Greetings From Not So Sunny Florida!

I have been in Crescent City since Friday night which has been mostly good for my soul. I miss Florida terribly as I have said over and over because of the people. Even if it has been overcast or rainy the majority of the time I've been here . . .

This is what the better weather this weekend looked like. Source.

That Sprout, my mom, and I went to a volunteer recruitment event at my sister's fire station on Saturday afternoon. This was a lot of fun, even though That Sprout wound up pinching her finger while doing the Fire Man's Relay and bleeding like a stuck pig. Thankfully, it was a fire station and there were plenty of trained professionals on hand. After they calmed her down and gave her a band-aid she was ready to play again. Meanwhile, I wound up seeing one of my former classmates who is now a forest ranger. I can honestly say that Smokey the Bear and I went to first grade together.

On Saturday night I hung around Palatka with a friend and waited for my sister to call me. She never called me. I don't know why. I guess I'll have to hang out with her on my  next visit. Meanwhile, I had a very enjoyable evening catching up with my aforementioned friend.

Sunday was a very good day. I got up early to have breakfast with my old friend Gellie. We had not been in touch for the past 10 years or so and only recently reconnected via Facebook. Say what you want about social media - it has it's uses. Anyway, we had breakfast, went to St. Mark's for church, and then hung out all afternoon. It was very like old times and we had conversations that needed to be had.

 One of the best parts of the day was seeing all the stained glass her dad did at St. Marks again, and seeing the art he'd done that used to hang in the house she lived in before he passed. I don't miss him nearly as much as she does, but God do I miss him.  I can't wait to be back in town so we can do it all over again. Oh, how I wish we lived closer. I need friends like her around so badly.

St. Mark's: The Oldest Church in Palatka. Source. 

After I left her house j^C and I took my mom out to dinner at the River Pub in Fruitland. I had an Italian sub which was pretty good, but left me feeling very sleepy. This could have also been a result of the copious amounts of sweets I consumed at Gellie's house - we may never know. All I know is that after dinner I watched about half of the new Cinderella movie and went to bed.

This morning j^C, That Sprout, and I went to DeLeon Springs to have pancakes at The Old Spanish Sugar Mill. I wish I had thought to take some pictures, but alas, I did not. Next time I suppose. The thing about The Sugar Mill that is so cool is that you get to cook your own pancakes right there at the table. That Sprout is especially fond of this novelty. Furthermore, the springs are right outside the door of the restaurant. You can swim while you wait for your table and swim to burn off your pancakes. If you are ever in the area, you should really check it out.

Once we left DeLeon Springs we ventured to Welaka to visit the Fish Hatchery Aquarium. There was a baby alligator in a tank with some turtles. He was so cute! Alas, again I neglected to take pictures. I was feeling a bit foggy today. The aquarium is humble, but it's also free and That Sprout always has a good time looking at the fish and chasing the lizards that live in the flower beds just outside the door.

Now we are cooking dinner for my mom. I told That Sprout that she could be in charge of the cooking but since we got a frozen lasagna, frozen garlic bread, and a Caesar salad kit, there's not a lot for her to do. But she will feel accomplished.

Tomorrow I will have to say goodbye to my homeland as we are heading back to Fayetteville. My new home city is growing on me. I have met a lot of really great people lately who are making Fayetteville a lot more livable. Schan has even offered me a gig guest blogging on her website. My very first post went up today. You can check it out here. Meanwhile, I guess the cliche is true. There's no place like home.

Be is ever so humble . . .
Source.