Swamp Folks

 ~ watch yer own dang kids ~

Dave and I are struggling along at a condo in Satellite Beach, FL owned by Vicki of 2-Bags Full. It's a tough life but someone has to do it and, dang nab it, we stepped right up to the plate. Vicki and her Gardner love to travel and a lot of their traveling is done in the beautiful sunshine state. Right now, she's having a give-away on her blog so hurry along and sign up; while you're there, stay a while and enjoy yourself. Vicki is an uplifting, energetic blogger and there's always eye candy abounding. We've become friends and I'm anxiously waiting for the day when we meet face to face. As for her condo, never have I been in a more personally decorated, warm, cozy and friendly property. Dave and I walked through the front door and it felt like home. There are personal touches throughout...actual artwork and not the mass produced generic "art" most people throw on their rental property walls; hand stitched artwork, a fully stocked kitchen...every where the eye lands, there's room to rest. There's not a jarring note to be found; it's simply beautiful! Well done, Vicki! We are finding rest here.

~ our fearless leaders ~

Well now, today, in the tradition of Swamp People, I went 'gator hunting. I've seen nary an episode because the commercials scare the socks of me and I'm not talking about the wild life...wink, wink. Anyway, I went gator hunting while Dave waved good-bye...did he mention something about life insurance as I was leaving???...on a 'gator hunt air boat ride. That's okay though; he can watch this and it's just like being there. I did see some alligators; a 7' long mother and her babies. 

 ~ baby gator ~

 It's pretty difficult to see and Dave thought it was a snake, but in the upper left of this photo possibly you can see a long, stripped body. That's the baby gator. I missed the baby gator snatch but found it on you tube, watch it here. Now, these boys good ole boys apparently either aren't much afraid of baby gators OR their mother OR they are juiced up on "something". Care to guess which? -wicked grin-

~ great egret ~

Back to the beginning. Dave and I started our day at Son on the Beach where we had breakfast. I had fried green tomatoes, shrimp, poached eggs, hash browns and a glass of milk. Why no, I'm not going to plow today, why do you ask?

~ Gullah Benedict ~

Dave had pork tenderloin, sausage gravy, hash browns, two eggs and a biscuit and he didn't work today either, though, I think he might have napped later on -grin-.

~ Country Fried Pork Loin ~

The rest of the day was spent unloading and re-loading the car. Why, you may ask? Well, because I finally found a thrift store that had something I wanted! A matching rocking chair and rocking ottoman that was "fun sized". In other words, it fits my short, stout peasant type body just perfectly! However, I think I'll be able to fit in the three or four bags we have to pack so we can leave Saturday morning. It's either that or leave Dave here and send come back and get him later. We talked about that but I don't think he was as serious as I so...I re-packed the car -grin-. You'll have to wait until we get home to see a picture of the rocking chair and ottoman; it's buried too deep to go back now.

~ me, blown away on the air boat ~

When people I don't even know call me Grandma Sandy...and I'm not...it doesn't leave a lot of room for pride -smile-. Thus, this self photograph of me on the air boat today. Have you ever seen one of those commercials with the high powered hand driers? That's what it felt like on the boat. It felt like my face was being blown off the bones and I spent most of my time gritting my teeth and keeping my mouth shut. "Oh, why", you ask? Well, let me tell you a joke. How do you tell a happy motorcycle rider?

Because of the bugs caught in his teeth! -har-de-har-har- The young woman next to me kept squealing like a pig girl because she couldn't keep her mouth shut and kept getting bugs in her mouth. If it wasn't bugs in her mouth it was bugs down her shirt...her skimpy tee shirt, duh!...and bugs smashing against her legs. Me? I looked just like a granny. I had on long pants and a long shirt and nothing, but nuttin' bothered me. At one point the young woman anxiously patted my arm; when I looked at her, she nervously pointed at my leg. OHMYGOSH! There was a grasshopper on my leg! I just smiled and kept taking pictures but I'm not sure my calmness rubbed off on her. Too sad. 

Time for some ice tea and a wind down before bed. I'm trying to get a lot of sleep and walks on the beach; will try and remember to take my camera tomorrow to show you some of the beautiful shells.

