Island Holiday Time
Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving with family and friends. Barnacle and I stayed on the island and shared a delicious meal of crawfish stuffed boneless chicken, maple ham and homemade biscuits with islander friends Kristy and Bob. It was very nice preparing dinner with a great cook and I was thankful for their
wonderful company.
Well Christmas is right around the corner. How in the world does it arrive so quickly each year, and every year seems to be sooner? I’m thinking that getting older speeds up Father Time. . . you understand I don’t WANT to believe that, but it sure seems that way. I’ll hit the half-century mark in two months, and I’m quite certain that Christmas will start rolling around about every four months then!
Depending on the weather and if I can cross the bay, Barnacle and I will run in on Christmas day for a get-together at Mom’s. Dog and I are hoping for leftovers abound on the return trip.
I enjoy the holiday time on the island visiting with and sharing a meal with close island friends, and also going to the mainland and spending quality time with family and catching up on everyone. Living alone on this island for nearly six years has a way of turning a man into a hermit, but I’m doing my best to somewhat crack open that shell, baby steps you know.
After retiring from police work and moving to an island to get away from the mainland chaos, solitude has been a very precious commodity for me out here. However I’ve recently been made to realize that family and special friends are just as important and necessary as the rewards of solitude. . . thank you for that. That’s why I’m enjoying this holiday season so much, now bring on the gifts!
Well the flounder are pretty much gone from my area, having made their way into the gulf to spawn. The flat fish will begin making their return trek into the bays around the first of April.
There has been a bumper crop of ducks inhabiting the shoreline in front of the cabin this year. I’m talking hundreds every single day covering the water from daylight to dusk. I’m not a duck hunter, but I could keep the propane freezer stocked if I were.
Beach finds have been scarce lately, only picking up a few sea beans that were washed up near the dunes from previous storm tides. More collectible seashells should start washing ashore pretty soon, a normal occurrence during the winter months, and more sea beans will arrive with the start of Spring.
Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and enjoy your Christmas with family and friends next weekend.
