograph on the left) and I had dinner this past Saturday evening at DAS Beer Garden, located at Abacoa Town Center in Jupiter, Florida, just across the street from Roger Dean Stadium, where we going to attend a Florida State League baseball game between the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals. This place advertises itself as "the Jupiter community's neighborhood hangout and taproom, and that is what it actually is. You place your order for food and drinks at the bar, pay for it, and it is brought out to your table when ready.

This place was packed with what seemed like a cross-section of the whole Abacoa community - families with kids running around, teenagers, senior citizens, you name it. A lot of people were going to the ballgame, a lot were going to attend a concert at the Abacoa Ampitheater across the street, and some were just there to listen to live music at the beer garden, which was set to start at 7:00. There also seemed to be an arts and crafts festival across the street, too, although since we had to get to the game, we couldn't check it out. It really seemed like an old-fashioned neighborhood, although it was actually built from the ground up as a mixed-use community starting in 1995.  Florida Atlantic University has a campus here, as does the Scripps Research Institute. I am amazed at how vibrant the place is, and wonder why all new developments can't be like this? I am definitely looking forward to coming back here during spring training, if not sooner.

Catching A Ballgame At Roger Dean Stadium

My sister Susan and I attended a Florida State League baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium between the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals this past Saturday evening. This stadium is located in the Abacoa neighborhood of Jupiter, Florida, which has a town center right across the street from the ballpark with restaurants and a park/event space, where a large crowd was listening to a local band. Many people, including us, were having dinner at the various bars and bistros before heading to the ballpark. The game itself was a speedy one, lasting just over two hours, with the Hammerheads beating the Cardinals 5-0.

I just love Minor League Baseball. For $14 you can sit right up front in the infield with a great view (we were right behind home plate), the parking is free, and it is a very family friendly and fun environment. Between each inning there are various promotions, including the race seen in the photograph on the right. It was both Kids Club and Women Run the Diamond Night, and so I assume that contest was designed to be a combination of the two. There was also a contest involving the most steps pounded out by a group of kids on the top of the dugout within a certain period of time. The winner recorded 64 steps, although I am not sure how those steps were counted. What I do know is that the Jupiter players, over whose dugout the contest took place, must have just loved that event. I suspect it was their pent-up anger that fueled their 5-0 win.

And, of course, like every ballpark, whether minor or major league, the team mascot was the center of attention, in this case Robbie the Redbird, the mascot of the Palm Beach Cardinals. Both the Hammerheads and the Cardinals call Roger Dean Stadium home, but this past Saturday the Cardinals were designated as the home team, which meant Robbie the Redbird had the stadium to himself. During the spring, the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins hold spring training games here, although it has been many years since I last attended a spring training contest here, since our condo has been rented out since 2009 until just last month. 

I have to say, I am looking forward to seeing some spring training games here next year, although my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox (who used to train at Payne Park in Sarasota), as well as the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies, all train in Arizona. Even the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had trained at Vero Beach since 1949, were lured away in 2008 to Arizona. Arizona has a lot to answer for. But I digress - I once saw a Dodgers spring training game at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, which was an old-time stadium where the players and fans all entered and left the park by the same gate. I even ran into Steve Garvey, one of their star players. I apologized, but Garvey just glared at me and walked away. True to form, as usual.

Mad Dogs And Englishmen - And Me!

It was Rudyard Kipling who said, "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun," but I think I also qualify after playing a round of golf around high noon at the complex where my sister Susan and I own a condo down in Stuart, Florida. It was the first time I have played golf since 2015, when I was down here getting the condo ready to rent out to a new tenant. I was the only one on the course, either then or now, but purposely so - playing golf once every nine years tends to make you a little rusty, and I didn't want anyone to witness my struggles on the course. And the heart of a Florida summer is the only time you can have the place to yourself. The photograph on the left is a self-portrait at the infamous 5th hole, which requires you to drive across a pond in order to get to the green. And as usual, my ball went straight into the water.

I actually surprised myself and did fairly well - a 22 over par 52, not too much worse than the last time I played. And yes - I do indeed need to take lessons The Monterey Yacht and Country Club, where our condo is located, features a very challenging 9-hole course with lots of water hazards. There are 49 buildings that surround this course, and 2 across the street near the St. Lucie River, where our condo is located. The yacht club is right on the river, although there are no actual yachts there, or any watercraft at all. Monterey never got permission to dredge, and so the yacht club is used only for events, which would probably have been the case even if they had been able to dredge. There was only one boat that was ever moored there - a sailboat owned by Stewy Anderson. Years ago, he anchored it in the river and used a rowboat to get out to it. I am not sure if that was legal or not. Of course, I haven't heard about him or seen his boat in decades. I took the photograph on the right back in March of 1985. Perhaps he is still serving time for that infraction. I'll have to check that out one of these days.

