Winter Escape! Day 30: A Faster Trip Home!

Friday, February 28, 2014:  This morning I was ready to leave the motel at Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, at 8:50 for the last leg home.  Outside temperature was 34 degrees but not at all cold to me.  Before getting on the road, I pumped gas: $3.10 per gallon. I doubted it would be this cheap back in Kentucky.  The car uses a lot of gas straining up and down the mountains!  By 9:16 I had passed the "Welcome to North Carolina" sign.

It is always challenging to drive through these mountains with all the curves back and forth.  I especially love to drive there in the mornings, when I'm fresh.  9:30: The Eastern Continental Divide is Hendersonville, South Carolina.

Blue smoky layers of the Blue Ridge Mountains are peeping behind the foothills as I'm driving in South Carolina northwest.

FYI:  A 'continental divide' is the north to south place where, on one side, the water ultimately flows to the ocean on the east and on the other side, it flows to the Mississippi River.  The western divide: eastern side would flow to the Mississippi and the western side, the water would flow to the Pacific Ocean.

When I passed through the one tunnel today it was dark and fast with lots of lights on the sides.  It reminded me of the wild Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios in Florida.

10:49: The Tennessee State Line: This is SO welcome!

Steel mesh covers much of the tall rocky areas in the mountains.  It keeps loose rocks from falling on the road, kind of weird-looking but safe.

There was white-water rafting deep in the gorge alongside the interstate road.  This reminded me of a trip my brother, Bob, and I made in 1951 with my Grandfather Robert.  He drove us from our home in Norfolk, Virginia, to spend the summer with him and Grandmother Marie in Louisville so mother would have peace while our brother, Don, was born in July.  There were NO interstate roads then, only two-lane roads (former cow-paths, I bet).  There were also NO guardrails!!  I sat on the right side of the back in the car.  Grandpa always, I mean always, drove slower than a glacier.  I could peep out the window and look way, way down the mountains.  I wasn't afraid, though.  On the return trip, Grandma brought us back on the (passenger) train.

Exit 393 goes to I-640-West: The first "Lexington" sign!!!  Then comes I-75, directly to Lexington: I'm in heaven! - whee!  166 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Lexington, Kentucky.

People in Tennessee like Fireworks even more than people in the Carolinas, if you were to judge by the number of roadside ads: "Uncle Sam's Fireworks."  On Exit 134 I passed the familiar green dinosaur.   If you exit there, you can get a sample of Moonshine at the Liquor Barn.  I doubt if this was the same moonshine I sampled when I was a teenager.  A young man I knew had a quart Mason jar full of what looked like clear water.  He said it was moonshine and asked if I wanted to taste it.  All I did was dip my finger into it and lick my finger.  Even that tasted like liquid fire!

Back when I was a teenager, moonshine was made at home, presumably back in the mountains or woods. It was illegal so the government wouldn't be cheated out of their taxes and so no one would get food poisoning.  When I lived in Hazard, Kentucky, from 1964 to 1966, the State Trooper who lived in our building was frequently busting up 'stills' in the mountains, or so he said.

This section of I-75 in Tennessee has so many beautiful valleys seen from the road, sometimes on both sides.  It would compose such a beautiful photo, but I couldn't stop anywhere.  I passed the "Fireworks Super-Store" with its familiar Titan Missle standing up.  It's been a month since I've passed this.  (It's still tacky!)

Exit 160: Jellico, Tennessee: the last town before Kentucky: wonderful!  Soon there is the "Welcome to Kentucky" sign. Wow!!

After a month away from my beloved home state, I could have kissed the sign!

Artwork on the windows of the Kentucky Welcome Center.

Can you believe: I have never before gone into the Kentucky Welcome Center?  I guess I'm always so happy to be almost home I have to push on.  It is quite a nice place, full of Kentucky Arts & Crafts, maps, brochures, and people to help you.

On the sides of the roads I noticed large gray-brown mats of dried kudzu.  It is a native vine of Asia which is very invasive in Kentucky.  It covers large areas and kills the trees and plants.  It is ugly!  The Spanish Moss of the south is beautiful.  It hangs from the trees and looks quite graceful as it swings gently in the breezes.  It is not a parasite but an air-borne plant.  We need Spanish Moss in Kentucky!

