Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

Alaska 2026: Homer Happy Surprises

We are up and eager for our boat trip into the Katchemak Bay. We have cereal and banana, pack up some snacks, and put on our sunscreen. It is not so brightly sunny as prior days, but sunny enough to burn. We find the meeting point, and another couple joins us, then the crew and we get on the boat. Once again, we are four customers and a captain and deckhand. 

Even better, the man in the other couple introduces himself and adds “You will notice I have an accent. I am Jordanian.” AdventureMan, ever quick, asks him in Jordanian Arabic “From what part of Jordan do you come,” and we all laugh at his utter astonishment. Once we started talking, we never stopped. 

We watched otter, and learned how they attach themselves to the kelp so that they don’t drift too far from their food source.

We saw countless birds, and one great-grand eagle. We saw puffins galore. And at the same time, we were having these conversations, figuring out who we knew in common as we are near to the same age. 

We had so much fun with this couple that when the wildlife tour ended, we decided to eat lunch together at Captain Pattie’s on the Homer Spit, a place AdventureMan and I have eaten at on earlier trips to Homer. The wife and I had the Alaska King Crab Legs, which were hideously expensive, but not so expensive as I have seen them in other places, and these were perfectly prepared. True Love: AdventureMan knows me to be a frugal woman. He did not bat an eye when I ordered the King Crab.

I know exactly when I last had Alaska King Crab. It was my birthday, many years ago, and my son and I were staying with my parents in Seattle while my husband attended a military school. As we sat down to dinner, suddenly my husband appeared! He had flown in to surprise me! And my mother served King Crab legs with melted butter, and she made a Baked Alaska for dessert. I must have been 30 years old.

We had such a good meal, and such good conversation. Even the wait staff was part of what felt like a great celebration.

After lunch, we headed out to explore downtown Homer. We ended up at the Homer Farmer’s Market, and oh what fun.

We had thought we wouldn’t buy anything, but I found some Spruce Syrup (like Maple syrup, sort of) and we found some barbecue.

Yes, even though we had just eaten lunch, we knew this BBQ was special, and we ordered up two plates and had them wrapped so we could put them in the little refrigerator and have them for dinner.

They were wonderful! I’d like to say we had them on our deck patio, watching the sun go down, but here’s the problem – the sun doesn’t really go down, or it goes a little bit down but not at dinnertime, more like around two a.m. Even then, as you have seen, it is not DARK dark. 

It’s hard to settle down for the evening when it is so light out. We go for a walk in the neighborhood, then come back to catch up – me with my photos and notes on the trip, AdventureMan with his reading.

June 30, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Beauty, Biography, Birds, Civility, Cross Cultural, Eating Out, ExPat Life, Friends & Friendship, Jordan, Language, Living Conditions, Local Lore, Money Management, Quality of Life Issues, Relationships, Restaurant, Road Trips, Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Hot Times in Seward, Alaska

When we opened our blackout blind (Alaskan summer days are very long, and it stays bright until around midnight. The dark doesn’t last long, and it is light again by 4 am.) we couldnt believe our eyes. It’s our free day – we can do anything! We have nothing scheduled! We slept with the window open last night – it was a hot night, but the open window kept us comfortable.

We walk to another nearby B&B for breakfast; they operate cooperatively under the same management. We met Sarah, our hostess, and once we all started talking, we couldn’t stop. We had so many interests in common! We talked about Athabaskan culture and language, we talked about the importance of friend groups for managing life’s joy and crises, we talked about the love of adventure, and taking calculated risks – we could have gone on and on; it’s wonderful when you connect. 

She fixed AdventureMan eggs exactly as he likes them, and thin pork sausage patties. She brought out all the ingredients for home-made meusli, exactly as I make it with oats and nuts and seeds and fruits, so I could watch my blood sugar. She took really good care of us, all the while able to converse non-stop. She was amazing.

