Category / Environment

by Cheryl Batavia

Let There Be Light/ A Clean-Energy Future

Ruins of Great Western Iron Smelting Furnace, Tennessee, 1855-1856. The furnace burned charcoal, and temperatures in the furnace reached 3,000 degrees F. Photo used by permission of the photographer.

Let There Be Light

Where there is sunshine,

let there be solar farms…

Let there be light!

Solar farm in Germany. Photo by Marcus Spiske from Unsplash

Where there is wind,

let there be turbines…

Let there be energy!

Wind Turbines. Photo by Jason Blackeye from Unsplash

Where there is flowing water,

let there be hydroelectric plants…

Let there be power!

Vintage Hydroelectric Plant, West Virginia. Photo courtesy of the photographer.

Where there are ocean waves,

let there be wave-power generation…

Let there be electricity!

Gulf of Mexico, Florida Beach. Photo by Eve Ellen Maher

When people travel,

let them drive electric cars…

Let there be zero emissions!

Charging station in the Netherlands. Photo by Fer Troulik from Unsplash

Where there is imagination,

let there be innovation…

Let there be clean energy!

Photo by Alessandro Bianchi from Unsplash

Wherever children have dreams,

let their dreams be fulfilled…

Let there be clean energy for all!

Photo by Nathan Dumlao from Unsplash

A Clean-Energy Future

Although we might like an instant, one-size-fits-all source of clean energy, it may not exist. It seems that we need to work with mother nature to develop solutions using local resources. It also seems that reducing the use of fossil fuels will be a gradual process. We will continue using some fossil fuels for quite some time.

Mine cave-ins, black lung, oils slicks, acid rain, micro-plastic waste in our food supply and our bodies, toxic petrochemicals in insecticides and household cleaning products, landfills filled with non-biodegradable plastics, water pollution, smog, and climate change are a few of the problems associated with fossil fuels. Fossil fuels threaten our environment and pose risks to our health.

Clean-energy solutions have problems too. Dams can disrupt ecosystems and cause extinction of species; solar panels require rare minerals to manufacture them and have a limited lifespan; some wind turbine designs are hazardous to birds.

Heat pumps, geothermal heating systems, and river turbines are examples of clean- energy systems that may be useful in certain locations. Older river turbines were hazardous to fish, but newer designs don’t harm them.

Electric cars, one important clean energy measure, currently have a top range of 300-500 miles. There are insufficient numbers of charging stations at the present time. Batteries have been manufactured with toxic ingredients that present disposal problems. Scientists are currently developing batteries with cheaper, non-toxic chemicals and greater range between charges. A too-rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles would overburden energy grids.

Atomic power plants, which use nuclear fission, are subject to melt-downs and radiation leaks. Fission has great destructive potential. Nuclear fusion holds promise for the future as a safer alternative, if it can ever be made practical.

There are no simple fixes. Solving our problems requires dedication and commitment. It requires cooperation among many professions and among all nations.

Atomic Power Plant, Belgium. Photo by Frederic Paulussen from Unsplash

*My thanks to Robert Snyder for consulting on this article. There are many YouTube videos about developments in clean-energy technologies.

Copyright © 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Renewal

Vacant wooded lot next to our house before Hurricane Ian. Live oaks and native cabbage palms grew there. Purple Ruellia, probably planted by a homeowner twenty years ago, grew naturalized along the edge of the woods.

September 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian, the worst hurricane ever recorded in Florida, threw the trees from the wooded lot next door onto our yard and house.

Early October, 2022. Fallen trees were cut back to the property line. This is the horrific scene by moonlight…a battered, leafless oak tree and a tangle of fallen trees and broken branches.

December, 2022. Oak trees all over our region, stripped of their leaves by Hurricane Ian, were blooming and sprouting new leaves two months ahead of their usual schedule. The fallen trees were still alive and sprouting hundreds of new branches. Sun-loving wild shrubs were growing on the formerly shady wooded lot.

July, 2023. Nature has blanketed the fallen trees and broken branches in green vines. Beautiful Saint Augustine grass that was barely surviving in the shade of the trees has appeared in our side yard. Purple Ruellia flowers are reappearing along the edge of the former woods.

