Swimming To Mims

                     Mims is not far.  It's just a mile away from my North Titusville pool.  A lot of people in Mims live in mobile homes and manufactured homes.  It used to be all orange groves.  Many of the residents used to work in the groves and packing warehouses.  In the 1980's, the groves were phased out.  Now Tropicana uses oranges from Brazil and other countries for their juice. I don't know if a takeover of Tropicana by Romney's Bain Capital outsourced orange juicing to South America from Florida.   Luckily the Kennedy Space Center provided some jobs until the space program was outsourced to Russia in 2011.  I know Bain Capital did not do that.  It was the US Senate,Congress and President.who cut costs and outsourced the US Space Program.      
                 Our tax money is now invested in a private Space X venture owned by a man from South Africa.  He outsourced the Space program in Florida to California.  The Falcon rocket with a Dragon capsule upon it will blast off tomorrow morning from Cape Canaveral at 3:45 am.  That's after midnight in California time.  Russia blasted our Florida high school teacher up to the International Space Station last week.

The view from Mims (which by the way is pronounced by the locals as a two syllable word)

                The former owner of PayPal has had to postpone their docking with the Space  Station several times because of engine problems and computer glitches. Mr. PayPal has raised a billion in private capital to help fund Space X.   Hopefully our billions of tax money will be spent on a successful blast off from Cape Canaveral and docking of the Dragon capsule with the ISS soon.  If not,maybe Brazil can help.  They now produce the orange juice that used to be made from Mims, Florida oranges.   The spokeswoman for Sapce X is Gwynne Shotwell.  Let's hope this time Space X's rocket launch will live up to her name.  If not,I'm swimming to Brazil.

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

The Osprey nest is on a high pole on the pond on the far side of the Visitors Center's bridge.

On Biolab Road in the National Seashore, you may see as many as 20 alligators.

Playalinda Beach on the Canaveral National Seashore Titusville,FL

The Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building is near the Nature Preserve

24 mile long sand dune on unspoiled beach

                      At the National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center across the bridge from Titusville,Florida, you get a close up view of an osprey nest.  Through the spotting scope in the air conditioned comfort of the Visitor Center, you can clearly see the large mother osprey and two fledgelings.  There's also an exhibit of local nature scene art and a gift shop/nature book store.  Titusville,Florida has plenty of nature areas including The St. John's River Preserve,The Enchanted Forest, Black Point 7 mile Wildlife Drive. and the 24 mile long Canaveral National Seashore.  Each January Titusville has the largest Bird Festival in North America with field trips,lectures and workshops.  Of course there's green alligators and roseated spoonbills too.

Chocolate Overload

                                 Most of the desserts cost $4.  We bought the one called Colossal Chocolate Overload with WhippedCream and Chocolate Sauce.  It cost $7.  Fortunately they brought two forks.  There should have been four.  We had already had sushi appetizers, smoked fish spread and crackers and a fish dinner with rice and vegetables.  Luckily I didn't eat the 400 calorie Texas Toast.  Besides the two or three pounds I gained from this enormous meal, I felt whoozy after eating all the seets.  Therefore I vowed no more desserts ever again.
                                 Lately we eat out with extremely thin people who always order dessert.  It makes it so tempting.  I have Hypoglycemia and my husband is diabetic.  Neither of us should have dessert.  I'm supposed to eat three meals plus 3 snacks a day.  My husband must inject himself with insulin before every meal.
                                   So it's never again.  I was going to go on my stationary bike when I got home.  It's on the pool patio.   But the smoke from a wildfire or prescribed burn wass so thick and close I couldn't.  I woke up early and did two hours of gardening to wear off a few calories.  My hypoglycemia didn't kick in until 11 am because I was still fueled or sugared from the night before. 
                                        In Hawaii all the restaurants gave free desserts to attract new customers.  The Hula Pie full of chocolate and pie size cookies and cream was enormous /  But I ate the whole thing after a massive panini sandwich.  I over ate the year before on our cruise across the Atlantic.We wore some off traveling around Europe for three weeks .  But not enough.  So now I'm ready to be a contestant on the Biggest Loser.

Never ate desserts

                                            Overweight is often just desserts.  The size of the average restaurant meal doesn't help either.  So I'm back on track with smaller portions and no desserts.  Confession is good for the soul.  I hope it helps the waistline too.  Although I don't know if I have one.

MAKE AN IMPORTANT DECISION TODAY

HOROSCOPE GURU

                 According to my Google Horoscope guru, the Moon.Venus and Saturn are all lined up so that I can't go wrong.  Any decision I make will be right.  Wow.  That's some prospect.  I have a few ideas on the back burner.  My guru says:  "Go for it."  Hmmmm!

        YESTERDAY THERE WERE FOUR BIRDIES ON THE PAR 4 SIXTH GREEN.  THE SIXTH IS THE HARDEST AND HIGHEST HOLE ON THE COURSE.  THE ADJOINING TOWNHOUSES ON THE GREEN ARE CALLED THE SUMMIT.  SO THEY WERE BIG BIRDIES.  THERE WERE NO EAGLES.  C'MON IT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT HOLE ON THE COURSE.
        THERE WERE SOME BIG BIRDIES ON THE GREEN.     OK.  THE CAMERA DOESN'T LIE.  THEY WERE BIG BIRDS-FOUR OF THEM.  THE TALL OSTRICH LIKE BIRDS WITH THE DISTINCTIVE RED EYE PATCH ARE CALLED SAND HILL CRANES.  THEY LOVE TO SAUNTER AROUND GOLF COURSES DIGGING THEIR BEAKS INTO THE GRASS LOOKING FOR GRUBS TO EAT.  USUALLY THE GROUP CONSISTS OF MOM,DAD AND ONE VERY TALL SLIM SON OR DAUGHTER.  THIS FOURSOME SIGHTED ON THE SIXTH GREEN WAS LARGER THAN USUAL.  THEY HAD TO WALK.  THERE IS NO WAY THEY COULD FIT IN A GOLF CART LIKE MOST FLORIDA GOLFERS.  
         THE SIXTH GREEN IS ONE GIANT SAND HILL.  DEEP INSIDE IT IS FILLED WITH WATER.  WELLS ARE USED TO TAP THIS WATER FOR DRINKING AND IRRIGATION.  SAND HILL CRANES GRAVITATE TO THESE HILLS KNOWING THERE ARE NICE SUCCULENT GRUBS FOR DINNER THERE.  PLUS IT'S BETTER THAN THE CLUBHOUSE FOOD.  

DRINKS ARE ON ME

           EVERY GOLF COURSE IN  CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS A FEW OF THESE BIG BIRDIES.   THEY ARE NATURALS FOR A GOLF COURSE.  "BUILD THEM.  WE'LL BE THERE." IS THE SAND HILL CRANE'S FAMILY MOTTO.  WHEN THEY HEAR THE WORD "FORE" OR THE GOLF COURSE MOWERS APPROACHING, THE 3 FT. TALL BIRDIES HEAD FOR THE 19TH HOLE.