We have a map and we want to find the big anchor in front of the Seward Harbormaster’s office; it’s a hike, but we are up to it. As we walk along the lovely smooth waterfront path, I see something I find astounding and wonderful. All along the waterfront are parks – and camping spots. Some areas provide porta-potties, some more permanent restrooms. This is prime waterfront property, and the city has chosen to make it accessible to people who want to visit Seward. Not just a little – a lot of waterfront space devoted to campers. 

I also love all the public art in Seward, starting just in front of our B&B with statues honoring original founders and participants of the annual Iditerod race. Seward has several kennels that provide opportunities for vistors to get to know the dogs and their training in pulling sleds across a variety of terrains. 

Another thing I love is the sound of seaplanes coming and going. It was a part of my growing up in Alaska, across from a seaplane airport/hanger, and watching the seaplanes taking off and landing from the windows of our home. I haven’t heard the sound for years. and I find it very comforting.

Seward Main Street

Seward’s Pride crosswalk.

The old train station, now a cafe and restaurant with a fabulous view.

Seward also provides a free shuttle, circling to main stops in the community. We want to get to the Alaska Sealife Center, so we hop on the shuttle.

The driver was a man from Utah who was truly impressive as he asked each entering passenger their destination, and once we reached the train depot, also would stop and get out of the bus to load and unload baggage. He had a positive attitude, and was gracious, kind and patient with everyone. Two of the passengers were Native American; they wanted to be let off at the Chamber of Commerce stop which was adjacent the local Safeway. (The Safeway also has a Starbucks.)

The train station was chaos! A hundred people were trying to get their baggage checked for the evening departure. Arriving passengers were seeking their rides to their hotels. Those without pickups got on the bus to be dropped off near their hotels.

Three girls from Mexico got on and sat near us; they were in Seward to catch a Royal Caribbean cruise and wanted to know what to see while in Seward. We told them they were staying in a wonderful area for walking, shopping and to visit the Alaska Sealife Center – where we were getting off!

The shuttle bus let us off at the Alaska Sealife Center, where the 2 Seward girls at the desk gave AdventureMan a double discount for being military and for being a senior, and gave us directions to get us to the Highline for lunch. 

We headed upstairs, starting with the outdoor collection of puffins, gulls, and all kinds of seabirds with a rockery and a huge pond, doing what seabirds do. One puffin took a liking to me, coming closer and closer. We later watched them from underneath windows as they dove and swam at amazing speeds through the water. 

The next stop was the sea lions, looking like enormous golden sea slugs, but very fast sea slugs, whirling round and round their huge enclosure. 

We found a fabulous display of sea terms of measurement, about half of which I knew and several I’d never heard of but was glad to know existed for measuring and accuracy. 

We were so impressed with the young people who served as guides to all the dazzling exhibits of sea creatures. They were delightfully nerdy (as a nerd, I use this word with intentional honor) in their knowledge of the most minute details of the creatures they tended, and delighted in sharing their appreciation and wonder for all sea life. 

We found another area with sea lions, (or maybe they got to go to this other area for feeding time) and watched for a while as they horsed around (can sea lions horse around? Yes! They can!)

After a thorough tour, we were ready for lunch and walked to the Highline, recommended by both our VRBO host/manager, Sarah, and the local girls at the Sealife Center. There we split a smoked salmon spread with sourdough bread, and a halibut sandwich.

We’d walked several miles by this point, so we walked a little more, back to our beautiful Bear’s Den on the waterfront, and we grabbed a short nap and then headed out to hike to the Exit Glacier, just 8 miles out of Seward.

Exit Glacier has . . . exited. It is in retreat. We walked to the closest viewpoint, but the glacier was too far away, so we walked further and we could see it – divided into two sections now, and continuing to recede. It was a great time to be there, late in the day, all the tour buses loaded and gone. We weren’t alone, but few were on the hiking trails.

One family asked us, as we were returning to our car, if we had seen bear. We told them no, but to keep talking to one another, and if any bear were around, they would wander away.

We had an agenda for dinner. We are heading out on an all day wildlife and fishing expedition tomorrow, and we need snacks and sandwiches. Sarah had recommended Primrose Provisions, a repurposed railway depot, so we stopped there for dinner and to get provisions – but they were sold out of sandwiches.