Nature has a long timeline. If no one builds a house on the lot, it will again be filled with oak trees. It might take 50 years! The largest and most beautiful oak tree that used to be there was probably much older than that!

July, 2023. Broken trees are cloaked in green leaves. Our house has a new roof. Exterior wall cracks have been repaired and walls are freshly painted. Interior hairline cracks still need repair and touch-up paint. It is difficult to find someone to do any work. Contractors continue to be very busy, even with some out-of-state companies still working here!

Our roads have traffic signals again, but, almost a year after Ian, there are many missing street signs. It is easy to get lost! We are still in suspense about how much our homeowner’s insurance may increase due to Hurricane Ian.

Mostly, we are grateful to be living in a comfortable, air-conditioned house as summer heat sets new records here and worldwide. Many people are not so lucky.

Now, is the time to address global warming! If I weren’t convinced of that already, the worsening storms, wildfires, heat waves, and floods occurring around the world this year would convince me!

Renewal

Profound are Nature’s powers to renew,

to hide, to heal, to grow, to colonize.

Transforming somber earth to verdant hue,

so silent does she photosynthesize!

But Nature’s timelines stretch so far ahead,

while human lifetimes pass so fleetingly.

Short-sighted humans know they’ll be long dead

before young oaks achieve maturity!

A green world is a legacy to leave.

Blue skies and seas, life-giving trees, clean air

the younger generations will receive.

Now, show the children just how much you care!

May Mother Nature, gowned in green and blue,

sustain the generations after you!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Of the Water

Gulf of Mexico, Englewood Beach, FL. Photo by Eve Ellen Maher.

Of the Water

We exist, submerged

in the womb, that inner sea,

until our first breath.

In our veins flows blood

with the sea’s salinity…

seas…where life began.

Water in our cells,

water in our mother’s milk,

water in our tears.

We are of water…

bodies more than half water.

Water sustains us.

Water in rain clouds,

streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans,

aquifers, ice caps.

Beauty of water

soothes our spirits, inspires us…

Water refreshes.

Every living thing

needs clean, life-giving water

for body and soul!

Boat wake in Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida. Photos by Eve Ellen Maher.

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Saving Mother Earth

Mother Earth. Image by Vogue 0987 from Pixabay.

Saving Mother Earth

We find ourselves now

in daunting circumstances…

No time to give up!

Optimism propels us…

Innovation and effort!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Image by Jasmine 777 from Pixabay.

For a cautiously optimistic view of saving our planet, go to YouTube and type “Chasing Carbon Zero/PBS/NOVA/Full Documentary.” in the search bar. This worked for me. (When I tried posting the URL, there was a message that the video was unavailable.)

Photo from NASA.

Make Every Day Earth Day!

by Cheryl Batavia

Birds Fishing in the Mangrove Forest

Arctic terns at Ten Thousand Islands, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. The green shrub on the left is a mangrove, and the green in the distance is a very large mangrove island. Photo by Ellen Maher.

Birds Fishing in the Mangrove Forest

Rocky

mangrove island,

safe perch for arctic terns.

Inches above the waves, they find

refuge.

Osprey, also called a fish hawk, feeding its chicks. Photo by Richard Lee on Unsplash.

Mangroves

create islands,

green in a sea of blue.

Ospreys soar majestically in

blue skies.

Anhinga, also called a snake bird for its long neck. Photo by Mac Weaver from Unsplash.

Streamlined,

anhinga dives

to fish underwater,

spreads water-soaked wings to dry in

sunshine.

Great egret flying and two snowy egrets wading in the water. Photo by William Foley from Unsplash.

Snow white

egrets stand motionless,

fishing in the shallows,

alert, their long, sharp beaks poised to

spearfish!

Pelican in Everglades National Park near Ten Thousand Islands. Photo by Ellen Maher.

Sunset,

pelican flies

at Ten Thousand Islands.

Seeking a little bedtime snack,

he dives!

Pelican flying near Ten Thousand Islands at Everglades National Park. Photo by Ellen Maher.

Pristine

mangrove forest.

Ecosystem threatened

by global warming’s rising seas.

