Category: Everything Fred

17 November 2024

There were no vivid dreams last night. Maybe I worked out all my frustrations the night before.

I called the Doubletree Hilton in Jacksonville and questioned the two charges: extra valet and breakfast. She removed the valet charge but I must have been mistaken about the free meal. It wasn’t that costly and it was a good breakfast. Better than today’s at Home2 Suites in Augusta. They at least had my Raisin Bran.

Is it me or is all hotel coffee horrible? I’ve had experiences with all the room coffee devices and all the coffee in the breakfast area and it just tastes bad. It’s like the Hilton chain decided to make the coffee taste horrible so people would be more eager to leave and get a decent cup somewhere else.

Late yesterday afternoon I walked over to a franchise I’ve never heard of, Chicken Salad Chick. Seems redundant to me. Instead of chicken (the place smelled) I chose a pimento cheese sandwich which was OK except for the stale bread. It was quite a come down from Ruth’s Chris Steak House but was certainly a little cheaper.

When I got back to the room, I forgot that it was Saturday and college football. I watched LSU get beaten by Florida and watched a little of the Tennessee/Georgia game before I started reading on my iPad. In both games, they showed the student sections and I’ve never seen so many students crammed into so little space. When I used to attend the Ole Miss football games as a student, you had a little room to breathe between your seat mates. I guess they are cramming more into smaller spaces. Gotta pay for those sky boxes some way.

It was 46°F outside this morning. It’ll be interesting to see the temps in the mountains of Smithgall Woods State Park. Of course, I missed the beginning of the cool spell in Fort Lauderdale (68°F last night).

I was on the road at 9 this morning. Breakfast at this hotel wasn’t anything to write about. I had some problems with my GPS routing me around highway 78 because it was not up to date and didn’t show the new road. After one detour I figured out to stay on 78 until I needed to head north to Helen.

I pulled into Helen around noon and had a quick lunch. I did the tourist walk.

After the tourist walk, I headed to Smithgall Woods State Park and checked in. I paid the remaining balance (we split the cost and I’ve already been reimbursed). They had not finished with the cabin so I decided to walk the Laurel Ridge trail again. It’s 1.6 but with my meanderings, it ended up being 1.8.

It was a 300 foot climb in elevation and the day was perfect for the hike – cool, low humidity, sunny. At the top, you get a great view of Mount Yonah.

There were several people on the trail (who passed me) and when I got to the overlook, I sat on the bench provided and rested. Soon, another hiker approached. He sat down next to me and introduced himself as Nathan. I’d estimate his age around 18 or 19. He wanted to know about some hikes in the area and I steered him to Dukes Creek Falls, Anna Ruby Falls, and, of course, Mt. Yonah. I figured he was young enough he could run up the mountain.

I finally got permission to go to the cabin at 3:30. Jimmie and Stephen arrived around 4:30 and we immediately went to eat dinner. None of us like to drive after dark. We ate at a familiar restaurant to us and Jimmie and I had the same as last time: country fried steak.

I wanted to start a fire in the fireplace but there was no kindling. The office said they would send someone over with it. When we got back from dinner, I tried to get it going but there was a strong downdraft coming through the chimney. I decided to close the damper just to get the fire started and it went well. However, when I opened the damper, the downdraft filled the cabin with smoke and the smoke detector went off. We opened up the doors to get the smoke out and then let the fire die out. There’s still a stiff breeze coming out of the fireplace and the damper doesn’t seem to want to close again. Oh well. Good thing we have auxiliary heat.

I think we’re all exhausted from the drive and me from the hike. I’m thrilled that I had the stamina to make the hike even though I had to take several rest stops. I’m not sure my stamina is back but my hard headedness made me push through. It’s great to be out in the woods again. I’ve missed it.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures!

13 November 2024

All good things must come to an end. So must my feeling really well. I got up this morning thinking I was going to be fine. When I started my morning walk, I realized I wasn’t going to do it. I walked around the block and came back in the house after 0.2 miles. I had a blah feeling all day.

I wanted to go visit Chris today at Hollywood Memorial on Johnson Street but I just couldn’t get the energy necessary to do it. I talked with him on the phone and he admitted he wasn’t quite ready for visitors yet.

It also meant that the time I set aside for packing didn’t get done right away. I went back to bed, read a little, and then had a nap. Dinner was left over beef stew which is still surprisingly good after the third day.

