……………………………..…they smelled barbecue?  These pictures were taken at my sons house yesterday, and I’m thinking they were probably grilling on the other side of that fence.  As the story goes when they left his yard they went across the street to a neighbors and the Mother Bear went right up to the front door. Experiencing no luck there either, she then proceeded to another neighbors garage whose door was open, she entered and came out carrying a bag of garbage.  Mission accomplished she disappeared into the woods and had a real (teddy) bears picnic with her cub. I lived in and around that area all my life and at one point as a teenager lived in Walpack N.J. which bordered Stokes State Forest on one side and the Delaware River on the other.  We would ride our horses in the valley and into the mountains and never concerned ourselves with bears.  I’m sure in the 50’s they were there, but their habitat was so large they never had to venture out.  Now in the late 70’s I was walking with my best friend picking wild blueberries in the watershed property that surrounded our neighborhood in Oak Ridge NJ.  We were reaching into the blueberry bushes that were a thick tangle of branches, when all of a sudden their was a growl.  I turned white, screamed it’s a bear, dropped my blueberries and ran as fast as I could.  When I looked back my friend is hysterically laughing, she couldn’t get over that I thought it was a bear.  She couldn’t say what the noise was, but it was not a bear, there are no bears in NJ.  I hadn’t heard of any either, but only a bear could make that growl.  She proceeded for weeks, actually years, to tell everyone that how I, the country girl thought she heard a bear, and she, who was raised in Manhattan, the city girl knew it could not be a bear.  How I ran away home and she continued to pick luscious berries, and would take on this bear if he tried to take her berries. She told and retold her country girl – city girl story.  I would always just say..it was a bear!  About five years later I get a call from her and she is a little out of breath and apologizing profusely to me.  I couldn’t imagine what had happened.  She finally said, remember when we were picking blueberries and you heard…yes Vic how could I forget…well I think it was probably a bear.  Oh why now, after all this time do you think it was a bear.. because one just walked across my yard and actually stopped and looked at my sliding glass doors and I thought he was going to try to get in the house.  Thank you Bear.    Well, didn’t the country girl – city girl story change.  Still, at that time there was very little talk of bears.  As the years went by and the building of homes gobbled up more of their habitat, it has been a serious problem for them and us.  I had read some where, and I don’t know if it true,  that many of the bears are coming over from Pennsylvania, as the Delaware River has gotten very shallow at times due to drought conditions and they can cross it easily.  Whatever the reason, they are a part of Northern New Jersey’s landscape and now more than ever I will check my surroundings when I’m visiting.  They are beautiful though..from a far.

…and I visited Veterans Memorial Park in Spanish Springs.  They had a very moving ceremony that honored not only the fallen soldiers of past and present wars, but also all of the brave men and woman who are fighting or are veterans of the wars.  I disappoint myself sometimes because I take things forgranted, my daily life is so busy that I forget to be thankful for what I have, or to remember those loved ones lost in our wars.    As I stood there and listened to the speakers, my thoughts were filled with my nephew John, a helicopter pilot who was shot down and died in Afganistan.  He was buried in Arlington National Cemetary, and a flag will most likely be put on his grave today, but the guilt I felt that I had not thought of him until standing and listening to the Star Spangled Banner being sung, or the bagpipes, and the drums and 21 gun salute.  I stood remembering he was the same age as my son, he was a twin, he was the more serious twin, and how they all ran in the fields and  played at the Family Annual Picnic until they were ready to drop from either exhaustion or over extended tummies.  The twins parents were a little more disciplined when it came to making sure the twins ate only healthy food.  No sugar for them.  Their favorite uncle was Jim and whenever he was around, the two of them followed him where ever he went.  They would not leave his side. They sat at his feet and on his lap, they put their little arms around his neck, and when I asked what the secret to his popularity was…he winked and said they always know I have candy in my pocket for them.  Today there is not candy for John but a flag in his memory, and an Aunt that will never forget to observe his special holiday, and to remember  how fortunate we all are to have had a father or son, mother or daughter, neice or nephew who gave their lives for us. The crowd was quite large and I was not able to get too close so I returned later to take a picture of the monument, which is surrounded by bricks dedicated to family members past and present, and as I was leaving there were Veterans making sure everything was put back in place, and spending one more moment of their time for us, taking care 0f our flag,

…thank-you, thank-you.