Did I mention the sun was shining in Seward? It was in the high 70’s F., and people were sporting sunburns? We sat on the porch, drinking good wine, waiting for our dinner to come –  an Alaska charcuterie board. It was lovely, with smoked salmon, smoked cod, two spreads, sourdough and strawberries. Beautiful to look at and delicious.

We had only a short walk back to our Front Row B&B, through the small park honoring Iditerod race creators and supporters, celebrating the Seward connection. We need to think about our clothing and day pack for our sea excursion. I needed to make sure I had my fishing license with me!

This was our route for today – the big red dot is the Alaska Sea Life Museum.

June 28, 2026 Posted by | Alaska, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Cultural, Customer Service, Food, Geography / Maps, Living Conditions, Photos, Public Art, Restaurant, Road Trips, Travel, Weather | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Seward AK Front Row B&B

This is the view we woke up to from our suite at the Front Row B&B.

These are the spaces we were privileged to inhabit. We felt so blessed to find this exquisite place to stay.

The bed in our room – incredibly comfortable and also a work of art.

The common areas: uncommonly beautiful.

We had an all-day exploration and fishing trip, and when we returned, salt-soaked, sunburned and exhausted, a guest we had met was waving to us from the balcony saying, “Come on up!” We quickly cleaned up and went up to join all the other guests. The man, who stays at Front Row often, had prepared an impromptu cocktail party with some very fine wines and charcuterie boards.

His generosity of spirit blew me away. We guests didn’t know each other, but all the wine and good bites broke the ice, and we ended up having a very good time, or so the happy noise level informed me. Of all the times we have stayed in B&B’s, this was exceptional and memorable.

The common space is lovely for relaxing, perfect for dining. for entertaining, and is equipped for the pickiest, most needy guests. You can watch whales in the bay from this room, or the attached balcony.

The view of Mount Alice:

AdventureMan was so smart. He took the photo of the wine served at the cocktail party, a dry, complex red wine we both thoroughly enjoyed.

And no, I took the photos when the other guests were not around! 😄

If you want a hot breakfast, you walk a very short walk to a partner B&B where the property manager, Sarah, prepares your dream breakfast.

I needed an oat-y cereal, and Sarah went to her living area and brought out her personal stash – just exactly what I needed – oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, and there were fresh bananas to cut and put on it. She made this graciousness feel effortless, and she took her time with us, answering all our questions and giving us the information we needed to make our time in Seward most productive. Conversations with Sarah substantially improved our understanding of the quality of life and current issues in Seward.

Our last morning in Seward, we still had some wonderful smoked salmon spread from our meal at Highlight, so AdventureMan asked her if she could put it in an omelet. She said she could, and whipped up one of the most beautiful and tasty omelets ever, using fresh-cut chives from her garden.

Sarah oversees a variety of rentals and has a keen eye for important details. I cannot imagine a better place to stay in Seward.

June 27, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Character, Civility, Community, Cooking, Cultural, Customer Service, Food, Gardens, Hotels, Living Conditions, Quality of Life Issues, Road Trips, Travel | , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Gorgeous Day to Explore Denali Area

A whole new day! It’s still only 41 F. but the sun is out, and the sun is shining on the snow on the mountains and it is another great day to be alive in Denali!

We had packed our own breakfast cereal with us, and the tiny store at our hotel has small bottles of milk so we get to have our own breakfast in our own cabin, with wonderful Alaskan roasted coffee for me, and tea for AdventureMan. Mine is an oatmeal mix, so I heated it in the microwave because it is still cold.

We are going to take it easy today, head back into the Park, and visit the Visitor’s Center, watch a couple of their movies and then head up the road to Healy, where there is a restaurant I want to try, 49th State Brewery. It looks like a lot of fun, and it gets great reviews.

Sometimes I drive AdventureMan a little crazy. We were about 15 seconds on the road, not even out of our hotel grounds when I gasped and said  “I don’t have my camera!” and AdventureMan concealed his disgust but couldn’t restrain a small choking sound. Gentleman that he is, he turned around and we went back, I ran in and got my camera and we got started again.

