The Snowbirds miss the Heat and with it, the Beauty

Poinciana Tree, ferny leaves, fiery red blooms

Every time our friends go back up North to their abandoned winter homes, our neighborhood turns into a ghost town. While they’re gone (approximately six months), I’m reminded of how much they all miss.

Sure it’s hot down here, but the daily rains banish our muggy temperatures and give us brief relief. Yes, it’s uncomfortably hot outside, but so is Indiana, Washington D.C., Georgia, Maryland, New York, and many other states in the summer.

What are these part-time residents missing out on? The poinciana trees are at their prime! Their glorious orange-red florets cascade into pompoms down every branch. They are joined by white sweet-smelling jasmine and multi-colored hibiscus and Mexican petunias.

Even better, the restaurants are only half-filled; no standing in line for a table. The stores are competing with 70% off sales and the cafes have reduced price Happy Hours. The added attention we get in the way of service allows us to eat out more often. Movie theaters are never sold out. There is plenty of parking at the Malls.

I’m not bragging. I’m elated that the traffic is less and that the beaches take half the time to get to and enjoy. We have Fort Myers all to ourselves, we locals. In spite of the heat, this is the time we enjoy best for all it has to offer.

Toppled tree after Hurricane Wilma.

Yes, hurricane season is upon us, but I’ll swap this over the tornadoes and floods they’re having in the Midwest. We can either evacuate to safer areas, or hunker down depending on the directives. We are seasoned Floridians. We have lived here year round for almost 13 years.

We rode out Charlie and Wilma. We were luckier than many who not only lost their electricity for several weeks, but their homes were destroyed as well. We’re far enough from the beaches to avoid flooding, and close enough to enjoy its gritty offerings when we choose.

Palm trees sometimes lost their tops.

Our neighborhood has had a few scrapes with the weather. We’ve had to replace a few lanais’ (patio cages), and a few trees, but all in all we’ve weathered the storms better than some other areas. 

Every year we make our checklist of hurricane preparedness. We purchase the bottles of water. See that the “igloos” and food coolers are clean and ready. Purchase food we can warm up on a charcoal grill if the electricity is down. We’re pros! We’re survivors.

A banyan tree was almost totally destroyed.

Photo taken 13 years ago in Pine Island.

Sometimes we fly away to see friends and family with the hopes of cooling off. But then we discover their homes are less comfortable than our own because they refuse to use their air conditioning system. They’ve just come through a brutal cold winter, and the heat is too precious to waste.

We do the same in the winter. A good month is when we’ve braved the 45-55 degree weather outside and didn’t turn on the thermostat.

Our blood has grown thinner. Our teeth chatter when it gets below 60. But when the August sunshine reaches 99 or above, we’re still going strong!

Several years later, I turned that photo into an oil painting.

The Past is not gone Forever – “What Goes Around Comes Around”

"Americana" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

“Made in the U.S.A.” is a new mantra touted by many upstart entrepreneurs these days. They not only want to feature local artists and their skills, but to keep the money circulating in our own country. This new trend seems to be catching on as citizens watch their jobs and their dollars fly overseas to make some other country rich. 

Yes, the cost of producing products in America is more expensive, especially in light of the big push by the President and some in Congress to raise the minimum wage. This would only add fuel to the “flee America” model. When small business owners and corporations have to increase wages, absorb health care costs, new taxes and over regulation they are more apt to do business where the cost of doing it is less.

But there’s a catch. While I was searching for USA companies, I found that some of them were only assembled here. One dog food manufacturer’s product was considered unsafe because the ingredients were actually obtained in another country, hence, uninspected. So if you’re looking to buy American products, do your research first.

"Star Billing" mixed media on canvas

Still, for the good hearted people who really want to help our country and its people out, it's worthwhile to scout these companies out and take a look at their products. I can say this from experience: “Artist’s who create in America, usually sell their artwork right here in the homeland.” Of course, there may be exceptions. It is up to you to become informed.

With worries about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), more people are growing their own food. This includes raising chickens and rabbits where zoning allows, growing a vegetable garden, planting fruit trees, strawberries and raspberries. Some brave souls have even left the urban life altogether for life in the country raising goats, llamas, or buffalo. 

I’m not that brave, but I would like to grow some of my own vegetables and fruits. In our gated community, the closest I’ll come is to growing strawberries and tomatoes in appropriate pots on my patio or in my small flower beds.

Watching wildfires burn up precious land in the West, and floods destroy huge swaths of land in the heartland makes you realize that American grown food could also become scarce if crops are either destroyed or not planted in the first place.

It’s reassuring to know that a return to the basics and a simpler way of life could relieve us of short-term famine or hunger. My last blog about painting with food products also provided a solution if your budget makes it difficult to buy art products. Even brushes can be homemade and could add a surprising twist to your finished artistic products. 

The watchword is not to succumb from fear when the going gets rough. Use your creativity to supply your needs and wants and perhaps supplement your income if necessary. The saying “Where there’s a will there’s a way” served our parents and grandparents well. Perhaps it will also save the day for you and your family.

(All artwork is for sale from the artist or at Carol's online Gallery  )

"Sunshine" 11 x 14 acrylic (Sunflowers in a garden can provide nutritious seeds for health!)

What Mark are you Leaving on Earth for others to Follow?

"Sea Breeze" 30 x 24 acrylic wrapped canvas

People are so predictable. When the forest fires rage along the highways and hinterlands, we pray for rain. And what do we get? A deluge! Then we pray for the rain to abate, and the interior once again grows ripe for lightening strikes and more fires. The cycle of nature and of our whims is relentless.

In nearby Naples, flooding has contaminated waters and inundated roads, lawns and ditches. Tow trucks are having a heyday pulling vehicles from low lying areas and storm drains. Firemen are busy in the dry season, and auto shops and insurance companies thrive when it’s wet. When the citizens mourn, somebody always makes a good living.

Work-in-Progress #1

 Summer brings red tides and algae blooms both of which are toxic and dangerous. Every season, no matter where you live has its challenges. When summer is gone and the fear of hurricanes disappears, there are frosts to contend with that threaten orange trees and winter crops. We humans must adapt to changing environments and learn how to cope.

All of this is normal, even though, for us, it may be the first time we’ve experienced such drastic ups and downs. 

Work-in-Progress #2

History reminds us that there were similar or worse storms to face by our ancestors. Pioneers in early America fought off wolves and wild animals when they settled. They fought crop damage, hailstorms, fire and flood just as we do. But they pushed on, in spite of the pain. They lost much, but they started over. During their short lives their accomplishments overwhelm us.

Our forebears paved the way for all of us to achieve and aspire. 

Work-in-Progress #4

Famous American artists recorded the emotions and importance of what was happening around them: Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, John Whistler, Grant Wood, Georgia, O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, and Andy Warhol  to name only a few.

Looking back we may see the whole rather than the nuance or out-of-context parts of the story. History can teach us about ourselves and about the truth of our lives. Facts separate themselves from fiction and provide a clearer picture of what was rather than simply innuendo.

Artist Winslow Homer

Artist Winslow Homer

Artist Edward Hopper

What will your generation’s history tell others about you? Will your achievements offer hope and promise to those who come after? Are you setting a firm foundation that will provide guidance and strength for others to follow? Will the coming America be better than the last century? Are you building bridges to the future or stumbling blocks?

Artist John Singer Sargent