September, 2020 | Sailing For The Son

Connecting Covid Style

My plan to connect with my mom during the pandemic.

I find myself in the middle of September 2020, aching to hug my mom; yet thankful that she is safe.

My mom, Mary, moved into The Heritage at Fox Run last year. It was a great move for her. At Fox Run she knows that she is safe and free to be herself. She no longer feels the need to hide the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has stolen her ability drive, manage her own medications, or even cook a simple meal for herself. Not able to cook a simple meal. Wow, that must have really hit her hard. The widow of a policeman and mother of six kids, avid gardener and coupon master, mom had always been ready with a home cooked meal. Not to mention homemade bread and cinnamon rolls! Food was always ready and abundant for our family, and for anyone else who showed up at mealtime. We ate dinner as a family every night, and we often had friends join us at the table. Along the back of the table was a bench (as opposed to chairs); with a bench there was always room for at least a couple more! I still don’t know how mom always had enough food on the table even though she never knew how many extra people might show up.

Living at Fox Run, my mom is safely cared for by people who tirelessly fix her meals, do her laundry, clean her apartment, dispense her meds and provide entertaining activities.

My husband and I would take mom out to lunch every Saturday, then I would wash and style her hair. Every week she talked about how she loves to have her hair combed and how it always reminds her of how her dad would pay her a nickel to comb his hair when she was a child. That tickled me because her dad was all but bald by the time I knew him. My brother-in-law, Jay, would pick mom up on Saturday evenings, take her to Mass and then out to dinner. Other friends and family also visited often.

Enter the Covid 19 worldwide pandemic. On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency. On March 18, the State of Iowa recommended that assisted living facilities restrict all visitors, except in very rare circumstances. Additionally, facilities were to curtail communal dining and group activities. Fox Run put forth a heroic effort to keep all residents safe. Unfortunately, this required restricting residents to their own two-room apartments when there were active cases of Covid in the facility.

I knew that the social isolation would be hard on mom, and hard on me. Two things I didn’t know: that this pandemic would still be keeping us apart six months later (with no end in sight), and that the social isolation would have such a profound effect on mom’s physical health. I really wish that I would have noticed her physical decline. Six months ago she was practically skipping down the hallway; now she walks slowly, stooped over, with a walker.

Following a day or two of feeling sorry for myself for not having foreseen mom’s physical decline, I decided it best to make a plan and move forward. (As if there were another option.) Knowing that Fox Run was taking care of my mom’s practical needs, my new plan was to be more involved in my mom’s spiritual, emotional, and physical exercise needs.

Step One: Prayer. My mom is Catholic, and I know that she says her prayers every morning and every night. However, having not attended Mass for six months, I figured that she was missing praying with others, so I started calling her every night to say her prayers with her. We say the Catholic prayers known as the Our Father and the Hail Mary together, exchange I love you’s, and say good night. It’s sweet. Last night she told me that she sleeps so much better after we say our prayers together.

Step Two: Emotional stimulation. In addition to the daily video calls that I have been making all along, I started writing to mom once a week. She often forgets when people call her, but if she physically has the letters, then she will be constantly reminded that her family loves her.

I also asked all of my family members to call, video call and/or write to mom. My husband and I helped our preschool grandsons make almost 20 cards like these. I mail one to mom every week.

When I visit my grandsons, we video call mom together and they sing and dance for her. When they sing, “Hello Mary Lou”, mom even sings along with them. It’s so fun!

Step Three: Physical stimulation. The times that residents were quarantined to their two-room apartments pretty much curtailed mom’s physical activity altogether. Unfortunately, I was slow to figure this out. But after speaking with my daughter Becky, an Occupational Therapist, she designed an exercise routine that I can do with mom every day via video call. The routine is designed to maintain range of motion and help her regain strength in her arms and legs to facilitate walking. We do these exercises together every day now. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and we enjoy it.

No one knows how long this pandemic will plague us, keeping us “socially distanced” from our loved ones. However, teaming with Fox Run to ensure that all of mom’s needs are met, I believe that I will be hugging my mom, washing and fixing her hair, as well as taking her to her favorite restaurants before long. In the meantime, I’ll follow through with my new-found plan, and hug my grandchildren!

