A merry 'spongy' christmas was had

We're back on Emerald Isle just in time for the New Year celebrations. The drive from Florida was uneventful and the 10 hours gave me an opportunity to reflect on our visit to Florida and our visit with my two readers and maybe a third reader in Tarpon Springs. One thing that became obvious during our drive was that it seemed we were heading the wrong direction since most of the traffic was heading South. Lucky for us, it made for an easy drive but made me wonder about the logic of going against the current. Maybe the fish (and the birds) are right about migrating SOUTH for the winter... And we claim to be so smart!

During our stay in Florida we dropped by to visit my sister and her husband in Tarpon Springs, FL. Tarpon Springs is just a few miles north of Tampa but it seemed like a world away when you take some time to explore it's history and read the names on anyone that would be in the Who is Who list of the city. I have a feeling that if you have a Greek surname you'd feel right at home in Tarpon Springs. On Christmas Eve we took advantage of not having little ones in our group so we had a wonderful early dinner (AARP-approved around 4PM) and then went for a nice walk to the historic waterfront. It was perfect since all the shops were already closed by the time we got there and the visit didn't seem as commercialized as everything else seemed on the last few hours before Santa was to arrive from the North Pole. Being Tarpon Springs after all, the walk was a lot about fishing boats, sponge diving and Greek souvenirs, but the town did manage to adapt some of its sights to a more seasonal theme. A very festive-looking sponge christmas tree (go figure). I have to admit that this was my very first Sponge Christmas Tree. I'll keep that in mind for next year's christmas celebration in Emerald Isle... A flounder tree? A bluefish tree? Well, I have a year to think about it.

My brother-in-law must have been bitten by the sponge-diving bug since he has launched a business catering to the SCUBA diving crowd. I just wanted to put a plug-in for them so if my two readers were inclined to go off diving for sponges, or anything else for that matter, they would know where to go.

I was in a rush to get back to the beach to bring some level of control to "all the fish in the Atlantic Ocean". I am happy to report that the water level was still more or less where we left it, but the fish must be going wild since I haven't seen a single fisherman on the surf in the last two days. Yesterday I even equiped myself with more tools (rod, lures) at our friendly outdoors store so the few fish that I caught earlier have become significantly more expensive than before, probably around $40 a pound. Let's think of it as an investment in the future of mankind.

Today I had to get down to the beach for a little while to at least try to fish but sadly my patient wasn't enough to wait for those hungry fish to swallow my bait and I came back empty handed. I could think of many reasons (excuses, really) for not catching anything but probably the heavy surf contributed to my inability to make the connection. I'll try again tomorrow if the temperature continues mild.

To close, here are a couple of pictures of other creatures -of the feathered kind- that I found during our visit to Florida. A Sandhill Crane that my dad and I found walking in a farm nearby. It was part of a family of 4 cranes that were walking around. The other one is a red-tailed Hawk that was looking me over as I got closer to the tree where it was just resting. It didn't seem to be too bothered since it let me take the picture from about 10' away and stayed there until I left.

Big "fish" in Florida

We are visiting my parents in Florida for the end of year holidays. One of my yearly traditions is to visit the manatees as they migrate to the warmer waters of the natural springs in the winter time. OK, not a fish but a good size mammal. Some refer to them as "big globs" but I think they share with us some AARP -qualities so I tend to bond with them quite a bit during our visits. The best location for us to see the manatees every year is in the Blue Springs State Park which happens to be a short distance from my parents's home (my two readers). Today the park had 122 manatee residents and we were able to see a good number of them. The air temperature today was perfect at just around 75F and the water seemed so inviting that I would have taken a plunge if it wasn't for the big signs that warned potential swimmers that this time of the year no one is allowed in the water, and much less trying to get near the manatees.

Of course, manatees are not the only creature that you can see at the springs. There are all kinds of fish, turtles and birds but the main event are the manatees and specially the cows with their nursing calves. This has been a family tradition since my children were very young. They enjoyed the visits a lot more when they were very young, but then as they were growing up other more active attractions caught their eye and it was more of a drag to bring them to the Springs. Still, I managed to beg, pleade or negotiate with any warm body willing to accompany me, so there have been years when it has been only my two readers (before there was even a blog to read) and myself walking on the observation walkways of the park. I know my children will remember the Spring and come to visit them in the future. I just hope there are still manatees visiting to make their visits all the more rewarding. Here is a short video of my visit to Blue Springs State Park.