There are still a few icicles clinging to the sides of the rocky hills facing the interstate highways but it is just a remnant of winter, only a few skinny cicles, not the massive ones that were there earlier in the winter.

This trip I have witnessed quite a lot of near-accidents when a big rig changes lanes without signaling almost immediately before a car.  On the news recently, it was reported that this, including car drivers who change lanes without signaling, is happening more often and is responsible for one-third of auto accidents.

Beginning around Richmond, Kentucky, at Exit 83, there are mile after mile of black fences, black barns, and black cows.  Closer to Lexington you will see the white fences around the horse farms and horses of many colors.

Exit 87: "Richmond and Lancaster."  When I first moved to Central Kentucky and Danville, I pronounced the second town Lan-caster.  Oh, no!  No one would know what you meant if you said that!  You have to say, "lank-ster."  Same thing about "Versailles Road" in Lexington. Don't show off your knowledge of French by pronouncing it the way they would!  You have to say, "ver-sails" road.  Viva regional speech!

Lexington, Kentucky!  I'm so happy to be back again!  Oh - gas is $3.49 a gallon here, still.  Guess I'll have to pay more again.

Almost home!  Leestown Road, right before my subdivision, has been under construction for many months.  So much has been completed in the last month.  It's been transformed from two lanes to four with the city's second double-diamond interchange at the junction with the beltway loop.  Houses have been torn down and utilities moved.  Looks like there will also be a new shopping center.

My street has Never looked so good!  It looks the same but it looks great! 2:50 p.m., I'M HOME!!  I can't find the car's mileage when I left home 30 days ago but the trip was projected to be more than 2,000 miles.  Wow!  It's supposed to snow and sleet in Lexington Sunday. I promise to not whine too much!

Winter Escape! Day 29: From Shore to Mountains

Thursday, February 27, 2014:  This morning at the beach was the most beautiful I've ever seen anywhere! The deep blue-green ocean was shimmering from the sunlight.  The air was so clear that I saw three big ships, like shadows, on the distant horizon.  Not a bit of fog today.  The seagulls are mostly standing around, not flying around in flocks. The sea is lazy, even the waves are barely lifting and hardly reaching shore, very quiet when breaking.

Sea and shore at Hilton Head Island, 2/27/14.

Due to the 45 degrees outside temperature at 10 a.m., I dressed warmly and put on my goggles to protect my eyes from the cool wind.  I was overdressed for the sunshine; the wind was barely blowing so I took off the goggles.  There were plenty of folks walking and biking but the beach is so wide, it was in no way crowded.

I found three small starfish, about 4 inches wide on the wet sand!  They looked alive, so I threw them back into the sea.  This was a very exciting find.  Peggy said she had never before seen a starfish on the shore.

Starfish!  A rare find on Hilton Head Island, 2/27/14.

The south side of the island, which I have dubbed, "Itty Bitty Diamond Head," was not shrouded in fog.  I wished I would have time today to walk all the way there!  Even the nearby islands off the coast were more visible than I've ever seen.

South end of Hilton Head Island, "Itty Bitty Diamond Head," 2/27/14.

The seashore is always interesting, always filled with surprises.  Today there was a particularly large piece of driftwood.

Look what floated onto the beach today!

Alas, I only was drawn to the beach this morning to have one last wistful look on this visit.  I found myself almost overwhelmed with the beauty of the clear, bright, warm day.  I thought, "I must find a way to live here!"

Good-bye to the plank walkway leading to the beach!

Good-bye to the palm trees and shore shrubs!

My goal today was to drive halfway home, leaving Peggy's condo before noon: I made it!  The car needed gas before leaving Hilton Head; the price was $3.11.  It was higher elsewhere in South Carolina along my route, but much, much lower than the prices in Georgia, Florida, and Kentucky.

It takes a drive on two-lane roads through the Low Country to reach the Interstates.  It was quite pleasant with broad marshes on both sides of the road.

FYI:  Many Southern people LOVE home fireworks!  There were signs touting "Hobo Joe's Discount Fireworks."

By the time I reached Columbia, South Carolina, the roads were very hilly. I saw the blue peaks of the distant Blue Ridge Mountains peeping over the pine tree forests, a welcome sight.  Although it was summer in southern Florida, spring has come to Columbia.  The blooming pink trees were quite beautiful!

