St. Augustine, Fla.

Our final stop on our whirlwind Florida vacation was St. Augustine. Sadly, there are few photos from this day as the photographer was growing weary of being a photographer. We did, however, get a few photos from our adventure at Castillo de San Marcos and the St. Augustine lighthouse.

The chapel in Castillo de San Marcos was my favorite room.

The actors are preparing to fire the cannons.

It was quite the production.

This is what taking a week-long car trip can do to a marriage!

I'm starting to get a little tanned!

View from the lighthouse (219 steps up).

The fresnel lens.

Canaveral National Seashore, Fla.

Thursday afternoon Bird and I took Oma for a delicious seafood lunch at Norwoods in New Smyrna Beach and then headed to Canaveral National Seashore. Despite growing up in Florida, I was unaware of all the birds that migrated through the state. At Canaveral National Seashore birds, manatees, sharks, alligators, fish and the like can all be found in the warm saltwater rivers along the coast. Sadly, no manatees were spotted this time, nor sharks and dolphins, but we did see plenty of noteworthy birds and quite a few large alligators in their natural habitat – about a zillion times more exciting than going to a zoo! Oma is a fantastic bird spotter and spent the entire drive calmly saying – there is another insert bird name here. Mr. Husband would then patiently scoot the car up four paces, then back a smudge, then up a little bit more so I could stick my head out of the window or sunroof and photograph the amazing creatures.

A great blue heron. I wish I could have gotten a better shot of this guy.

A tricolored heron. I think this bird is just beautiful.

White ibis with what I believe to be a juvenile white ibis.

I love how birds often move together in an almost choreographed way.

White pelicans! Oma told us about these guys but said they would likely have all headed north by this time. While photographing the above ibis, Bird saw a flock of white pelicans land and Oma could barely believe her eyes! I sure wish I had a better lens for this shot, as they were pretty far off. But we can still appreciate their beauty from this mediocre image!

Bird made some noises and got this guy to look up and open its eyes. Pretty creepy when all that separates you from a huge lizard is your car!

A reddish heron. Oma says that spotting this bird is also a treat.

Snowy egret.

Another huge gator.

A line of pelicans.

The last shuttle, poised and ready for final flight. I will never have this photo op again. I wish I could have gotten closer (or that I had a better camera!)

A king fisher.

I believe another tricolored heron, but I'm not certain.

 

 

Cocoa Beach, Fla.

Our next stop after visiting Palm Harbor was to visit my very dear Oma in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Oma, which means grandmother in German, has been one of the most influential people in my life. She spends her free time rescuing injured wildlife and nursing them back to health. There was one time that her study was full of baby squirrels she and another when an injured loon was in her bathtub. She has rescued countless pelicans and other large sea birds. Oma has a very soft spot for cats, too. During my childhood Oma had three fat cats named Rover, Cricket and Katzel. I loved visiting her home and these kitties and yearned to have a house full of cats myself (and look at what has happened!) Since the original three, Oma has rescued and cared for many other cats. Today one small Tuxedo cat, Lucky, remains. Our visit with Oma was short this time, but just lovely. Yesterday morning Bird and I walked along the beach and took some photos while Oma went to work for a few hours. Later in the day we visited a National Park where we discovered that all three of us share a common interest: birding. First, some photos from Bird’s and my a.m. beach walk…

 

A beach duck. This, Oma said, is not normal.

Bird wanted to feed the birds. He choose a small group of seagulls to feed.

His group grew very quickly!

Once the bread was gone he channeled his inner child and chased them all away.

A flock of Royal Terns.

Terns! I love how the one looks like he is balding.

Sandpipers - these are my favorite beach birds.

A cormorant. These guys are often seen with pelicans.

An adult pelican in its winter plumage.

My favorite photo from the walk!

Palm Harbor, Fla.

I spent the golden years of my childhood under the sunny skies of Florida and playing on the white sandy beaches of the surrounding area. I attended Palm Harbor Elementary and proudly wore my “Palm Harbor Pelican” t-shirt (which I still have). Yesterday morning Bird and I woke up early, fled from the strange bed and breakfast and drove five miles down the road to Palm Harbor where we visited my old house, walked the block, visited my old school and then wandered around until we found a park that my dad and I used to bike too. Pop Stansell Park was just a few blocks from our house, but seemed like a far-off land. When dad would take me to Pop Stansell Park I felt so grownup, so free, and like we were risking everything to cross the “busy road” at a cross walk. These little bike rides remain one of my fondest memories of childhood with my dad.

 

I lived on Castlewood Lane.

My old house. It looks a lot different now. The house is painted a different color and there is a screened in porch at the front. All the landscaping my mom worked so hard to put in is gone. And that tree is now huge!