Fragile!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Happy Earth Day! ❤

by Cheryl Batavia

Earth, a Fragile Paradise:

Hunting;

Extinctions & Recoveries;

Pollution & Climate Change;

Finding Environmental Solutions;

Earth, A Fragile Paradise

Whale Mother and Baby. Photo by Max Lissenden from Unsplash.

Earth, a Fragile Paradise

Hunting

In the early days, Americans

burned whale oil in their lamps,

wore fragrances made with ambergris,

(a waxy substance produced in whale intestines),

and laced themselves into corsets

stiffened with whale bones.

Whales, once threatened by hunting…

became popular attractions

for the eco-tourists of today!

Racism, genocide, and greed

decimated the bison,

mainstay of Native Americans

living on the Great Plains.

Hunters killed them for their hides,

leaving carcasses to rot on the plains.

Starvation

drove Native Americans onto reservations.

Wanton slaughter

brought bison to near extinction.

Some bison today are domesticated;

others roam free in National Parks.

Whims of fashion:

egret feathers adorning ladies’ hats,

alligator shoes and luggage,

elephants, slaughtered for ivory tusks,

baby seals, annihilated for their skins,

glamorous women in leopard coats,

fashionable men in beaver hats.

Many species, once threatened, now recovered;

battles to save leopards and elephants…

Ongoing!

Appetite for wild meat is threatening

many species, including humans.

Diseases cross over from animals to humans:

ebola virus, thought to have originated

in bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, and antelopes;

bats in animal market blamed for Covid pandemic;

AIDS reportedly passed

from chimpanzees to humans.

A desire for exotic pets

brought many alien species

to Florida’s Everglades National Park…

abandoned when they grew too large,

escaped, or were released into the wild.

One species is hunted there once each year…

Burmese pythons, grown enormous

preying on deer and alligators!

Everglades rabbits, easy prey for pythons,

soon disappear when reintroduced.

Sadly, prolific pythons may be permanent

Everglades residents.

American Bison. Photo by Jonathan Mast from Unsplash.

Extinctions & Recoveries

Relentless hunting famously

caused the extinction of the dodo bird.

Some American birds have also disappeared.

Carolina parakeets no longer inhabit

the Eastern United States.

Passenger pigeons are gone forever,

Ivory-billed woodpeckers are no more.

The American flamingo and the wood stork

have re-established themselves

in the United States

after being absent for many decades.

Whooping cranes are still hanging on,

supported by conservation efforts.

White-tailed deer were reintroduced

into Shenandoah National Park.

Predators that used to

control deer populations are gone.

Feeding programs now prevent deer

from starving in winter

or being shot in cornfields outside the park.

Wolves, a bounty on their heads

for preying on livestock,

long absent from some of their range…

successfully reintroduced a few years ago

to Yellowstone National Park,

restored the balance of nature.

Monarch butterfly numbers dwindling,

Milkweeds and wildflowers vanishing

along monarch migration routes.

Pollution bleaching coral reefs,

habitat of marine animals and fish.

Wetlands, nurseries for sealife,

disappearing due to development…

Just a few examples of many animals

endangered by human activity!

Great Egret Family. Photo by homecare119 from Pixabay.

Pollution & Climate Change

Bald eagles, emblem of the United States,

barely escaped extinction.

In the years after DDT was banned,

bald eagles repopulated their former range

and can now be sighted

in every American state except Hawaii.

Ugly faces of pollution:

animals foraging in landfills and garbage dumps,

sea turtles entangled in plastic debris,

seabirds coated with oil, fish whose mercury content

makes them dangerous to eat,

microplastics in the food chain, now found in fish

and in humans who eat them.

Red tides, massive algae blooms in oceans,

blue-green algae blooms in rivers.

Toxic overgrowth, caused by pollution,

results in massive fish kills,

deaths of dolphins and endangered manatees.

Aerosolized red tide neurotoxins cause

respiratory irritation and illness in humans.

Exposure to blue-green algae

may result in permanent liver damage.

Everglades, stressed by climate change,

recent hurricane damage…

small communities struggling to rebuild.

Everywhere in Everglades National Park

staff gauges indicate water levels,

warn about effects of rising water.

Just a few more feet of water,

and beautiful mangrove forests,

home to alligators, dolphins, birds, fish,

and endangered manatees,

will be gone forever!