Winter Escape! Day 28: Back to Hilton Head Island!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014:  How could I possibly refuse a sweet invitation from my friend, Peggy, "Why don't you stop and see me again (on Hilton Head Island) on your way home?"  Toward that end, I hugged Patty, Raj, Mallory, and Johnny "good-bye" in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, and headed north on I-95.

Traffic in Jacksonville ("Jax," the natives call the city!) was heavy at 8 a.m., bumper-to-bumper.  I vowed to just take my time on the road. Here are some of my thoughts as I drove through the rain and spoke into my recorder.

*8:12 a.m., mileage: 97,989.   We've had a wonderful time!  I'm leaving Jax.

*Spring has really come to Jax. The purple budding trees, all the green bushes and the flowers - it is just beautiful!

*I gotta find a few more facts about Jax before I leave.  I think it has the most land area of a big city in the U.S.  It's really spread out with lots of parks.

*Gee, 98,000 miles on my odometer.  8:39 a.m.  How nice!

*8:42: I just passed over the big long giant bridge on I-295 and I didn't notice the time before when I passed, on the left side, there's a huge, huge lot with giant containers with a giant crane waiting to load them on ships.  It's impressive.  Wish I could just sit and watch them a while.

*9:06: now I'm into Georgia; Georgia on my mind.  They welcome you but I'm gonna pass up the "Welcome Center."  Mileage: 98,031, lots of traffic, staying in the left lane.  Seems safer with all the clouds of rain coming off the big trucks!

*There's a big bridge over the Turtle River and there's a wide marsh on both sides.  This is so pretty!

*Passing through Brunswick, Georgia, 9:35.

*Slowing down for construction.  There has been an enormous amount of construction on I-95, especially in Georgia.  That's good, I guess, more lanes.

*Big long bridge over fairly wide Champney River.  More construction.

*Right after that, the Darien Creek.  I don't see much difference between it and a river.  It's bigger than most rivers.  That's OK.

*Exit 49: Fort King George Information site and Cathead Creek.  Well, I've been thinking, "there is so much stuff on the coast related to when the British had settlements here and I think the colonists were pretty much loyal to the King for a long time, a lot of them.  The King gave them lots of land and stuff, however, the King didn't treat them well, and I've been trying for a long time to figure out Why the colonies didn't succeed in America when they succeeded all over the world, and I think the difference is: in the rest of the world, they fought the indigenous population mostly but here we fought the indigenous population mostly and I think if they would've treated us halfway right and not taxed us to death, we'd still be in the British Empire like Canada is.  Maybe they learned from the U.S. and treated Canada right.  I don't know."

*There's a new sign I've never noticed before on I-95: "$1,000 fine for throwing trash on highway."  Guess Georgia doesn't like to pick up trash.

*Passing a truck "Weigh Station" on the right.  It is closed.  Just makes me think: "Oh, my gosh, I haven't got on the scale - ooooo! - since before I left January 29th and I hate to think of gaining a couple of pounds but I bet I have.  I've walked a lot, biked some, but I have eaten and eaten and eaten and really enjoyed everybody wining and dining me, so I'm gonna have to work extra hard when I get home."

*Wiregrass Trail, Exit 58.  What is "wiregrass?"

*Billboard: Peach bread, peach taffy, peach bread, pecans.  Georgia is the land of peaches.  I think that spring is just starting because some of the trees and bushes are starting to get a little green.

*Young Swamp Creek Bridge.

*Harris Neck National Wildlife Center, Exit 67.

*I've been thinkin': "Where do the alligators go during the winter since they're not active?  Do they just stay under the water and float around maybe with their noses out and prop themselves up close to the shore like a log?  Or do they stay on land?  I gotta research that.  It's been intriguing me."

*Old Clyde Road, Exit 90.  Wonder if old Clyde is still around.

*J.O. Bacon Highway, Exit 94.  Gettin' close to Savannah, I think.

*Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum, Poole, Georgia, Exit 102.  I like that.

*On the right, the big Air Force jet - WOW - 1, 2, 3, 4 jet engines!

*Goin' over St. Augustine Creek, Port Wentworth, Exit 109.

*Big tall bridge over the Savannah River - it's pretty wide.

*Hallelujah, South Carolina!  I am SO happy to be here!  Not a bad trip, really, from Jax to South Carolina.

*South Carolina Welcome Center - pretty busy but a "Welcome to South Carolina" sign.  I like that!