I got as far as writing down a “to do” list for tomorrow and it seems to keep growing. So far I have:

• turn the pool off while I am gone – too many leaves are blowing into it and it could cause the pump to fail with a clogged basket.
• shut down the air filter/dehumidifiers in the house
• have some house keys made at the local hardware store
• fill up with diesel
• get the car washed and cleaned inside
• put out the trash bin and yard waste bin for Friday pickup
• water the only plant inside before I go
• clean the pool filter

My goal is to start at the hardware for the keys, drive across the street to the service station and fill the Jeep up and then head to the car wash. After that, I can finish the tasks at home. I anticipate getting away on Friday morning around 10 am.

This evening, I managed to drag the suitcase out and start packing. I always overpack but it’s a large suitcase and not a problem as long as I don’t have to lug it up over too many stairs.

I may or may not be developing a urinary tract infection. I keep getting this tiny pangs at the tip of my you-know-what. How I get urinary tract infections is beyond me. My last hospital stay I had one even though that was not why I was admitted.

I’m looking forward to this trip and the cooler weather. It’ll be in the 40’s at night in Helen and then in the 60’s during the day. I even packed some heavy shirts. Even though that’s not too cold, in the scheme of things, to this South Florida boy, that’s cold. We may get down in the 40’s once or twice a year and it is in the high 40’s.

Tomorrow is a busy day. I hope I’m up to it. Stay tuned!

12 November 2024

As yesterday was Veterans Day, I totally forgot it was nine years ago that I put Rocky down. He was 14 (98 in human years) and it was one of the toughest things I had to do.

This was a really good friend. He made me laugh and apparently I made him laugh. That’s about all you can ask for in life. Someone to laugh through life.

Also, since it was Veterans Day, I watched the movie Patton. I’ve read several biographies of Patton and have always been fascinated by him, his persona, and his foibles. In an introduction by Francis Coppola who wrote the screen play and was eventually fired from the production, explained he won the Oscar for best Screenwriting for Patton. According to him, it was that award that kept him from being fired from the production of the Godfather. The producers thought it would look bad to fire an Oscar winner.

One of the most famous scenes is the opening monologue by Scott in front of a giant American flag. Coppola wrote that thinking the production company would never accept it but it turned out to be the most iconic aspect of the movie.

This, in my opinion, is the best performance ever by George C. Scott. Ditto for Karl Malden. It won best picture in 1970 and 6 other Oscars. If you watch it, you need to carve out some time, it’s a long movie. The running time is 172 minutes. I remember seeing it in a theater in New York when I was in radio school at Governor’s Island. That same year, I saw Tora, Tora, Tora! It seems 1970 was the year for war movies.

I managed a 1.9 mile walk this morning along Riverland Road. The traffic was heavy on the road and it was difficult getting across without becoming a permanent portion of the road. As I started the walk, my eye caught a bleeding heart vine in bloom.

There are other plants commonly called bleeding heart, especially the genus Dicentra.

Just as there are plants with the same common name, Clerodendrum is another species growing in my backyard.

To me, the two species of Clerodendrum don’t look too much like each other.

After my walk, I put the two extensions on the patio table and oiled them down with Teak oil. The table has taken on a new life and I’ll probably continue to add more Teak oil. I ordered some rubber “shoes” for the table legs so the wood would not rot. There were the beginning signs of that as I was oiling the underside.

Chris and I, sans, Tucker headed to Hugh Birch State Park for a leisurely lunch with an ocean breeze washing over us under a canopy of sea grapes. The food was good, the company was excellent. For those who have quizzed me about Chris and Tucker, here’s Chris and me at Hugh Birch. (Hint: I’m on the right.)

For those of you who have further questions, here’s Tucker.

Notice how Rocky and Tucker seem to be posing for the greatest effect! Hollywood ambitions!

After lunch, Chris and I drove the 1.9 mile loop around the park. It was like going back in history to old Florida. If you go the speed limit, it’s supposed to take 33 minutes of drive time.

After dropping Chris off, I crawled into bed, read a little and fell asleep. All that fresh air must have taken its toll. I’m only used to polluted air from the airport.

Judith has been great calling me with updates on Chris. He’s out of bed and sitting upright. He’s still in pain but has medication for that. The surgery was considered successful and nothing unusual was encountered during the surgery. Their son Alex (the physician) is staying the week attending Chris and Judith’s brother Clive (also a physician) is providing additional support and chauffeuring Judith back and forth to the hospital. I’m relieved Chris is through the surgery. I’ll try to visit him tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

11 November 2024

It’s Veterans Day today (tomorrow is the observed day) but I fly my flags today in recognition of those who have served which include my Dad and my brother.

