Random Thoughts From Netanya Israel on Weather, Music, Time and Rhyme.

Kind of amazing in that I'm closer to the Indian Ocean than the Atlantic.

Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea.

Dead Sea, Red Sea.

How did I get here?

Is this really me?

Everywhere I see ...

...there are orange trees....

Okay I'm not sure I'll rhyme that much here but this is definitely the time to wax poetic on the beauty of Israel especially from my vantage point in Netanya. First off Netanya is known as the Israeli Riviera and it lives up to that tourist tag. It is very Mediterranean in a California coastline way. There are flowers everywhere even in January on a cold day and the brightest oranges I've ever seen on trees laden with the most orange trees I've ever seen everywhere. I'm from Florida and I've lived in California so that says a lot. They median in the street and in the front yards are filled with citrus trees where people actually reach up, take a few and take them home. This is not Miami where someone may shoot you for grabbing a mango...

From my balcony I look down and see .....

.....either lemons, citrons or grapefruit trees.

The fruit are the flowers of Israel.

And there are a lot of flowers as well everywhere.

Plumeria trees without flowers because it's winter.

Faded hibiscus fighting to stay open despite the cold.

Even on the recycling bins there are flowers.

My son likes it my nephew does not.

It's sort of a contest who can add that last bottle?

Or maybe they guilt you into it...

Either way there's flowers there too!

Snapdragons recently planted.

Palm trees of every kind everywhere.

Okay no coconuts but all the others.

Date palms.

I had fresh dates with yogurt for breakfast!

And then you get to the beach....

The trees lean as the wind from the Mediterranean always blows...

.. a lot like Miami and the breeze from Biscayne Bay.

Does that not look like the Riveria?

http://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/

your-next-vacation-to-netanya-the-israeli-riviera/

Looks like a painting. 

Taken with my Note 5 seriously...

So really Israel is hard to explain.

So many people from so many places in one small nation.

Orthodox Jews, secular Jews.

Different traditions.

Druze Arabs fight in the Israeli army.

They are considered the best fighters.

It's just a big mish mash like a delicious stew.

Israel unfolds slowly like a rose bud.

Each petal opens and waits for the next.

Each moment, each place.

First the beach, then the plains.

Then the desert, then the mountains.

Then Jerusalem that feels like the Center of the World.

Arabs, Jews.

Where am I?

I'm a little bit everywhere.

But I'm here.

It does feel like home in a way.

Where ever you are there is family.

Friends coming and going.

I have at least a dozen Facebook friends here.

Real life friends from Miami NY and California.

Am In in NY or California or Israel?

And there's 770 Chabad headquarters in Israel.... 

...awkwardly amazing as if it picked itself up and landed in Israel.

Kind of like me right now.

Looks like a Mayan structure.

By the beach, by the hotels.

Somehow it looks perfectly normal.

It's warm today so enjoying it.

I prayed on the balcony that was so hot in the warm sun.

The sounds of the city below.

The aroma of the food being cooked for a party tonight.

The women have a party tonight for the bride.

It's not my custom so I'll see what it is when I see it.

Israel it's really not what you expect...

Great music too!

One of the most popular singers here... in NY too!

Beautiful video... 

...shows the mix of cultures, music, styles.

Nissim is awesome.

Story below tho just Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_(rapper)

Alex Clare studied at Aish here in Jerusalem.

Best known for the song "Too Close"

Also his relationship with Amy Winehouse but don't ask him on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Clare

Studies in Israel now and records music.

Lastly a CD my son produced is #1 

Well in those charts in Israel that relate to Orthodox Music.

Newest Single

Tell me what you need..............

Benny Friedman's new CD.

My son buying a copy in Israel.....

....of a CD he produced. Wild.

Here for his sister's wedding.

How cool is that?

A little plug here.

Great CD

Very popular in Israel and around the world.

http://bennysmusic.com/?p=euiqmefm

Kind of amazing back in August had no idea I'd be here now.

Life is like that sometimes.

It surprises you in good ways.

May your life be filled with good surprises!

Will blog as time allows.

Wedding tomorrow night.

Beautiful couple.

Can't wait to dance.

Weddings here are wild dance wise...

