The River, Jackinsonville, Airsport
I had not seen my brother Don and his famiily since the family reunion in Wisconsin four years ago. Don lives in Neptune Beach, four bocks from the beach.
Every morning I got up early to collect shells and see the sunrise. I also saw shore birds: sanderlings and spotted sandpipers.
Once I arrived in partial darkness to find a man grinning at me like a maniac. I later realized he just wanted me to appreciate his art work.
Don has lived in Neptune Beach for over 30 years and has a comortable guest room. He has made much of the furniture in his home.
Don is fortunate in that all his children live close. I got to reconnect with my neice Dainya and she as sweet as she was as a little girl. Her husband Kendell is a great guy.
Don often baby-sits his grandson Alex, son to Don and his wife Yamina (sorry if I mispelled it) . Don and Yamina gave me lots of compunter advice, some of which I remember.
One of my travel goals was to see St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., if you don't count, Acoma, the pueblo in New Mexico. It's fort is the most impressive I have ever seen. It is made of coquina, a combination of shells and rock. When it was struck by a cannon ball, it only dented, the rock does not shatter. The fort changed hands by treaty but was never captured.
I overheard the ranger talking about the firing squad wall and Don and I found it. The ranger said that the soldiers must have been poor shots because some of the bullet holes are very high. My pool mate worked as a travel agent and had seen other walls. She said she had been told by guides that the reason bullet holes were high was because some of the soldiers did not want to kill.
Yamina works for a hotel and she was able to get us free passes to all the sites. We saw the colonial quarters and the old school house. I was glad that I didn't noitce until I left the school that it was held up by gigantic chains.
We rode the Old Town Trolley and saw many hotels and mansions built by the oil baron, Flager.
We also visited the Jail Museum. We saw a cage where they put naughty prisoners. They hang the cage from a tree. This is why prisoners are called jail birds.
Don had to pick up medication at the naval base and took me and Alex along. They allowed pictures.
On another day we went for lunch a a charming seaside resataurnt. It included a museum where the owner exhibited his model ships.
On Sunday Don and his friend Ed took me to a Jaguar game. They lost miserably to the Dolphins. The home team dominated the field but two interceptions that led to touchdowns, did them in. Otherwise, Miami did not seem to be making much of an effort. I had a great time!
Don indulged me by taking me and Alex to the Guana, Tolomata, Matanzas to look for bird. We got lost but Alex was a real trooper. We found a great blue heron, king fisher, black vulture , boat tail grackles and from the spotting scope in the museum, a bald eagle. When we got home I had Alex write his name and the date next to the pictures in my bird guide. The next couple of days Alex asked to write his name next to birds he saw on the play ground. (I cannot support the accuracy of these sightings.)
Close to Don is the Beach Museum. There is an exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Dora. There is a Episcapalian Church that was moved four times, that is a favorite place for local weddings and a train used to transfer lumber.
On the way to the beach the first morning, I saw a bottle tree. Bottle trees and not found in the midwest. When Terri my friend in Missouri said she was going to show me one I thought I was going to see a real tree. By far the best examples were the ones build by Terry, the Cartographer.
Then I saw another at the Audobon Zoo in New Orleans. I went to take a picture of the one on Don's street and Don, Alex and Dainya came along.
Bottle tree is between Don and Dainya in background. The owner and artist, Michele Whitley came out and for the first time, I got an explantion. She confirmed that the origins date back to the colonial period. The bottles were suppose to trap evil spirts. Michelle asked us if we wanted to see the project she was currently working on. As soon as she explained that it was a stepping stone, Alex stepped up on it and ruined it. Michele was gracious and insisted that she could repair it.
Michele explained that she was a surrogate bee keeper. She kept the hives but her neighbor maintained them.
I saw Michele on the beach most mornings when I collected shells. One day she introduced me to the mayor of Neptune Beach. Every morning the mayor takes a picture of the sunrise.
I got my shells home without any undo trouble including the horseshoe grab.
The leaves on the maple tree outside my balcony had turned color.
When I unpacked I discovered that Alex had put some little gifts in my suitcase.
