12 Oakdale

Home after 4 nights in cabins (#2, 3, 4) at Silver Springs State Park. The usual crew of Zumsteins, Barkley, Lade/Schwatz, our newer members Giblin-Davis, and first timers, the Gonzalez. I was especially pleased that Tuesday I threw sense away and signed up for the 5.2 mile kayak paddle. Of course, all downstream, but I was able to get in and out of the boat and keep up with the group. Alligators and turtles on the banks, manatees in the river, including 1 swimming directly under me. What a lovely trip. I recorded 16 bird species, including 5 pairs wood ducks who remained calmly paddling at the waters edge as we drifted past. Never have seen that before. Only 1 pair did their usual explosive flight, and that was after we’d gone by. Did help my saying that they were usually very shy. Sally drove down Wednesday for old home’s sake. We walked the board walk from the north entrance and discovered the new bridge across the spring run. Now there is a safe and pleasant way to get from the cam...

If only I could afford it, I’ve found my new art for our big dining room wall: a piece by Mark Messersmith. I had dragged Grant to the Orlando Museum of Art to see the exhibit of forged Jean-Michelle Basquiat pieces. Of course, OMA and the guys that found these pieces in a storage shed swear that these are all originals and worth gazillions. (In 1982, Basquiat became the highest priced American artist, when a piece of his sold for $110 million.) The FBI is looking into their claim. Anywho, as my father’s friend Jack used to say, we went to OMA and just outside the Basquiat exhibit were two Messeesmith pieces. My kind of Florida art.  We were over on the east side so I could tell my tale of aches and pains once again to my ortho guy and his current resident. After much poking and “does this hurt” “yes, it does”, he’s decided I have a high hamstring strain which takes 3+ months to heal, so no surprise I still hurt. Plus I’m old, which means it likely will take even longer. My hands, ...

At least three years ago, I’d read about a fabulous exhibit of 6 paintings of Ovid’s myths involving fleshy, naked Greek women and goddesses that were united for the first time since the 1500’s, when Titian painted them for Philip II of Spain. Should we see it at the National Gallery in London or the Prado in Madrid? Both were appealing; both were rendered moot by Covid. The last stop of the tour was the Isabella Stanley Gardener Museum, in Boston. Mrs. Gardener bought one of these, “The Rape of Europa” in 1896, the first Titian brought to America, as the highlight of the museum she created. (Any woman named Isabella gets a free lifetime membership of the ISG. I am signing Bella up.) So to Boston we went, staying at the Omni Parker House Hotel, where they claim Parker House rolls and Boston Cream pie originated. Sadly, their restaurant is still closed, so we had to eat elsewhere. The Beantown Pub, Vietnamese Bahn Mi Ho, and Cantina Italiana substituted nicely. We are good hunter/gather...