Photo Credit: FWC 
Pitcher Plant at Tar Kiln State Park
Lately, it seems that we have been having so many adventures I can’t get them written up quickly enough! Let’s see…I owe you reports of our trip to Blackwater Creek, Big Lagoon, and Tarkiln Bayou State Parks; there are some Sconnie and Max stories coming up (these, you may recall, are our spoiled rotten Yorkies, who believe their mission is to keep the yard free of lizards and sandhill cranes); I never did tell you about our amazing paddle on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe rivers; there is some super interesting information about wild hogs that I’ll post later today, and I have a special invitation to extend to regular readers. Watch for all of this over the next week or so!
Steve and I are getting ready to take a trip down to the Keys. We usually stay with Steve’s brother and his partner, Maya. They are a special couple who have built the kind of life that can withstand losing two houses to a hurricane — not without struggle, but also not without humor and grace. I love watching Steve and his brother together, and Maya always makes me laugh — or think.
Maya introduced me to both kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding way back when. Since the first time she took me out in a kayak through a mangrove tunnel, I’ve been totally hooked. So every time we take our little boats down US 1 into the Keys, something in my spirit settles and a part of me is at home. On this trip, we hope to return to Tarpon Belly Keys, a small group of truly beautiful islands off Cudjoe Key.
We will also be participating as Kayak Escorts for people who are signed up to swim around Key West. When I say, “swim around Key West” I don’t mean aimless swimming around. I mean that they are, under the power of their own bodies moving through water, CIRCUMNAVIGATING the island of Key West. I am not sure what possesses an otherwise sane person to do such a thing, but to me, this is evidence of the diversity of expression of the human spirit. It is so inspiring to me to think that “my” swimmer has been training and preparing her body for this challenge, and that I’ll be helping her achieve this goal. No idea what to expect, really, but I can’t wait!
I’m sure we’ll find time to visit Artists in Paradise, where I hope to pick up another beautiful glass piece by Donna Coffin. We have several of her pieces, and I’d love to have a dozen more! Her work is so peaceful and detailed. She uses powdered glass called “frit” to create her dreamy underwater creatures in fused glass. It looks like a combination of watercolor and stained glass. Can’t wait to bring home something really special to commemorate this trip.
Yep. We need more of this on our walls and in our windows!
What are your plans for exceptional adventuring this holiday? I’d love to know what YOU are doing, and where you’re going, and why. Let’s make this a two-way conversation, and whatever you’re up to, have a wonderful time!