Good-night all, sweet dreams.

Blessings ~ Vicki ~ Paradise Beach Club ~ Satellite Beach ~ gator hunting ~ air boat rides ~ rocking chairs and ottomans ~

Facing Fear

~ Myrtle Beach helicopter ~

Wouldn't you agree, some fears are easier to face than others? For example, I am terrified of heights yet it was I who encouraged Dave and S-2, as Dave calls her, to take a helicopter ride over Myrtle Beach. Dave calls her S-2 and me S-1 to let us know to whom he's speaking, otherwise, both of us would always turn and say, "Yes?". Sandra's sister, nephew and Sandra's daughter had all taken such a ride and pronounced it "wonderful!" and that was incentive enough for me us.

~ Dave and S-2 ~

Dave was buckled in right behind the pilot, Sandra to his left and me in the co-pilot's seat. HA! The only thing I'd be good for if something happened would be praying loud and louder; I'm not sure I could have piloted a 'copter because it's so very different than a plane. I have had a lesson or three in what to do should trouble arise in a 2-seater airplane and, with God's help, think I could get it safely down. But a copter? Probably no as in No Way! I used to date a pilot and, on a brilliant weekend, we'd fly thither and yon so we could have lunch in far flung places...fun!

~ Highway 17 ~

If you've ever flown in a 'copter you're familiar with the whoosh of leaving the ground; it's a fabulous feeling, one akin to actual bird flight or so I think. I love that feeling...one second you're on the ground, waiting, the next second you're in the air, turning...whoosh!

~ south, over Atlantic Ocean ~

We flew south, toward Surfside Beach and Murrels Inlet and saw boats, sharks and schools of fish in the ocean...not that they were very clearly seen, after all, we were 800 feet in the air!

Murrels Inlet is the home of author Mickey Spillane, one of the first hard nose detective writers and, imho, one of the best. He shared the reputation of his Private Investigator, Mike Hammer; while both were hard and, to some, difficult to get along with, they were also endowed with a righteous sense of justice. Spillane's books were filled with sex and violence and, dare I admit it?, I enjoyed them, mostly. I wasn't as thrilled with the sex part...already know pretty much what there is to know about sex -smile-...but I thrilled when the good guy, Mike Hammer, did in the bad guy and Boys Howdy did he ever do in the bad guy! There was a lot of violence, blood spilled, bones broken...and this was on both sides of good and bad guys...but, eventually, the good guy won and justice, albeit vigilante justice, prevailed. Hurrah for the guy in the white hat! So to speak. As Mike Hammer said in I, The Jury, "I don't want to arrest anyone, I just want to shoot somebody."

There have been two actors to play Mike Hammer on television; Darren McGavin did 78 episodes in the late 1950's and early 1960's while Stacy Keach played Hammer in the mid-1980's. Keach called Hammer an "Old Testament kind of guy. He has little or no tolerance for bureaucracy and political expediency." 

 ~ estuaries ~

From the air, estuaries may be seen; this is where fresh water flows into the ocean and, where it meets, the water is brackish. If you click on estuaries, you'll have a lot of information which is especially useful if you home school.

~ bird's eye view ~

We're headed back to land and the entire way I've been taking pictures with my right hand and my left hand has a...death grip -yeah, I had to say it, smile-...on the side of the copter. When we landed, one of the other pilots asked me if I enjoyed it. I said, "yes, I loved it and if grip alone could have saved us, we'd have flown forever!" He looked startled and then laughed. "Why did you go up if it made you uneasy?" he asked. My response, "I wasn't uneasy, I was frightened to death but it's always a good thing to face fear, pray and come out the other side a better person. Besides, the pilot doesn't want to die today any more than do I."

So, what's your fear and how do you face it? I know there are fears that are more difficult to face than others; God knows that I know! Yet, when I face fear, I also always face God and pray. Whatever happens, He hears and I know He hears. If He can calm the ocean, He can calm my fears!

Blessings ~ fear ~ prayer ~ 'copter rides ~ good pilots ~ great view ~ estuaries ~ friends ~