The Mystery Of Peacock Lane

While waiting for my sister Susan to finish her beauty parlor appointment, I perused an old edition of the Stuart/Martin County Welcome Guide and Business Directory, issued each year by the Chamber of Commerce. I read through the short description of each city in the county, and when I came to Jensen Beach, I was surprised to learn that a popular thing to do there was visit Peacock Lane, where the descendants of movie star Frances Langford's party of peacocks still roamed. Langford owned a popular Polynesian-themed restaurant in Jensen Beach called the Outrigger, and she and her husband Ralph Evinrude (the outboard motor guy) lived on a nearby 53-acre estate on the St. Lucie River, where those peacocks roamed. After Langford died, the estate was sold to a real estate developer, who clearcut the grounds, to the dismay of many locals, and built a gated community called Langford Landing, the entrance to which can be seen in the photograph above. Evidently, many of those peacocks escaped and were said to still roam the Rio and Jensen Beach neighborhoods to this day. I looked in vain for Peacock Lane, finally going to the Chamber of Commerce offices to ask where the hell Peacock Lane was. I was told it was just the nickname given to Northeast Dixie Highway, which borders the former estate. As it turns out, I had already covered that area with a fine-tooth comb and found not a single damn peacock. I suspect that same article has been published without changes in each year's edition of the Welcome Guide since God knows when, and those peacocks are long gone by now. What a bummer. 

CityPlace: More Upscale Than Ever These Days

I visited CityPlace not too long after it first opened in 2000 and was quite impressed. It started as a shopping, dining, and entertainment center, and I really loved all the fountains, landscaping, and people-watching opportunities. It was filled with upscale shops and restaurants, which due to my being a confirmed cheapskate, I avoided at all costs. The complex is located along Rosemary Street in West Palm Beach, just south of the Clematis entertainment district. I visited it once again this past Tuesday. It still has very impressive landscaping and all those upscale shops and restaurants, but now is also filled with office buildings, apartments, and condos. I took the photograph on the left of a fountain in front of the Harriet Himmel Theater, which was built in 1926 and is currently undergoing a controversial renovation.

This mixed-use urban neighborhood was renamed Rosemary Square a number of years ago to reflect its status as a residential and work destination, and later shortened to The Square. Virtually everyone, from people who lived and worked there to the visitors coming to shop and dine, hated the name, and insisted on still calling the area CityPlace. It was only this past May that the owners finally gave in to public opinion and changed the name back to CityPlace.

Just for fun, I checked the CityPlace website and found several new high-rise apartment buildings with units for rent. One, called The Laurel, has a 1 bedroom, 1 bath available for a mere $3,300 per month. It is the cheapest apartment in the building, and I am not sure if it includes parking (why do I think it doesn't?) and utilities. Another luxury high-rise with units for rent is called The Flats, but you have to contact them directly to find out how much they charge. Hopefully there will be a more affordable choice in the near future. Perhaps they could call it The Rock Bottom. I should suggest that to Related Companies, the developer. Considering the name of their company, as well as The Square fiasco, it appears they could use some help with names. The photograph on the left, by the way, is one of a handful of historic buildings still left in the area. It appears West Palm Beach is not all that vigilant about protecting their heritage. Since this is, according to Governor Ron DeSantis, "The Free State of Florida," I guess people can do whatever the hell they want. As long as they keep those campaign donations flowing, of course.

A Visit To West Palm Beach

My sister Susan and I drove down to West Palm Beach from Stuart, Florida Tuesday afternoon to have a look around. Back in the 1890s Henry Flagler built hotels and resorts in Palm Beach, as well as a railroad to get tourists there, but originally intended for West Palm Beach to be a residential area for the workers in his hotels. It has grown quite a bit since then and is now filled with expensive high-rise condos along the shores of Lake Worth. Clematis Street seems to be the city's nightclub district, with a lot of bars and restaurants, although there was not much activity this past Tuesday afternoon, as seen in the photograph on the left. I guess something about temperatures in the 90s and 100% humidity just discourages people from strolling around the streets. Although I must say, there is a really nice ambiance to the area.

