Gracie and I walk the beach several times a day, exploring at high and low tides. I swore I was not going to collect sea shells, so I collect only the really interesting ones. The big helmet-like shells are sting rays; the live ones have a nasty-looking spike extending out the back of the shell. Jellyfish are bizarre platter-size discs of glistening transparent plasma with loops of internal organs that form a clover pattern. Beautiful orange starfish seem very vulnerable to the tides, washing up in numbers I cannot possibly toss back into the waves.
In the 1946 Disney movie "Song of the South", Uncle Remus strolls along a path singing Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah while animated butterflies float around him. I have come closer than I ever could have imagined, without the animation. This is the area where monarch butterflies winter, and dozens flit around the bushes near the water.
One clear bright evening I thought I would experience the beach at night. Before we got very far I heard crashing in the bushes and heavy huffing grunting noises. Remembering the signs along the road for bear crossings, I decided we’ll enjoy the gulf at night from the pier.
My neighbor is a single man about my age. Lee is comfortable in his own skin, into yoga, healthy eating, movies, self improvement, and his little dog Murphy. It’s nice to have someone with whom to discuss the complexities of the universe. He also invites me along when he goes grocery shopping, and showed me how to change fuses in the Goose, so I have lights in the closets and over the bed again.
I am teaching Dylan (my large male Bengal cat) to walk on a leash. It's a slow process, but he's an eager student. I take Dylan and Gracie on leashes to a picnic table overlooking the water for lunch most days. Dylan stares at the seagulls, languishes on the rocks, rolls in the sand, and gets tangled in the picnic table. He walks both ways on the leash. The neighbors enjoy the show.
The Christmas party in the park was very nice. There were about 30 people, the food was excellent, and we played a gift-sharing game that netted me a few scratcher lottery tickets. I sat with Lee and his neighbors Malia and Doyle. Good conversation and much laughter.
Gracie loves the giant chew roll she got for Christmas. Gracie, Dylan, Baby and I cuddled while I watched the movie "The Help" (very good) in the afternoon. I had turkey cutlets slow-cooked in the crock pot with all the fixings for dinner. New Year's Eve we rocked in 2012 with Carson Daly on television. Baby was on my lap, Gracie and Dylan beside me while we snacked on lunch meat, crackers and cheese. New Year's Day I shared dinner with my neighbors Joe and Adrienne, who travel with their three dogs in a 30-foot motorhome. They love this area so much they are buying property on St. Vincent Island, not too far west from here.
The weather all week was fabulous, highs in the 70's and nights in the upper 40's. That changed today. It's cold and windy. Fortunately, the beach cove is shielded from the wind and feels much warmer. Low tide this morning was really low, and Gracie and I were treated on our morning walk to a variety of sea life and shells. I love gifts from the sea.
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