Florida Recap

We arrived in Florida nearly a month ago. We thought we'd stay for a few days at the most. We finally left just a couple of days ago, and we've only made it as far as Alabama. The weather has been awesome, and it's been great to connect and spend time with good friends. In Florida we stayed with friends of mine from college. Matt and Beth live in Cape Coral and have two beautiful daughters, Maddison and Evelyne. It was really wonderful to spend time with their family and get to know the girls a little bit. They are a ton of fun. Kristy and I babysat Evie at least four times. She is too cute and loves to share her food, your food, whatever.

Perfect angels.

Evie sneaking some of Kristy's juice.

Next trick is to bend it Maddie!

Beth made us this bumper sticker - Black Beauty!

The whole famdamly picking fresh Florida oranges.

Kristy and Beth did not plan on being twinsies that day.

Not to be outdone, Matt got Black Beauty this gift.

Ah, spanish moss.

Breakfast in Myakka State Forest.

Matt and Beth also introduced us to a number of their good friends, and we were able to share in some pretty amazing experiences. As mentioned in the last post, we participated in a New Year's Eve sweat lodge. We also met a Qigong master who exposed us to the healing qualities of Himalayan singing bowls and Peruvian whistles. A Shinto priest performed his unique healing touch on us, and Kristy went to a yoga weekend retreat in Ocala National Forest. Talk about a whirlwind of new and amazing experiences. Not to mention we camped in the Everglades, went to the beach more than enough for the sun to kiss our Alaskan white asses, went camping in a Florida State forest where hunters were after wild boar, and we hung some spanish moss off our rearview mirror for good measure. Needless to say Florida treated us well. Many thanks to Matt, Beth, Maddison and Evelyne for hosting us for so long!

This is what greeted us in Alabama. Seriously?

While Kristy was in Ocala for her yoga retreat with Beth, I was able to visit my cousin Jamie in St. Petersburg. He's a little bit older than me and we've only met a few times, but we had a great time reconnecting and visiting his friend's bar where we watched some NFL playoff action. I also met his wife and two kids as well - many thanks to the Piscitella family for putting me up for the night!

And so Kristy and I left Florida to visit yet more former Bethel friends. Mike and Michele and baby Ryker live in Enterprise, Alabama. They moved down last August from Bethel to continue their path in the Army National Guard. Ryker is fifteen months old now and loves to dance to the Black Eyed Peas! (Kristy was honored to be present as a doula-in-training for his birth in Alaska.) We've been here three nights now, soaking up good food and time with friends. Unfortunately it's time to move on. 

Our friends Mike and Michele- they may be Blackhawk pilots
but they're pretty cuddly :-) 

Cutie Ryker

Kristy and I have applied for an exciting farming/natural building/general homesteading internship in Oregon for this spring, summer and early fall. We completed a phone interview and the next step is to head out to Oregon to visit the farm. We have one month to get there, but we still have plenty of things we want to do in the Southwest before we arrive, so it's time for Black Beauty to put the peddle to the metal. Our next planned stop is New Orleans for lunch tomorrow. After that we'll hightail it to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico and then on to see another couple of Bethel friends in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. (Plus, Kristy is dying to spend a night in an Earthship.) But as you know, I'm sure something will tickle our fancy along the way and lead us down yet another unplanned road. Wish us luck!