It’s been five years since we moved away from Fort Lauderdale. I’m here for a few days to help a dear friend who is recovering from knee replacement surgery. I’ve also been able to see my sweet girl and it is heaven to hug her. Just. Heaven.

Five years later what is different, what is not?

• My wonderful buddy, Duke, is much grayer around the muzzle.
• And playing catch it’s him is as joyful, silly and fun as ever. Dammit Duke, you still have my heart.
• I forgot about iguanas. They’re everywhere.
• The sidewalk I used for my nightly rambles when I lived here is being resurfaced. I still miss the walks you can take in a city.
• I stopped counting cranes and new buildings. Way, way many.
• There are more cars. A lot more. The traffic is hideous.
• There are a lot of Maseratis.
• And now, there are people asking for money almost at every light it seems, and so many homeless folks wandering up and down US1.

Still as contradictory and complicated as ever. But then, so is Alabama. Just in a different way.