It has been a week. It feels like two, at least. We left Venice this morning at about the same time we left Cleveland a week ago. We went south on 75 and crossed on Alligator Alley. I have yet to see an alligator in the wild in Florida. I saw one on Jekyll island in Georgia, but not Florida. Similarly, I have yet to see a moose in Maine. Saw two in Montana, and glimpses of a couple in Newfoundland, but none in Maine.
I love how the divide between humans and animals gets smaller in Florida. Pelicans land close by, herons, ibis, terns and other birds poke around near you, lizards are everywhere, bunnies zoom around. I saw a few ground hogs poking their heads out of the ground near the highway. In New York it is special to see a great heron in flight. In Florida it is common.
And the clouds! They pile on top of each other and stand out of the blue sky in such whiteness. Everything is bourgeoning in Florida. The palms that were damaged in the latest hurricanes are shedding their dead leaves, while green shoots sprout up the middle of the leaf stalk, bringing new color and life to the tree, and therefore to the streets they beautify. If it isn’t plant life, it’s buildings. Florida is full of strip malls, housing developments, and condos. It seems that by the end of the decade it will be continual pavement and buildings from Orlando to the Everglades.
In Venice we visited my Aunt Jean and Uncle Tony. Jean made reservations at the Crows Nest, and was shocked to see us waiting there when they arrived. In the past, we were usually the late ones. Since mom and I have been doing our road trips, to Maine or wherever, we find ourselves on time or early. We can’t explain it. It was fun to surprise them. We had a delicious meal and went back to their house for drinks on the lanai. The hurricane damage was pretty shocking. We’d seen the damage after Ian, when my mom had a house in that community, and her carport went flying. We don’t know where. Someone else’s carport hit Jean and Tony’s windows and caused quite a bit of water damage in their house. This time, after Helene and Milton, they only had some damaged gutters. But it seemed like at least fifty per cent of the houses were badly damaged. Mom sold her house after Ian, but we went back to look at it, and spoke to a couple neighbors. One had the roof decimated, so the floor and ceilings were wrecked. She’s done with the house, and will decide where to move. She said that in Ian, most of the houses on Mom’s side of the street got damaged but her side did not. This time it was the opposite. A lot of people are seriously thinking of going back to their cold winter origins, like Oregon, Ohio, Illinois. As we drove through the development, we saw piles of aluminum roofing, insulation, furniture, cabinets placed on the tree lawns awaiting pick up by the city. You could see the sky through some of the houses.
Jean made a delicious French toast casserole for brunch the next day. I was craving it again today as we drove down 75. She let us use her washer and dryer, too, a godsend. Tony mentioned a few places we should try to see in Arizona and Utah, and Jean happily remembered some of the trips they’d taken. Tony’s parents had lived near Phoenix, so they had a base to explore from. They urged us to see Sedona, Bryce, Sandia Mountains, Zion. I feel like we should extend the trip!
Mom contacted Peggy, who had been an art teacher in the community, and she said she had some time right now if we wanted to see her. Peggy is 95 and going pretty strong. Her son lives nearby. We zipped over and they chatted for a bit. Peggy said it brightened her morning, and that brightened ours.
Soon I went to see Mike, who had lived in the Hamptons til a few years ago. Now he’s in Venice and Sarasota. It was great to talk about the changes in our lives and what we were working on. He’s got an inspiring work schedule, and much encouragement, and reminders that our time is not infinite.
Later we went to Fin’s with Jean and Tony. It’s one of mom’s favorite places. We sat on the deck, with the sun setting over the gulf. This area had also been damaged by Milton, but they got it cleaned up pretty quickly. The beach looked normal, to me, and the pier looked unharmed. Parts of the restaurant complex were still being worked on, but the restaurants were open. Not quite as crowded as we remembered, but it’s still early in the season.
That evening I took advantage of the pool and hot tub at the hotel. It was glorious. I stayed in the hot tub until I was too hot, then cooled off in the pool. I stayed there until I felt too pruney, and caught the end of the World Series, and the Yanks winning their first game. Mom was not happy with the Yankees.