Another big event of our visit to Florida has been going with my Dad to visit the Flea Market. Apparently he visits this particular Flea Market every Wednesday rain or shine. It occupies quite a large area and you can find just anything from guns and ammo to sharp knifes to peel the bontiful fruits from the many fruit and vegetable stands. For me the interesting thing was the cultural enlightment that one can have as I walked down the aisles. I do have to admit that there seemed to be a lot of friendly fishermen around but I have a feeling that I would make a more impactful connection if I were to brand a few tasteful tatoos. I'll consider that for my next visit next year. Definitely quite the cultural experience. Here is just a collage of a few of the sights I got to see.

Visit to Durham, NC

Since the Thanksgiving weekend we’ve been in the Durham, NC area three times. First for the holiday celebrations, and then to visit Nando and the ensuing ceremonial events that follow. In between times I’ve been dealing with the ongoing home repair projects and these continue on, even in my absence. At least I hope so.

I drove back to Durham on Wednesday evening and timed the drive so I could pick up B at the RDU airport around 10PM and head to the Governors Inn (now a Radisson hotel) in RTP, where we have been for the last three days.

It’s unfortunate that we have to travel away to really value what we leave behind. Our setting here at the hotel is not all that bad, but it’s definitely not the same. The look out the window is not the Atlantic Ocean, but Interstate 40. If I want to see dolphins surfacing, I don’t pick up a pair of binoculars, instead I turn on the TV to the Discovery channel. A bike ride to the Post Office would be more like planning an expedition to climb Everest. But it is, what it is.

It reminds me of the 24+ years that we lived in this area. I am now associating the RTP area with work. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but just that the whole area looks so “corporate” to me that it almost feels foreign.

On Thursday, I had a routine dentist appointment with my old dentist. Since it was a rather cold day (High of 40F), I decided to walk to the dentist’s office which is around a mile and a half from the hotel. I knew that there was a nice paved trail around the RTP so it’d be an easy walk. Just getting out of the hotel to the street was quite a hike with the huge front yard between the street and the building. Once on the trail I felt at home, however I couldn’t help to notice that I didn’t see a single person on the trail that morning. Maybe it was too cold, or maybe it’s just that our lives in this corporate world are just so busy that walking a mile or two is something that just doesn’t fit our busy lives. Or maybe my new AARP-approved walking schedule (11AM), does not harmonize well with the corporate mindset. Who knows?

Out our hotel window we look over the hotel parking lot and beyond that a row of pine trees that separate us from Interstate 40. Now that the leaves of the smaller deciduous trees have fallen, I can see the rows of cars zipping heading east or west on the lanes beyond. In the off-peak times the cars seem to be zipping by but during the two rush-hour periods of the day, they go considerably slower. I wonder if they are heading to their respective Post Offices or maybe late to some fun activity, or maybe the daycare is about to close. Who knows? But I only know that there are not many flowers to smell along the way on Interstate 40.

The passing of Nando, and maybe my new responsibility of having to control all the fish in the Atlantic Ocean, have made me slow down and forced me to smell the flowers along my way. Actually the process may have started even earlier when B and I decided to leave Chapel Hill, NC after 24 years. The process of downsizing. Getting rid of all the stuff that you were so proud to accumulate for years. The act of questioning the value and utility of every petty little thing. Will I ever use this jar of old screws? Never mind that I haven’t needed them in 20 years. Will I have room for them in our new home? Do I want to put them in a moving box and carry them along? It turned out to be quite liberating after all. From our four-bedroom Chapel Hill house moving to a one-bedroom apartment in Durham turned out to be the most invigorating thing we had done in years. And now a lot lighter, we feel content to camp out two or more months at the beach house or even two or more weeks in a hotel room anywhere.

Quite often my mind wonders to Nando’s sudden departure. I am envious of all the deeply religious folks around the world, who would quickly respond to the question of where Nando is right now. Is he facing the pearly gates? Or is his soul going to be recycled to another living being? Is he surrounded by a cluster of virgins or is he negotiating his way out of purgatory? If what Nando is now still have some level of conciousness, he should already know what mankind has been searching for ever since we have had some thinking capacity. What happens behind the curtain of death?

Sorry, I got distracted again... Back to fishing.