and baby makes 6!

Thank God the lion sleeps tonight

If I didn’t know any better, I would say that they built our house smack dab in the middle of a nature preserve. The amount of wild life here is fantabulous, and daily we are introduced to an array of little furry, slithery, wacky neighbors.

Meet Snakey

I had the pleasure of opening my front door and finding this rough green snake on the porch. Cory caught it, fed it a few crickets, then placed it back in the bush that it apparently lives in and we photographed it.

In the last couple of weeks, the animal tally has included:

-a coral snake
-a copperhead
-a baby ribbon snake
-a rough green snake
-numerous deer
-whistle ducks
-a baby cardinal

The baby cardinal fell out of a nest in the front yard, and I found it very early this morning huddled in the wet, cold grass. It had very few feathers and was shivering. I got Cory and Bill, and the enormous ladder, and my husband crawled up it and was able to place the tiny peeping baby into the very high nest with its siblings. (It is a myth that the mother will “smell” human scent and reject the baby….always, always try to place the bird back in the nest….if the nest is too high, create a makeshift nest, put the baby in it and place it as close to the other as possible).

We had a family of whistle ducks in our backyard a few weeks back, and had to hustle the tiny ducklings out of the yard and into the safety of the forest while both parents worked with us like herding dogs.

One night, I awoke in the middle of the night. I got up to check the kids, and as I passed the front door, peeped outside and saw a fox in the front yard.

Bobcats roam the forest land behind our house, so we have to bring Honey in at night…..not that we would ever leave her out at night. The dog is spoiled rotten and has her own spot reserved on our bed.

It is boy heaven here, no doubt.

Which brings me to the copperhead that I listed above. Yes, we had a viper in the yard as I mentioned in my previous post. It was right on the other side of the fence. I was working on the fence, and saw it slithering against the bottom, obviously curious to see what was making the scratching noise on the fence (I was scraping sand off of it). I grabbed a shovel, called for Bill and climbed the fence (all 6 feet of it).

As I stood on the top of the fence, Cory came out and climbed up too. We jumped down on the other side at a safe distance from the viper, and Cory said “What are you planning to do with that shovel mom?” My original intent was to kill the snake. But I stood there looking at it, then back to Cory and he pleaded “No mom, please don’t do that. If you kill it, there are probably 20 others watching from the forest. You can’t kill them all.”

The snake coiled up and just watched us. There was no aggression, and even when I moved to put the shovel near it, it did not strike. Cory got a long stick, and together with the shovel scooped it up and moved it a safe distance away from the fence. We were never in any danger and the snake slithered off into the forest.

After the coral snake incident, I was talking on the phone with someone, and she asked why we did not kill the snakes. When I explained to her that I didn’t think that was right, she said something like “Well, when one bites one of your kids and kills them, you may think differently”. They live in the country and frequently kill skunks, raccoons and other animals that “trespass” on the property (digging and what not). In an e-mail that I read out loud to Bill, we were told that squirrels were raiding the deer feeder and that if they could not keep them out with chicken wire, they would be prime targets for the gun, because the “corn is expensive”. Cody overheard me, and he said “What a horrible person, who wrote that?” and we told him who and he said “That makes me feel so sad”. Me too, son. Me too.

I have to ask, what is the point of living in the country if you kill all the wildlife that call it their home?

Cory is right. We have had 2 coral snakes in the front yard. If we had killed the first one, do you think that would have prevented the second one from coming into the yard? If I had killed the copperhead, do you think that it will make my yard immune to snakes?

We are firm believers in relocation when it is safe, not annihilation.

I can do my best to make my yard safe for the kids. Before they go out to play, I walk the area, and make sure there are no snakes. That is how I found the baby bird this a.m..

But I refuse to kill the animals to make our yard sterile and safe.

This neighborhood and all of the animals in it are lovely. I chose to exist with them. Not tower above the creatures, forcing my dominance on them, making my world “safe”.

The point is to leave as little of our fingerprint as possible.

My children will grow up and understand this concept, if I show it to them now.

