Wednesday, April 17, 2019

A Little Tiny Adventure


Yes, yes. I went away and now I am back.
Short trip, eh?
I meant to post on my phone last night but that turned out to be complicated and I just wasn't doing complicated so I didn't. It would appear that the world has not come to an end although there is that thing about the pig brains being brought back to "partial life" after they were dead for four hours and that may be a sign of impending doom.


Who knows? 
Not me. 

Anyway, I always go over to Apalach for a day or two when Mr. Moon and his sister are having their fishing week and it appeared yesterday morning that it would be a good time to make that little journey. The fishing had been nonexistent due to weather as I had said before, and they had made plans to drive over to Biloxi to do a little gambling on Thursday and then of course this coming weekend is the ritual eating of the ham celebration which I need to prepare for so there you go. 
I packed up and hit the road and had a lovely trip to the coast. Everything is so green and the giant magnolias are blooming and it was cool and I had a wonderful time just being leisurely and pissing off the drivers behind me by only going the speed limit. 
I stopped and ate my lunch at a picnic table in the shade after ordering here. 


I've passed that little food truck a million times and never stopped but yesterday I did. I got what they call a "shrimp burger" which is about six fried shrimp on a hamburger bun with lettuce and tomato and tartar sauce and pickles. I added hot sauce. 
It was perfect. 
And the lady in the counter window called me "Sweetie" which did not offend me in the least but in fact, made me smile. 
Good iced tea, too. 
I drove over rivers and through woods and past little villages and thought about how beautiful this area is. It's got its faults and that I will freely admit. You do sometimes catch sight of a confederate flag and billboards like the one I saw that said nothing more than WE LOVE YOU JESUS! but there are also probably more mixed marriages in that area than anyone could believe. This is may be due to the fact that everyone of similar skin tone is related to everyone else of that skin tone and so intermingling the genes (and skin tones) is a good idea. 
Well, at least that's my theory. 

I got to Apalachicola and Mr. Moon and his sister were waiting for me to go look at a house for sale. I really do NOT want to go into the whole thing about whether or not we're going to build a house on our property so let's just say that we're weighing options. Buying an existing house is one of those options and there is something to be said for acquiring a house that we could start using immediately. The siblings had already looked at it from all angles and peeked in the windows but they politely waited for me to meet with a realtor to go inside it. 
It was cute. Built all of wood inside, some of which had been blasted down to its original wooden woodiness. Which I like fine. Smells good. But the lot was only big enough for the house and a bird feeder and a few plants and some bricks and that wasn't great. And most of the rooms were tiny, as rooms built back in those days had a tendency to be. And there was a second story but the steps up to it reminded me of the steps on the pyramids in the Yucatan except a lot narrower and the kitchen was neither practical, roomy, or charming enough for one to forgive the impracticality or lack of space. 
So, nope. 
The realtor was an interesting guy. Liked to talk. A lot. In fact, he told us stories about people that I felt a little bit uncomfortable hearing. Like...not my business. Nothing vile or slanderous but still, a little over the top for me. 
So that was that and eventually we all went out to supper and because the weather was so beautiful we were able to eat outside. 


That bird snatched a piece of bread off a table after the people who'd been eating there left and carried it over to that post to eat before the server came back and chased him off. We were amused. And the food was delicious but I ate way too much and thank god we only had to walk about forty feet back to where we were staying which is a beautiful place with a kitchen bigger than the one in the house we'd looked at. I could actually live quite happily in this suite. 


The building was originally a warehouse right on the river from when Apalachicola was a major shipping port for cotton and other goods. This was before roads or railroads were built in this part of the country and it was a booming town. It has quite the history. Now it's mostly known for its beautiful old homes, its seafood industry, and tourism. 