Everyone needs a little help in these difficult times. Who can you reach out to today?

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

It’s September 2020, and I find myself with an old-fashioned case of Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. For those of you unfamiliar with this guilt-filled condition, Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda is the sorry state of realizing that you could have, should have, and would have done things differently if you had only used the sense the good Lord gave a goose.

My mom, Mary, has Alzheimer’s disease. No longer able to live safely on her own, she moved into the Heritage at Fox Run last year. This was a great move for her. This assisted living facility is run by a talented and caring group of people who tirelessly spend their days and nights enriching the lives of the residents and ensuring that all of their needs are met. My mom was loving the activities with her new friends, the nice ladies who clean her apartment, do her laundry, dispense her meds and fix her meals. She was thriving. What’s not to love?

The Covid 19 worldwide pandemic. That’s what’s not to love. On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump issued The Proclamation on Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid 19) Outbreak, declaring a national state of emergency. On March 15, the CDC issued guidance recommending that gatherings be limited to 50 people or less. That seemed outrageous. Seriously? But that was only the beginning of progressive limitations that would become the tightest restrictions on the liberty of the American people in my mother’s lifetime. All but “essential” workers were sent home, businesses shuttered-some of which would never reopen, all schools closed-some of which have not yet reopened for the fall semester. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs. Churches were not considered “essential”, and we were told to “social distance” from our seniors and other vulnerable people. Unimaginable, huh? I can’t imagine living six months without a hug, but that is my mom’s current reality. On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, the State of Iowa recommended that all assisted living facilities restrict all visitors, except in very rare circumstances. Additionally, facilities were to told cancel all group activities and communal dining. And, as if this wasn’t bad enough, residents were actually restricted to their own two room apartments for periods of time when the facility had an active case of COVID 19.

As weeks turned into months, and the months turned into more months, I could see that the social isolation was really taking a toll on mom emotionally. Her cognitive decline was alarming. What I couldn’t see on our daily video calls was how much this isolation was affecting her physical health. Inside of four months, my mom declined from practically skipping down the hallway to slowly shuffling along the wall, stooped over, balancing herself on the handrails.

By month six (for crying out loud, when will this virus just go away) mom started falling, necessitating numerous trips to the Emergency Room. She is supposed to be using a walker now, but her Alzheimer’s causes her to forget to use it, which leads to more falls…it’s a vicious circle.

I send my mom her favorite peach tea (by the gallons!), ice cream bars, and the good chocolate cupcakes from the bakery, and try to tell myself that it helps. I call every day, and write to her every week, and hope that it makes a difference. I know that I would like those things if our positions were reversed. But deep down I know the truth, what I would really be needing most of all is hugs from my grandchildren. Grandchildren are the very best thing that God ever made!

Now, to the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. More emotional stimulation, and daily exercise-ding, ding, ding-besides prayer, my mom needs more emotional and physical exercise if she stands any chance of outliving this detestable virus and the physical restrictions that accompany it. And coming out on the other side alive appears to be the only way that mom will get hugs from her children and grandchildren on this side of heaven.

So, in classic Angie style, I waisted a few more days feeling bad and blaming myself for not taking action to ensure daily stimuli for mom starting way back in March. And, don’t get me wrong here, I secretly also blamed my friends and family who are bona fide health care professionals and Coulda foreseen mom’s rapid decline. If I Woulda used the sense the good Lord gave a goose…

Ok, pity party over, it’s time to make a plan and set it into motion the way I Shoulda done six months ago.

Step One: Prayer. My mom is Catholic, and I know that she says her prayers every morning and every night. However, six months without attending Mass, I figure she must be missing praying with others, so I started calling her every night at bedtime to say her prayers with her. We say the Catholic prayers known as the Our Father and the Hail Mary together, exchange I love you’s and say good night. It takes about five minutes, and it’s so sweet; it kind of reminds me of bedtime when I was a child.

Step Two: Emotional stimulation. In addition to daily video calls and weekly letters from me, I decided that mom would like to receive video calls and mail from my grandkids. I’m telling ya, my grandkids are cute. So I asked my teenage granddaughters to call or write to my mom. Hopefully they’ll do both! And I helped my preschool grandsons color and write cards to mom. When we are together, I video call mom and have the boys sing and dance for her. When they sing “Hello Mary Lou”, she even sings along! I don’t foresee an award winning trio act here, but it is fun to watch!

