For the last 21 years, I’ve been teaching overseas. My brother was in the Air Force, and then he also became an international teacher. Both my sisters married military guys, so they rarely stayed in one place for long. Finally, we’re all living in the States! You would think it would be easier to get together.
For the first time since Christmas, we all met up last weekend at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Kentucky. We had planned to camp, but the weather report looked bleak, so we opted for cabins instead (hallelujah!). When my mom canceled at the last minute after hearing about the grueling drive, I took her reservation at the lodge (even better!).
I rode with my sister, Megan, and her kids after driving six hours to get to her house. Turns out the trip to Cumberland Falls was nearly 12 hours! So painful. However, we had some good laughs and arrived to find the rest of the gang already settled in their cabins with food on the stove.
Remember road trips without electronics? View from the lodge.
We lucked out with a crisp, clear day for hiking. First, we walked down the path behind the cabins to reach the falls.
Two cuties, a waterfall, and a rainbow. Who could ask for more?The whole gang!
The nieces and nephews skittered around boulders and cliffs like little mountain goats as the Cumberland River roared below us. It’s possible we let them skitter a bit too much, and we’re lucky nobody plunged into the waterfall or got flattened by falling rocks. (There was a near tragedy, though … read on …)
Oops…Where’s Nico?Cousins xoTaking in the view.Can’t stop climbing!A round resting spot.Dripping rocks and sweet boys.
We spent a little time hanging out at this beach, where the kids collected garbage for a Scout merit badge. Unfortunately, there was plenty to collect as it gets carried downstream and deposited on these shores.
Playing at the beach.Chilling with the ladies.Back walkover!Garbage collectors.
After lunch, we hiked to Eagle Falls, which was hidden in a cove of massive boulders.
The kids climbed up behind the falls!Summer finding her zen.Nieces!
The second day was cloudy, and we were exhausted, but we managed to squeeze in one more hike. Later, we adults hung out around the campfire while the little people played in the woods.
Like a postcard!
More random shots from our visit …
The bookends are friends of my brother’s kids who were also visiting the park.
Tuesday morning, Megan and I took off with her kids and dog for the arduous trip home. As we zig-zagged through small towns and farmland across the southern states, Megan counted Dollar Generals using the voice of the Count from Sesame Street (“16 Dollar Generals! Bwah ha ha ha!”). She got up to 20 before we finally emerged from the countryside and got on a proper highway.
In the meantime, the rest of the family took a morning hike along the river. My brother’s dog, Lexi, wandered too close to the edge and fell in the icy river. Summer, thinking the splash had been one of the children, dove in and pulled Lexi to safety. This happened just upstream from the falls, where the rapid current could have easily swept them both away and given me a whole different angle for this blog post. Whew! Tragedy averted.
Summer and Lexi
I wish we could have had more time together, but as always, we made the most of it!
At EquiLightenment, education is part of the ethos. Whether you’re a horse, an intern, or an accomplished equestrian, you are likely to learn something new every day.
As an intern, my whole job is to learn. Working with Sharon and Jess, I continue to relish experiences that pop out of my textbooks and into real life. What I hadn’t expected was how often teachable moments arise throughout the day and how flexibly the two trainers drop everything to (a) teach me something, (b) teach a horse something, or (c) learn something new themselves.
For example, last Wednesday we brought Crescente and her 9-day-old baby, Tenebrus, in from the pasture and into their stall. As we admired them, Jess bent down to give the foal a little scratch, and he took a step toward her. “Hey, let’s just introduce the marker right now,” Sharon said.
It felt like a major milestone as Jess practiced positive reinforcement training on Tenebrus for the first time. She continued scratching his chest for a few seconds and then took a step back. As soon as Tenebrus started to move toward her, she made a clicking sound (the “marker”) and then gave him a scratch. The click acts as a bridge between the desired behavior (moving forward) and the reinforcer (a scratch on the chest).
Positive Reinforcement Training Kindergarten
A few days later, Sharon took a break during a very busy day for a short session with Tenebrus in the field. She introduced the concept of backing up on command, and she also presented a little halter to begin desensitizing him for future use.
