Wishful Thinking

 

We took a short visit to the Capital Forest State Park in Perry, Florida. It is all about the early homesteaders and the logging industry.

Cracker homestead at Capital Forest State Park

Cracker porch

Bedroom

They don't call them long leaf pines for nothing!

 

It's been cold in Florida. Bitter cold. We have been holed up for three nights trying to keep Turtle's pipes from freezing. No one goes out, the wind is raw, unforgiving. Sunny Florida. Soon this strange weather will go away, we hope, and we will be back to gathering pictures and story ideas out in the bright sunshine. Dare we hope a bike ride?

This weather makes me long for Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The weather there varies between a high of 90, to 70, a low of 70 to 40. The humidity varies between 30 and 70 percent, and the sun shines most days. A downpour in the afternoon in monsoon season inks the skies and makes the sugar cane leaves shine. The surf pounds the white sand and fills the air with the scent of salt and ions. The cockies and magpies cry with mischief, and life. Sub tropical flowers bloom year round and caress with their ever present scent. The lifesaving clubs and pubs pulse with life all the day, and night, long. No place is perfect; there are man killing snakes longer than a Hummer, lethal jellyfish and crocodiles in the surf. Some places are worth the risk. A few years ago one could vacation (even live) on the South Queensland coast like the rich, on a middle class American budget. No more. Our unwise and unnecessary national debt has sent the dollar plunging in value throughout the developed world.

Finally today, the weather is warming into the 50's and the sun is out. We are of course still inside, this time at a library. We just accepted another assignment due the middle of this month, so the work goes on. I am looking forward to exploring the Florida Panhandle. We were there in Turtle One our first long trip out in 1997-98 and really enjoyed a couple of the state parks. I remember the beaches and wetlands as being special. This time we'll take pictures!