To be true as the tide
And free as the wind-swell
Joyful and loving in letting it be.

He’d rather be sailing

The grooms cake at our wedding was German chocolate cake. Across the front the baker had scrawled “I’d rather be sailing”.

This is my husband in his happy place. He has always been and always will be content wherever he is, but it sure is nice to see him in his element.

Trolling

She didn’t catch a thing, but then again that wasn’t the point. Just being back there watching the wake was what it was all about.

Hang in the moment, my friends.

Wing on wing

Heading down wind, sometimes the jib (front sail) just needs to flop over on the opposite side from the mainsail. This is called sailing wing on wing. I love this point of sail on a day with just enough wind to keep both sails out.

It was the kind of day that had us jumping off the bow of the boat and swimming around to the stern as the boat glided by. Bill had thrown a line and flotation device off the stern, so as the boat sailed past, you could grab it and pull yourself to the swim ladder.

We anchored at our favorite island, grilled some sausage, and spent most of our time in the water.

I can handle a summer filled with days like that. No doubt.

Bouyancy

Salt water is like a healing balm. There is nothing like immersing your body in it.

It frees your mind and calms your soul.

Slip into the liquid, dudes.

No friend of Jack

I have this problem with my oldest.

You see, this house we live in is surrounded by wildness. Alligators, foxes, bobcats, coyotes.

And my son loves wildlife. He loves it in a way that is visceral and instinctual.

This weekend my friend S and her dad both smiled and laughed when I vained bewilderment about where he gets it from. They know me and are perfectly educated about my animal exploits.

So yes, I was like him, but he is so….much braver. Much more aggressive and forward with his passion. Maybe the difference between male and female, I don’t know. But some of the stuff he does I would never attempt.

Yes, I have a problem. It looks something like this:

What? You don’t see the problem? Here, take a closer look.

And closer yet.

Hint: “Red on yellow, kill a fellow”

My husband, the genius, came inside this morning saying, for the second time since living here: “Cory, blah blah blah, CORAL SNAKE, blah blah blah” and we all ran outside to VIEW the pretty little snake. View I say.

Only, while I was standing there, wondering how in the hell I was ever going to let my barefoot children step foot in the grass EVER AGAIN, to my horror, my son reached down and plucked it up by its tail.

Yes, that is what I said….HE PICKED UP THE CORAL SNAKE WITH HIS BARE HANDS.

And I died. Right then and there. It was insane. But I didn’t go to the light. Instead, I had flashbacks of kissing his fat baby feet and hands and now I was watching as those same hands held deceptive beauty. Bill said something like “My God son, put that down”. I was calmly hysterical, yelling “Drop it. Drop it”.

See how well he listens.

Yes, I know. You are all agast. How could I let my son pick up a poisonous snake. Well, you tell me what you would have done???? Reach over and yank it out of his hands? Ground him off the Wii? This is so much bigger than that. 2 weeks ago a Copperhead found its way to our fence, and my son had hopped the fence with me and was begging me not to kill it with the shovel. Instead he grabbed a long stick and the shovel and maneuvered it safely away from the house.

I said “Cory, I can’t have that thing near my yard” and he replied “Mom, if you kill that one, there are probably 20 others watching from the grass out there. You can’t kill them all, you know”.

We have told him repeatedly not to pick up snakes in the wild. We have said this until we are blue in the face. We have grounded him. Taken away privileges. We think it sinks in, and then our 10yo will tell us that Cory chased a Cottonmouth at the creek. So we ground him forever from the creek here…..seriously.

I am thinking we must build on this…whatever it is he has…this snake charming, amphibian loving gift.
I will be making some calls etc to people I know in the field……he needs a professional herpatologist to discuss the safety issues with him. He is 13 and we are his ignorant parents.

And beyond a shadow of a doubt, he has surpassed his mom in his animal exploits.

The littlest hippie

Miss Mimi sporting the latest and greatest in beach bum hair fashion………the hippie hair wrap.

Mom got some too.

Way, way south

What? Did you think we took off on the boat, never to return again? Oh how I wish, but no.