Just to the west of Clematis Street is a large park space that leads to the waterfront, which also did not seem to be attracting many people, as seen in the photo on the right. It is much livelier on Thursdays, when a weekly event called Clematis by Night takes place, not to mention SunFest, a major festival that takes place every May. But I have to say that West Palm Beach is a real city, with a downtown, interesting neighborhoods, and lots of amenities, such as the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and the Norton Museum. Port St. Lucie may have twice the population, but can you really call a place that has a street of strip malls, fast food outlets and big box stores as its downtown, and is made up entirely of subdivisions that extend out into the Everglades, a city? I think not.

West Palm Beach sits along the shore of Lake Worth, with a view of Palm Beach beyond. There are a lot of marinas along the lakefront, too, as seen in the photograph on the left. That yacht in the background is the Lady Elaine, a luxury motor yacht charter. It sleeps 12 in 6 cabins and comes with a crew of 9. You can rent it for $225,000 a week (plus expenses, such as fuel, food, PBRs, etc.). That might seem expensive, but if you break it down per person, it will cost only $18,750 each (plus those pesky expenses - perhaps you could make do with Busch Beer instead). Of course, single people will still have a roommate, perhaps one who snores, or has insomnia, but what difference does it make when you are living the dream on the Lady Elaine? Be sure to book soon. I am sure that boat is in great demand.

The France: Great Apartments, Great Location. Why Worry About A Few Ghosts?

I took the photograph above of the France Apartments here in Stuart, Florida from Shepard Park, located just across Frazier Creek from the building. It is a Mediterranean Revival-Style three-story apartment building built for Adam France back in 1927. I've always admired the building, especially from the back, where it has its own boat docks for tenants. I looked it up on the internet to find out the year it was built and wound up reading about all the ghostly occurrences that have happened there over the years. The owner of the building and the management have never witnessed any other-worldly events, but various tenants certainly have. No harm has ever come to anyone, and most of these tenants eventually just said the hell with it and ignored the various strange events. And by the way, a lot of the supernatural activity has taken place on the third floor. This is a very popular building, and there is often a waiting list to get an apartment there. But I checked, and if you do happen to want to move to Stuart, Florida, there is a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom available there right now for $1,850 per month. On the third floor! What are the odds? Read the full story of those ghostly events at https://www.tcpalm.com/story/specialty-publications/your-news/martin-county/reader-submitted/2016/10/08/historical-vignettes-ghostly-experiences-france-apartments/91785674/. Is that one long URL address or what?

Four And Twenty Blackbirds. Plus A Damn Drone...

There are quite a few blackbirds that hang out at Stuart Beach, and the one in the photograph above thinks it is in charge. It will sit on one of the rafters above the tables and squawk on and on, no doubt expressing its disapproval of all the other birds, as well as the people sitting around in its domain. It was only when I looked at the photo after downloading it into my computer that I noticed that drone lurking above the beach. And to what purpose? Was it the lifeguards keeping watch on the swimmers, a police drone looking for suspicious people (I did see a Martin County Sheriff's cruiser in the parking lot), or simply someone checking out the sunbathers? Perhaps it was a photographer taking photos for their blog? How intrusive. What a slimeball. On the other hand, perhaps I should get a drone too.

More Trouble In Paradise

After a 12-story Surfside condo partially collapsed in 2021, killing 98 people, the State of Florida passed a new law that all condo developments over 30 years old, with 3 or more stories, be inspected, critical issues resolved, and reserves increased to cover all repairs. This new law has had a major impact on residents of Villa del Sol, a three-story complex located on the ocean in Jensen Beach, Florida when inspectors recently found that three of the six buildings on the property were unsafe and had to be evacuated. And to top it off, residents had to pay $43,000 each for that inspection and will now be charged special assessments to insure there are enough reserve funds to pay for the repairs. All this in addition to a significant rise in HOA fees to pay for huge increases in property insurance. This is going to have a major impact on millions of people here in Florida. In Martin County, where Stuart and Jensen Beach are located, buildings cannot be taller than 4 stories, but just to the north, in St. Lucie County, where I took the photograph above, high rises are permitted, and I suspect many residents there will be forced out of their homes due to the expense. With no solution in sight.