We were all so food-stunned when we got back from eating that we weren't capable of much more than sitting on those couches. I started reading a back-issue of the New Yorker and found an article that absolutely blew my mind. You can read it HERE.  There's an audio option too. 
It's about the discovery of the amazing record of when the massive Chicxulub meteorite hit the earth about sixty-six million years ago. I'd read brief articles about the finding recently but this article went into far more detail and I'm still boggling about it. If you feel the need to put everything into perspective right now (and who doesn't?) I suggest you read the article too. It's fascinating. Really, I can't say enough about it but perhaps I am just one of those people who never outgrew her love of dinosaurs and fossils and the mysteries of our planet. 

This morning, despite the fact that last night I had vowed never to eat again, we went to the Mexican restaurant in Eastpoint that serves breakfast and I always enjoy that. 
I wish I didn't love to eat so much. 
And then I did a little Apalachicola shopping and here's the best:


My beloved Lis's cards being sold in River Lily which I always refer to (completely without irony) as the best shop in the entire southeastern portion of the United States. 
Because it is. 
They only sell the BEST things at River Lily. And that is all I need to say about that. 
I also went to the bookstore which I love so much. I was so glad to hear that they did not get one drop of water in that beautiful old building during Hurricane Michael. A lot of places in Apalachicola had a great deal of damage from that storm. Not like Mexico Beach or some of the inland towns like Blountstown and Marianna which were completely devastated and which have not yet begun to come back (thanks, FEMA!) but enough damage that some buildings were destroyed and some of the oldest businesses in town are no longer operating. 
But the bookstore is good. 

And then I kissed my husband and hugged my sister-in-law and we laughed at my conjugal visit and I came on home where my chickens seemed glad to see me. 
I am glad to see them too. 
I've seen Jack but I haven't seen Maurice. She always gets so pissed off when I leave. She'll show up eventually. 
I've unpacked and have a load of clothes going and I collected thirteen beautiful eggs and have the sprinklers on in the garden. I also picked what I'm going to make into a very simple brothy soup with a few dumplings for my supper to try and make up for some of my gluttonous sins. 


So. Home again. I enjoyed my time in Apalachicola and of course I loved being with Glen and Brenda but oh, how I love my funky old house and my own kitchen and routine and bed and critters. And tomorrow I plan on seeing some grandbabies and kissing them until they scream at me to stop. 

I am a home girl at heart and in soul, too. 

Love...Ms. Moon


25 comments:

  1. This is the sweetest road trip to Apalach I can recall in some time. And that whole name, Apalachicola, has always been such a tongue twister I could not even wrap my brain around it, but I damn well have it now!: Apalach--icola. But I like Lloyd more. I hope you have the finest ham slicing, stomach bursting weekend ever.

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    1. I wrote a novel once called "The Yearning Heart of Apalachicola Rose" and writing it was about my favorite thing I ever did. This was almost thirty years ago. I got an agent who said she could sell it but she did not. I will always be sad about that. Not just for me but for Rose, who told me her story and allowed me to write it down. I feel as if I failed her. The little town definitely has a great richness of history and of character. And of place, as well. But Lloyd is a fine place too and I am so grateful to live here beneath its ancient oak trees. Somehow, it is where I have found my home.

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  2. Well thank you very much for the link to the New Yorker article. That was fascinating. It's good to know what happened to the dinosaurs. Glad you're back home. Ham day is coming!

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    1. Ham day IS coming! I have one in my beautiful refrigerator as we speak!

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  3. I read the dinosaur article too--was blown away, and was very touched by the mammal burrow into the dinosaur stratum--as I guess the author wanted me to be. Wonderful to be reminded of the possibilities evolution offers. Now if we ourselves could just evolve a little faster...

    Glad for your sweet trip and sweet homecoming.

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    1. Yes. The little mammal in the burrow- I can't stop thinking about it. Or all of the fishes, gasping for oxygen. How amazing to take an event from 66 million years ago and making it so immediate. Blown away.

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  4. meteor hits and BAM= all kids of things happen! That was the best, most excitement I have had in months! You small trip was also exciting! I feel I have missed something having never been to Florida- it is a compelling state, utterly mad from all of the news that comes from there, - I guess that is why I have never wandered that far south. I would have loved to have read your book, perhaps you could pick up the ball again and toss it about. You are so skilled at writing, like pies, and grand babies, and chooks, SKILLS!

