Jamie's Birthday Extravaganza (Kid Stuff)

 

Sunsets as viewed from sea are no more beautiful than those seen from land, but they do tend to inspire greater awe.  The boundless union of water and sky together with an ever changing fusion of color and light never fails to beget a divine inspiration. 

That is one reason that on December 12, 2023, Jamie and I set sail on a 12 day cruise across the Atlantic from Lisbon, Portugal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Then, once in Florida, we rented a car and proceeded to explore just a sliver's worth of Southern Florida for the next 7 days.

A second reason, and probably more motivating, was an event of a lifetime.  Jamie turned 60 on December 27 and we wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion. 

The links below contain a few thoughts and pictures garnered over our 3 week adventure. 

Somewhere, somehow, during our trip I became conscious of the the fact that there are now some 8 billion souls inhabiting our planet.  Forty five million individuals were added to our population in the '23 calendar year alone.  During one of those "inspirational" sunsets, I found the need to write about a particular friend - one of the eight billion.  The first link includes some of those thoughts:

Link------Voyagers in Passing

Other sights along the way:

Link------Lisbon and the Viking Neptune

Link------The Keys

Link------Quicksand

Link------Christmas Day on Dry Tortugas

Link------The Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve

The Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve (Kid Stuff)

Water, water everywhere.  So different than home.  Yet, stunningly beautiful....and diverse.  Pictures can tell it better than me.

A purple gallinule seeking out supper.

They would turn over the Lilly pads and find insects. 

How's this for some bad nature photography.  Those are Manatees.
Sometimes they would raise their head out of the water and snort,
but we were never quick enough to capture the moment.  

Sawgrass for as far as the eye can see -
prairie like but fresh water flowing slowly over the entire base.

Smallest Post Office in the US.

My avifauna identification skills are exceeded only by my
nature photography skills.  I have no idea what this guy is.

I think this is an American crocodile.

I think this is an American alligator.

Alligator hole.
Alligators form holes by using their feet and snouts
to clear muck from depressions in the limestone bedrock.

Big Cypress grove.

Bromeliads, aka Air Plants.

Now this one I know for sure.
Two hams on a boardwalk.

Thanks for taking a look.

Christmas Day on Dry Tortugas (Kid Stuff)

In 1513, the famous explorer Juan Ponce de León stumbled upon 11 small keys 68 miles west of Key West, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. Intrigued by the abundance of sea turtles, he named the small islands Las Tortugas. However, the name later evolved to Dry Tortugas as a caution to seafarers that there was no fresh water to be found on the islands. Warnings be what they may, there are believed to be some 250 to 300 shipwrecks scattered across the islands and surrounding reefs. The exact number is difficult to pinpoint as hurricanes periodically churn the sands, thereby obscuring any remains. Indeed, the seas have reclaimed four keys themselves, leaving the seven keys as we know them today.

In 1821, Dry Tortugas was ceded by Spain to the United States as part of the Adams-Onís Treaty. This treaty ended the Florida Purchase negotiations and formalized the border between the United States and Spanish Florida. Not long thereafter, a lighthouse was built on Loggerhead Key and Fort Jefferson was constructed on Garden Key. The fort's construction consisted of some 16 million bricks and the fortress initially fulfilled the duty of an advanced post in defense of the Gulf Coast. Later, the outpost served as a Union prisoner-of-war camp during the Civil War followed by a period of disrepair as the result of neglect, vandalism, and repeated storms. President Franklin D. Franklin designated the area a National Monument in 1935 and on October 26, 1992, Dry Tortugas became a National Park.

For some time now, Dry Tortugas has been somewhere on my ever changing bucket list. So, I decided to give myself a Christmas gift - with Jamie's blessing of course. Yes, it came to be that on Christmas Day, 2023, Jamie and I boarded the the Yankee Freedom III, the daily passenger ferry from Key West to Dry Tortugas. The catamaran accommodates 250 passengers and is licensed by the National Park Service. Out we headed for the 2.5 hour crossing, 4 hours at the park itself, and the 2.5 hour ride back despite Doug's TRAVEL RULE #1 - never go on a tour which requires more travel time than actual boots-on-the-ground sightseeing time.