Global warming

is melting arctic ice at an alarming rate,

stranding polar bears on shrinking ice floes.

Can they survive global warming?

Can life on earth survive?

Polar Bear Cubs at Play. Photo by Hand Jurgen from Unsplash.

Finding Environmental Solutions

Zoos, once prisons

for kidnapped animals,

have become a refuge

for endangered species.

Captive breeding programs seek to

re-establish animals in the wild.

Shrinking habitat is being augmented

by setting aside land

for wildlife parks and preserves.

Magnificent animals of Africa and Asia,

tigers, snow leopards, and elephants,

require large territories.

Preserves protect them from extinction.

Tourists on safari now hunt with cameras.

Poachers are punished.

Villagers are compensated for livestock

killed by protected predators.

Europeans take great pride

in preserving vintage varieties of livestock,

cultivating heirloom flowers, fruits, and vegetables,

maintaining animal preserves.

Florida panthers, symbols of Florida,

inbred and endangered,

were infused with new genes

from Texas pumas, a closely-related species.

Florida panthers require large territories.

Land has been set aside;

tall fences now protect panthers

from collisions with cars.

Unlike reclusive Florida panthers,

Florida bobcats,

adapted to living near humans,

are frequently seen strolling through

suburban neighborhoods.

Blackouts on Florida beaches

protect sea turtles during nesting season.

Manatee zones shield

manatees from boat propellers.

Many programs rescue

injured manatees, sea turtles, and birds.

What’s it all about? Photo by Chen Lei from Unsplash.

Earth, a Fragile Paradise

Earth is a fragile paradise…

experiencing both environmental

degradation and preservation;

some people destroy; others rescue, restore.

Life on earth is threatened.

Working together, people may yet

save this fragile paradise!

Copyright © 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Please Note: This post was written from my own experiences in Florida. I learned about environmental topics from news and documentaries, and I did some basic research while writing poems about Florida animals. I am not a scientist, just a retired elementary school teacher who cares about the environment.

It’s a big world! Please feel free to provide additional information from your experiences and perspective in the comments. Thank you. 🙂

Let’s Celebrate Earth Day All Year Long!

Earth Day, April 22, 2023

by Cheryl Batavia

Why Do You Weep, Mother Earth?

A Conversation Between the Sun & Mother Earth

The Sun, empathetic friend of Mother Earth.

The Sun’s words are in gold.

Photo by Hans Isaacson from Unsplash.

Mother Earth, friend of the Sun.

Mother Earth’s words are in Green.

Photo by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay.

Why Do You Weep, Mother Earth?

A Conversation Between the Sun & Mother Earth

Why do you weep, Mother Earth,

as if your heart would break?

Do I not shine each day

for your precious planet’s sake?

Oh, Sun, my gratitude is boundless,

and your service is first-rate,

but noxious smoke obscures your light.

Cleanup may come too late!

Mother, after all you’ve done for humans,

how can they be so thankless?

Persuade them to stop polluting

and clean up their toxic mess.

Do you remember, Sun, the old days?

Some humans worshiped you,

just as they venerated me.

Sadly, that is no longer true.

Oh, Mother Earth, whom do they

worship now, if neither you nor me?

Earth’s waters are choked with garbage,

so I’m sure it’s not the god of the sea!

Dear Sun, it is clear that humankind

does not revere the sea,

and they desecrate my sacred forests,

cutting down life-giving trees.

You, Mother Earth, are burning…

I see raging storms and rising floods.

Wild creatures are dying;

The earth is bathed in blood.

Surely, Sun, life is essential!

What could humans value more?

Why are they destroying the mother

they always used to adore?

Someone must bring you the sad news…

Mother Earth, I guess I’m the one.

These are the things humans value:

privilege, power, and possessions.

Sadly, sun, it won’t be long

until I am no longer here.

You will shine on a dead, empty planet.

Will you still remember me, Dear?

Oh, Mother Earth, don’t give up yet!

Dry your weeping eyes.

Today, I saw something hopeful.

I admit I was surprised!

Don’t keep me in suspense, Sun.

Bring me a bit of cheer!

What did you see today?

I am anxiously waiting to hear.

Dear Mother Earth, I saw wind turbines,

solar panels producing energy!

Young people marching…”The Future is Ours!”

on signs for all to see!