As we headed north to the Park entrance, we looked in the rear view mirrors and the sun was shining on the mountains, and we could see the mountain peaks! The peaks had been hidden by clouds the last two days, but today, we have blue skies and dramatic high clouds and you can see the mountains! They are glistening in the sun!

There is a turn off, shortly after we get on highway 3, and we take it, hoping to find a viewpoint, and discover a sweet small park with the beginning of several hiking trails, one of which, the Oxbow Trail, we had wanted to hike. 

View across Nenana River of Denali Park Village, which handles tour groups.

It was a beautiful hike, with several outlooks, different views, glorious in today’s sunlight. And ground squirrels, unafraid of us. And rabbits – one of which just froze and allowed me to take photos. AdventureMan said “he thinks if he is so still he is invisible to you.” So after I had taken the photos, I looked away, and when I looked back, he was gone.

The drive to Denali Park entrance was filled with one beautiful vista after another. We were there by 9 and had no trouble finding a parking place, but already people were arriving and the tour buses were streaming in. You have to admire the guides and bus drivers who have to keep it fresh every single day.

We watched an inspiring movie about the sled dogs, and their relationships with their rangers, and how the dogs are a part of the team trying to keep to traditional ways in the park to avoid over modernization and damage to the eco system. Winter, for them, is one of the best times of the year, as they take the dog teams deep into the park to set up remote locations. It’s a good time to be working with the senior dogs, and at the same time to be initiating the younger dogs into the commands, the customs, and the routes they follow. Some of the conditions, especially ice, are very difficult. Life is simple, and hard. Work, food, care, shelter, and time for making the dogs feel appreciated. It was very moving to see how loved these dogs are, and how much they like to pull the sleds.

In another area, we could see and even touch the most basic tools by which early people survived. I’ve had a question about how early people were able to make needles; today I saw how bone was used, and some may have already had holes, but that bone can also be used to pierce bone. I saw how sinew is used as a twine, twisted into rope, and thin sinew can be used as a kind of thread. Moose shins were valuable for weaving, moose skins for clothing and bags. Small rabbit skins for lining wraps for babies. 

To me, this is fascinating, how early people survived by inventing solutions to problems with their existing resources. Drying, filleting and smoking salmon to make it last, harvesting and drying berries to get them through the long winters – we take so much for granted, we live among such luxuries. I look at safety pins and think of all the processes that had to be invented before a safety pin could exist. But before safety pins would be buttons, made from bone, with two little holes to allow them to be sewn on with that little sharp bone with the hole in it. 

We took a short drive up Denali highway; traffic is controlled, only authorized buses are allowed inside the park past the ranger station, unless you have a camping permit, then you can drive but you are encourage to use the shuttle buses, not drive. They are very serious about preserving the pristine nature of the park. 

Yesterday, it was the thrill of the game viewing. Today, it is the wonder of the sun on snowy mountains, a spectacular display.

We need to find gas, and we want to have lunch, so we continue north up Alaska 3 to Healy, where we pass all the way through without seeing the restaurant we are looking for, which is right on Highway 3. We turn around at the end of town, and head back. While AdventureMan fills the tank, Google and I work out where the restaurant is and how to get there. 

Even with the directions, we might have missed it. We had to make a left across traffic, and then another left into an area with a hardware store and other businesses, very rural, but then, suddenly, there it was. Their sign shows beer, but the name of the restaurant is very small, small enough to miss even if you are looking for it.

It is a really FUN place, the 49th State Brewery. You enter through a tall log arch into a big outdoor courtyard, with seating in groups around fire pits, or wood fires, and it smells wonderful. Once inside, the decor is a mix of modern and rustic, very hip and current. The menu has so many temptations, but we want halibut and chips, one of the restaurants most famous dishes. They also have Alaskan Red King Crab legs, l 1/4 lbs for $184. Yikes. I have always loved King Crab. $184/lb is a little rich for my blood. 