*11:39: leaving the rest area.  Listened to and erased all recorder messages.  I kind of enjoyed that.

*Exit 8, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, WOO-HOO!

*I stopped here at McDonalds to get a fish sandwich and it is raining really, really hard and it is down to 52 degrees.  Oh, well.

*Oh, my gosh! I can't believe it, there's tall daffodils blooming on the side of the road here, beautiful!

*It's good to be back on the way to Hilton Head and the things I've become familiar with.  It's beautiful!

*Hilton Head Island: 12 miles - Yipee!

*My own private moss-o-meter says that the trees closer to Hilton Head have more moss on them than any other trees in the south.

*I've just seen the gas price on a Shell station here on the way to Hilton Head.  It is $3.11 a gallon.  It was over $3.50 in Florida.  Ouch!

*I thought traffic was full on I-95 yet it is a lot heavier on the road to Hilton Head.

*Burnt Church Road.

*Passing over the big long bridge to the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.  Really long bridge, wide river, whatever it is.

*Over the Intercoastal Waterway Bridge.  Tall, tall bridge.

*Hilton Head Island Town Limit.  Yay, I'm back, woo-hoo!

*I'm goin' over the Cross Island Parkway Toll Bridge.  It's only a dollar and a quarter  I don't mind it a bit.

*There's virtually very few cars on the toll road.

*Charles E. Frasier Bridge, I think this is the biggest, longest bridge that goes directly to the island.  I just paid the toll and I love to see all the marshes and the marinas and the big, tall houses lookin' out over everything.  It is just striking.

*Almost to Pope Avenue, we're gonna turn onto Peggy's Street.  Arriving 12:34 p.m., mileage: 98,177, temperature: 52 degrees, not a bad trip, four hours, yeah!

Peggy and I were very happy to see each other again.  We knitted away the afternoon.  Peggy had salmon chowder cooking in her crockpot all day.  That plus chunks of french bread made a good dinner.  We plan on watching a movie on TV tonight.

Winter Escape! Day 27: Stitching and Chatting

Tuesday, February 25, 2014:  Another "Bonus" day for me here in Jacksonville! Patty and Raj had to work and Mallory and Johnny were in school.  I spent the day petting Harold the Cat, doing a little shopping, knitting some more on my blue ruana, and taking a nice long walk around the condo neighborhood, a truly peaceful day.

Patty came and picked me up on the way to the babysitter's, "so we could chat some more."  Once home, Mallory retrieved her lilac stitching box from her room and wanted to stitch again.  She stitched with green the leafy area she had designed for her red strawberry.  Then she selected pink to outline her strawberry.  I showed her how to loosely gather the leftover fabric in the back of the hoop to finish her project.  She will use the purple hoop for a frame.  Mallory was quite pleased with herself for her first cross-stitch work, and Patty, Raj, and I are extremely proud of how quickly she learned.

Mallory and her first cross-stitch, a strawberry she designed herself!

The five of us enjoy a great Italian dinner.  From left, Jan, Mallory, Raj holding Johnny, and Patty.

By the time we got home, it was past Mallory and Johnny's bedtime, so Patty tucked them in.  Then, we grownups watched an action-packed sci-fi movie, "The Avengers," about super-heroes saving the planet.  Of course, my visit with Patty and her family would end too soon, but it was such fun!

Winter Escape! Day 26: A Detour of the Heart

Monday, February 24, 2014:  Another lovely breakfast on Kathleen and Don's lanai this morning!  It was foggy on the lake but the ducks were visible, at work already.  Brotherly and sisterly good-byes were not teary today; we plan on meeting next month, closer to where I live.  So, it was a morning of driving north on the quite straight and familiar Interstate-95.  I put on a long-sleeved shirt in anticipation of cooler weather, 68 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

After visiting Kathleen and Don, I weighed my options: go directly home, staying at a motel for two nights because the trip is almost 1,000 miles from Port St. Lucie, Florida, to Lexington, Kentucky.  Peggy invited me to stay with her in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  And Patty and Raj asked me to stop off and visit them for a few more days.

What convinced me of my present plans was a request from Patty and Raj's daughter, Mallory, "Grandma, would you teach me to embroider?"  How could I refuse such a sweetheart!  So, yesterday, on my way back to their home in Jacksonville, Florida, I stopped at Jo-Ann's fabric store. I found exactly what Mallory needed to begin, in her favorite color, purple.  I bought 1/4 of a yard each of lilac and pink gingham (checked) fabric, embroidery needles, a purple and a yellow small embroidery hoops, small scissors, 3 colors of embroidery floss, a blue marking pencil, and a flowery lilac box for storage.