Oh, Sun, do you really think

younger generations can rescue me?

Do you think they really care?

I guess we will wait and see!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Happy Earth Day to People

All Over the World!

Sculpture with sun from a church, Dom Fulda. Photo by Tom from Pixabay.

by Cheryl Batavia

In the Mangrove Forest

A bottlenose Dolphin surfaces at Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades National Park, near Florida City, Florida. Dolphins here are smaller than those in the open ocean, and water tends to be shallow, about eight feet deep in most places. Mangrove islands are in the background. Photo by Katey Batavia.

In the Mangrove Forest

Serenely we sail over sparkling seas

under a cloudless, boundless, bright, blue sky.

Aloft, uplifted by auspicious breeze,

above green mangrove islands, ospreys fly.

Calusas in canoes once feasted here;

shell middens at campsites made islands rise.

Homesteaders came, some island land to clear,

but nature soon reclaimed her paradise.

In wakes of boats, the friendly dolphins play,

delightful as they were in olden days!

Shell Middens

Shell middens are mounds of shells left behind from Native American seafood meals. The mounds may also contain bones, pottery shards, and other discarded materials. At Ten Thousand Islands, you can identify islands with shell middens by their slightly higher altitude. Trees grow atop the middens, rising above the surrounding mangroves.

Osprey chicks are growing up in a nest of sticks built atop this sign and safe from most predators. Everglades National Park, Ten Thousand Islands, near Florida City, Florida.

These mangrove shrubs spread by extending aerial roots down through the salt water into the soil. In Ten Thousand Islands, mangroves have formed about fourteen thousand islands, comprising one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. Photo by Katey Batavia.

Cattails and mangroves growing along the Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida. Photo by Ellen Maher.

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Vacation with My Daughters

Katey, Cheryl, and Ellen on the boardwalk at Big Cypress National Preserve Visitor Center. Selfie by Katey.

Vacation with My Daughters

Driving from Texas…

Welcome, Ellen and Katey!

Road trip tomorrow.

Robert at home in Port Charlotte, Florida. Photo by Cheryl.

Robert sends us off…

warm smiles, warm hugs, warm wishes.

I’ll call him each night.

View from the boardwalk at Big Cypress Preserve Visitor Center.

Boca Chita Lighthouse viewed from Biscayne Bay.

Katey and Ellen made friends with Big Foot in Everglades City, Florida. Photo by Cheryl.

Everglades, green shades.

Blue Biscayne National Park.

Rainbow-colored days.

Katey on Ten Thousand Islands boat tour near Everglades City. A mangrove island is in the distance. Photo by Ellen.

Alligator warming itself in the sunshine at Oasis Visitor Center, Everglades National Park.

Katey took many photos of these bottlenose dolphins as they played near our boat at Ten Thousand Islands, near Everglades City.

Marsh walks and tour boats,

alligators, anhingas,

dolphins, and egrets.

Family-owned Havana Spice Cuban Restaurant, Homestead, Florida.

Havana/Miami mural at Havana Spice Restaurant portrays the family’s emigration to the US. Photo by Katey.

Light and crispy fried plantains at the Havana Spice Restaurant. Photo by Ellen.

Chickee hut breakfasts,

stone crab claws, Cuban cafes,

Indian fry bread.

A rooster turns a tortoise into a taxi at Robert is Here.

Geese on parade at Robert is Here.

Goats at Robert is Here seem to be having a difference of opinion, or maybe they are competing for the affections of the cute goat watching them from above.

Turkeys, tortoises,

emus, chickens, geese, and goats

at “Robert is Here.”

We enjoyed the fruit we bought at Robert is Here. Ellen made this fruit platter to go with cheese omelets Cheryl cooked for breakfast back home in Port Charlotte. Photo by Ellen.

Cheryl likes the antique tractors at Robert is Here. Photo by Katey.

Honey, candy, fruit,

antique tractors, kiddie cars

at “Robert is Here.”

Sunset at Gulf Coast Visitor Center, near Everglades City, Florida. Photo by Ellen.

Katey, Ellen, and Cheryl… wet and windblown after an exciting cruise on Biscayne Bay. Visitor center at Biscayne National Park.

Photo memories

of joyous days together.