Still More Nostalgia About The Jolly Sailor Pub

Yes! More Nostalgia! Deal with it! My sister Susan and I returned to what I call the Jolly Sailor Pub this past Friday night. It is an outdoor bar with great views of the Sunset Bay Marina and the St. Lucie River. The actual name of the restaurant is Sailor's Return, but as you can see from the sign in the photograph on the left, which is hung just to the right of that outdoor bar, it is easy to be confused. The Jolly Sailor Pub was located in downtown Stuart for many years before the couple who owned it decided to retire. Then in 2009 they opened Sailor's Return, a rather upscale restaurant with wonderful views of the sunset over the St. Lucie River. I assume they put up that sign for old times' sake, but to me that outdoor venue will always be the Jolly Sailor Pub.

The Jolly Sailor was famous for having a traditional black London cab parked out in front, where someone was kind enough to take the photograph on the right of my mother Mary, Susan, and myself. God knows what year it was taken - probably sometime in the 1990s. It is hard to tell, since I have not aged a bit since that photo was taken, and so every year I just look the same (I do have a portrait of myself hidden away in the closet of my Denver condo that a street artist drew years ago in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, but I have been loath to take it out and look at it after all these years). After all, you all probably know what happened to Dorian Gray, after all. Let's not even go there.

The thing I like best about sitting at the bar at the Jolly Sailor is being able to look at all the boats (many of them good-sized yachts) in Sunset Bay Marina. Interestingly enough, just beyond this marina is a place where people can moor their boats in the middle of the St. Lucie River. For free! At least for a while. Most of these boats look like they are in pretty good shape, but years ago I remember that people with nowhere else to live would get hold of an old, run-down vessel with an interior cabin and live there permanently, rowing to shore on a dinghy or inflatable when they needed supplies. I'm not sure how the county resolved that, if they did, but I personally would not recommend that lifestyle, since those craft are not very seaworthy, and there are a lot of storms around here during the summer months. If I tried something like that, I am sure the boat would sink within days. That is called karma, and not the good kind.

"A Whale Of A Baseball Game"

Which is a direct quote from White Sox television broadcaster Steve Stone, who said last night's contest between my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox and their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, was everything you could possibly want in a baseball game. I watched it on MLB.com, and it was indeed very exciting. The Cubs were ahead 7-0 by the third inning, and it looked like a blowout, but the White Sox battled back, down 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded and two out. Sadly, they lost the game by that score, but it was a wonderful game to watch, and both teams brought a "top tier" effort to this crosstown rivalry.

This game was the debut of interim manager Grady Sizemore, who took over from Pedro Grifol, who was fired this past Thursday, along with three - count em' - three coaches, after the Sox had lost an astounding 89 games, with 7 weeks still left in the season. But no matter - yesterday the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field were full, and tonight's game against the Cubs is also a sellout. I was really heartened with the enthusiasm displayed by the crowd and think that this tremendous comeback effort is a sign that good things will soon be happening in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. I only wish I could fly in for tonight's game, but unfortunately, my private jet is undergoing routine maintenance, and so I can't make it. Those are the breaks, of course. Perhaps next year, when they return to the World Series at long last. Get your bets in now!

Port St. Lucie: The Sixth Most Populous City In Florida? Seriously?

Port St. Lucie, located just to the north of Stuart, is the sixth most populous city in Florida. This is indeed true, although hard to believe, since it consists of nothing but subdivisions. There is no downtown, no central focus, not even a port - just subdivisions that go on and on toward Lake Okeechobee. This city was created by the General Development Corporation and incorporated in 1961. The older parts are kind of nice, with lots of trees and beautiful landscaping, but the newer areas, are, to me, just ugly, treeless suburbia. On the plus side, Port St. Lucie has worked hard to develop a park system, and I must say, the area bordering the North Fork of the St. Lucie River is really very nice, which is where I took the photograph on the left. Although I do have to wonder - is there really only one alligator to watch out for?

For those of you who are wondering, the six most populous cities in the State of Florida are, in order, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Port St. Lucie. All of those cities have a downtown area with shops, restaurants, high-rise apartments and office buildings, as well as lots of people out and about, walking around. All except for Port St. Lucie. What it does have is the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, much of which is still undeveloped and in its natural state, as seen in the photograph on the right. In fact, back in 1979, a scene from Moonraker, a James Bond film starring Roger Moore, was filmed on this segment of the river, standing in for the Amazon. The city is preserving this area and trying to make it a destination for recreation for residents and visitors alike.