Learning from my past experience teaching Mallory's cousin, Claire, in Lexington, how to embroider, I knew that there are no 'kits' to teach young beginners how to cross-stitch.  I would have to make a simple design myself.  I had previously asked Mallory, "What is your favorite color?" and "What is your favorite fruit?"

When Mallory returned home from school with her brother, Johnny, and Patty, I surprised her with the lilac box of goodies.  She was thrilled and wanted to begin immediately.  Together, we put a strip of lilac fabric into the purple hoop.  We counted the number of squares in the center part where we wanted our design, then marked the area off on a grid, 18 squares by 18 squares.  Then Mallory herself drew the strawberry for the design. We filled in the area by penciling in rows of Xs.  Together, we cut off a length of the red embroidery floss.  We divided the six threads into half, three threads.  We threaded the needle and I showed her how to make the first two rows of Xs.  Mallory then proceeded to do a very good job with the remaining rows, taking time out only for supper, since she had finished her homework at the babysitter's house.  She was very pleased with herself and Patty and I were thrilled that she enjoyed what is one of our favorite past-times.

Mallory and I are designing a Strawberry to be cross-stitched.

Mallory is very talented and is making excellent progress!

Later, Patty and I watched an episode of "Downton Abbey" which we had missed, and made plans for Tuesday.  I feel 'Home' here now!

Winter Escape! Day 25: The Lake Life

Sunday, February 23, 2014:  How sweet it is, once again, to eat a fine breakfast on Kathleen and Don's lanai while watching the ducks serenely paddling about the lake.  I could quickly get used to a daily dose of this!

The three of us participated in Mass at St. Bernadette's church.  As was my experience last year, the service was well-attended by the friendly parishioners, and very inspirational in both the priest and musicians.  (To see last year's visit to Port St. Lucie, go to Wednesday, June 12, 2013 through Saturday, June 15, 2013, this blog.)  While Kathleen returned the Eucharistic Minister badge, Don showed me around the facilities.  There are quite a lot of meeting rooms.  Then Don, Kathleen, and I visited the Lourdes shrine close to the church.

Entry to St. Bernadette's Church, Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA, 2/23/14.

St. Bernadette's Bell Tower.

The main altar of St. Bernadette's church.

Jesus' crucifix, high above the main altar at St. Bernadette's church.

Large stained-glass window depicting Jesus' mother, Mary, appearing to the French peasant girl, Bernadette, in 1858 in Lourdes, France.  Bernadette was gathering firewood for her family when she noticed a bright light in a nearby cave.  She saw a beautiful lady surrounded by the light.  The lady told her who she was, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

 The true story of Our Lady of Lourdes is quite amazing!  I encourage you, if you're not familiar with this, to google 'our lady of lourdes story.'  There have been quite a high number of miraculous cures in the still-flowing water of this grotto.   FYI:  The Catholic Church is quite skeptical and requires meticulous medical proof for each and every cure; yet there have been thousands.  Millions, yes, millions of pilgrims visit this shrine in France EVERY YEAR!  (Indeed, I myself hope to visit Lourdes some day!)

Bernadette herself was declared a Saint of the Church.  This also is a tedious process.  FYI: Catholics do not worship Saints or Mary, the Mother of God.  We honor them, and ask them, since they are in heaven close to God, to intervene for us in obtaining favors we desire.

Statues showing the Blessed Mother Mary appearing to the young Bernadette who is kneeling, St. Bernadette's Church, Port St. Lucie, Florida.

My dear sister-in-law, Kathleen with my dear brother, Don, in the Lourdes grotto.

We three hung around home in the afternoon.  When it cooled off (temperature high for my stay there was 82 degrees all three days!!), we went for a long brisk walk around the neighborhood to the shopping district.  Their neighborhood, called "Traditions," is a planned community, very well planned, I should add.  In addition to homes, there are several schools, land set aside for churches, large lakes, the community center and pool we saw yesterday, multiple park areas, and the large shopping area.  It is clean and beautifully landscaped in all places.

Part of the shopping area at Traditions, on the other side of the Town Square.

