Interesting Bits

We have often heard (and read) the stories about wild boars in Florida.  The tales of tame pigs being left to become wild are varied and very intriguing.   Poppa mentioned that sometimes they are sighted at the golf course, but although he had seen snakes and alligators, he hadn't seen a boar.  One day on our way to the Post Office Poppa asked if I had seen the boar rooting for truffles along the side of the road.  Nope!  I had missed it.  However, a little further up the road....

... this specimen....... which unfortunately appears to have been struck by a car - but I included the picture so you at least have an idea of the size of these animals who roam freely in some of the forested areas here in Florida.  The next day we drove by again and it was gone.  Poppa has chatted with other golfers about these and apparently when they come too close to habitats or others places where they get into trouble (including roads!), they become the central feature of a party which we commonly call a "pig roast"!  On a cheerier note....

.... dogs in Florida love to stick their heads out the window to catch a breeze just as much as Canadian dogs do!  What else is happening???  Well Poppa is still.....

.... working at replacing all the screws in the screen room.  He had already done all the up-and-down screws, and then started on.....

... the horizontal screws.  I think he has them all done now, except for three that he can't reach inside the screen room over the pool.  And after some recent rain ...

... he hosed off the pool cover and the deck area.  There seems to be a lot of pollen from the live oak trees and dust and ashes in the air which the rain washes through the screen.  Then this stuff works its way into the pool which causes the filter to work harder and less efficiently - and you can imagine how that bugs Poppa!  And....

... I found Poppa and Squeegie sitting on the floor in the master bedroom.....

.... and this box near by.  What were they doing?  Well, shortly after we arrived at the villa, UPS delivered this box.  David (the owner) had informed us of its impending arrival and suggested that perhaps Poppa would like to hook it up in the master bedroom to replace the old-fashioned TV that was in there.  Poppa had stalled since he was a little nervous of doing it incorrectly.  (He's amazing with older stuff, but a tad leery of the new-fangled electronics.)  He finally decided to try it and.....

... soon the two of them were choosing a channel to watch.  Eventually, everyone moved out to the sitting room to.....

.... watch on the large TV!  Last photo for this blog......

.... Little Smiley is getting to the age where he is considering careers and this is him practicing for his audition with the Chippendales!  I don't know about you - but I think he's got it!  Next blog coming soon with pics of our recent visit to Downtown Disney.