Port St. Lucie has always had a reputation for being boring. After driving through it several times in the past few weeks, I have to say that reputation is well deserved. A few weeks earlier, I drove out to a subdivision there called Tradition, located way to the west, along I-95. I decided to drive through the heart of the city to get there, and it seemed to take hours. I wanted to check out Tradition Square, where a great many events are held these days, including such things as 4th of July fireworks, Sunday Green Markets, and a Taste of Italy Festival. All would probably be fun, but to eliminate the misery of having to drive through that city, I would recommend taking I-95 to get there as quickly as possible, and after the event, get the hell out of there as fast as possible. Those alligators are hard to spot in the dark, after all, and you know damn well there is more than one of them out there.

Birds Of A Feather...

I spotted the birds in the photograph above sitting in a row on a fence at Shepard Park here in Stuart, Florida the other day. Not being much of an ornithologist, I didn't have the faintest idea what kind of bird they were. I have been on the lookout for pelicans but have not seen any around - they probably all stay inside in the air conditioning this time of year - and so I only knew that these were not pelicans. I searched the internet, and from looking at photos online I believe these are white ibises, since ibises have black tips on their wings, and the ones in the photograph definitely qualify. I could, of course, be wrong, but give me a break - I am originally from the South Side of Chicago, and I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen white ibises, or for that matter, pelicans, hanging out in the old neighborhood. And even then, I suspect it might have been after a couple of beers.

Sox Win! Sox Win! Sox Win! Sox Win!

My South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, beat the Oakland Athletics 5-1 last night. That might not seem to be a momentous event, given everything that is happening in the world these days, most of it bad. But this victory is huge. It is monumental. The White Sox had lost 21 straight games up until this win, two games before tying the Philadelphia Phillies for the longest losing streak in major league baseball history, at 23 games. My father Nelson took me to my first baseball game at Wrigley Field, back in 1961, to watch the Chicago Cubs play those Philadelphia Phillies, who were in the midst of that losing streak, figuring that even the hapless Cubs could win against them. And he was right! They did! Thankfully, the White Sox will not equal or exceed that horrible losing streak. I watched the game on MLB.com, and I must say, the White Sox have a lot of good young players, and will definitely do well in the future. But not this year, of course. Still, breaking that losing streak was very important - to the players, the announcers in the broadcast booth (who seemed to be holding their breath with every pitch), and, of course, all of us White Sox fans, who are used to heartbreak, but just wanted this horrible streak to end. And it has! Finally! Holy Cow!

The August Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the August Mutt of the Month, seen seated behind the wheel of a late model Kia, parked in front of the Dollar Tree store at the Monterey Shopping Plaza here in Stuart, Florida. I assume the owner was in the store picking up some $1 bargains, since dogs are not allowed to drive, although in the "Free State of Florida," as it is now known, thanks to Ron DeSantis, anything is possible. The Monterey Shopping Plaza used to be an open-air mall with lots of interesting shops, anchored by a Win Dixie grocery store, and even included a really nice independent bookstore. However, through mismanagement it eventually became mostly vacant, and eventually was turned into a strip mall, now anchored by a Planet Fitness (a "no judgement space," as the ads say). As for the dog, the window was open three-quarters of the way, and so it did not appear to be bothered by the heat and humidity. And I assume its owner would not be hanging out too long in a dollar store, but who knows? It is Florida, after all.

Manatee Lagoon

I went to Manatee Lagoon down in West Palm Beach, Florida last week to check the place out. It clearly states on their website that Manatee season is from November 15th thru March 31st (evidently manatees keep a very tight schedule), and so I really didn't expect to see one. And therefore, I was not disappointed when I didn't, except for the two manatees on display in front of the entrance, as seen in the photograph on the left. Manatees tend to head north during the warm months, and when it gets cooler up there, they head back to the warm waters of South Florida. Manatee Lagoon opened in 2016 and is a very nice facility, with both free admission and free parking, and so I will definitely head back there November 15th when all those manatees are scheduled to show up. And if don't, I will want to know the reason why.

Manatee Lagoon is located at the very north end of Flagler Drive, beyond which is the Port of Palm Beach. And one thing I have learned during my travels around Florida and California is that ports are very ugly. Of course, when you are loading and unloading cargo, as well as repairing huge ships, aesthetics is not a top priority. Years ago, when driving to Palm Beach from Stuart, Florida, I would take US 1 through this area. You would drive past the port, various businesses related to serving this port, as well as a huge Florida Power and Light facility. And it was indeed all very ugly. I kept driving this route a number of times. Why I don't know. Perhaps I secretly wanted to ship out on a freighter hauling Florida oranges God knows where. These days I just stick to I-95. It isn't pretty, but you go past the ugly parts much faster.