Besos BobbiStorm

Ps....And have a lot of kids in transit for the wedding.

So a bit scattered and the house smells of a million more calories...

...for the Mikva Party tonight.... 

Cold Winter. Miami Awaits. South of the Freeze Line. Or Buy Snow Boots! Compass Realty

Today is the day when people on the East Coast ponder buying that pair of snow boots they have been wanting but were waiting for after Holiday sales. There's rumors of snow...

Note Winter's song is now heard all the way through North Florida.

South Florida is holding out as always.

See the oranges by South Florida.

They are reminiscent of Julia Tuttle's oranges.

Groves in Miami weren't destroyed by the Hard Freeze of 1894-95.

Julia Tuttle was said to have sent Old Henry Flagler oranges.

The oranges were alive... blossoms fresh.

The crop wasn't destroyed.

Henry who is better known for hotels and railroads...

...was making money on the agriculture boom in Florida.

The first boom being the farming boom.

Then the Real Estate Boom that busted the farming boom.

Coral Gables was originally Orange Groves.

Thus the  name... Coral Gables.

He build houses with coral gables and coral roof tiles.

But the orange groves were mowed down for the housing boom.

You win some you lose some.

In Downtown Miami they sold oranges to tourists.

My mother's best friend's mother had a juicing stand.

Across from the Olympic Theater on Miami's Main Street.

Tourists, Sailors, Cubans up from Havana shopping.

All came to get fresh squeezed orange juice.

Stores sold orange perfume to tourists.

My Great Aunt got married with a bouquet of Orange Blossoms.

Really... it was all the rage back then.

She lived in Tampa, but same thing.

Orange Groves brought the money rolling in.

Then came the Orange Bowl Parade.

The Jr. Orange Bowl Parade is alive in Coral Gables.

Of course...

The Orange Bowl Game Still lives... 

Oranges helped make Miami what it is..

Go figure.

Try and find an orange tree anymore...

We had one in our backyard. Not easy to climb.

And we got in trouble for climbing it.. 

So yes Julia Tuttle knew the value of being south of the freeze line.

One of my favorite people is my good friend Historian Paul George.

You might want to sit a spell and listen a bit.

Paul's favorite History Tour is the City Cemetery.

Okay he is born on Halloween so this shouldn't be a surprise.

Listen to "Julia" tell the story in "her" words :)

That's the land she bought.

The beautiful hotel.

Prime Real Estate.

Now if you think on that a bit...

We got from there to here....

What a city.

So while watching that frost line move South....

...and the temperatures drop deeper and deeper down.

Look around and wonder if you really, really like the Seasons.

Or would you rather fly South to Miami.

Orange has given way to white.

White fancy new Spec Houses.

White buildings with touches of playful color.

White beaches, blue water.

Whether you are in Coconut Grove (incredible)

Miami Beach...love it!

Or just plain old Miami..

Usually, but not always, the freeze line is in the rear view mirror.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2630-Natoma-St-Miami-FL-33133/2100784900_zpid/

My son is a 5th Generation Floridian.

We've built homes, sold homes and loved homes.

He loves Royal Poinciana Trees...

..being his mother I know that.

Beautiful historic real Miami home in the Grove.

That's the street it's on...

.... palms, orange poincianas, blue skies.

Green all year.

That's my Levi ;)

He's not worrying on buying snow boots this year.

https://www.compass.com/agents/miami/levi-meyer/

That's the bottom line.

Either you LOVE the Seasons.

And they are nice.. especially when you can fly South.

Buy a condo downtown not far from Julia Tuttle's home....

...when it gets too cold up in Cleveland, Ohio.

Do you really want to buy winter clothes?

You're call.

Because the bottom line is winter is on the way.

And it's gonna get cold really soon.

So if you aren't flying South in sandals.

Buy boots.

The forecast for the next week UP North is COLD.

And it's only gonna get colder..

Besos BobbiStorm

Ps I have to add there is the smallest chance of something forming.

Tropically at the bottom of the front in the SW GOM.

But until it gets more realistic it's just some rain.

Rain is better than snow unless you love snow.

I'm more a believer on Winter and snow now.

But as the Hurricane Season started in January...

...stay tuned just in case