Miracles And Wonders, Memories And Troubles

 One of my oldest friends, a very dear woman, is visiting St. George right now and asked if I'd like to come over and meet her in Apalachicola and of course I said yes. When I was on the first leg of the journey the sky was incredible. 

I took these clumsy shots from the car window as I drove and I know- I KNOW, I should not do that. 
But I did it. 

I had a most wonderful experience on my way. One that could almost be called magical but I know it was one of those pragmatic majiks, easily explained by science but still, just my being there to witness it is a wonder to me. I had stopped at a convenience store and when I walked in, I saw a huge yellow moth which I think was a luna moth, despite its color. It was on the floor, flapping, flapping, and while I watched, it found its way to the door which I opened. I watched it flutter across the pavement near the gas pumps and was just about to go and catch it and lay it on some grass as I thought it was dying and that dying on the grass would be better than dying on cement. But as I watched, it fluttered across more pavement and then...and then, it began to fly and it lifted itself into the blue, blue sky. That spot of yellow rose higher and higher and I watched until it disappeared. 
Somehow, it must have hatched in that store and was drying its wings when I walked in. 
I am holding on to that image. That huge yellow butterfly, more fragile than tissue paper, making its way into the realm where it belongs. 

Whoa.

I met my friend at the Owl Restaurant and we had the very best salads and because restaurant salads only grow as you eat them, we sat for over an hour, catching up and talking, talking, talking. She has been through way too much and is learning to live in a new reality that she did not choose. She has a loving family, though, and two beautiful grandbabies that she gets to see almost daily. She is strong, she is amazing, she is making her path in ways that I admire more than I can say. We finally finished our lunch and did a little shopping. River Lily, of course, where I actually bought a few things. The book and yarn store is closed on Tuesdays now which was a huge disappointment. 
"What's the point of even coming to Apalachicola if the bookstore is closed?" she asked. 
"Seriously," I said. 

We were vastly disappointed. 

I'm home now. It was hard to let her go, to get in my car and leave. There were, of course, tears. We laughed a lot, though. I think my filthy mouth amuses her. I may be just making that up. I hope it does. 

On the way home I stopped and took this picture. 

That's Dog Island over there. Or part of it. Our house is in there somewhere. 

Here's where I had stopped. 

The funky little old roadside park between Carrabelle and East Point with its original cement picnic table structures. I have no idea how many hurricanes these things have survived. 

And now I'm home and there is so much on my mind, on my heart. My husband went fishing today on the Aucilla River. He sent me this. 

This is why some of us still want to live in Florida, despite everything. 

Eventually, it will all be ruined and disappear but for now, we need to love on it as much as we possibly can. 

Loving On It From Florida...Ms. Moon