I think this is Dad’s Officer Candidate School (OCS) photo prior to WWII outbreak. In case you can’t find him, he’s in the third row, second from the left.

Dad served under MacArthur in the Pacific and then again in Korea.

My brother Archie was a submariner [sub MARE eh ner] in the Navy and served aboard both diesel and nuclear subs.

When I was faced with being drafted during the Viet Nam conflict, my Dad, who served in two major conflicts, told me if he could go in my place, he would. That’s the sort of man he was. Archie served during the Cold War and Viet Nam when Soviet subs were playing cat a mouse with US subs resulting in highly stressful conditions. Me, I just copied Morse Code in the states.

I can’t believe I forgot to write about my experiences at Cafe Seville. Nancy and Michel highly recommended it and it certainly lived up to expectations. I had one of my favorite fish dishes, yellowtail snapper, and it was delicious.

The restaurant is cozy and warm and the staff are very welcoming. The food is outstanding. We got there a little after 6 pm and by 6:30 the place was filling up. By the time we finished, the place was packed. Yet, we were not hurried from our table. This place is a keeper.

I’m indolent today. I didn’t walk and I very lazily unloaded the dishwasher, reloaded it and finally made my bed. I don’t know if it’s low energy or what but I’ve decided to do nothing until I have to leave for my iron infusion at 2 pm today. Sometimes you just need a break in routine.

I’m thrilled to report that Citizens Property Insurance – the state insurer of last resort – renewed my policy yesterday WITHOUT AN INCREASE! I was going to pay by credit card on their website but they had tacked on a $140 fee for using a credit card. I then filled in the info for it to be taken from my checking account that did not have a fee. The Sun-Sentinel reported today that Citizens is asking for a 14% increase for next year. I’m glad I got locked in early.

I spent at least an hour putting pills in packets for morning and evening doses. That’s about the only thing I hate about getting ready for a trip. Not only do I have to do my usual weekly sorting of pills but an extra week of sorting for the trip. Too many pills!

My niece Ashley is helping her Dad and Tanis out around the house and she was there working yesterday. I got to talk with her and then with Archie. He has an appointment with the VA on Wednesday and Ashley is taking the day off to go with him to the VA. I really appreciate her helping Archie and Tanis.

Since there was no walk today, I didn’t submit you to the punishment of looking at wildflowers.

Stay tuned!

10 November 2024

Another nice morning with low humidity, temperature in the 70’s and a nice breeze blowing. It put a little perk in my steps during my 1.5 mile morning walk.

I passed by a house that I think belongs to someone involved with horticulture. He always has a wonderful yard with plenty of unusual stuff in bloom – stuff you would see only in a plant nursery.

One of the plants was Golden Arrow. I’ve featured this one before but the bloom was just too pretty to pass up.

You see this a lot in the neighborhood and I really do like the plant. It is another plant that belongs in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae).

The other one I passed was the first time I’ve seen it in bloom. Mostly, when I come across it, it’s in fruit. It’s Island Marlberry.

Most people don’t have this in their yard. It’s native to Florida and the Caribbean. It belongs to the primrose family (Primulaceae).

I got to thinking where I got my love of flowers. I think it was when I was living in Boyle, Mississippi where I was in the first grade (5 years old). I was ahead of the class in reading. I had already seen Spot run and I had already figured out Dick in the Dick and Jane stuff and knew he grew up to be – well, a dick.

Anyway, we lived in Mr. McCrain’s house and next door was a retired school teacher – actually quite old. Mother would go over and talk with her and pop her pimples. Apparently she had a really oily skin and had a lot of pimples in old age. Mother was an expert pimple popper.

To keep me entertained, she gave me some of her third grade handouts which were flowers and their names. She loaned me some crayons and I went to work. I began to associate the flower with the name even then. Since I was five, I probably colored outside the lines – something that persists today.

My next realization was when we moved back to Morton and I noticed Grandma Searcy’s potted geraniums and flowering quince. Then I began to notice the daffodils in spring.

My Grandmother Ruby would drive me and Mrs. Thompson around to Roosevelt State Park to see the dogwoods and redbuds in bloom. Mrs. Thompson (Nancy) dipped snuff – fairly common back then – think of the scene in Gone With the Wind. To dip snuff, she needed a toothbrush. To her, that meant a branch from a Tupelo gum (Nyssa sylvatica). It had to be the perfect branch. I spent what I thought was hours searching the park for the perfect branch. She rejected most and finally settled on one.

