Cartier, Gucci

Optometrist in Dadeland Mall. Of course, all the glamor girls are here to lend credence to their merchandise. Well, not in person, but in spirit.

Inventive Incentives

The economy is so bad these days! How bad is it? Miami is flooded with vacant office buildings. The landlords are desperate and they are slashing prices in hope to get some renters. Offers vary from free rentals for a few months, to reduced rental rates, to shorter and easier lease terms. Many are resorting to inventive gimmicks such as free truck rental for moving as can be seen here. If this lasts, which it may, the owners of these income properties may go bankrupt or face foreclosure just like everyone else. Welcome to the club!

Under the Miami Sun

These showy sunflowers may have attracted a curious and interested buyer. The vendor certainly hopes so.

Cut Flowers

Street vendors are usually found selling various wares at Maimi's more busy street intersections. These people work for hourly wages. It's a tough job mingling among traffic under the hot sun (or thunder storms.) I am not sure if a license is required, but I am sure sale tax is not collected. This is a snapshot of a young man selling flowers seen from my rear view mirror.

In Your Face

This sign is on the side of a huge delivery truck beloging to a long time Miami grocery store: The Winn Dixie "Quick Check." That explains their logo with the letters "W" and "D" with the yellow "check" mark. Winn Dixie claims to be the place for beef and their slogan on the truck is "USDA choice - Winn Dixie certified - Prestige Beef." One thing is sure: this truck is huge and their logo is really "ïn your face" when you are near it. Price of beef in Miami is also as huge as this truck so it's good for cholesterol control.

Bankrupt

The sign of the time in America is seen all over Miami in two words: Bankruptcy and Foreclosure! All the attorneys are coming out in force. They blanket the town with advertisements: on benches like this, on bus, on TV, radio, newspapers ... With the economy shedding jobs everywhere at an alarming rate, essential bills cannot be paid. How does one pay attorney fees then? Another mystery!

Nameless in Miami

Perhaps Tog can tell us what this flowering tree is. It is in the Cloisters in Coconut Grove.

Miami Highway

The Palmetto Expressway in Miami at mid afternoon looks like a scene from "The Fast and the Furious" hot cars movie. This is close to the Miami International airport, going south and a big thunderstorm is coming our way. Another one?

Loaded

This year, these longan trees are truly loaded. There are fruits all around the three trees that are crowded together in this view and the birds start to line up early mornings atop and begin to pick on the fruits although they won't really be ready for another 2 weeks. Shoo! Please wait a little while longer... The fruits will be much sweeter and better. In commercial groves, these fruits would be bagged for protection from unwelcome birds, bats and marauders... and human too, I am sure.

Aglaia Odorata

On this first day of summer, Miami is HOT, HUMID and full of mosquitoes! I can't stay outdoor because I do not like to spray myself with the awful chemical that is supposed to repel the mosquitoes. But this bush (no, it's now a legitimate "tree") is thriving. It is pushing out in all directions and flowers profusely at the tip of every branch right now. This is the first time ever that it is doing so spectacularly. Read more about it here.

Man At Work

In this merciless economy where people are losing jobs left and right and in the middle too... it's nice to still have a job. This lone man is working this Saturday marking the street for the big machines to come dig up the asphalt to lay the water pipes beginning Monday. Watch out... Here come the dust and noise in this area.

Please Don't Eat Me!

The flowers of the "Golden Shower" tree, up close! This is the national flower of Thailand and is used in its Royal Flora Ratchaphruek flower festival, named after the tree. In Ayurvedic medicine, Golden Shower tree is known as aragvadha ("disease killer"). Its fruit pulp is used as mild laxative, against fevers, arthritis, vatavyadhi (nervous system diseases), all kinds of rakta-pitta (bleeding, such as hematemesis or hemorrhages), as well as cardiac conditions and stomach problems such as acid reflux. The root is considered a very strong purgative, and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts. I think the statement above (obviously not from me and plagiarized from elsewhere) is a shameless self plug for some Ayurvedic practitioners, don't you think? Please do not eat any part of this tree and blame me.

Are We There Yet?

It took a while, but this new house on the block is almost done. I am venturing a wild guess: over budget and behind schedule. That is the norm in constructions around Miami. But this house is coming along nicely. Today, the landscaping has begun. The rental drill is used to plant the coconut trees in front of the house and the workers are leaving the scene as it is getting late...

Golden

It's difficult to resist the temptation showing this tree during the peak of its flowering days so here it is again. This time, it's yellow everywhere as you can see this scene with the nice Ford Mustang convertible parked under the Cassia fistula tree's shade. My favorite color, indeed.

Your Ca$h Not Good!

In Miami, I-95 North has this interesting 95 Express lane. Once you get in it, you can't get out without going through an electronic toll gate that DOES NOT take your cash. If you razzle dazzle through without having a way to pay, the automatic violation enforcement system will catch you and you are stuck with a toll violation with fine. This express lane is a single lane only and I will be interested to be a witness when a car is disabled in the middle of it. All traffic will be blocked! Now, that's ingenious design! If you are puzzled, know that drivers need to buy a SunPass sticker and place it on the dashboard so it can be detected. Our world is really going high tech, don't you think? Our devices are watching YOU!

AA Arena

Here is an Easterly view of Miami downtown centered on the circular building that is the American Airlines arena, home of the National Basketball Association Miami Heat basketball team. You can't see them well, but right behind the arena are two Miami landmarks: the Miami Freedom Tower, built in 1925 that serves as a memorial to Cuban immigration to the US; and the Miami Dade county court house, built in 1925-1928. With a bit of imagination, you can see the tips of these two buildings over the top of the arena. The court house is on the left.

Wet and Humid

It is, yet, another wet and humid afternoon in Miami. But we are still under a water restriction of use order here. We need the water level of lake Okeechobee way up North in the state of Florida to get a few more inches higher to be safe from drought. Thankfully, the plants here do not really need more watering at this time. Then why do we need to have a water conservation order? That's another mystery to me.

Bay Harbor Islands

This toll gate (US $1.00 each way) on Miami's NE 123 street (SR 922) leads to Bay Harbor Islands. The street then dead ends on Miami Beach's famed Collins Avenue along the sandy beaches. To the immediate north of here is where you find the Bal Harbour Shops, an upscale open-air shopping mall located in Bal Harbor, which is considered to be the most exclusive shopping destination in the Southern United States. The mall is still one of the few remaining family-owned malls in the nation and boasts one of the most exclusive luxury collections in the United States. Come to think, I am amazed that the toll is only one dollar. It should really be more to match with the luxury beyond. Am I complaining? No!

Smarte Carte

If you have seen the movie The Terminal with Tom Hanks, you probably may have noticed these luggage carts. . Hanks' character Viktor uses the change left in Smarte Carte machines to purchase food when he was stuck at the airport. This is seen at the Miami International Airport when a worker is returning the carts to their distribution locations at various terminals ready for rental.

Smarte Carte, Inc. is an American based corporation that provides passenger services such as self-serve luggage carts, electronic lockers, commercial strollers, massage chairs, and more... Emerging from bankruptcy in 2006, they were purchased for $370 million by Macquarie Bank of Australia.

Chlorinated

This could be a mini oil pipeline in the making... but it is not for oil. This is a new city water service that is being provided for this unincorporated area of South Miami Dade county, replacing its old fashioned well water and pump. In the very near future, work will begin to bury these pipes underground. It will be noisy, dusty for quite some time. All the household in this neighborhood will become new customers of the city water service to get chlorinated water with suspended mineral particles and their water will be charged by the gallon. It is theorized that the city water is better than the well water. I am not quite convinced that is the case.