…the best clowns.  I would venture to say there is no other community anywhere in the world that has as many clowns living within a 15 or 20 mile radius as The Villages has.  If there is however I would then have to say that pinky and sassy, mopsey, mad-hatter, can-dee, and snooky, to name just a few  are the funniest, friendliest, happiest, sassiest, playfulist, silliest, shyist and by all means thee best dressed clowns on the face of the earth.   I have never seen so many good looking clowns in my life. When I moved to The Villages I was unaware of the clowns, and one day as I was driving along Rt.#441 I happened to see out of the corner of my eye what looked like a clown whizzing by me in a convertible. By the time it registered with me I remember thinking, I could swear that was a clown, but then just dismissed the thought.  Soon after, I realized it was a clown and since then have seen them driving around in their golf carts or cars, going to perform most likely at a charitable event, and they always bring a big smile to my face.  Clowns have always been playful and amusing entertainers, and were meant to bring a smile to those around them.  The history of clowns goes back to the middle ages, the court jester always had a supply of shanigans to please and entertain the court.  In the 1800’s three types of clowns evolved:  the White face Clown which is considered the classic and oldest clown, the Auguste Clown that was the zaniest of clowns with big noses, large shoes and baggy pants and the there was the Character Clown which were tramps and hopos or could portray any character – Freddy the Freeloader and Clem Kididdlehopper who of course was Red Skelton.   Something I didn’t know was that  Red Skelton’s father was a circus clown that died before Red Skelton was born. Red followed in his footsteps and began performing in the same circus at a very young age.  I don’t think this was the norm at the time and I’m sure not too many people planned on being professional clowns, as it would not be accepted, in my day and age, to tell your parents-when I grow up I want to be a clown.  Actually, again in my day and age, to be called a clown could be quite negative, it meant you behaved in a silly or foolish way.  If you were a class clown, you amused everyone but the teachers and your parents, and you were probably also considered the class cut-up.  I think however if we were honest with ourselves we all have a little bit of a clown in us.  I think those that love dressing up for Halloween are really wanna-be clowns.  Some wanna-bes even went a little further and dressed up as clowns.  When ever our clowns are interviewed they give many reasons for wanting to be one: hopes of healing a broken heart, shyness, relieve loneliness, wanted to have some fun, a bucket list item, and all agree they want to give happiness back, and that they sure do.  There are two clubs in our area.  The Tri-County Clowns and Clown Alley 179(village members only) are both committed to giving.  Both groups appear at over 80 functions a year each, which includes the Children’s Hospitals, Hospices, Charter School events to name a just a few. They give smiles and they get them back two-fold.  It is a win win for everyone.  Thanks clowns, for all you do, we all love you.    P.S. You’ve heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, Sassy wears her heart on her nose.  I think it is appropriate to finish  with a quote from Red Skelton…”If someday you are not feeling well, you should remember some little thing I have said or done, and if it brings a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart then my purpose as a clown have been fulfilled.”

 …make you happier?  Yes, that is what one of the club members of The Villages Home Brewers Club was quoted saying in a recent article I read. With the weather being up in the 90’s this past week it certainly seems like a good time to have a beer, or at the very least talk about having one.  I have known people who have made their own wine, in fact my best friend’s husband Rudy, would gather up all the red grapes he could get and retreat to his basement and made enough red wine to last him until the next year’s harvest of grapes came in.  Every night he would enjoy a glass of wine with his dinner.  He also had a fabulous garden, but that is a story for another day. However I have not heard of people making wine in The Villages, but we have beer brewers and beer lovers that gather monthly to learn about home brewing, and even better than that to taste each others brews.                                             

Their discussions consists of sharing knowledge – of new recipes, new beers and any new places to go and try those new beers.  They critique the beer recipes and help each other make their beers better – what went in, and what came out –  and what to do to create a better beer.  One member said that home brewers are a different sort of breed.  We’re all friendly, and we like to brag about what we do and our successes.  I have two sons that got involved in the BBQ challenges, and I think they have the same philosophy – they’re  friendly too, and they are always trying something new, and yes they brag about their successes.  I wonder how many brewers have some good BBQ recipes too? The club is three years old and started with 11 people and are now 60 strong, with 30 to 35 regular brewers, which means club members get to try quite a few interesting beers.  If you want to learn more about this happier, friendlier, sudsier group they meet 7PM the third Thursday of the month at Sterling Heights Recreation Center.  Salute, no I mean Cheers.