Step Three: Physical stimulation. Before the pandemic restrictions, mom was walking with her friends on a daily basis and going to exercise classes with the group. When those activities were curtailed, mom pretty much stopped walking (her apartment only has two rooms), and she stopped exercising altogether. My daughter, Becky, is an Occupational Therapist. She showed me exercises that I could do with mom every day via video call. The exercises are designed to maintain range of motion and help her regain strength in her arms and legs to facilitate walking. This only takes 10 or 15 minutes a day and we enjoy doing the exercises together.

So, there you have it, my Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda. Beating myself up for not taking on more responsibility for my mother at the beginning of all this craziness isn’t going to help. And taking into consideration the words of a wise 5-year-old, “well, there’s nothing you can do about it”. I’ll just move forward with my new-found plan, tweaking it as necessary, and hug my grandkids while I have the chance.

Now that you know mine, what is your Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda?

Send Relief to Puerto Rico

Lifespring Church January 2018 Send Relief team in Puerto Rico

On September 20, 2017, Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour. Maria devastated the island leaving nearly everyone without electricity, running water, cellphone service, or access to food sources. The storm, the worst to hit the island in more than 80 years, caused an estimated $95 billion in damages leaving most people homeless or nearly so. Even before Maria, Puerto Rico already suffered from high unemployment and poverty rates, along with many suffering from food insecurity.

Puerto Rico is an island territory of the United States, located in the Caribbean Sea, known for white sand beaches and beautiful blue seas.

Bill and I love Puerto Rico. We had taken several vacations there early on in our marriage, both alone and with our friends Tim and Kelly. I have spent hours upon hours on Isla Verde Beach, under a coconut tree, reading Nicholas Sparks romance novels. Good times-I highly recommend it!

Bill and I also have friends who have family in Puerto Rico. Crystal and Jonathan couldn’t get ahold of some of their family members for two weeks. Thankfully, they were all physically well, but very busy dealing with repairing their homes, as well as lack of communication and clean water.

I first heard about Send Relief when our church, LifeSpring Church in Bellevue, Nebraska, showed a short clip during a Sunday morning service in late 2017. Send Relief is a ministry of the North American Mission Board. Send Relief focuses on meeting needs and changing lives by strengthening communities, responding to crises, caring for refugees, protecting children and families, and fighting human trafficking. The clip showed the desperate need for Jesus’ hands and feet on the ground in Puerto Rico for the hurricane recovery effort. I shared with my husband that I felt called to help in Puerto Rico. Of course, it’s “easier” to send a check. I’ve done that many times before. But this time was different. I really believed that Jesus wanted me to actually go to Puerto Rico. Yikes! The evening news was constantly showing the absolute devastation of the entire island. Hard, physical work I can handle; lack of clean water…I don’t know about that!

The following week I confessed my thoughts to my Bible study group. As it turned out, our pastor, Steve Holdaway, personally knows the pastor in charge of Send Relief (of course). Before I knew it he had rounded up a group and we were all set for a January mission trip to Puerto Rico!

Send Relief had purchased a campus outside the capital city of San Juan. The buildings were basic, but a loud generator provided the much appreciated electricity! We had water for showers in our dormitories, although it was not hot or potable. Volunteers at the campus spent hours every day treating water to provide for our drinking needs. I just kept thinking that it was four months since the storm and almost no one had electricity or safe running water. Wow. That’s a long time.

Every morning we all met in the common area for prayer and a devotional, followed by breakfast. We were then separated into teams and given our assignments for the day, along with a van driver. We always ate a sack lunch on the worksite, and returned everyday just before dark to gather together for dinner and prayer.

Lacking an official distribution system, the government of Puerto Rico turned to the local churches to identify the need and distribute the donated food and water.

On Sunday our team attended a local church service. Following the service, we helped serve a hot meal and then handed out boxes of food and water to the congregants and others in the community. The local pastor explained to us that no one in the area currently has the means to cook a hot meal, but they know they can come to the church for hot meals.

