The Florida Chronicles...Part 5...April

This is going to be a short month as I have decided to return home sometime near the end of April. It's starting to get hot down here (really hot)...and...I have to admit that I am a little homesick after four full months down here. It's a good month, this April. My cousin, Bill, came over to visit again...and, as usual, he went right to work. This visit, he rebuilt and painted a small enclosed storage area outside next to the patio...it looks good. Mark was up too at the same time...so...the three of us were able to relax and have a few good meals...and lots of wine. My lawn guy who said that he would be happy to plant some new fruit trees around the house for me has backed out of the deal. So...now I've hired a landscaper to do the job...some oranges, limes lemons, figs, finger bananas, a mamey sapote and a canistel. It's a big job because the soil has to be excavated and replaced with a special mix of compost and fertilizer...and...a drip system has to be installed off the sprinkler system to keep the trees watered. This project, by the way, really went up in cost because my mom has not had any maintenance done on the sprinkler system for at least ten years...now, all the heads have to be replaced and most of the piping below ground has to be dug out and replaced as well. Early in the month, I got down to Jonathan Dickinson State Park for my last few days of camping down here. It's a nice park...I'll miss it because there will be no more camping until my big summer trip in June. Speaking of June, I also decided (after MUCH) thought to make this next Summer Picnic, my 40th, my last. This was not an easy decision...after 40 years, the Picnic has become one of the things that has "defined" my entire adult life. That being said, I have to also acknowledge that much life has changed (in major ways) since I retired at the end of 2006. Now it's camping for June, July and August...back to Michigan for UM football in September, October and November...then down to Florida for December, January, February, March and April. That only leaves the month of May...and trying to get back to Michigan, unpack, prepare for the camping trip AND plan and execute the Summer Picnic...well...it's just too much on the plate. So...this next Picnic is it...forty and out. I had hoped that I would have more visitors down here. My friends, Parul and Monica, stopped by way back in December...my cousin visited twice, as did my friend, Mark. Oh...and I forgot to mention that my friend, Robin, flew down for ten days in February, which was nice. We visited the place where she lived and worked for a few years over on Marco Island, and then we camped for two days at a nice State Park on the northwest edge of the Everglades...great fun. April 12 was my birthday and, this year, my gift to myself was the purchase of a Glock 25, 9mm sub-compact semi-automatic pistol. I have to tell you that I thought long and hard before deciding to make this purchase. I have always supported the 2nd Amendment rights of other people to own guns, I just never thought that I would ever own one myself. But...the camping life (particularly the backpacking part) does have it's risks. My friend, Roger, who's advice I value highly, finally convinced me that venturing out into the "wild" unarmed was just too risky. So...I spent several months doing exhaustive research on line as to manufacturers, calibers, sizes, styles, etc. I finally settled on the Glock 26 for several reasons. First and foremost, Glock's reputation for quality is second to none. Second, the 9mm is plenty of stopping power with a commonly- used ammunition...this means that ammo is cheaper and easy to find. And, finally, I wanted a sub-compact because it's small and light in weight. Then, once I had made my decision, I took three, count 'em three, different firearms safety classes...introductory, mid-level and advanced. Because I am now a Florida resident, I was also able to apply for and receive a Florida Concealed Weapon Carry license. That being said, the only time I plan to actually carry this pistol is when I am backpacking. Indeed, the only times that it will be coming out of it's case is when I'm camping or going to the pistol range to shoot. I also celebrated my birthday be going out to dinner at a nice local restaurant, The Sailor's Return, for a great meal of "king cut" prime rib, baked potato, Caesar salad and several glasses of excellent Cabernet. Oh...I also wanted to mention that I am finally harvesting an excellent crop of heirloom tomatoes. I planted these back in late December (yes...tomatoes in December!), and I've been carefully watering and fertilizing them for months. I planted Yellow Globes, Red Cherokees and Purple Brandywyns. Man...nothing beats a home-grown tomato...particularly in early spring! Now, as it's getting to mid-April, I'm starting to pack up for the trip home. For some reason, this whole process is much more difficult and time-consuming than the packing for the trip down here. Late...very late...on the evening of April 18, I am packed up and ready to head home. All that I'll have to do is get the cats in their carriers, and I'll be ready to head north. Needless to say, the devil's in the "cat" details. On the morning of the 19th, I feed the cats, and two of them throw up shortly thereafter. I let them rest for a half hour or so before feeding...then it's time to load up. Only, there are no cats to load up...they have all disappeared. Yes...while I was planning the trip home, the cats were "scouting out places on the West Side ("Hey Paulie, you know any good places over on the West Side?") so that they could "go to the mattresses" when the time came. So...for two hours, I search the house top to bottom. They're hiding in closets, under patio furniture...even Cleo is holed up in the shower of the back bathroom. Finally....at 8:00AM, everybody's packed up, and I'm on the road home. A little after 6:00PM, I'm at the Days Inn in Dalton, Georgia. Same drill as before...litter box, food, water, release the cats...cocktails and dinner at the Chili's down the street...bed. The next morning, I'm up and on the road before 6:00AM. And, at around 4:30PM, I'm home...finally home. I'm happy and so are the cats...even Nola. The house looks good...I didn't know what to expect after being away for five months. I shake myself a icy-cold Stoli martini, plop down in my favorite chair, and turn on a movie. The unpacking can wait until tomorrow. Besides, I might as well rest now because the schedule over then next seven weeks is going to be brutal...really brutal.