Palm Harbor Elementary has been closed! I was shocked and saddened by this. I really wanted to walk around the playground with Bird and show him the corner where I used to play dinosaurs with my friend Renee and the spot where I got whacked in the head by the tether ball more times than I can count - I have never been athletic!

Pop Stansell Park.

It seems the dock has been rebuilt. I don't recall the railings, but I could be mistaking.

Me at Pop Stansell Park.

 

 

Tarpon Springs, Fla.

Just a few photos from Tarpon Springs. Bird and I stopped by this famous Greek community for dinner at Mr. Souvlaki’s where he had what my father classifies as the best gyro plate ever. After dinner we briefly prowled the sponge docks and then retired to our Bed and Breakfast – which was lacking the same charm and sophistication that the Gibson Inn provided. Next time we visit Gulf Coast Florida I hope to spend more time in Tarpon, as it really is a quaint town. In the meantime, here are a few snapshots from our few hours there…

 

Sponge Docks at Tarpon Springs.

 

 

 

This restaurant was a favorite of the Magargee's during my years in Palm Harbor. The service is fantastic and the food is second-to-none.

 

 

Bird and his Greek beer.

The gyro plate defeated Bird - he could not eat all the meat.

Belle at the Sponge Docks.

 

 

Weeki Wachee, Fla.

I have very fond memories of my aunts, grandmother and family visiting the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs Park. Any trip through my childhood would not be complete without stopping at this kitschy tourist trap. I was sad to see that the park actually consisted of very little these days – a couple mermaid cutouts for photos, some pretty plants, a few snack stands and some peacocks. Regardless, we had fun wandering the grounds, visiting the peacocks and then piled into the underwater theater with about a zillion excited children and weary parents for Weeki Wachee’s rendition of The Little Mermaid. Bird shook his head as we left the park, muttering that he had never in his life seen something quite so bizarre. I welcomed him to Florida – my home state.

 

The live mermaid show! Bird's life is now complete

I think this is my new favorite photo of Bird ever. He makes a dapper merman - especially in his "travel" hat.

Peacock! The best part of the stop!

Female peacock.

Mermaid and Merman.

Belle still fits in the dolphin! (Bird had a much harder time).

Apalachicola, Fla.

Some photos from our time in Apalachicola, Fla. I’m a little bothered by how low-res these photos look on the blog. If you click each image you can see the larger file and the resolution is better. I’ll dig into what is going on when we get home.

Seagulls flocked to a pile of fresh oyster shells.

One of two remaining cotton warehouses.

The "fixer upper" Bird and I dream of owning. I could easily run my B&B from here.

Handsome husband on the stoop of our "fixer upper."

Oyster shells outside of "Up the Creek" where Bird slurped oysters on the half-shell.

This cat has the best life ever.

Trinity Episcopal Church holds great significance with me. When I was 21 I was baptized in the Gulf by am amazing priest named Joe Knight.

Belle outside the church.

The house I stayed in when I was 21.

Morning sun.

Drift wood.

Troy, Ala.

Spring!

This week Bird and I are heading south for a some rest, relaxation and healing. Our little Kentucky home has been left in the capable hands of our trusty House Sitters who will also spend ample time cuddling and fussing over the cat monsters. As much as I love my cats, I am so happy to have several days of meow-free sleep! Our first stop along the way was Troy, Ala. where it appears Spring has sprung early. We took a leisurely stroll through the campus, snapped a few photos, and then had a delicious picnic lunch consisting of a tuna salad prepared in the passenger seat with salsa and fresh avocado stuffed in pita bread. Then we continued our trek south to our next destination…

The sky was just amazing this afternoon.

A vintage phone booth stood in the middle of campus. How cool is that?

 

Bird decided to sport his "vacation hat."

Being Present

Pestering the Troll!

Hello little blogosphere! I sure have missed you!

Bird and I decided to fly west for the holidays to visit his aunt, uncle and mom in Mill Valley, California. Just before the hilly beauty of Northern California sucked me in permanently we hopped another plane to Seattle. My eyes burned as we left California – I love this state more than words can convey. I was NOT looking forward to going to gray, dismal, rainy Seattle. Was I wrong! Seattle has all the beauty of Northern California, and more. I have never felt so electrified by a city. I’m sorry Cali, but Seattle just landed in the No. 1 slot for places I hope to live… We’ll see how that pans out!

City wars aside, my holiday vacation was just what I needed. I rested, had a massage, got my nails done, took some leisurely walks through nature and cities, ate amazing vegan food, sipped old wine with family, saw a hilarious show at Teatro Zinzanni, watched fish fly through the air, rode on a car ferry, photographed seals and sea lions and more.  It was a MUCH needed vacation!