We love talking with all the young people we meet who have come up to Denali to work, some recruited from foreign countries by agencies. We’ve met people from Jamaica, Uzbekistan, Macedonia, Thailand, Bulgaria, and young people recruited by friends in the USA.

Mary, our server today, was told about this opportunity down in Tampa, FL. She called, was interviewed by phone, and told to report for duty in three days! We laughed! I asked her if she had packed the right clothes, and she said no, that she had to order a jacket from Amazon because she had left her own puffy jacket at home, thinking she wouldn’t need it. We love hearing their stories. We love that young people are still up for adventure.

Back in our cabin, we are packing up for the long drive tomorrow from Denali to Seward. We have two campers in the spots next to our cabin, and we understand our privacy has been a great luxury. We are at the very start of the season, and the crowds of people eager to experience Alaska are growing daily.

If we had known how much we would love Denali, we would have given ourselves another couple of days to explore more here, and maybe to make the drive to Fairbanks and North Pole, Alaska (not really the North Pole, but a Christmas driven town.)

June 26, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Beauty, Food, Living Conditions, Restaurant, Road Trips, Travel, Wildlife, Work Related Issues | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Denali, Grizzly Bear Lodge and Hunter’s Cabin

Grizzly “prints” at entrance to Lodge

Thermometer on Hunter’s Cabin Deck:

Arriving at Denali Grizzly Bear Resort, I was hoping the cabin I had reserved didn’t have an old musty smell and was clean enough. We enjoyed the check-in with two young women from Jamaica who love working in Alaska, who were very helpful. They showed us on the map where the Hunter cabin was and how to get there.

When we got there, we were thrilled. It is a sweet cabin, well thought out and well prepared for visitors. As we walked in the door, we were met with an electric fire place all turned on and heating up the cabin.

The cabin has a full kitchen, with a fridge and microwave and coffee maker, a sink and running water and even a few basic cooking supplies. a table and chairs, cupboards, a separate bed room with a separate toilet and shower area and a sweet washing area with plenty of counter space for both of us.

There is another radiator to provide heat if we need it, extra blankets, and hooks to hang our jackets and outerwear. It also has thick dark blackout curtains, a definite must in a state where it doesn’t get dark until very late and starts getting light very early.

View of Nenana River through the trees.

We took a quick trip across the street to figure out where we will meet our Wilderness Tundra Tour tomorrow morning, and picked up some Seafood Clowder at the Denali Village Lodge for our dinner. 

Back in our cozy cabin, we ate dinner and got ready for bed. The three hour time difference is breaking our routines; we are exhausted and ready for bed way too early. But this is a vacation! We can sleep when we want! Routines are not dictators! So we are in our nightclothes and AdventureMan is snoozing on and off, now up and running through his bed time routines while I joyfully write up today’s adventures. I can’t wait to show you the photos!

June 25, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Hotels, Living Conditions, Quality of Life Issues, Road Trips, Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Talkeetna and the Drive to Denali

After a couple hours, tired of sitting and driving, we decided we needed movement and took a short side trek (14 miles) to Talkeetna, a colorful little town on the Talkeetna River where trains stop, and tourists come to shop, eat, and check out the scenery. Talkeetna is known for being a staging area for people hiking Mt. Denali, and a great community. They have so many visitors that they bring in people from many countries to run the food wagons, the stores, to prepare meals, and clean and run the businesses and hotels.

At one of the crafts exhibits in Talkeetna, AdventureMan met a man who was selling truly gorgeous knives. This is a limitation to carry-ons – you can’t carry knives on board with you, even in a carry-on. This man and his son work through the winter – about nine months – making knives. In the three-month tourist season in Talkeetna, he sells out everything. He makes enough to get them through the winter, making more knives for the next year.

It was a lot of fun, good crafts vendors, good truck stop food (we had really good salmon burgers) and fun photo shoot opportunities. We got to do lots of walking, and were ready to finish our drive to Denali.