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    1. Woman, there is a lot in Florida that you would fall in love with. I guarantee it. Parts of it are as primeval as this planet must have been before the meteor hit it. And we have some really good seafood too!

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  5. glad to share in your little adventure...

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  6. I'm so glad that you could give an emphatic "NO" to that little house. You need the big kitchen thing. I'm also glad that you could pay a conjugal visit and then go back to your house. I love you, Mary Moon.

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    1. Well, I can cook under almost any circumstances so a small kitchen wouldn't be a deal breaker but throw that in with all the rest and no thank-you.
      I love you too, Elizabeth Aquino!

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  7. Gah! My cat does that too- so worrying to come home to them missing, even tho we've established it's a thing!

    I know a realtor who can spin a yarn too. You wouldn't think it such an entertaining job, but I guess home transactions can be fairly whacky and intimate business.

    That's cute, their brother and sister fishing trip.

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    1. Well, when you think about it- realtors get to explore people's private spaces. In fact, that's how they make their money. So you gotta figure that they are extremely curious. Or nosy if we're not being kind.
      Brenda and Glen are precious together. And Brenda caught a redfish yesterday so HURRAY!

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  8. Oh thank you Mary for the update on Apalachicola, we have been wondering how she was faring since the storm. We thought we would pass on our usual spring vacation to St George in order for more time for repairs but this sounds encouraging. So glad River Lily and the bookstore survived intact, my faves too. I always spend too much time and money in both but that's what vacations are for in my opinion. I would love to have some of your beloved Lis's cards, they look beautiful! I must have missed the back story on that. Is The Owl up and running? The photo of the bird looks like their porch, so hopefully it is.
    I got called "Sweetie" by the Walmart cashier today too. It often rubs me the wrong way, especially if by younger people, but she was about my age and just the perfect mix of sweet ole grandma plus in-your-face shiny, flashy jewelry, so yeah, it was fine.
    I would pay good money to read your novel. I know it is amazing.
    Angie D

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    1. I think that the island is completely ready for visiting. I sure do get a lot of emails from the realty company I've rented through before! Yes. The Owl is fine. And good eye- that's where we ate our supper. So plan your trip. They can use the money in Franklin County.

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    2. Thank you! We have always used Collins rentals and have not received a thing from them this year, which I just took as an indication they were not back up to par yet. But I'll get on it!
      Angie D

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    3. That is exactly whom I've been getting many emails from. I think they're in business!

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  9. I read that article last night from a link on FB! 14" fossil dinosaur feathers! sounds like a good trip and a good NO to a tiny yard and a tiny kitchen.

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    1. I know- how much would I give to have a fossil dinosaur feather? Amazing, unbelievable, mystical, magical. All of that stuff. And it's all science.
      Yeah- a tiny kitchen I could deal with. A tiny yard? Not so much.

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  10. I'm glad you got to get away and have a little adventure. How funny that we're both blogging about dinosaurs today! I'll definitely check out that article -- I haven't gotten to it yet. Glad Apalach was spared too much hurricane damage.

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    1. Me too, Steve. Apalach has some natural protection from barrier islands which helps a lot but surely doesn't eliminate the risk.
      I thought the same thing about the dinosaurs when I read your post this morning. You'll love that article.

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  11. did not read the NY article yet.....VERY glad you vehemently said NO to the house with tiny kitchen and no yard.... and why on earth would anyone try to bring dead pig brains back to life? Let's have a better and more useful application to scientific technology, right? Glad you are home, glad you had a good time.....I missed you!
    Susan M

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  12. I think they're probably trying to bring pig brains back to life in order to perhaps eventually bring human brains back to life. But really? We want to do that?
    Fuck. I'm glad I'll be dead before that shit happens.
    I missed y'all too!

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  13. This sounds like the loveliest adventure, very low stress, with some of your fave people in the world, and then back home again, where the bed knows all your grooves. I'll have to check out that article.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.