I thought a lot while traveling. 2010 brought an enormous amount of change to my little world. I planned a wedding, got married, changed jobs, changed my diet, bought a bike, dealt with my first major illness, logged more traveling miles than ever before, to name a few. For the most part, the changes that occurred were positive and joyous occasions that should leave me feeling fulfilled and refreshed.

Instead 2010 seems more like the blur you see while riding a huge rollercoaster. Many of the happenings, adventures, ups and downs are just a streak in my memory. Not at all what I had intended. Why didn’t I relish the adventures? Why didn’t I sit and meditate on the failings? Why am I not filled with an unbelievable sense of accomplishment?

I pondered this while perched at the top of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Why? Because while participating in Adventure A I was already focused on Adventure B. While digging out of Dilemma C I was stressing about Debacle D. This pains me to admit, but I don’t know if I was ever truly present in 2010. So sad when I consider what an amazing year it was.

Be present. A simple concept, right? I poked around with “being present” while on vacation and just when I was ready to pat myself on the back I realized that patting ones back for being present really is not being present. This could be more challenging than I thought.

Fortunately the idea of looking back at a year and not feeling remorseful and anxious because I missed so much is appealing. I dislike the concept of New Year’s Resolutions for much the same reason I dislike Valentine’s Day – Hallmark should not dictate the day we show our love to another or choose to make a positive change.

Instead, I prefer to think of my attempt to live in the present as a vow to myself. Much like a wedding vow, this is something that could be broken but will ultimately help hold me together. A vow can be a daily struggle to uphold. What sets it apart from a resolution, which is often abandoned, is that one always returns to a vow. When times get tough, couples fall back on their vows, pick up the pieces and move on. I think this fits much better. And so, self, I vow to try to remain in the present, focus on the day and its events and, when times are hard, to remember all the beauty that I experienced while present the day before.

I’ll close this musing with some of the more inspiring photos from our holiday trip through Seattle. As always there are many more and stories to tell about each. In the next few weeks these will be edited and posted to our Picasa account. I’ll be sure to let you know when they are up. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy 2011, dear readers!

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A True Friend Will Wear Cat Ears

A true friend is one that will attend a cat circus with you!

Aden and I met several years ago at EBSCO where I oversaw the company magazine and she was our intern. On her first day at the job she asked more questions than I thought any intern could ever fire at a punky editor sitting in the neighboring cubicle. Needless to say, our friendship was not instantaneous.

Over time we got to know one another began to realize that we were really very similar. We found friendship in our neuroses when we realized that both suffer from slight obsessive-compulsive tendencies and can be torn by a need for perfection. We were both passionate about the written word and determined to find career success. We were dreamers and schemers struggling find light in the bleakest of situations. We were incredibly picky eaters (although in completely different ways).

Aden gave me strength while Bird and I dated. She would comfort me when life got so heavy I could no longer see straight. She celebrated with me when I was offered a job in Lexington and then cried with me when the realization sunk in that it meant I would be leaving. She had drinks with me on my last night in town and assured me that following my heart was not a sign of insanity.

A year and a half later, Aden stood by as I exchanged vows with Bird and then signed the marriage certificate as my witness. I am tremendously thankful for her friendship, support and optimistic spirit and am so excited to see where our lives take us next and what fabulous adventures we will have together. If it is anything like this weekend, it is sure to be nothing short of fabulous!

Highlights from Belle and Aden’s Adventures in Austin:

1. Accidentally walking into a sex shop while prowling through vintage stores. “What were we thinking?” we laughed. Wait. We weren’t!
2. Seeing a woman in gym clothes and a purple cape walking a small white dog.
3. Discovering that The AcroCats cat circus was performing in town and buying tickets.
4. Telling our moderately cute bartender that we were heading to see a cat circus (Note: This is not a good conversation starter when you are supposed to be
5. playing wing-woman and the other is not seeking out a crazy cat guy)
6. Photographing a bird on the foot of a sculpture and declaring that “a bird on a foot is worth THREE in a bush” and then nearly collapsing in giggles
7. Seeing a Romare Bearden exhibit and finding a “bird in the hand” salt and pepper shaker
8. Prowling through the lush Austin botanical gardens
9. Seeing a 15-year old girl in a ridiculous purple ball gown outside the capital building
10. Spending $5 bucks on cat ears to wear to the cat circus (Aden is the best sport ever!)
11. Attending the cat circus and seeing cats “play” instruments
12. Having a delicious vegan lunch and fancy cocktails
13. Seeing an Austin guitar legend, Monte Montgomery, perform at the Saxon Pub
14. Watching “Yentil” while sipping surprisingly tasty sweet white wine and discussing the characters
15. Having a bartender at Austin’s historic hotel, the Driskill, accurately guess that I was nearly exactly two years older than Aden (Uncanny!)