The Town Square and shopping area is next to the largest lake.  In the foreground are children running through the sprinklers on this HOT SUMMER DAY!!  In the background are three tall water spouts.

The city planners wanted Traditions to have everything a 'traditional' community would have, including a church.  Since there is none as of yet inside the town boundaries, they built one to look like a church. It is the Town Hall.  Trees and flowers were blooming everywhere!  It is a beautiful development!

Once home, we spent most of the evening watching the final Olympic coverage and several engaging BBC series including, "Mr. Selfridge."

The exterior of Kathleen and Don's home in Port St. Lucie.

The lanai, facing the lake in the back of their home.  It is quite pleasant and enjoyable!

Winter Escape! Day 24: Concert!

Saturday, February 22, 2014:  It is totally delightful to have breakfast on Kathleen and Don's lanai this morning!  Just watching the ducks in the lake is very peaceful.  The neighborhood is perfectly quiet.

Stately Sandhill Cranes, strutting outside the lanai, between the houses.

Palm trees are abundant in Port St. Lucie, of course.  This fruit-bearing variety was outside Wal-mart!  I was unable to determine its name but I ruled out date palms and coconut palms.

The three of us went shopping for a short time.  At home, we sorted through a large box of photos I inherited from our parents.  We were very excited to find photos of our dad's parents, deceased for many years.  It was a treasure chest for us!  I can't believe that I had set this box aside 9 years ago, after our father died, and never since looked through it.  We have plans to scan the photos to preserve the images for the rest of our family.

After lunch, Don and I walked over to their neighborhood association clubhouse for a peek at their pool.  There were plenty of kids swimming! - in February!  We also toured several model homes for the growing community.

Neighborhood association's pool.

Statue in the Butterfly Park, close to Kathleen and Don's home.

After dinner at home, Kathleen, Don, and I scooted over to their church, St. Bernadette's, for a most enjoyable concert by "Les Petits Chanteurs de Nogent-sur-Marne," a boys' choir from France.  They delivered a varied program, starting with our Star Spangled Banner, selections from church music, musicals such as Phantom of the Opera, several versions of Ave Maria,  Ave Verum, and a rousing Alleluia chorus from Handel's 'Messiah.'  The 31 boys ranged in age from 8 to 20, were extremely talented with beautiful, clear voices.  The accompanying organist/pianist was outstanding, as was the choir's director.  The church's music director was obviously proud to bring such a fine concert to the church and community.

The Boys' Choir from France, in concert at St. Bernadette's Church.

Winter Escape! Day 23: Heading South, Once More!

Friday, February 21, 2014: After seeing the family off to work and school, after packing and petting Harold, the cat, I was ready to travel even farther south at noon. The outside temperature in Jacksonville, Florida, USA was 64 degrees, the time was 12 noon, and my car odometer read "97,502 miles."

The weather channel on TV promised rain and I hoped it would rain really hard because the car (Toyota Camry, nearly 8 years old) was dusty and needed washing.  My wish was granted with periods of a downpour so heavy in Jacksonville I would have stopped if there was a suitable place; I actually had to turn on my car's "hazard" lights periodically.   The thunder and lightning let up shortly after leaving town but there were some periods of showers on Interstate-95 south.  Traffic was as heavy as I've ever seen it on an interstate highway.

At the Daytona Beach exit, at 1:15 p.m., I noticed the temperature had climbed to 82 degrees.  Some interesting names on road signs: Exit 284: Gamble Rogers State Park; at Spruce Creek was the first large marsh area I saw on this trip south.

As I was in no way needing to hurry on this trip, I stopped at several rest areas and took my time.  The rain cooled off the weather down to 72 degrees but it was not to last!  Passing Exit 212, the Kennedy Space Center turn-off, I was reminded of seeing actual wild alligators in the ditch there, something I had not seen at all this trip, but I'm still looking.  There was a large orange grove just bursting with oranges.

At 3:11 p.m., I reached St. Lucie County.  The retaining walls along the highway extended for miles; they are unusual with relief pictures of pelicans in various poses on the walls.  Then, the temperature was 86 lovely degrees!  It's so nice to have summer so quickly!

Shortly after that, I reached my destination, my brother, Don and sister-in-law, Kathleen's house in Port St. Lucie.  It was so good to see them!  We had a dinner of fish and chips at Sam's, a restaurant in the Sam Snead Golf resort hotel, and a quiet evening at home catching up with family news.  Yay for family!  Yay for summer again!