Worship service and food distribution at a local church

La Perla is a neighborhood located outside the walls of Old San Juan. Historically, it was built by and for slaves who were not allowed to live inside the city. Later, it was occupied by the poor and came to be known as a dangerous place. La Perla is now struggling through the restoration process. We enjoyed our afternoon grilling hot dogs for the community and encouraging the local church.

View of La Perla and the Atlantic Ocean from the walls of Old San Juan

One entire day was spent roofing and painting homes.

The inexperienced, yet willing roofing crew

The entire grounds of this church and neighboring homes were covered in limbs and debris. All hands on deck!

This house is owned by a member of the Puerto Rico National Guard. Called to active duty immediately after the hurricane, he had to leave his wife and small children behind in this damaged home. His wife was so appreciative of our assistance.

This is an island, so, of course, we did squeeze one afternoon at the beach!

Has Puerto Rico recovered from Hurricane Maria? Well, no, to add insult to injury, Puerto Rico experienced a 6.4 earthquake on January 7, 2020. Following Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico suffered the longest blackout in U.S. history, leaving most without electricity for the better part of a year. Running water has mostly been restored, albeit with frequent interruptions in service, and the water quality is still questioned by some. And, of course, then came the Covid 19 pandemic. Three years later, with the death toll at 2975, thousands of homes still uninhabitable, and even more jobs gone, possibly forever, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican’s (who are U. S. citizens) have fled to the mainland. But still, those who remain carry on.

How can you help? First and foremost you can pray. You can donate or apply to go on a mission trip through Send Relief, or the organization of your choice. A fun way would be to spend your tourist dollars there by taking your next vacation in beautiful Puerto Rico! When you go, don’t miss the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, El Yunque National Forest, and the bioluminescent bay kayak tour. I also highly recommend spending hours upon hours under a coconut tree on Isla Verde Beach with a good book!

Where Jesus Walked

I had long wanted to visit Israel. The obstacles are formidable-danger, distance, and dollars, to name a few. There always seems to be turmoil between Israel and Palestine. Bombs bursting in air never seemed like a vacation to me. Truth be told, my fear always won out.

In 2019, Steve Holdaway, pastor at Lifespring Church in Bellevue, Nebraska, announced that he would be leading a tour to The Holy Land in February 2020. No second guessing myself; I’m in! This time it is Faith over Fear! My overwhelming objective was to walk where Jesus walked. I mean my-bare-feet-on-the-ground where my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked on Earth 2000 years ago. And I did it!

Of course, we know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and spent the majority of his 33 or so years on Earth in what we now know as Israel. Scripture records many places where Jesus was known to have spent time, but many of those places are fairly large. For example, Luke 22:39 records that Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives following The Last Supper. Matthew 26:36-56 records that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The Mount of Olives is still, to this very day, the Mount of Olives. And the Garden of Gethsemane is still the Garden of Gethsemane. However, they are both fairly large tracts of land. Although I believe that Jesus was there, today no one can be certain ‘exactly’ where Jesus stood on the mount or in the garden. Contrast that to the very narrow road that connects the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. This road has always been the road and is most certainly the way Jesus walked between the two, many times. I was honored to walk this road barefoot.

Road between the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane

The beautiful gold dome that shines brightly in many pictures of Jerusalem is known as the Dome of the Rock. The Muslims captured Jerusalem in 639 and built The Dome of the Rock on top of the Temple Mount. The Muslims regard it as one of their three most holy places. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the Dome of the Rock. However, the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall, is open to the public. The Western Wall is a part of the wall Herod built around the west side of the temple. Non-Muslims come here to pray because it is the closest that they are allowed to get to the site of the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. The Southern Steps were the main entrance to the Temple Mount at the time of Jesus. Jesus walked these steps many, many times.

Luke 2:41-52 records that Jesus visited the temple for the Festival of the Passover with his parents at age 12. After finding that Jesus had not returned home with them, his parents returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus teaching in the temple courts. When questioned by this parents, he replied, “Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” This same passage records that Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, “made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem every Passover.” Although the Torah only required men to attend, one can assume that Mary and Joseph took their children to Jerusalem with them every year.

The Apostle John wrote that Jesus appeared at the temple courts “where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.” (John 8:2)

In Luke 19:45-46, the Apostle Luke states, “When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.”

