Summer Solstice 2012

You still have time to plan your Summer Solstice celebration, which occurs at 7:09 p.m. AST/EDT this evening. It's a little late to get the t-shirt, so go creative on your own or you can dance naked (which is, by certain celebrants called skyclad - a word that sounds lovely and much better than naked), a rite of the summer solstice in more than a few places. Just be kind to your neighbors if you choose this option.

A couple of evenings ago we were on one of our beach to Intercoastal walks. On the intercaostal side, there was a lot of sargassum seaweed floating by with the current. My brother says, 'Look! It's a sargassum fish!' Really? Really? I had never heard of such a fish and also am always aware of the fact that any opportunity to one-up each other in a gotcha joke could be at work here.

But there it was! A fish about 5 inches long, that looked exactly like the sargassum seaweed. I tried to get a photo but even if it had stayed out from the sargasso, I don't think I could have done it justice.

This is exactly what it looked like.
(no credit available)

Apparently the sargassum fish, one of the triggerfish family, is seriously aggressive, using its brilliant camo to fool the fish feeding on the rich feast on the bottom side of the seaweed. It will eat fish as big as itself, in a snaky gulping way and there are videos you can watch to see that. If you like.

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Today is the first day we aren't moving things from place to place and I'm not complaining. It is also the first day it has rained, and as everyone on Culebra knows, rain has become almost as rare a sight as a sargassum fish.  So I've been doing rain contemplation about things I like in America.

1. Incredible food markets with so much variety it's a little overwhelming
2. Good roads that don't hurt vehicles or the people inside of them  (and sidewalks where I don't have to watch every step)
3. Antique and thrift shops run by Hassidic Jews who are funny (and pretty cute too)
4. Inexpensive sushi and wine - what needs explaining?

Things I don't like about this part of America are:

1. Too many people, going too fast
2. WAAAAAY too many cars
3. Too many gigantic buildings

Just the too much of everything. Which is, of course, why I live on Culebra and why it is fun to go away to come back.

But Pompano Beach is a pretty cool spot, with little pockets of old Florida (which isn't that old) around and lots and lots of water with good beaches. People are really friendly and open, for the most part; it doesn't feel like a city place that way. But I'm not on any hugging terms. Yet.

An open lot between condos and hotels, filled with beach plants and a few Australian pines.
Yes, they do still exist. For now.

Have a 'Wow! It's the longest day of the year!' Wednesday. Do something with the wealth of time.