View of the lake from my brother's back yard in Port St. Lucie, 2/21/14.  Notice the black ducks gliding along on the left side of the photo.

These beautiful Sandhill Cranes stayed around to entertain us Friday evening and Saturday morning, in the backyard around the house and paddling around the lake.  They are quite tall, I estimate at least 2 feet tall.  It is awesome when they spread their wide white wings.  When in the water, only their necks and heads are visible.  It looks like snakes standing out of the water!

Winter Escape! Day 22: Success!

You know how I love these sky-reaching southern bridges! This one leads into the central city of Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

From the pinnacle of the bridge, a vista of Jacksonville skyline is revealed.

At last, stopped at a stoplight, I was able to snap a photo of yet another young-person-next-to-road with a sign.  This Statue of Liberty wants motorists to stop in and get some cash!

After a 3-week hunt, I found my new Sea Bird, a beautiful carved-wood looking Pelican!  He was my first choice after finding many roosters, hens, ducks, and parrots - a genuine Sea Bird.  About 12 inches tall, he will be a suitable addition to my flock at home.  Other finds today included a small glass fish, and two rustic shell sconces.

The newest member of my Bird Family at home, Mr. Pelican.

Another downtown successful 'find' today was the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.  The church is the oldest in Jacksonville, having begun as a parish in 1854.  It is part of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, where the first Catholic parish was started and continues today.

Immaculate Conception church is much smaller and much grander than I had imagined.  I arrived with approximately 30 seconds to spare in time for 12:10 p.m. Mass.  The celebrant told the sizeable congregation (for a weekday Mass) about how he had attended this church for a year before he became a priest.  At that time he noticed that some of the people in church seemed to be very wealthy, healthy and well-dressed, while others were unkempt, unwashed, and some even mentally unstable.  He resented the ones who disrupted others, himself included.  He now feels that Jesus welcomed each and every person into his church.  There is a large Spanish presence in this community.

The Basilica of Immaculate Conception, Jacksonville, Florida, 2/20/14.

The Central Altar: window to the left shows Jesus instituting the Holy Eucharist.  In the center we see Jesus' Crucifixion and Death.  At the right, Jesus is Feeding the Multitude.

These two windows together show Jesus' Presentation in the Temple as a baby, to comply with the Jewish laws.  We need to remember that when the stained glass art form was started, in the 7th century, most of the people could not read nor write.  The windows told the story of Jesus' Life, Death, and Resurrection.  This church not only tells Jesus' life story, it presents several scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible, 1) the Gathering of Manna by the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert, and 2) the Sacrifice of Melchisadeck.  I have never seen Old Testament windows in a Catholic church.

Jesus raises Lazurus from the Dead!  What a moment!  Don't you wish you had been there! To hear, "Lazarus, come out!" would have been spectacular!  And even more wonderful would have been seeing Lazarus alive again!

In addition to the magnificent stained glass windows, Immaculate Conception Church has very life-like, carved Stations of the Cross.  This is the Tenth Station (out of 14): Jesus is Stripped of his Garments by the soldiers.

What a glorious old worship space Immaculate Conception Church is!  It even still had small brass nameplates on the pews (benches).  Some years ago, each family had a particular place they would gather every Sunday; this was marked on the pews.  In my memory, this has not been done.  There are many, more than would be expected, statues, of all sizes, all beautiful.

On both sides of the main aisle, in the back of the church, there are twin angels holding holy water, with which the congregation may bless themselves (perform the Sign of the Cross) as they enter the church.  The white-veiled person sitting in the last pew is a Catholic nun.

 Going the opposite direction back to Patty & Raj's condo via the John T. Alsop, Jr. Bridge. No matter where we have gone in the city, we somehow have a part of the trip on I-95!

PARTY TIME!

Mallory and Patty are nearly ready for the party!

Raj cooked a mutton dish (Biryani), especially tasty okra (Bhindi), and rice, while Patty made Parathas (like tortillas) and a chocolate cake, and I made devilled eggs.  After the guests arrived, Raj made us Sunrise Margaritas.

Gentlemen guests with Raj from India and Morocco were K.G., Ragu, and Othmane. (Son, Johnny is at far left.)

The ladies are (left) Lina, Ghizlaine, Mallory and Jan.

