It is so peaceful sitting here on the patio listening to the distant hum of traffic, the whir of sprinklers and the cackling of some crows. The air is so still – hot and humid.

Am off on my travels once more. The flight was completely uneventful and smooth – not even turbulence which so often times itself to shake the plane just as passengers start to eat. Felt very proud of myself as I scanned the boarding pass off my mobile phone.
Customs and Immigration was another matter entirely and I must have stood in long lines for over an hour and a half. Can anyone tell me why, after I have scanned my fingers etc on the automatic machine I then have to go to an official who then repeats the process? To make matters worse, the computer screen kept telling him that my ESTA was not approved. I had visions of being marched out of the terminal and escorted back to the plane! But I kept very quiet and watched with fingers crossed as he battled with his computer – I also produced the print out of my current ESTA. Eventually he looked up to smile at me and say. “It is all sorted. I have I updated your finger prints. It should not happen again.” I did not dare to enquire what should not happen again. . .and I am determined not to allow such incidents to put me off my travels.
Clearly I was allowed in to the country. My friend was there at the Gate and the first thing we did was to sit down at the cafe to have a long, cool drink. Then she drove us up to her apartment in Lake Worth for a leisurely meal, with a glass of red wine, catching up on all that has happened since I was last here. Yes, of course the subject got round to a certain leader whose name begins with “T”. What were you expecting?!

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