The Bible records many, many more occasions when Jesus went to the temple. The Southern Steps were the entry way to the Temple Mount. Although they are over 2000 years old, and some have been repaired, a good many of the steps are the original steps where we can be certain Jesus, walked, sat, and taught. I was thrilled to walk barefoot, sit, and learn more about Jesus on these very steps!

As a Christian, I am not bound to live under the laws God gave the Jewish people in the Old Testament, one of which required pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Because of the life, death and resurrection of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I live by His grace. And he is so, so good to me!

I am forever thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the State of Israel, the people of Israel, and life of Jesus as he walked this Earth.

One serious thing I learned: The Jewish people are very deliberate about living out the laws of their religion.

One fun fact: Camels are very tall.

One “good to know”: Israelis do not drink iced tea!

The Significance of Caesarea Philippi

In anticipation of my pilgrimage to Israel, I hadn’t expected Caesarea Philippi to be one of my favorite places. But it was; I was struck by it’s unique beauty. Israel is full of unexpected natural beauty: the Dead Sea (who would have thought?), the Jordan River, the Judean desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, to name just a few.

The allure of the terrain wasn’t at all on my mind before I arrived in Israel. I had most been looking forward to actually walking where my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had walked on earth over 2,ooo years ago. And I did that! This picture shows me on the southern steps of the Temple Mount. The Bible records that Jesus taught from these very steps:

Now that I’m remembering that moment, I’m getting chills! I guess that will be my next article!

Twenty five miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mt. Hermon, we arrived in Caesarea Philippi and I was immediately attracted to my surroundings: the waterfall and the large cave at the top, the intricate carvings in the immense rock, the sounds of the rushing water, and the overall serenity of the place.

This enticing place was not always peaceful, though. Between 200 and 300 BC this area was used to worship the half-man half-goat god of Pan. The cave was referred to as the “gates of hell” because infants were sacrificed there to the god of Pan. We get our word “panic” from this reference. Yikes. That is certainly a dark past. So why is this spot on our Christian tour of Israel?

The Gospel of Mathew records Caesarea Philippi as the place where God revealed the divinity of Jesus to the Apostle Peter. Mathew 16:13-18: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you”, he asked, “who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Wow, that was huge! God spoke directly to Peter. And then Jesus changed Peter’s name and gave him the keys of the church! No wonder I was drawn to this place! Scripture describes many times when God changes a person’s name to signify that God has a new mission or a new identity for that person. I wonder what Peter was thinking that day! I wake up most mornings knowing exactly what I plan to do that day. Most days I’m pretty close, but some days end up being total surprises. I’m guessing that Peter was pretty surprised in Caesarea Philippi.

The waterfall that originates at Caesarea Philippi flows into the Jordan River. I purchased an empty bottle from the gift shop and filled it with water from this river. My mom is Catholic and I knew it would be a good gift for her. I always remember seeing little bottles of holy water in my parents’ and grandparents’ homes.

Back on the tour bus, on our way to the next stop, I look over the pictures I just took on my phone and ponder what next big mission God has in store for me.

Thoughts From a Hammock

My thoughts while enjoying the ocean view of from a hammock in Key Largo.

The hammocks caught my eye as my husband and I enjoyed the beach at the Playa Largo Resort and Spa for our anniversary trip to Key Largo.

According to Dictionary.com the word ‘hammock’ originated in 1545 in Hispaniola. Hmmm…that must mean that millions upon millions of people have rested on hammocks throughout the ages. I assume the majority of them actually used hammocks like we use Serta Sleepers (or waterbeds in the 80’s). But I also assume lots of them simply enjoyed hammocks as a restful place to appreciate an ocean view. That’s my favorite!

Earlier in the week, my husband and I sat on these hammocks for a bit, and, as usual, I fumbled into the hammock kicking sand into the air. Why can’t I ever just get in and out of a hammock gracefully? Truth be told, my husband helped me out of the hammock that day, probably averting a face plant right into the sand.

Our last few hours of vacation, my husband watching the Tour de France in our room, I spent some time alone on a hammock. Miraculously, I settled into the hammock rather easily. Relishing the coolness of the morning, with a nice breeze, resting in the hammock, refusing to contemplate how I was going to eventually get out of it!

