thisendoftheswamp

Penny had one more stop to make while she was in Florida, and that was to visit the Everglades National Park. She stopped on a bridge to admire the scenery and watch the alligators. “Not too close, mind you. I may be a doll, but I’m no dummy.” She was NOT impressed with the turkey vultures, which paraded along the walkways and made a mess.

She also managed to go for a ride on a “fan boat” which was a lot of fun. Noisy, but fun. She glimpsed egrets and Purple Gallinules, as well as long necked Anhingas, which she thinks resemble cormorants. She was fascinated by the soft shell turtles, which have a long pointed nose that they can poke out of the water and still be hidden.

I received an ad which offered a wide selection of masks. This is one of them.

Is it just me, or does she look as if she just raided her underwear drawer?

I stopped at the grocery store this afternoon for one small item. When I handed it to the cashier, I told her I didn’t want a bag. She didn’t acknowledge my remark, so as she was ringing it up, I told her again to just give the receipt, and “don’t bother to put it in a bag.”

Force of habit, I suppose, but she turned around and shoved it into a plastic bag anyway. I removed the box and handed the bag back to her. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t want a bag.”

“Oh,” she aid. “These glasses make it hard to hear.”

????

As long as she is already in Florida, Penny Brite decided to take a ferry ride out to Dry Tortugas National Park, which is about 70 miles west of Florida. The ferry is rather pricey – about $125 for a round trip – but the ride is two and a half hours each way, and they do feed you lunch and supper on the boat.  You must bring your own food and water if you wish to visit the park.

The island is “dry” because there is no fresh water to be had, but there are plenty of sea turtles – tortugas, in Spanish. Fort Jefferson, the largest all-masonry fort in the United States, was built here between 1846 and 1875 to protect the nation’s gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg was a prisoner here.  No real need for guards, as there is simply no place to go!

Penny brought along her bathing suit, beach towel, little red bucket, and some bottled water, and settled in to play on the beach. That’s Fort Jefferson in the background. (Her flip-flops and sunglasses are novelty buttons I bought eons ago for a beach shop that died a-bornin’, as they say. I used superglue to attach part of a covered paper clip for the ear pieces.)

Later in the day she joined a tour of the light house, which was constructed between 1824 and 1826, to guide ships through the rocks and shoals in the area.

And then it was time to head back to Florida and another adventure.

It always amazes me that most physicians are of the male persuasion, given how dippy men are about taking care of themselves.  From patients who won’t take painkillers because they “don’t like the way they make me feel” to a certain cardiologist whose idea of breakfast was a powdered sugar donut (Did they not teach nutrition when you were in school?) it’s no wonder women live longer.  The Squire’s left leg has been giving him fits lately, and his neurologist has prescribed amitriptyline.  This medication is designed for nerve pain, and it is also an antidepressant. Excellent choice for the man who won’t take them. When he does taken them, they knock him out for the night and generally keep the pain at bay for a day or two. He calls them Dynamite Pills. And avoids taking them. Don’t ask me to explain it.

It was obvious when I came down this morning that The Squire had been awake for some time, and was in a lot of pain.

“Did you take one of those dynamite pills?”

“No.” Said with black clouds and thunder bolts. 

Far be it from me to argue with him first thing in the morning, but by the time we finished breakfast I could have explained EXactly why men don’t live as long! I finally told him to go take a pill and go back to bed.  He did take a pill, and then went in to read a book in the recliner which is, to be honest, just as effective as going back upstairs. He dozed off in about five minutes and slept for over two hours.

To quote my best friend, “I must love him. I haven’t killed him.”

I received this from a dear friend.

I do not know when we can gather together again in worship, Lord. So, for now I just ask that:

When I sing along in my kitchen to each song on Stevie Wonder’s Songs in The Key of Life Album, that it be counted as praise.

And that when I read the news and my heart tightens in my chest, may it be counted as a Kyrie.

And that when my eyes brighten in a smile behind my mask as I thank the cashier may it be counted as passing the peace.

And that when I water my plants and wash my dishes and take a shower may it be counted as remembering my baptism.

And that when the tears come and my shoulders shake and my breathing falters, may it be counted as prayer.

And that when I stumble upon a Tabitha Brown video and hear her grace and love of you may it be counted as a hearing a homily.

And that as I sit at that table in my apartment, and eat one more homemade meal, slowly, joyfully, with nothing else demanding my time or attention, may it be counted as communion.

Amen.
-Nadia Bolz-Weber

It seems as if there have always been people who value “freedom” over getting sick.

We managed to keep the little tyke alive for over 24 hours, but he died this afternoon.

I began by feeding him little bits of wet cat food, but The Squire suggested that the “jelly” might be easier for him to eat. (When the juice in a can of pet food gets cold, it gets the consistency of aspic.) I made up a nest with a little bit of poly-fill and some long grasses, which I wound into an old strainer, slightly larger than a coffee cup. When evening came we set the little tyke up in the sewing room, which is always the warmest place in the house – and it has a door which shuts properly, to keep both the dog and the cat out. 

This morning, we ran some hot water into a cup and set the strainer over it, which helped to keep Tyko warm, since his Momma and siblings weren’t around to help. I fed him every 30 minutes, and he ate like a little trooper, but he wasn’t pooping, and everybody knows babies poop.  When I went to feed him at 2:30, he was gone. We were both disappointed, but it wasn’t unexpected. Raising a bird that young is almost impossible  but we gave it our best shot.  A long time ago, we found a baby robin who was just about to start flying, and we raised him until he was able to fly away on his own.  We kept him in what was then the nursery, and when I’d go in to feed him he’d flap across the room to land on me. I always put out my arm, but he preferred landing on my head. I even put him in a box and took him to work with me so I could feed him during the day. My boss was not exactly thrilled.

I don’t ever want to have to say “I wish I had done this, or that”.  If it is within my power, I will do whatever I can to make life better for any creature of any size that needs my help.