… come visit The Villages.  Over time I have written many blogs about the great things going on in The Villages and the fun I personally am having living here, but there is so much you may want to know.  It is a 55+ Retirement Community where you can get everywhere on a golf cart…shopping, doctors, hospital and it is a great thing to think when gas prices go up we don’t feel it nearly as much as if we before we moved here.  I have spoken with many people who think they are not ready to move to a retirement community, even though they are retired. I share your concerns as I felt that way the first time we visited. However, after two weeks we purchased a home and never ever regretted it.    My neighbors and residents are all ages, only one member of a household has to be 55, so with many taking early retirement we are a very young community to say the least.  Also, it is not our age so much as it is more how we feel, think and act that really counts.  I know there are many Senior residents, and by senior I mean 80s, 90s, and 100s that I can’t even keep up with, and they are delightful.They are involved in the arts: performing, painting, oil, water, acrylic, mixed medium and also the many athletic opportunities: golf, tennis, platform tennis, pickleball, baseball, competitive swimming, bicycling, In-Line skating, and more.  I think the secret to a happy healthy retirement is keeping active: exercise wise-physically and mentally- and also some form of interactions with other people.  The Villages has three Downtown Areas with lots of shopping, restaurants, 8-Plex Movie Theatres in each townsquare plus the highlight of each downtown is live entertainment 365 days a year, where you can enjoy happy hour, sit and listen to the music or hop up and dance.  With everything in The Villages you can be extremely busy or you can be laid back, put your feet up and enjoy the sunshine…after all you’re retired.  We have over 60 swimming pools, from adult, to family, to sport pools, for water aerobic, water volley ball, lap swimming and competitive lap swimming.  If you enjoy volunteering there are many, many organizations that would welcome you.  We have the Lifelong Learning College with very interesting classes and we have activities galore (2000) in our Recreation Centers.  There is something for everyone and if you are looking for a great place to retire, just put The Villages are your list of possibilities, and come and check us out.  Try it…I thin you’ll like it.

…in Wildwood, a new phenomenon. Food trucks have been around for a long time and I’m sure many of you have some great and maybe not so great memories.  Mine have all been good.  My first introduction to food trucks was at a 4^th of July parade in the 1940’s.  Actually when I think about  it, it wasn’t a truck but a food cart and you could actually buy a hot dog that was not prepared by your Mother.  That was fantastic, and it even had mustard and relish that you could put on yourself.  My memory takes me next to the hot dog carts in NYC.  In my senior year in high school several times a group of us would get sick and not be able to attend school, but miraculously we could take a bus to New York City, buy a subway ticket and ride the subway all day, until 3:00pm, when we could come above ground, because if anyone saw us at that point, our appearance  (and health) would not be subjected to the scrutiny of the  High School Truant Officer.  We would surface and run for the Hot Dog Cart, where you could get Hot Dogs, Sauerkraut, Onions, Mustard, Relish and Catsup plus a drink, all within our limited budgets.  No other hot dogs taste like those hot dogs, and if you haven’t had one put it on your bucket list.  Then came the trucks.  When I went to work, we called them the Sandwich Trucks, and they were there with coffee and breakfast items, (I seem to remember them being called Coffee Wagons too) they would leave after we awakened ourselves with caffeine and then come back at noon with our lunch. We all depended on them and if they got a flat tire, or had truck trouble, we all suffered dearly.  There was a time that they were seen outside of most every building that had numerous employees, and also at most construction sites.  A couple of years ago, when I was taking clients out showing them properties, someone mentioned to me that he was optimistic that the economy was picking up, and when asked what he based his optimism on, he said last year the food trucks on the construction sites only had a few chairs, and they were most often empty, if you notice they now have a table, many more chairs and they are occupied. Hmm…never thought of it that way.  You are probably wondering why I am rambling on so and want me to get to the point.  Recently I read an article that in Wildwood they had had an evening with the  Food Trucks and it was so successful that they were going to have it every third Friday of the month.  They were going to have four gourmet food trucks, a dessert truck and a booth where they sold sub-sandwiches.                                                     I guess the word gourmet piqued my interest, and I rallied up a few people to go with me.  I don’t know if I or they would have gone if it just said Food Truck.  When we got there it did not disappoint, in fact it was a real find.  Besides being able to get BBQ, Philly Cheesesteaks, Sub-sandwiches, and specialty cupcakes, there was the Lobster Truck.                                 I was a little leery about that as I was with a Maine Lobster lover, and I thought there is no way she can be satisfied with a Lobster Roll in Wildwood, Fla. Well, to my surprise she loved it and so did I.  The chunks of Lobster were bigger than any I have ever seen before. It really was a great experience and plan on returning the third Friday of the month to the lawn in front of the Wildwood City Hall. If you happen to attend I suggest you bring chairs so you can sit under the oak trees and listen to the band that plays and enjoy your meal.  As we left and I glanced back at the trucks and people, I remarked that it was like going to a carnival without the rides…it was my kind of fun…didn’t have to go on the ferris wheel or roller coaster.