Now, Dry Tortugas was anything but "dry" on this day. Indeed, we stepped off the boat into a blowing mist which within the hour turned into a continual, drenching downpour. Did I say blowing? That would be a politician-like understatement. The boat ride in both directions proved to be anything but smooth. Let's just say that vomit bags and spaces on the gunnels were hot commodities among my fellow passengers. Thankfully, Jamie and I had taken a meclizine pill prior to boarding - one of mankind's greatest inventions along with sun screen. The motion sickness medicine surely helped but my real defense proved to be a simple mental distraction. I tried to focus on the horizon and repeatedly sang in my mind the lyrics from an old sitcom comedy:

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Two fifty souls set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Freedom would be lost, the Freedom would be lost.

                                                                               The Ballad of Gilligan's Island                                  

                                                                               George Wyle and Sherwood Swartz                           

Regardless all that, Dry Tortugas was fascinating and I'm glad we did it. However, our pictures were disappointing. They failed to capture any of the vivid turquoise blues and greens that I had hoped to see. Also, the exploration of nooks and crannies was cut short. Nor were we able to get in the water as the surf had kicked up so much sand that a swim would be anything but enjoyable. As such, the first picture posted is a copy off the internet which I assume portrays the place as it is on probably 360 days out of the year.

Garden Key and Fort Jefferson.
Photographer unknown.

Right off the boat.
Perhaps that red flag was somehow weather related.

Cannon bays that housed some of the 464 total.

The fort is six sided.
The moat is singular in structure encompassing the whole fort.

Looking out at the Yankee Freedom III.

A local resident.

15-inch Rodman
with Garden Key Light on the far wall.

And then it started to rain.

Quicksand (Kid Stuff)

Forever seeking the path less traveled, our explorations on this morning found us forsaking any number of beautiful State Parks and opting to reconnoitre Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve, Big Pine Key, Florida.

"Don't worry, Jamie.  It looks pretty solid here along the edges.  Follow me."  

(unmute)

The initial breakthrough and suction with subsequent flounder and extrication are best left to the imagination.  Besides, an unnamed camera-person seems to have been otherwise distracted.

The white shoes make a statement of their own, don't you think? 

    

 

The Keys (Kid Stuff)

 

The architecture of Key West.

A roadside bar serving up
caesar salad, peel-and-eat shrimp, and white sangria.

The Keys were connected by rail in the early 1900's.

The remnants are larger than life in some places,
barely visible above the waterline in others.

View from Bahia Honda State Park.
Pronounced Bah-EE-ah OWN-da.

Canals take the place of neighborhood streets.

Out the windshield view of
US Route 1 - the Overseas Highway.

Bright colors everywhere.

Two hams again.
This time at Southernmost point buoy.
We opted for a picture on the back side as there was a line
a block long of people waiting to take selfies on the front side - truly.

Lisbon and the Viking Neptune (Kid Stuff)

Our adventure started in Lisbon, Portugal.  After 17 hours in the air and 27 hours plus door-to-door, we spent much of our time in this beautiful city fast asleep.  Wherever we go we are conscious of the fact that only a very small fraction of the whole is experienced.   Sometimes I wonder if the costs outweigh the benefits.  But no....even as I write this my mind is reprioritizing my mental, virtual "bucket list".  By the Grace of God, we'll be blessed with the opportunity to taste but a morsel once again.

 

Glória Funicular, Old Town District  

Larger-than-life street art

Meat tray at a small, hole-in-the-wall, side-street restaurant.
Wonderful tastes but wondering which would get me first -
a clogged artery or the explosion.

Jamie on the Square of Trade with
statue of King José I and
Rua Augusta Arch beyond

Avenue of Freedom
decorated for the Season.