The trees lining the highway slowly gave way to impressive mountains, Chugach mountains on the right, and Denali on the left. Although we had showers early in the day, the day had brightened and the clouds had lifted. They had not lifted enough to see the tip of Denali, but the mountains showed off for us and we were suitably impressed and delighted.

Delicious salmon burgers:

Road Hazards leaving Talkeetna:

The entire day, we kept meeting interesting people from all over, coming to visit Denali. One woman we met at the North face oversight, said “this really is a special place, isn’t it?” and I agreed. There was a grandeur and a silence that reinforded the grandeur. It didn’t make you feel small; it made you feel you were experiencing something immense.

Denali is behind us, shrouded in clouds.

You’ll notice we are all dressed warmly. The temperatures are in the 40’s F. We were never cold; we were just happy it wasn’t raining. Even in the clouds and cold, the mountains were spectacular.

June 25, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Cultural, Customer Service, Geography / Maps, Living Conditions, Public Art, Road Trips, Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Alaska 2026: Fred Meyer and Leaving Anchorage

I started the day anxious – was this horrid hotel room an omen? Today we were to drive to Denali, what if something went wrong??

We packed, we joked around and we went to breakfast. The breakfast was simple, but well prepared and had choices we like. In addition, we met a man from Houston and his wife, of Indian descent, who was later joined by his daughter and her friend, and we learned they, too, were headed to Denali. We had a great conversation, chatting away, and by the end of breakfast we were feeling much more positive. 

As we headed out, I saw a giant stuffed polar bear and AdventureMan wanted to take my picture with it, so we had a lot of fun. We spent a few minutes taking photos for other people who wanted the same photo with the bear.

It’s a little dark and drizzly as we start. Across the street is the Puffin In, and if anything, it looks worse than the place we stayed. On the road to leave Anchorage, AdventureMan spots this and it brightens our spirits:

We had decided we wanted to pick up a few things for the road, small things, snacks, bananas for our breakfast cereals, and water. AdventureMan said, “Hey! A Fred Meyer!” and we were elated.

Fred Meyer is a West Coast grocery/department store we love. I was able to grab a coffee – and couldn’t resist a Starbucks Alaska mug for our son. We were in and out in minutes, found everything we needed, and were back on the road. The road was straightforward, only a turn here and there, and we were on our way out of Anchorage to Denali, and the road was smooth with very low traffic.

Corn in Pensacola is under 50 cents a cob

June 25, 2026 Posted by | Adventure, Alaska, Arts & Handicrafts, Living Conditions, Road Trips, Shopping, Travel | , , | Leave a comment

Education: Florida Ranks LAST in United States

My husband and I volunteer at a public elementary school. The teachers and administrators are heroes, battling a cynical Republican administration that increasingly limits public spending on education and local initiatives. This is a heartbreaking but accurate indictment. I ask myself why an administration would NOT want an educated population?

Florida schools rank last in new national report

USA TODAY

ALAIJAH CROSS, TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Tue, June 23, 2026 at 4:06 AM CDT

Among other national education research institutions, the Network for Public Education ranked Florida last for its lack of commitment and support for public schools.

The network, a nonprofit advocacy group that promotes and researches policies supporting traditional public schools, has evaluated and held states accountable for how public education is managed and upheld. 

With scores up to 100, each state was evaluated based on privatization, school finance, and student and teacher supports.

“The grades in this report are not merely academic assessments influenced by demographics or changing test standards. They are a measure of how seriously each statehouse takes its obligation to the children who attend public schools within its borders,” says the report, released through a press release.

Florida earned an F, with 14 out of 100 possible points earned. 

“The states most aggressively redirecting public funds toward private alternatives were also the states most neglectful of their public schools, their teachers, and their students. Privatization and disinvestment, it turns out, go hand in hand,” the report adds.

Florida has steered billions in taxpayer funding to private school programs with limited oversight, a policy critics say disenfranchises public schools and the communities they serve.

Proponents contend that private school programs increase educational choice and competition, potentially improving outcomes for students and families seeking alternatives to traditional public schools.