…Golf.  It’s amazing that I’ve been writing my blog for quite sometime and have not written that much about golf.  I think perhaps I am a bit intimidated, as living with an avid golfer I’m afraid I am going to get something wrong, or more likely golf is such a big part of The Villages and there is so much to cover I always wanted to make sure everything I said about the courses was accurate.  Putting caution aside I am going to share with you what I know, what I have been told and what I have read.  Here goes. You may be wondering if I am a golfer.  First let me say that for 15 years I lived on a golf course in New Jersey and for nine of those years I was on the Board of Directors of Deer Run Townhome and Golf Club Community.  As directors we were involved in every phase of the golf management, from the pros to the carts to turf management, in other words everything. Do I play golf? My answer is I am on my second set of clubs, my clubs have been re-gripped a few times, I have golf shoes, and golf shirts and shorts, golf visors and sunglasses.  I have taken lessons twice to improve my game.  Sounds pretty impressive so far?  No, don’t be impressed,  I have only practiced a few times, I have only completed one round of golf…18 holes.  My biggest thrill on the golf course was a double bogey, watching a killdeer protect her young, coming upon a possum with about 12 babies on her back,  oh and I also enjoy riding in the golf cart. I have promised myself that I am going to start playing seriously and that is why my clubs have been re-gripped, in anticipation of my using them. Sean, my avid in house golfer, won’t play with me because I  won’t practice.  Many times in the evening we would go out and hit balls and I would get tired after about 10 minutes.  This is very frustrating to someone who can hit balls for hours to improve his game. He doesn’t understand that I just want to play, I don’t want to practice. If you think I am avoiding the subject I probably am, as there is a lot to say.  If you go to the top menu and click on golf I will try to do The Villages proud.

…to all my friends.  For quite a few years now I have spent Mother’s Day in Florida and because Sean was working on Sunday mornings, I would always go to Tierra’s Brunch with my close friend Carole.  If you have never gone to it don’t wait until next Mother’s Day to go.  They have it every Sunday and it is fabulous..all the breakfast goodies plus omelets made to order, a carving station and what sets it apart from all the others are all the homemade pastries.   Today though we missed our yearly treat because I came down with some type of cold and because Carole is traveling North to her Grandaughters College graduation I do not want to pass my cold on to her or anyone else I might come in contact with.  I think many of us are melancholy today as Mother’s Day was always very special to many of us.  I find it is times like this that I reflect on years gone by and wonder where have they gone,just like this card that I got 15 years ago from a little boy who could only scribble his name on the inside.  He is now 16 years old and has a girlfriend that he will most likely be spending time with today, so even if I were around the corner from him I might get a hello, kiss on the cheek, goodbye and that is the way it should be, as life moves on.  As Mothers and Grandmothers we had a job to do, to raise them up and send them out, and when we see them standing on their own two feet, and being successful with their jobs and marriages, what greater gift is that.  We grew up and out too, and I think our children are happy for us that we have become successful retirees enjoying life to the fullest.   Again, Happy Mother’s Day.

…at the “Evening with the Developer”.  Once again Mark Morse did not disappoint.  I arrived early and settled in to my favorite seat –  Row B, Seat 1 in the Left Balcony, and watched the residents arrive in droves.  I couldn’t help but notice how happy everybody was, especially that they were coming to hear the Developer speak.  They all had a look of cheerful anticipation as they made their way to their seats waving to all their friends on their way.  I took my notes fast and furious and though the statistics seem unbelievable, they are true, to the best of my stenographic ability.  Fun stuff…11 years ago there were 15,000 homes and 30,000 residents. 2012 there are 48,424 homes and 94,870 residents.  Real Estate statistics: 2011 they sold 2271 new homes and 1398 pre-owned…total 3669 and in 2012 they sold  2790 new homes and 1685 pre-owned…total 4475.  Year To Date Jan thru April 318 new homes and 207 pre-owned…total 525 and last year the same time Jan thru April 230 new homes and  155 pre-owned…total 385.  The average sale price has gone up 10% and they expect the last house will be built in the 1^st quarter of 2016.  My personal opinion is the prices will continue to rise as the anticipated build out is reached.  There are many concerns about the traffic, but The Villages has been designed to keep it moving with the many circles we have. The comparison was made of the traffic in many other areas of 100,000 people or more…Ocala, Clearwater and the like, if you think of their traffic and traffic lights compare that to the 12 mile stretch between Rt.#42 and Rt.#44..there are only two traffic lights. The traffic circles keep us moving, just imagine if they were all lights.  There have been 40,000 visits to our recreation centers per month, there are 1000 recreation facilities counting, pools, pickle ball and tennis courts, bocce, shuffleboard, golf courses.  We are the only community offering platform tennis in Florida, and another platform facility is being built as it has become very popular.  There were 110,000 volunteer hours at the recreation facilities in 2012.  18,000 residents took part in the Senior Games and another 18,000 residents took classes at the Lifelong Learning College. In 2013, 2,547 residents took Pickle ball lessons and we have 101 residents that have earned a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. I think you would agree that the statistics are pretty darn impressive, all of them.  I do have a few more tidbits but they will be for another blog.  If you want to hear Mark Morse’s address in full, you can see it on Channel 2 on Saturday at noon, 3pm, 6pm or 9pm.  You will hear more about exciting plans for the future of The Villages.