Faith, Family, Food and Dogs

My neighbors from Stokesdale came to Florida for a week's vacation and we made it a point to get together in St. Augustine. I had not seen them since November of 2015 and was really looking forward to spending time together. We agreed to meet at the Castillo de San Marcos National Park. As I walked up towards the fort I saw several boats moored out. The rush of emotions was incredible. I clearly remembered the several days that I spent anchored here on Hale Kai, back before the mooring balls were put in. Having been raised near and on the water, there is a very strong pull on me. If I won the lottery I would buy another boat and head back out in a heartbeat. I wonder how many people just look at the boats and think it is a pretty picture but never really grasp that a boat can take you to so many magical places, and nothing, and I mean nothing, beats being gently rocked to sleep on a boat. The St. Augustine inlet was relatively calm on this day. It has a reputation for getti...

I recently had a birthday. No big deal, every living person celebrates a birthday. But this was the best birthday I have had in years, and I do mean years. My friend Terri and I made plans for a Girls' Weekend at her condo in Welaka. Her and I and our 3 female dogs. Since we are coming from two different parts of town, Terri came by the office and gave me a key to her condo. Actually this is the second time. I didn't know I was supposed to keep the key the first time. Hence the "Key to a Great Birthday Weekend". Once parked and unloaded I put up the sun screen for Nohia's dash. I would not be driving her for 48-hours. In the morning before I hit the road I had made a batch of fudge with macadamia nuts in it for us to snack on over the weekend. It was really good. I love the view out her sliding glass doors. The huge Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss, the river in the background, the inviting pool. Ahhh,,,, Kele loved laying and looking out the s...

If you ask me, I will be fast to admit that I am not the most popular person out there. I know that comes as a huge shock to some of you, but it is the truth. What I do have are a handful of really, really good friends. So with life being what it is, I occasionally have a weekend where I do not get a single phone call or a text message or an email from family or friends for the entire weekend. This was one of those weekends. One of those where the only people I spoke to from the time I left work on Friday until Monday morning were the sales clerks where I made purchases on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Now don't get me wrong, I love the peace and quiet on weekends like these. This is where "Fun With Food" weekends come into play and other small tasks get done. The girls love the laid back quality time we share. Saturday morning I ran a few errands and then stopped by the Farmers' Market. I could hear the smoked salmon calling my name very loud and clear. It calle...

****WARNING**** Lots of photos again. This was such a neat place to visit I got carried away and this is only a fraction of the photos I took. Everyone knows the song "The Old Folks At Home" which may be better known as 'Way Down Upon the Suwannee River'. But how many know who wrote the song? A young man named Stephen Collins Foster wrote that song. He was a rather prolific songwriter and, I found out on this excursion, wrote a whole slew of other songs like, Camptown Races, Oh Susanna, Beautiful Dreamer, My Old Kentucky Home, Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair and many, many more. In all he wrote over 200 songs. I never knew Stephen Foster had composed most of the ones I listed. Stephen taught himself to play the clarinet, violin, flute, guitar and piano. Stephen, it is presumed by many sources, never laid eyes on the river he made famous. He passed away in 1864, in New York, at the young age of 37. In 1931 a proposal was made to make a memorial to Stephen in Flo...