12 Oakdale

Feeling like being run over by the proverbial Mack truck after getting the Covid booster shot yesterday, but thankful this is available for us old people. Our appointments at Publix had to be rescheduled from the previous day, because Grant had infections in two fingers and needed to see a doctor. Before we went to South Florida, I created a garden tunnel of pig wire and my anti-bird netting. This was to keep the rabbit I’ve seen from eating my new corn plants. I weighted down the edges with bricks. When we came back, no bunnies in the corn, but a dead black racer snake was tangled in the netting. My first thought was to lay the net out in the yard and let the ants eat away. That idea stank. Next plan, hang the net off the dock, so the fish could nibble. Good idea until I saw a big turtle investigating. I couldn’t face have it also caught. I hauled the netting up and only let a little part with the snake pieces hang in the water, then I obsessed all night. There wasn’t much snake gone ...

After no beach forms year, now a second trip in one week: 10 days with 8 at the beach. This time, a shore bird trip in South Carolina with Orange Audubon Society, lead by Craig* from US Fish and Wildlife. In three days, we visited 6 sites, recorded 100+ species, and saw thousands of birds. Firsts for me were greater and lesser black-backed gulls and Wilson’s, golden, and piping plovers. I learned how to distinguish a Sandwich tern by the color at the end of its bill: either mayonnaise or mustard, but I haven’t leaned what sex and/or age has which one. Perhaps I’ll look that up. My big accomplishment was learning that sitting down to use my scope is absolutely the way to use it. My back appreciated that. We birdied at a gated community, Harbor Island, with fantastic but private beaches. Would that it were a state park, open to the public, rather than just those with enough money to live inside the walls. I guess from the birds’ view, private might be better, with fewer people able to di...

I now live as far from the coast as I ever have except for the years I attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta. I need my beach. Not being able to come down next weekend to celebrate Patten’s birthday, we headed south on Friday and spent 4 days at the Hotel Sheldon on Hollywood Beach, old but maintained. Betsy calls it the dodgy Hotel Sheldon. Our plan was to go to his house Saturday night for dinner, but communication missed, and he had tickets for the first UM home football game. Instead, we joined him and Ryan for lunch (the usual Big Daddy’s hamburgers and fries), and they came to the beach Sunday morning for a swim and breakfast. The first 3 days, the water was warm and clear. Almost no waves. Like floating in a bathtub. Absolutely perfect. That morning, the wind was onshore, so waves and sargassum seaweed. Not as pleasant, but Patten spotted a baby tripletail fish while snorkeling in the weed. Friday night we joined other cabin camping friends and supped at one couple’s home, seeing the...

On the way back from visiting Mary, I changed planes in Dallas and walked almost as much as I did yesterday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (where I saw the platypus, my first). One and a half miles, and that included taking the Sky Link tram for part of my trapaise between gates. There were plenty of the complimentary golf carts around, but I had an hour between flights, so I decided the walk would do me good. I had sat around all week, only going to the beach at Coronado, a late afternoon trip to the zoo, and the Safari Park. I’d been content to have Remi give me things and be really pleased when I returned them or sit and read books with Bella. The hummingbirds and lesser goldfinches were charming as ever. Plus it was too hot to do much outdoors anyway. Ryan has been on a two month hiatus from surgery residency while he decided what his future in medicine looks like. Since he’d like to see his children and wife once in a while, surgery is unlikely with the ridiculous hours that ent...

I’ve started swimming, or more accurately, paddling, back and forth in the pool, adding laps each day as I build up to the half hour swims I was doing last year. My shoulder still hurts, but I’ve had a cortisone shot, which seems to have helped somewhat. According to the doctor, as long as it only involves uncomfortable stretching, not acute pain, any exercise is good. So no excuses. Plus the water feels good after working in the yard for a few hours each morning. I’m determined to get the weeds under control and the new vegetables in. Okra is growing wild (note to self: we need only 3-4 plants, not the dozen we currently have); eggplants are starting to mature. I’ve planted tomato and pepper seeds for transplanting next month. In the meantime, I have to uncover the tomato ring, clear the bed where I’m planting Roma tomatoes this year, and mulch the current beds with the hay bales I used to grow peppers last year. I need to build a sieve I can put on the wheelbarrow so I can make my co...

  A day off from yard work to go fishing. We contracted with guide Steve Spatafora from iOutdoors for a 2-hour fishing trip on Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Toho to the locals. Up at o’dark hundred to pick up Clara and drive to Kissimmee, which Google Maps said took 40 minutes when I checked the day before, but was only 20 at 6:00 Sunday morning. For once, we were early to an event.  We had worried all week about whether to cancel this venture, because Tropical Storm Fred was working its way up from Cuba, projected to head directly up the west coast of the Florida peninsula. Not too much wind, but lots of rain. We had until Friday afternoon to pull out, or we paid the whole price. I hemmed and hawed, however Grant thought we should go. Fred moved westwardly, and the weather was beautiful.  Clara got the first bite and reeled in a nice bass soon after we stopped. I had several bites but couldn’t get the hang of setting the hooks. Several shiners later, I had a massive pull and m...

I may have gone a little too short. During the lock down, Grant and I cut each other’s hair, for better or worse. When we were finally able to buy professional-quality electric clippers, our styles improved somewhat.  Finally, last March, a year after I’d had my last salon hair cut, I braved a local shop and told my stylist OJ to cut it short. She cut much away, and I liked the result, but it wasn’t as short as I really wanted. Two more appointments, she still was timid, but she trimmed a little more each time.  Friday, she struck. Perhaps, just a little shorter than I envisioned, but I was the one to tell her to go as boldly as she dared. I didn’t think she had it in her.  Good man that he is, Grant said he likes it. The rest of my family hasn’t acknowledged my new look. I saw Patten and Molly at Stephanie and Clara’s summer party yesterday, and not a peep from anyone about my hair. I find this especially amusing since Stephanie is in a neon-colored hair phase. Perhaps t...