Back home to Robert.

Katey takes a selfie at Englewood Beach.

Ellen captured this view of the surf at Englewood Beach.

Lunching with Robert

at breezy Englewood Beach.

Great day for a swim!

I wonder what antics the goats are up to back at Robert is Here. Are they remembering Katey and all the romaine lettuce she fed them? Photo by Katey.

Bye, Ellen, Katey…

warm smiles, warm hugs, warm wishes…

Safe trip! Come back soon!

The majority of these photos were taken by Ellen Maher and Katey Batavia with their i-phones. I am not sure who took some of the photos. A few photos were taken by Cheryl Batavia and kind volunteers. Thank you to Katey for emailing the photos to me.

Thank you to Ellen for driving several thousand miles on this trip.

Thank you to both of my daughters for making it possible for me to take a trip I could not have taken by myself. They were wonderful company!

Copyright © 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

South Florida Places We Enjoyed Visiting

Big Cypress National Preserve

The visitor center has a beautiful short boardwalk among the mangroves and superb indoor and outdoor exhibits about the history and ecology of the area.

Also available: backcountry hiking and camping.

Everglades National Park

We enjoyed the Ten Thousand Islands Boat Tour at Gulf Coast Visitor Center. Our guide explained the history of the area and gave information about various plants and animals we saw.

Also available are boat tours at Flamingo Visitor Center, the only place in the park to see flamingos and saltwater crocodiles. Shark Valley Visitor Center features a tram tour and an observation tower. Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail are at Royal Palm Visitor Center. Kayak and canoe rentals and tours are available at several locations in the park.

Biscayne National Park

Most of this park is underwater. We enjoyed a boat tour to Boca Chita Lighthouse. We spent an hour touring the lighthouse and the island, once part of the Deering Estate. Our guide gave a very interesting history of the park and talked about the environmental challenges the park is facing due to rising sea levels. We saw Turkey Neck Nuclear Power Plant in the distance and learned that the power plant is surrounded by warmer water that sustains a population of saltwater crocodiles.

Also available are snorkeling and diving tours where you can explore shipwrecks on the bottom of Biscayne Bay.

Robert Is Here, Homestead, Florida

This is a fruit stand founded by Robert in 1959 when he was six years old. Robert still works at his fruit stand, which features locally-grown vegetables and about one hundred varieties of locally-grown exotic tropical fruits, some from Robert’s own farms. Service is friendly and helpful. They made sure that we had chosen the best fruit and packed it on ice to make sure it got home safely. There is also a huge assortment of raw Florida honey, preserves, candy, and baked goods.

You can enjoy a lunch of tropical fruit smoothies and pulled pork barbecue while you are here. The fresh coconut water is awesome!

On the premises is a large animal enclosure where you can feed giant tortoises, Brahma calves, emus, chickens, geese, turkeys, and goats. Ellen had the emu eating pellets out of her hand. This is the most beautiful animal enclosure of its kind that I have ever seen! There is also an aviary with tropical birds and parrots who like to converse with visitors. Scattered throughout the grounds is Robert’s collection of antique tractors. Tricycles and kiddie cars are provided for young visitors to ride.

Miccosukee Indian Village

Outdoor exhibits are located in several chickee huts and demonstrate traditional Miccosukee life. There is an alligator show and an observation platform overlooking the marsh. There are picnic areas and a small indoor museum of Miccosukeee history. The gift shop displays hand-crafted traditional clothing and jewelry, books, and other souvenirs.

Across the road, you can take an airboat tour of the “River of Grass.” I have taken many classes to visit the village and to take an airboat tour. The guides were always knowledgeable and informative. Here, as in the national parks we visited, you will learn about preserving the natural environment.

Indian villages are scattered throughout Everglades National Park along US 41. There are multiple airboat operators and some small restaurants featuring traditional Miccosukee cuisine. Alligator and Indian fry bread are likely to be included on the menus.

Miami/Miami Beach

The beach is still lovely, but crowded and noisy. I did not enjoy the loud music, pervasive Jamaican cigar and marijuana smoke, constant racket of small planes flying up and down the beach advertising parties at local night clubs, and incessant chatter of other beachgoers. If you go to Miami Beach, you will see a lot of Brazilian bikinis and maybe some bare bosoms. Be prepared for horrendous traffic and very steep prices. We paid $20 for two hours of valet parking, $20 to rent an umbrella, and $20 to rent a chaise lounge. A large bottle of Pelligrino sparkling water was $9.