To make it into a “toothbrush” you chewed the end of it until it fanned out like a broom. Then while it was wet with saliva, you dipped it into the jar of snuff. The brushlike feature allowed you to get a really good dip of snuff.

I didn’t mind the dipping, the choosing the branch, or even the snuff. What I couldn’t stand was the spitting. She would carry a can with us and use that as her spittoon.

By the way, I later found out that the Tupelo gum is the first tree to change color of its leaves in the fall of the year. They turn a very bright red and you could walk through the woods in late July or early August and pick out gums from the red leaves.

Two things sealed the deal with me. Mr. Polk, our scoutmaster, had us do an exhibit on edible plants at the jamboree held at the fairgrounds in Jackson. He did all the work and had the plants mounted in Riker mounts. All we had to do was memorize the spiel for each plant. I loved it.

When I went away to Ole Miss, I took an introductory botany course with Dr. Pullen. He had put up a display of poisonous plants on herbarium sheets in the student lobby of the biology building. It fascinated me. Later as an undergraduate, I took his “Flora of Mississippi” course.

After doing my time in the U.S. Coast Guard, I decided to ask Dr. Pullen (1) if he remembered me and (2) would he accept me as a grad student. He wrote back he did indeed remember me and would be happy to have me as a graduate student. He even provided for a stipend.

As you can see, fate steered me to flowers. From there, I branched out into algae, mosses, ferns, and pretty much anything plant related. So, you will continue to be bombarded by flowers on my blog.

Stay tuned!

9 November 2024

I wore my Ole Miss t-shirt today so Ole Miss could beat Georgia in Oxford. It was a good game – for me.

I started the day with a really nice sunrise.

Maybe it was the beautiful sunrise but I really felt great this morning. As a matter of fact, I haven’t felt this good in months if not two years. I’ve forgotten how it is to feel good.

I managed a 1.4 mile walk this morning. One of the trees I passed has a wonderful growth or orchids on the trunk.

I’ve never seen a cluster like this. If you look carefully in the upper left hand corner you can see the bloom on one that is growing from the notch in the tree.

As I started back home, I passed my favorite yard and I’m amazed how many different species of plants this couple grows.

It’s a member of the bean family and is quite the stunner.

As I rounded the last block to head home, I saw Martime backing out of her drive. I told her she couldn’t leave until she talked to me. Martime had cancer twice and had both chemo and radiation. She tells me to keep a positive attitude and I try. She’s a great neighbor with a beautiful yard on which she spends hours.

I finally made it back home and Trevor was beginning to mow. I heard a knock on the door and he asked if I had a wasp spray. Apparently, wasps love the underside of the fronds of my Washingtonia palm. I didn’t have wasp spray but I did have some ant and roach spray. He pointed out the nest and I sprayed it down. The last time there was a nest there, he got stung. I ordered two cans of wasp spray from Amazon and will give him one to replace the one he used previously.

Tomorrow, John and I are headed for some barbecue for lunch. He also has a BOGO for another mini-Bundt cake. You’d think I’d gain 20 lbs from those cakes.

Today was wash, dry, and fold day as well as change linen day. I didn’t clean house since I did it for movie night. Movie night is a good impetus for me to clean. I don’t want Tucker to be embarrassed to come in to my house.

I’ve had several people ask me who Tucker was. Apparently, quite a few thought he was Chris’ boyfriend. We’ve had a good laugh over that. No reflection on Chris but if Tucker had to choose between a dog’s life and a boyfriend’s life, he’d choose the dog’s life. He gets two meals a day, all the belly rubs he wants, two walks a day, and treats on Wednesday. Come to think of it, I kinda like that idea.

Stay tuned!

8 November 2024

Nothing says you’re old like shopping around for an independent/assisted living facility. Nothing spurs you on your quest like cleaning a pool filter, washing iguana poop off the pool deck or spraying for weeds.

I used to not mind these chores but they have simply become too much. I’ve also let my yard work go and it bugs me to see things I need to trim back but just don’t have the energy. I’ve decided to look into John Knox Village in Pompano Beach. Pompano is about a 21 minute drive from my house. It’s a facility with independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehab and skilled nursing care and hospice. I’ll keep you posted.

I did manage a mile walk this morning and then started the Friday chores of pool filter, pool deck, patio deck, and spraying. It took me a little over an hour. That doesn’t sound much until you try to lift a wet pool filter back into its canister.

After lunch and a nap, I finally got around to putting a coat of teak oil on the patio table. The sun was bleaching it out pretty good and I want it to look good for Thanksgiving. It’s a 3 or 4 day job to do the table and the 6 chairs.