We went way, way south with a very dear friend and her 2 girls. Awesomeness was had by all, and the mommies reconnected over some yummy adult beverages. We had not seen each other in person in over 7 years. We talk on the phone several times a week, but life makes it hard for us to meet up face to face. We have vowed to change that, and ski trips and Mexico vacations were discussed over margaritas in a palapa as the kids frolicked in the sand under the rising moon.

Summer is in full swing, and life is going full speed ahead. Boat trips, trailer trips and all the fun they entail are in our future, but no solid plans have been made.

We are just rolling with the tides right now, taking time to applaud the rising moon over the ocean and the brilliant sun setting on days spent under her brilliant light.

Today was particularly wonderful in that my friend Chris got the “all clear” on a recent CAT scan she had. Now THAT is worth a thousand fabulous moon rises and sunsets.

It’s all good and then some.

Dune flowers

A splash of color against a sun bleached beach.

Little, balancing birds

Flowers for the ballerina

On the ocean, you can hear Creation

Sometimes I believe I can hear the Earth spinning on its axis, and it’s difficult not to cry out with the perfection of it all”…..Captain Fatty Goodlander, “Lovely, Lonely Atolls”, Cruising World June 2008

The written word can be such a powerful thing. It has the ability to pluck on your heart strings and send your soul flying above the din and chaos.

Good writing must stir your soul: it can make you laugh out loud, cry with joy or sorrow or make your heart swell with complete and total rapture.

If you want to know what sailing feels like to me, subscribe to Cruising World and read Captain Fatty’s articles….particularly the one I referenced above. You can also hear him on NPR.

He writes poetry of the sea.

The summer of my German Soldier

Here is a random image. Look how adorable Mia is in her little ballerina outfit. And Bill got new shorts. Plaid is in again, you know. Especially with Quicksilver. He got some Topsiders too and actually wore them……when he walked out of the bedroom with his Crocs on, I threatened him with grave bodily harm if he was even seriously considering that sad ensemble.

Does anyone see anything else special about this photo? Anything that simply, you know, contradicts anything involving water and sand……because it is not like we are surrounded by water and sand or anything.

We work our swabs to the bone

Crashing on deck after a day of pirate play…..such is the life of a coastal kid.

Inching out of the spotlight

It gets pretty toasty on the boat. Our bimini does not completely cover the cockpit, so when you are at the helm, you are in full sun. Bill has spent a considerable amount of his life in the sun surfing, so in the above pic, he was streeeeeeeeetching to the helm from the cover of the bimini.

I have had numerous people ask me where my archives went. They have expressed that the posts that I wrote about Bill were very moving and that I should put my categories back up so that others could read them in the future.

Each and every post is still available online, but you have to scroll back one page at a time to view them. Why did I do this?

Well, the simple fact of the matter is I wrote some very personal and heart felt posts about my husband. Everything that we went through, we did it together (the whole one body thing you know), so it was my story as well as his. But the thing is, when we moved, I felt that it was important to give him some privacy, therefore I removed my archives.

Until Wordpress comes up with a mass edit (HINT, HINT WORDPRESS) or until I sift through 800 or so posts and re-organize my archives, hang tight with posts from the present or recent past…..or if you are really patient, you can sift through 800 pages of my blabber.

Bill inched into the shade, and brought my archives with him. They’ll be back soon……with just a tad bit more sunscreen.

Father, daughter

2 years ago this month, life flipped upside down on hits head, and told us this was the new normal….being topsy turvy and full of anxiety. If you told me back then that all was going to be okay, I would have filleted you.

I saw the above sight on Saturday, and really thought I might just sit down on the steps of that auditorium and have a good cry.

My husband was here with us, well and fit, to watch his tiny daughter dance.

Folks, THAT is the definition of paradise. Not the sand between my toes or the salty wind in my hair.

If you are surrounded by the ones you love, and can feel the presence of God in the turn of your life, then you tell me what else could you possible need.

First recital

No words. It was so precious it almost killed me.

Yes, if I have to go, please make it death by precious overload.