One of my first thoughts: I should have painted my toenails. It’s vacation, for crying out loud, why didn’t I get a pedicure? I’m 56 years old (shhh); I should pamper myself a little more. My husband is good to me though, he will rub my feet, or even give them a salt scrub, when I ask. He is a good man.

Thoughts of my friends flood my mind. I text a short video to Kelly and Yolanda, letting them know that I saved them hammocks right next to mine. They are such good friends. Then I realize that I can name more than a dozen friends that I would love to have chatted the morning away with on those hammocks. Wow, I am truly blessed.

I remember our 2015 trip to Aruba with good friends, Tim and Kelly. While walking the beach one night, we saw a hammock that may or may not have been on someone’s private property. Either way, it was irresistible, and soon enough the four of us were all sitting on the one hammock enjoying the starry sky. I think this was the night Tim looked at his tablet and announced that an entire planet had disappeared. I assume that it must have reappeared at some point because that bit of information never made the evening news.

Following a beach walk with Tim, Kelly, Gene and Marilyn in Costa Rica (February 2016), we all welcomed the restful hammocks, covered in shade. I can still taste the ice cold, zesty, grapefruit soda. Awwww…that hit the spot! I also recall that people used hammocks a lot in Costa Rica. I saw hammocks strung between trees for resting upon, spread on the beach to sit on, as well as strung in the trees proving shade. That’s when I decided we should buy a hammock!

This trip was in celebration of our tenth anniversary. Most days it doesn’t seem like we’ve been married for ten years, but when I think of how far we’ve come together, it doesn’t seem possible that we’ve squeezed so much into so short a time. When we married, we both worked full time, each owned a home, and each still had a teenager in the house. Not that it was always easy, but I’m so proud to say that all of our children graduated high school without pregnancies or drug problems and everyone of them is financially self supporting. Yay! Bill and I now find ourselves more in love every day, retired, living on our sailboat in The Sunshine State, so excited about what God has planned for us next.

Please be on the lookout for hammocks, and when you find one, even if it might be on someone’s private property, I hope that you will find rest and count your blessings.

I’d love to hear your thoughts from a hammock!

All Aboard for Alligators

On a recent trip to Key Largo, Florida, we took some time to explore the Everglades Alligator Farm. This little farm is home to alligators of all sizes, over 2000 of them! I really can’t explain myself, but I’ve always been kind of fascinated by alligators. Not the kind of fascination that leads me to want one as a cute little pet (I’m not really a pet person). But more the kind of fascination that makes me want to look at the disturbing things and learn more about them.

As a child, I would see one or two alligators every year at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. As a young adult, I attended Immigration Officer’s Basic Training in Glynco, Georgia. I saw lots of “Beware of Alligators” signs, but I didn’t see any alligators on the training base. One weekend I caught a ride to nearby Jekyll Island, Georgia to spend some time on the beach and explore the historic island. I stopped to chat up a father and son fishing in the brackish water. After seeing another “beware” sign, I asked if there were really any alligators in the water. The guy told if that if I wanted to see one I could just dip my toe in the water. Not sure whether or not that was a joke, I thought it best to simply wish them well and head to the beach. It was a beautiful beach day!

In the early part of the 20th century, alligators were hunted to near extinction. Alligators have been sought after for their meat and skin since the 1800s. Alligator skin is used to make boots, belts, and saddles. However, after being listed on the Endangered Species Act, hunting prohibition and protection of their habitat enabled alligators to make a quick recovery. Although removed from the endangered species list in 1987, it remains illegal to kill or injure an alligator without a permit. Except in self defense, of course. Oh yeah, and they still won’t let you have one as a pet!

Enter Liz. At first glance she seemed like a reasonable person. She’s welcoming and friendly…

Then it turns out that she wrestles alligators for pay! What? Then she corrected my husband, she’s an “Alligator Handler”, not an alligator wrestler. Hmmm…that doesn’t sound any safer to me. Because I asked, she did say that her mom knows that she handles alligators for a living. But somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Liz was confident, knowledgeable and entertaining. I learned that when alligator babies are born they are only about 6 inches long. Liz described them as the “chicken tenders” of the Everglades because just about any animal will eat a hatchling. Alligators are fiercely protected by their mothers for the first two years of life. They can live up to 50 years and grow to 15 feet in length, weighing almost 1000 pounds. I don’t think Liz wrestles the 1000 pounders, but she said this alligator weighs about 250 pounds.

