Waking up on St. George Island

Sunday morning I woke up early and got things taken care of.  I had a very up and down weekend, struggling with anxiety.  I checked off my list and things started to fall into place.  Then I had to take Ednarose to the people keeping her.  I called her and the adorable little creature came running up joyful and happy as only puppies can be.  And filthy.  She was covered from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail with mud.  Caked on thick, break off in chunks of mud.  I hosed her down and brought her in the house to give her a bath.  She was so well behaved, and then Harry and Bob both tried to crowd in on the attention when I toweled off the little chunk of a bear.  She squealed and barked and yipped as the boys pushed in and threw the towel up with their noses vying for Mom's attention.  I hugged each of them so close.  This is the hard part of going away, leaving my animals and plants.  

Ednarose and I drove up to Golden Acres.  She was wonderful, well behaved, sweet, let me hug and kiss on her.  I gave Ms Bobbie my baby, went over the medicine instructions and then repeated them again, just to make sure then I headed home.  I miss my Ednarose.  I got home and hugged and hugged on Bob and Harry.  Ms Judy drove up and we packed my car and off we drove.  She in the Liberty, me in my toy, top down, heading south, heading for St. George.

It was a lovely drive along 98.  I had to put the top up because of passing thunder storms.  It was still so beautiful driving along the gulf coast.  We made it in good time, picked up the key and headed over to Moondance.  Vicki and Nancy met us in the drive.  It is a lovely little beach cottage style house, a block off the beach, with easy access.  We walked on the beach, some swam in the warm gulf.  We were at the beach.  The light, the smell, the breeze, the sand in our shoes, the beach.  We came back to the Moondance and had quiche, salad and cranberry/nut bread.  Quick and easy.  We have enough lettuce to feed the entire island, and peaches.  We have lots of peaches, and 3 watermelons.  We are set.

This morning we woke around 7, at St. George.  A restful nights sleep, a morning with light reflected off the Gulf.  The sun coming up over the State Park, sparkling and bright.    Vicki and Nancy headed to the beach.  Judy and I did yoga and then ate breakfast.  Just as Vick and Nancy were coming back, Judy and I were heading to the  beach.  And so it went all day.  Back and forth from Moondance to the beach.  The makeup of the little groups shifted through the day.  Judy worked on the computer for a grant, Vicki and Nancy lived at the beach where the water ebbs and flows back and forth.  Rolling shells in the surf as we reach out to grab the ones that sparkle and catch our eye.  Water moving sand up and down the beach eroding back last nights building project.  We sit at the edge of the water and the sand boils up and fills our suits with sand, digging little hollows where we sit.

This morning I walked east up the beach for about 20 minutes and then turned around walking back to our spot.  Ms Judy and I worked our way out in the water far enough out to miss the real choppy waves.  Out far enough so that when you are standing up in the water comes just below our armpits.  The warm Gulf water, churned up so that you can not see your feet.  We spent time just laughing and talking and floating and pushing up to take the bigger waves.  The sun shining down on us and reflecting back up on us, warming our skin as it tightens our skin and colors it deeper brown.

After absorbing as much Gulf through osmosis I staggered back up through the waves to the shore where I headed west along the beach.  The fiddler crabs scamper back and forth across the sand, holding their fiddles in front of then as the scoot sideways back into their holes.  Bigger shore crabs also stand guard in front of their holes big enough to trip a person, staring with their blind eyes at us, but can move sideways quick as a whistle if threatened.  I watched the little shore birds skittering down to the waters edge and then skittering back away as the waves chased them.  As soon as the wave peaked the short legs would scoot back along the water snapping up tiny crabs and fish and coquina's.  Sand fleas larger then we remember from our youth dig down into the sand trying to avoid the larger shore birds.  So much life, the Gulf is just brimming over with so much life.  I walked and walked, making sure to get my 2 walks in for at least 2 hours.

And this is our second year on this pilgrimage to St. George, yet I have so few memories from last year.  Last year I had just completed my first chemo.  When they tell me their memories from last year, I can see the event happening, but I have no real memories.  It is fun to go places and have Vicki tell me what we did last year.  At first it was disconcerting, but the memories are so much fun, I can't help but smile at such fun.  I am so glad that we had those moments, even if I have no memories of them.  My dearest ones do.  They tell me the stories, it is wonderful.

We have eaten as we have been hungry.  We took the toy for a ride up and down the island and at ice cream, something that we did last year, but I didn't remember.  And now we are sitting around the living room, it is dark and the sliver of the moon as it waxes toward a new moon is floating above us.  The stars twinkle, and Irene moves through the Caribbean.  Will she affect us?  Who knows, but it does not look like she is heading in our direction, so we will enjoy the weather as it comes.  If it rains, we have books, we have lettuce, we have yogurt and peaches.  

Tomorrow our precious Ms Moon will join our little troupe.  We are all so looking forward to her coming.  Then Thursday, maybe Lily and Owen will come out for the day.  Oh joy!  Owen join us for the day!  Then Friday night Miss Denise will finally come and we will be complete.  Our little group of friends all clustered together on this magical beach island.  And Saturday night, Ms Moon will make her world famous pizza for Ms Denise's birthday.  And we will sit in the living room on the gaudy tropical furniture that is peaceful and bright, and looks like a wet suit or two has been pressed against.  We will watch the magic as Mary spins the pizzas and then loads them up with all our favorite goodies.  So many wonderful things to look forward to.  

The day moved slowly.  Slowly like the end of August, the end of summer.  The children have returned to school and the beach is mostly empty.  The stores prepare to close for the off season.  Storms threaten out south and to our east.  The Gulf water almost as warm as bath water that has a nice size chop where we try to float and stare up into the blue sky.  The sky so blue, but the clouds are building and the lightening puts on a show for us.  Soon all of us will be together, just for a few days.  Today moved in slow motion, sun, walking, laughing, eating, swimming, floating, smiling.  I don't think Vick has quit smiling since she got here.  Life is good y'all.  And it is only going to get better as the rest of our beloved join us.

Sweet sleep from St. George.