If you have a big budget and lots of time to spend, there are many great attractions in the surrounding area. I have listed a few that I enjoyed in the seven years I lived in Miami Beach and at various times in the twenty years since then:

Bayside in Miami, Miami Beach historic art deco district, Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Jungle Gardens, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Viscaya mansion and grounds, a gorgeous world-class concert hall and opera house in Miami, Miami Beach Ballet Company, Miami Beach Symphony, Miami Metro Zoo, Miami Seaquarium, and boat tours featuring celebrity homes on the islands. Miami holds an annual book fair which I attended five years ago.

There are glitzy, huge new cruise terminals. If you are a sports fan, you might enjoy Marlins baseball or Miami Dolphins football. If you like to wager, consider nearby jailai or horse racing.

This list just scratches the surface of things to discover in Miami/Miami Beach.

South Florida Restaurants We Love

Triad Seafood Market and Waterfront Cafe, Everglades City, Florida

We ate outside overlooking a lovely water view. Ellen and I split an order of very fresh stone crab claws with mustard sauce. Our hush puppies and sweet potato fries were great! We enjoyed a delicious salad composed of spring mix, walnuts, dried cranberries, red onions, tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing. Katey, not a fan of seafood, ordered a cheeseburger and salad, which she said were very good.

Roasters ‘N Toasters New York Deli, Miami Beach, Florida

Ernie and Richie’s was our neighborhood Jewish deli when we lived in Miami Beach twenty years ago. Roasters ‘N Toasters replaced it and maintains a similar vibe and menu. Katey and I split a delicious Reuben on rye sandwich. My Caesar salad came with a homemade garlic dressing. Ellen’s chopped liver sandwich was intensely flavored and good. The carrot cake with cream cheese icing that we shared had many thin layers and was suitably decadent. The flakey rugelach cookies were made with dark chocolate and flavored with cinnamon. Katey and Ellen liked the matzo ball soup. We all loved the well-prepared latkes with sour cream and apple sauce.

Havana Spice Restaurant, Homestead, Florida

This is a really wonderful Cuban family restaurant with fun, funky decor. We ate there twice. Ellen and Katey enjoyed Cuban coffee and expresso. I ordered my favorite, lechon asado (Cuban roast pork.) It is marinated with mojo (bitter orange) sauce and slow-cooked with onions. I also liked their maduros (fried ripe plantains.)

The second time we ate there, Ellen and I shared a big plate of sliced fried plantains that were unbelievably light and crispy. I tried guava cheesecake, which was very sweet. I wished I had gotten my favorite, flan (baked egg custard.) It looked great in the dessert case!

*Having gained several pounds on our vacation, I have returned to my usual low-carb diet.

by Cheryl Batavia

One Earth

Embrace the World. Photo by mrcolo from Pixabay.

Photo by NASA from Unsplash.

One Earth

Our Earth, one small blue planet, spins in space.

By day, we turn toward one blazing star.

By night, one moon reflects our star’s bright face,

one star among vast galaxies afar.

One fragile atmosphere envelopes Earth.

One rocky mantle guards its molten core.

One water fills the deep and gives clouds birth.

One land, five continents defined by shores.

Rainforest monkeys chatter in the trees.

In beds of giant kelp, sea otters play.

The lungs of earth are places such as these;

preserving habitats our task today.

All living things are one, fates intertwined;

Earth’s fortunes shape your destiny and mine.

Sea otters in a bed of giant kelp. Photo by Kieran Wood from Unsplash.

Photo by Antoni Shkraba from Pexels.

Photo by Rodnae Productions from Pexels.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Update

A couple of weeks ago, we found undiscovered hurricane damage to our house. Dealing with the insurance company, roofing companies, and contractors is consuming a lot of time and energy, and I have had to put my planned projects on hold. The insurance company has approved a new roof, payment for tree removal, and some needed repairs. Contractors are very busy with all the damage to properties here, and ours is not an emergency, so it may be some months before the work is completed.