Liz’s performance was captivating. Thank goodness it only lasted ten minutes because I don’t know how much more excitement I could take!

Next up: Sheridan. Sheridan was our airboat tour driver. I had never been on an airboat, but it’s a classic Everglades activity, so of course we climbed onboard! Before we were underway I asked Sheridan if this was his first day on the job. He assured me that it wasn’t, but that it was his first day back to work after the accident. I think I really need to quit asking people so many questions.

The ride was exhilarating! Sheridan started out slow, meandering along the shallow river, past the “Please, No Swimming” sign. I’m not always a strict rule follower, but I won’t be testing the limits in this swamp!

Midway through the airboat ride, I think Sheridan got lost, at least, well, I know we were no longer following the road. Ok, maybe I shouldn’t speak for Sheridan, but the multiple high-speed 360’s, muddy water flying, had me screaming with my eyes closed, so I just figured we were lost. Good thing I was wearing my safari hat!

This was a fun-filled day. I’m glad that we went on the airboat ride, and happy to see so many alligators and learn more about them. No worries, I didn’t take any of these little cuties home with me!

What was your last animal encounter?

Sweet Rest

For the Love of Manatees

September 2020 found my husband and I in Key Largo, Florida. We stayed the week at the Playa Largo Resort and Spa-a truly beautiful place. From day one we kept hearing that a manatee regularly meanders through the swim area of the resort. A bonafide Florida resident for five months now, living on a boat, and always on the lookout for manatees, I think it’s my turn to actually see one!
Day one: no manatee sightings. Day two: a trip to the Everglades followed by swimming off the beach at the Playa Largo, no manatee sightings.

Day three: sailing on a Hobie Wave and swimming off the beach at Playa Largo. My husband said he saw a manatee peek his head up, but I didn’t see it.

Day four: a trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm. This is an awesome “must see”, but no manatee sightings. I vow to swim off the beach at Playa Largo until I see a manatee. Hours later, and a little sunburned, no manatee sightings. Day five, my husband and I did a three mile stand up paddleboard ride, no manatee sightings. Now I’m starting to wonder about the existence of manatees. Maybe there isn’t even such a thing and people are just messing with me! People do that sometimes. My friend, Jan, once told me that she swam with the manatees in Florida. But she fancies herself a standup comic, so why should I believe her? Ready to give up the ghost, we decide to shower, change, and enjoy the Eventide sunset celebration at the Sandbar.

Now settling into the perfect spot to enjoy our last night at the resort, I’m ready to order an umbrella drink when Bill shouts, “there it is”! He grabs my hand and pulls me along as we run down the entire, and I really do mean “run” and “entire”, beach and out onto the boat dock. Bingo! Jackpot! They really do exist!

There is one water hose on the dock that doesn’t turn all the way off and this manatee was sure enjoying a cool, refreshing drink of cold water! And then he turned over, as if he was asking for a belly rub!

I thought that was the cutest thing, until his friend showed up to the party!

Standing on the dock, careful not to disturb them, Bill and I must have watched these two play under the trickling water for the better part of an hour. We missed the sunset celebration, but really enjoyed the show!

Now that I’ve seen them with my own eyes, I am reminded of the phrase from the 1897 editorial in the New York Sun “Yes, Virginia, there is a manatee”. Ok, so maybe I paraphrased a bit…

What is true, though, is that manatees, previously listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act, are currently classified as “threatened”. There are estimated to be only about 13,000 alive today. Harassing, touching, or even feeding manatees is not allowed, as interaction with humans has been proven dangerous to the animals. Manatees are herbivores, and their marine environment provides plenty of sea grass, algae, and other vegetation allowing them to grow to between 5 and 10 feet long and weigh almost 1000 pounds. That makes me wonder if eating a salad for dinner really isn’t the best diet advice ever given!

The bottom line: just like Santa Claus, manatees do exist, but don’t give them hugs, kisses, or cookies.

Month: September 2020