Brrr...

Just a Wee Bit Stiff

As previously commented on in Mystical Musings, cold-blooded iguanas have a charming habit of going into hybernation during cold temperatures and falling out of trees or lying like corpses along canals and lakes until the sun gets high enough to get their blood moving.

Last night, the temperatures here were in the low 30s and there stiff iguanas all over the place! As reported by CBS4 news, "Rescue workers from the SPCA Wildlife Care Center in Fort Lauderdale rescued at least two iguanas, one of which was 'stuck' halfway in and halfway out of the water at the edge of the lake. The iguanas were wrapped in towels in order to help warm them up."

Okay...the question is why is the SPCA spending valuable resources to rescue iguanas when they are an invasive species to Florida, have no business being here and cause all kinds of problems and headaches? State law claims it's legal to kill iguanas as long as it's done humanely. Letting them die from an unusual cold snap would definitely constitute a humane way to die.

So please...I understand wanting to save animals on the verge of death, but unless you're going to round up all the iguanas and take them back to where they belong, then let nature take its course. If it's too cold for them, that's too bad. Some will die, but most will make it. Don't waste time and money trying to help something that will continue to harm our environment in the long run.

Breaking News! Iguanas Invade Palm Beach!

At last! Someone provides a valid solution to this menace!

Take iguana prima donnas in stride, Palm Beach

A fine day it is in these United States when two out-of-wedlock iguanas from South America — who probably came here illegally and haven't even bothered to learn the language — can cause all these headaches. We start pointing fingers. Who's to blame? A breakdown in family values? Deregulation on Wall Street? Lax border security? Bernie Madoff?

--->Susan

Life in South Florida

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Shots from the Shoulder

Took a drive around town today and decided to stick my camera out the window. It's from the beach at Sunrise Boulevard and A1A, down Las Olas and downtown from Broward Boulevard to the police station.

Enjoy.



--->Susan

Movie Outrage Rant

So last night I went to see Rachel Getting Married.

No, this is not a rant about the movie. In fact, the movie was great and Anne Hathaway was absolutely amazing.

No, this rant is about my movie experience.

So the movie was playing at the Sawgrass Regal 23. For those not SoFla-inclined, Sawgrass is a huge mall located at what was once the edge of the Everglades, but thanks in part to the mall's presence, the great marsh is much smaller. Anyway, the theater is located in an offshoot of the mall called The Oasis, which is an outdoor area filled with upscale shops, restaurants, gaming venues and, of course, the theater.

I arrived early, as is my norm and walked around even though it was raining. I got a cafe con leche since I was a bit chilly from the rain and found a spot to sit and people watch. I've spent a lot of time at that particular mall since I used to go there to exercise. It's indoors (except for the Oasis part), it's two miles from end to end, it's got wooden floors and it's air conditioned. Hence, a pleasant place to walk.

Anyway, in the past the mall and the Oasis are usually packed full, even on a Thursday/rainy evening, especially just a couple of weeks before Christmas. However, as I sat I noticed that there were hardly any people there at all and those that were, were nearly all speaking in a language not English or Spanish (we're bilingual here). So, the people who were shopping were probably not Americans.

And then I noticed something else...all of the upscale stores had sales signs you'd expect to see AFTER Christmas, not before. Then I saw that the Hard Rock Cafe was closed, as well as Wolfgang Puck's, which made me sad because that's where I took Tamie for our first date. Cheesecake Factory was still there and they seemed to be doing okay because there were people sitting outside despite the rain, but Legal Seafood had maybe three couples in it so I'll bet next time I go there, it'll be gone.

Depressed now at the obviously sad state of our economy, I finished up my coffee and winced as I paid the ten dollars for my ticket. Yeah, it's been a while since I've been to the movies. I thought about buying a small popcorn, but wasn't going to shell out another six bucks. So, bathroom break and then inside the very small theater. It was empty, but about a half dozen more people had come in to watch the movie with me.

So...at the box office I bought a ticket for the 5:20 showing of Rachel Getting Married and at 5:20 I put away my handheld (on which I had been reading some Devil Wears Prada fanfiction) and looked at the screen expecting to see the coming attractions replace the constant commercials I had been ignoring since walking in the theater.

The commercials went on.

And on.

And on some more.

Oh sure, we got about three coming attractions (two of which were Bride Wars and Doubt, much to my delight), but the actual movie itself didn't start until almost six o'clock! I had just paid ten dollars for the privilege of watching 40 minutes of commercials.

I was pissed. But then I forgot to be pissed when the not-so-lovely-for-a-change Anne Hathaway appeared on the screen puffing away on a cigarette. (By the way, anyone know if she was successful in her attempt to quit?)

Halfway through the movie I remembered why I hadn't been to the movies in a long time. I had to pee and there wasn't a pause button in sight. Damn that cafe con leche! And my standing nipples had nothing to do with Annie for a change; it was freezing in there. And the sound was too loud. So by the time the film was over I was miserable and literally ran for the bathroom.

So that's my movie rant. As for the movie itself, like I said it was great. It was like being a fly on the wall watching a family even more dysfunctional than my own. Anne deserved to be nominated for the Golden Globe. As for if she should win or not, well...I have to see Doubt first before I can decide that one. Believe me, only Meryl can get me to endure that kind of torture again.

I promise...no coffee and I'll bring a sweater. And maybe some earplugs.

That's all!

--->Susan

Tastes Like Chicken

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX, Marco Eagle News

Marco Island is doing their part of controlling the invasive species problem here in South Florida, by hiring Christopher Harlow’s Wildlife Removal Services, based out of Cape Coral, Florida. Harlow will be paid $7,500 for catching – and killing – as many iguanas he can in the next six months.

His methods?

A pellet gun or a nylon noose attached to the end of a pole. He puts the captured iguanas that survive their capture into a freezer. Being cold-blooded, iguanas are susceptible to low temperatures. On his first day, he caught 17 of the critters, but hopes that December temperatures stay warm since they're harder to catch when they're not basking in the sun.

Mr. Harlow does note that he wants to be reincarnated as an iguana because they are hardy creatures, have few predators (except for Mr. Harlow, that is) and breed so well.

Gotta love life in SoFla.

--->Susan

Original Article: Island iguana hunt a success