Moving On

Here we are in the end of March! Where has the winter gone? Our coach has gone from spanking new with that fresh smell to having a growing list of necessities out on the kitchen countertop (all four feet of it.) The white twin-sized bed mattress covers that were perfectly sized when folded for the dogs to lay on have become permanently stained and have been replaced with dovetail cut connectable foam floor covering squares and two guitars have filled the space between the front cab captain's chairs which have been turned backward-facing. Though the sea water is still not warm enough to swim in without a wetsuit, the days are warm enough that we are using air conditioning more and more, and thoughts of cooler climate are creeping into our minds.

The resort where we are parked, Keys Palms, has become more and more empty as the days roll by. That is good because we get full private use of the pool and hot tub more often, but it is bad in that more often the summer campers descend upon the park over the weekends. Summer campers bring loads of children, gallons of alcohol, and overwhelming high volume cacophony. Don't get me wrong. I love children, but when the parents don't know how to use indoor voices, neither do their children and when the parents are plastered, the children run free in and around the pool and on the seawall, unsupervised, leaving the other campers to watch over them. I found it uncomfortable telling someone else's young children not to full-on run, eyes covered, on the very edge of the pool on a dare from the other children. There have been groups of people in the pool and hot tub right by our coach at 2:00 a.m., each person trying to be heard over the others, laughing just as loud in between gulps of margaritas. The morning light reveals empty cups and bottles strewn around the pool and campground, and dark circles under our eyes from the lack of sleep.

I'm not unhappy by a long shot, but it's time to move on.

The biggest reason we are still here is because Michael had surgery to remove his cancer and we are allowing him ample recovery time. The doctor was pleased and felt that he had gotten it all out. That was two weeks ago today. It was harder on him than we had anticipated and he is still having a few issues in his recovery though he continues getting better. We heard and read that some people were on the golf course two days after this procedure and this was our expectation. What we found out was that this was the exception and not the norm. It didn't quite work out that way for Michael. The good news is that the remaining issues are manageable and time should return him to a pain-free, fully functional, cancer-free state of being. We are so deeply grateful to the good Lord for leading us to this surgeon, and for guiding the surgeon's hands through a successful procedure. We are grateful that this surgery was available to Michael and that he now has a new lease on life.

For the next few days, I will raise my face to feel and delight in the coolness of the morning sea breeze. I will smile when the seagulls are stirred up and vocal. I will laugh when a stork usurps a post in the water from a seagull and the seagull squawks in anger and then usurps another post from a different gull, starting a domino effect among the birds. I'll sit quietly and enjoy listening to the palm fronds flapping against each other when a breath of air blows through them. I'll watch with curiosity as the iguanas absorb the heat from the sun on the rocks that make up the sea wall. I'll be still while watching the movement of the current in the deep blue water and allow myself to feel the same movement inside of me when I close my eyes. These are all things I have become used to over the winter and things which I don't want to take for granted. I want to gain as much pleasure from them as I can, while I can, for soon those sights and sounds will be replaced with different and just as wonderful sights, sounds, and sensations. They are all God's touches from the breeze on my cheek to the movement of the currents. Appreciating them and being grateful is my way of worshipping Him.

What did we do this winter? I'm going to start with what we didn't do. We had expectations and visions of fishing, diving, and swimming with our pack of border collies. What we found out is that no less than 20 calls were placed to boat captains trying to secure charter boats for fishing and diving. Apparently none of these people need income because only one returned our calls and wound up taking us out. This was our experience with RV cleaning businesses as well. We didn't get into the water and play with our dogs. We also didn't find any hole in the wall seaside cantinas that served excellent umbrella drinks from the decks of which we could watch sunsets and listen to live music. (Michael doesn't drink anyway.) We did not tour Earnest Hemingway's home or see the Key West place that Eisenhour used for his second white house. We didn't see the museums or the sunken statues, nor did we go on photo expeditions. We didn't walk down touristy streets popping into cute stores and shopping for unique things to commemorate our time here. We didn't take a tour of the keys restaurants together with the sole fun purpose of finding the best key lime pie. The cancer prohibited most of this.

However this winter, I learned to drive a 60 foot long entourage of RV and Jeep. I wrote this blog, an outlet I had wanted to pursue for years. Michael and I grew closer and clung together as we fought the cancer together. We got him out of the altitude and cold of Colorado and down to sea level and into a beautiful setting. We got a little sun and each of us has a little tan. We read. I've read more this winter than I have for the last few years combined and even allowed myself some fiction, a break from normal for me. We spent many evenings in the hot tub and pools watching the sun set through fiery amber cloud formations. Live music could even be heard in the distance from Keys Palms resort on certain nights. We went on walks with our dogs, even jogging on the beach in Carrabelle. The dogs got to run and chase birds like they could only have fantasized about before while in Carrabelle, though they have been mostly confined since then for the majority of the winter. We climbed a lighthouse and watched a boat parade at Christmas. We threw the dogs into the water though we, ourselves, didn't go in except for a few times when we had our wetsuits on and had rented kayaks. We did rent kayaks, though, and paddled around, even catching a lobster under a sunken pleasure craft. We went diving once and Michael tried to get in some spear fishing though the government has severely limited what fish you can catch and when you can catch them. We played guitar and sang from our hearts with a group of our neighbors in Geiger Key. We found some of the best calamari and a fish tacos in the Keys and ate as much of it as we could. Last but not least, we got to meet some interesting and delightful people.

In summary, it has been pleasant and we will be back to finish off the wish list of things to do. We might be back sooner if Michael could spear fish for hogfish or grouper. Where does the future take us? We don't know. Somewhere cooler. We do miss our families and it's time we move on. Thursday evening after rush hour traffic dies down in the Miami area we will be found motoring north. Goodbye Florida. We enjoyed you.