We laughed and ate all night!

Winter Escape! Day 21: Gotta Shop!

Today I only had a short time to let Harold, the big yellow cat, sleep on my stomach and purr.  The rest of the day was spent shopping!  I just have a few things I've been hunting for on this vacation, for the past 3 weeks: a new Sea Bird on a stick, a knitting pattern for a headband/ear warmer to make out of the blue wool yarn I'll have leftover when I finish (soon!) knitting my ruana, and a (don't laugh!) shell toilet seat.

I drove around Jacksonville near and far and found many beautiful sea decorations including several Sea Birds but none I liked enough to buy.  I saw several glass fish, starfish, lobsters, dolphins, and a huge starfish that I considered to accompany my glass dolphins, but they were too large.  There were plenty of lovely shell decorations but if I come home with one more shell, visitors to my house might think I lived under the sea!

The city can boast of more near-the-road young people flashing signs than any place I've seen: "mattresses," "car wash," "alterations," and on and on.  All this going on in 82 degree heat!

The local Home Depot, actually not very far from my daughter and her family's apartment, had nothing but ordinary, plain toilet seats.  Bummer!  If there would be anywhere I could find my shell toilet seat, shouldn't it be in a large Florida city?

Success!  I found a perfect pattern for the ear warmer!  After searching through the chain craft stores without finding any pattern for headbands, I headed for "A Stitch in Time."  It was packed with more patterns and knitting books I've seen anywhere.  I looked through everything they had but found none.  Then the gentleman clerk asked if I had "looked online."  I told him "no" and he offered to search for me.  He found a dozen or so patterns.  I selected one which was exactly what I was looking for.  And he kindly printed it out FOR FREE!  Now I am anxious to get started on it.

After Patty returned home from work, we picked up the children from the babysitters' and did more shopping: Sam's Club and several Indian groceries.  They're having a party tomorrow night and needed a few special items.  We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the Olympics: a most pleasant 'bonus' day!

Winter Escape! Day 20: Bonus Days!

Please check out my 'relationship' blog at www.stoptwistedlove.blogspot.com for a report of today's activities.  (Not needing to compose two blogs is another 'bonus' of today!)

Winter Escape! Day 19: President's Day Holiday

Patty took off a half day from work today; we visited her at her office, drove through Zaxby's and brought home chicken dinners.  Later, we had frozen yogurt at Mochi's.  Mallory wanted to surprise me! I guessed a jewelry store, a make-up store, a toy store, and a pet store but she really did surprise me.  We had planned on taking another walk around the lake but ended up watching Mallory and Johnny with wi-fi games.  Tonight it's more "Olympics" Watching - Go, USA!!

This was just an ordinary, wonderful, family day - the best!

Winter Escape! Day 18: Family Day!

As is our custom, this morning we went to church, Patty, Mallory, and I.  Patty's church in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, is Holy Family Catholic Church.  The church was packed; Father George Maniangattu, a native of India, was the celebrant. The choir and congregation's singing was especially spirited.  After Mass, Mallory, who has Indian heritage, and Father George had a nice chat.

The Sun illuminates the Crucifix of Jesus; the Holy Spirit in the form of a 3-D Dove, is directly below.  I've never seen this arrangement in a church; it is quite moving.

Beautiful main altar at Holy Family: Jesus and his apostles at the last supper.

Another unique element at Holy Family church: a statue of the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as a young boy instead of the traditional baby in his mother's arms.

After lunch, Mallory, Johnny, and I took a long walk around their large and spacious apartment complex.  The area is extremely quiet, surrounded by a forest of pine and palm trees.  I particularly enjoyed the large lake with fountains.

Mallory is quite speedy on her Barbie scooter.

It's warm today - in the 70s - but not quite warm enough to go swimming: the pool was empty.

Johnny likes to ride in his stroller.

There's a lot of wildlife in the lake, including these mallard ducks and some large orange koi fish.  Mallory said there are some turtles, but we couldn't find them today.

While Mallory, Johnny and I walked around the lake, Patty and Raj took a ride of their own.

The buildings of the complex seem to be in the forest, in the cool shade.

One of the lake's decorative fountains, with a bridge in the background.

We all helped with a dinner at home: lasagna, french bread, and chocolate cake.  Then we settled down to watch lots of the Olympic games: a very pleasant family day.