I’ll give the top one more application. The hard part is getting all the little nooks and crannies on the table. I then flip it over and do the underside. It took about 2 hours.

As I was about to finish, Chip called and we planned a route to get me to his town after my Helen, Georgia visit. The last time I saw Chip was on the CGC Reliance in Corpus Christi. It’ll be good to reconnect with him.

My itinerary starts on 15 November with a drive to Jacksonville with a stay at a DoubleTree. That’s about a 5 hour drive from my house.

From there, I head to Grovetown outside of Augusta, Georgia with a stay at Home2 Suites on November 16th. The travel time is 4 hours and 15 minutes according to my mapping app. You’ll notice it takes me two nights to get to Helen when it used to take me one. I just can’t drive those distances anymore.

I’ll spend 3 nights at Smithgall Woods State Park near Helen with my cousin Jimmie and her husband Steve. This will be our second stay at the cabin. The park staff really work hard to make your visit a good one – they not only provide the firewood, they bring it in for you and start the fire.

I’ll leave Helen on the 20th of November and stop in for a visit with Chip and his wife. From there, I head to Macon, Georgia for a stay at the Hampton Inn. & Suites, about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Helen. That should give me and Chip plenty of time to catch up.

From Macon, I head to Ocala, Florida for a night at the Hilton Ocala. From Macon to Ocala is about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

From Ocala to home is about a 5 hours drive. I should get home on the 22nd of November just in time to welcome Wade from San Francisco for Thanksgiving.

Well, that’s enough blogging for today. Stay tuned!

7 November 2024

I may have overdone it yesterday with both the walk and house cleaning. I’m low energy today even though I feel good. I didn’t walk this morning so I’ll take the rest of the day easy.

Last night’s movie was As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding. All four put in excellent performances and Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for best actors of 1997. Nicholson spews a lot of hatred before coming around to be the softy he is. Hunt steers him in a better direction and Kinnear provides the foil for those two. There are lots of gasps from what spews from Nicholson’s character and lots of laughs all along the way. Tucker was represented by Kinnear’s dog Verdell.

I’ve been negligent in checking in with my friends so I made contact with Tom. He’s got a new physical therapist that is gung ho. I called Judith next and Chris is scheduled for surgery on Monday. Hopefully, the surgery will be a success. Sometimes, I forget to make a simple phone call.

I’m tired of politics and intend to take a break from all of it for a while. It was different when there was Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, and Walter Cronkite. You weren’t bombarded 24/7 with ads, speeches, and nonsense. They read the news of the day and did not opine one way or the other – at least not until Walter Cronkite criticized the Viet Nam conflict. Lyndon Johnson espoused that if he had lost Cronkite, there wasn’t much hope with the American people – such was the respect Cronkite was held.

I enjoy reminiscing in the past but don’t feel regret we are not back in the “good old days.” Trust me, everything wasn’t as good as we sometimes think we remember. I tend to be one who looks towards the future. Sometimes, I get sidetracked. I tell people that the chemo seems to have aged me 10 years. That doesn’t mean I don’t still try to look forward while remembering the past.

Tonight is dinner with Michel and Nancy – our postponed group birthday celebration. At least I don’t have diarrhea today.

Stay tuned!

6 November 2024

What an exciting night! I went to bed at 9 pm, slept until a quarter to 1, checked the election results and fell back asleep. It’s not that I’m apolitical, I’m not. I’m what is called a yellow dog democrat (Google it). I used to be an avid follower of politics but as I’ve gotten older, I keep up with it less and less. It’ll be an interesting four years.

I managed my morning walk along Riverland Road for 1.4 miles. I made it better than I thought I would. As I turned the corner to head onto Riverland, I got a whiff of an amazing aroma. It turned out to be the Ackee tree (Blighia sapida) named after Captain Bligh of the mutiny on the Bounty.

For such small flowers, they really perfume the air. As I was walking back home after finishing my walk, I could smell them on the air currents half a block away. I’ve shown you the fruit of this plant before.

The fruit is edible but it must be harvested at the right time, otherwise it is poisonous.

I was mistaken, the Silk Floss tree from a previous post had not reached its full bloom potential. Today, it had.

My energy level was good today. I cleaned house to some degree, resting between each stage. I got the floors vacuumed, the bathroom cleaned and I cleaned the counters in the kitchen and the kitchen table. Believe me when I say I took several breaks.

We’ve had a few sprinkles today but the wind continues to blow. I thought Chicago was the Windy City.

Tonight is movie night with Chris and Tucker.

Stay tuned!