A lawsuit filed by the Florida Education Association against the State Board of Education argues that traditional public schools must comply with a growing set of laws governing safety, staffing, student services, facilities and finances, while charter and private schools receiving public funds operate under significantly fewer requirements.

FEA President Andrew Spar said the last straw which prompted legal action was the 2026 legislative session.

“We saw bills that were going to address the massive teacher and staff shortage, address the pay and equity gaps that exist, address the funding inequities we have between public schools, charter schools and private schools; and lawmakers didn’t act on any of those,” Spar previously told the Tallahassee Democrat in May at a press conference.

Including Florida, 17 states received F grades, 13 states received B grades and 13 additional states earned a C grade. Seven states were scored a D and only two states earned an A, Nebraska and Vermont.

The report says: “States that most aggressively expand vouchers and charter schools are the same states that underfund their public schools, underpay their teachers, and provide the weakest protections for students. Our analysis found what statisticians consider a moderate/strong relationship with a probability of occurring well beyond chance between the expansion of irresponsible ‘choice policies.’ ”

Florida lawmakers reached an agreement May 29 on a $115 billion state budget, boasting a total of $21 billion in funding for education at a time when critics are calling out the state for chronically underfunding public schools.

For example the base student allocation, which is also considered “per student” funding, increased by $85, from roughly $8,900 to about $9,000.

After rising expenses, however, some say it isn’t an increase at all. With rising health insurance, supply costs and labor, advocates say the increase should be at least $1,000 per student.

Spar said the budget “ignores the needs of hurting communities.”

Florida has now ranked at the bottom of several national research reports on education, including the National Education Association’s listing on teacher pay, and the Education Scorecard’s state-by-state analysis on academic achievement. 

“It’s no surprise that a failing woke institution would rank Florida, a national leader in education, last whenever possible,” a state education department spokesperson previously told the Tallahassee Democrat in response to its low ranking on the Education Scorecard in May.

June 23, 2026 Posted by | Bureaucracy, Community, corruption, Cultural, Education, Family Issues, Financial Issues, Florida, Leadership, Living Conditions, Local Lore, Political Issues | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vandals Everywhere!

June 22, 2026 Posted by | corruption, fraud, Humor, Living Conditions, Political Issues | Leave a comment

What Happened to “The Buck Stops Here?”

Today, Heather Cox Richardson reports the following:

When a reporter asked Trump today why he didn’t “stick around for the signing ceremony with this Iran peace deal,” the famously camera-courting president answered: “I might, but I’d rather, this is a memorandum of understanding. It’s very important, but it might not be the kind of a document that I should be signing.” The reporter responded: “There is some element to this where you send the vice president. If it works out, great. You look like a genius for sending him. If it doesn’t work out, it’s the vice president’s fault.”

Trump responded: “I like that idea…. This way, if it works out, I’m gonna take the credit; if it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming J.D. You better be careful, J.D. He’s gonna turn his plane around and get the hell outta here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think that’s a good idea.”

If anyone else said that, and then said “just kidding!” we might believe them. When Trump says it, he means it. He doesn’t really know what the memo implies, doesn’t understand how it puts the United States in a worse position than before he started the war (the memo specifically calls it a war), and while he is already taking credit for it, he leaves himself an escape hatch in case the wires and mirrors stop working.

Citizens, more than ever, it is time to protect your vote and to make sure your vote counts.

Make sure you are registered to vote.

Call your Supervisor of Elections and make sure you are still on the rolls, and that your information is accurate.

If you intend to vote by mail, make sure you are listed for a mail-in vote, and when you vote, mail you vote at a post office, or deliver your vote to the office of the Supervisor of Elections in advance of election day.

Vote the scoundrels out.

Trump is in the process of doing everything in his power, legal or illegal (just look at the judges who stop his illegal mandates daily), to eliminate votes against his party. We, the people, must be vigilant!

The Buck Stops Here.

June 18, 2026 Posted by | Character, Communication, fraud, Iran, Living Conditions, Political Issues, Quality of Life Issues, Women's Issues | , , , , , , | Leave a comment