Today - or more properly tonight - is Noche de San Juan, the Night of Saint John the Baptist. Originally a religious "holiday" now it is one of the premier party-at-the-beach days/nights.

The premise is that at midnight you throw yourself backwards into the ocean three times - or is it seven times? Or 12? Depends on who you talk to and how drunk you/they are. The dunking in the ocean is a symbolic re-baptism, ironic since baptism itself a symbolic act. Anyway, this dunking is supposed to somehow honor St. John the Baptist and bring good luck for the coming year. 

But since the dunking doesn't take place until midnight, there are all those hours to fill. What to do, what to do? Partying on the beach waiting for the clock to strike 12 seems like a great idea. And after the dunking? Might as well keep partying!

So thousands of people will spend this evening - and much of the day leading to evening - partying hardy on the beach. Many of them will pitch tents and camp (illegally but unmolested) for the night.

All that is fine and wouldn't bother me at all if the thousands of people took all their trash home with them. Unfortunately, in past years many of them have chosen to leave piles of trash on the beach. And many many people spend days following this holiday picking up garbage on most of Puerto Rico's beautiful beaches. Hopefully this year, people will choose to enjoy themselves, but show their gratitude to Mother Nature and this planet as well by taking their trash with them and disposing of it properly when they leave.

Today is the seventh day of my 61st year. Elaine got to ride both her horses today. I mostly worked to on the on-going house projects and to get ready to open Ola Lola's.