Small portion of a Christmas Village from across Eduard VII Park.
The Christmas Village was
 one part neighborhood light display competition,
two parts Puyallup fair (complete with rides and junk food),
three parts arts and crafts festival,
with a pinch of department store Santa's workshop.

Untold miles of tile sidewalks
and cobblestone streets.
The little lady with cane was a perfect fit.

The Alfama District, Lisbon's oldest
as seen during the embarkation process onto the Viking Neptune.
The embarkment center was thoroughly modern facility
that had long ago been a tobacco quay.

    

Pachelbel - Canon in D major.

The Viking Stringed duet as seen from the 3rd level in the Atrium.

My Sister Carol played this for Jamie and me at our wedding.

It brings a tear to my eye.

A portion of the ginger bread house display
as seen at the top of the video previous.

The reflections and refractions of light were fascinating in the quiet. 

OK.  Pretty lame.  But I still liked it.

Jamie enjoying afternoon tea.
This day was not her birthday but she celebrated her 60th during the trip.

Altogether now -

Hip hip Hooray!
Hip hip Hooray!!
Hip hip Hooray!!!

Jolly good!  

A tight squeeze into Nassau Harbor, The Bahamas.
That's the Atlantis Resort on the horizon
with four behemoths already docked.
The gauntlet of t-shirt shops was quite impressive
as we walked towards Old Town.

Abandoned street cafe.
Many shops and establishments were shuttered.
Likely the aftermath of Covid.

Two hams in front of the Government House, The Bahamas.
Ouch! - Some sit-ups are in order. 

Voyagers in Passing (God Moments)

By chance they come.  At first, a mere spec.  In time, the blemish rises from behind the line that separates water from sky and a silhouette begins to materialize.  Tiny but discernible nonetheless.  A rare few approach to a distance where flag and registry are perceptible - albeit the aid of binoculars is required.  So vast the ocean.  So meager the deeds of man.

Still, we watch and wonder not only of those that have passed but of those that have yet to appear.  When will the next sighting occur?  Where are these ships destined?   What burdens do they bear?  What stresses have their hulls endured?  What lessons are theirs to share?

As with those ships that traverse the endless waters, so too are our relationships with our fellow souls as we each journey through a unique, uncharted life. The vast majority voyage past....unnoticed.  Much like the proverbial ships that pass in the night.  Others, whose numbers seem large but are in fact puny relative to the whole, race past on the freeway or grocery store isle and leave a conscious mark little more than a blur.  Then again, some are routinely encountered with meetings marked by the casual glance and an inner will to move along before any actual connection is developed.  Brief and fleeting is the norm.  Still, a few relations quickly join and yes, flourish as the winds of fate carry two wayfarers forward in tandem.  On they go within the joy of relationship - God given and memorable.  Then, without warning or intent, those special people that truly touch our lives are gone. The air roars into a gale or possibly fades to complete stillness….and the union breaks.  The drift apart is irreversible and the void between ever widens.  Is there blame to be placed?  Perhaps the truth of the matter lies in the fact that no one stays in one place - physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

Nonetheless, there are a mere handful, dare I say precious, relationships that survive the test of time.  These connections are defined by a bond that defies all logic, and indeed, not only grow stronger as the waves of life carry us forward but as the froth turns back and against as well.

A few days before we set sail on this adventure, my friend of 47 years, a man named Harold, died. 

While our tacks varied, as dictated by life’s winds, our courses crossed again and again over the years.  Each encounter strengthening the friendship.  In time, we knew each other’s joy and also came to trust the other with insights into our respective individual demons.  Harold never flinched.  Humbly, I would like to think that he found my support of him in like measure.

I miss my friend.

Assuredly, life in the here and now is a mystery.  How much more-so life after death.  Regardless, Harold had a simple faith….and simple is the best kind of faith….in The Savior.  I’m consoled by the knowledge that Harold is now with Christ Jesus and in that communion, Harold’s joy is full.   The thought makes me smile.

And that belief is enough for now.