During my days at the farm, Jess and I use a checklist to care for the horses. She frequently stops what she’s doing to teach me a new skill or concept, such as mixing feed for the horses, treating wounds, and targeting specific hoof care needs.
Me learning how to follow the feed chart with color-coded buckets.
Tenebrus and I are the newbies here, but Jess and Sharon are also eager learners. When equestrian coach Jon La Force visited the farm recently, both women raved about how much he taught them. It was inspiring to see Sharon in the arena, lunging her stallion, Ladino, as Jon kept up a steady stream of advice. She and Jess continue to refer to his training as they work with the horses, and it’s a refreshing reminder that no matter how much of an expert you are, there’s always something new to learn.
Sharon and Ladino during one of Jon’s lessons.
Another teachable moment happened the other day after Sharon demonstrated some training strategies with her colt, Romano. She had walked him to her trail course, a sort of playground with a variety of obstacles, where he practiced crossing a bridge, stepping up and down a steep slope, and keeping calm while moving through a gate. A guest at the farm and I watched as Sharon explained what she was doing. After putting Romano back in the pasture, we headed to the barn while discussing positive reinforcement training.
Romano learns not to freak out when tapped by the gate.
It was a casual chat until Sharon realized we had a misconception. She paused, leaned over to draw a Punnet square in the sand, and proceeded to use clear analogies to explain the four domains of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. I had learned this stuff in my Equine Behavior and Psychology class, but Sharon’s explanation was so much clearer. Her guest and I both felt enlightened.
About halfway through my internship, I feel grateful for teachable moments and the commitment to education that permeates this experience. What will I learn tomorrow? I can hardly wait to find out.
Enrolled in Equine Reproduction this semester, I have read extensively about mare and stallion anatomy, studied the process of oogenesis and spermatogenesis, watched a testicle dissection video, and even sculpted a horse vagina out of Play-doh. So I feel pretty book smart when it comes to making a baby horse. I just haven’t actually seen the final product. Until now!
Since starting my internship at Silver Moon Iberians, I’ve been helping to care for this sweet mare, Crescente, and hoping to be there for the birth of her baby. She was showing all the signs of being close: “bagging up,” which means her milk production started and her udders were beginning to fill; waxy plugs had formed on her teats; and her pelvic ligaments had relaxed (her tail area felt like a gel pillow). Plus, she was huge.
Crescente, 10 days before giving birth. Photo: by Sharon Madere.
Each day, Jess took a sample of Crescente’s milk to test with a pH strip. The pH of mammary secretions are around 8.0 to 8.5 until shortly before they are ready to foal, and then the pH drops significantly. When it reaches 6.4, there’s a good chance the stork will pay a visit.
The pH strips used to test a mare’s milk.
That happened last Tuesday. Everyone felt certain Crescente would deliver that night. Her owner, Sharon, set up a foal watch system for each of us to take shifts watching the barn cameras. I was on duty from 1 to 2 a.m., but then I couldn’t get back to sleep because I didn’t want to miss the big event! Turns out there was no big event. Later, Sharon realized the pH strips were old, so the results were unreliable.
Screenshot from my foal watch shift. For a minute, I thought something was happening until I realized that was just her wrapped tail.
On Friday, we brought the horses in from the pasture for breakfast and some grooming. When they were ready for turnout, I haltered Crescente and led her out of the barn. “Is that blood?” called Chris, one of the staff members. She pointed to two splotches on the barn’s concrete floor. If we had walked just a few more steps, the blood would have landed in grass, and we probably wouldn’t have noticed it. Sharon called the veterinarian, Dr. Carolin von Rosenberg, who came to the barn to make sure everything was OK.
Jess held Crescente’s halter and fed her a steady stream of sweet feed, while I held Crescente’s tail out of the way.
Dr. von Rosenberg cleaned up Crescente and inserted a speculum, which looked like the cardboard tube from a roll of wrapping paper. She examined Crescente for blood, but didn’t see anything suspicious. “Want to look in here?” she said, passing the penlight to me to have a peek.
Feeling fortunate to have this firsthand experience with the very stuff I’m studying in class, I looked through the tube at Crescente’s healthy, pink, tightly closed cervix. “How cool!” I exclaimed.
Dr. von Rosenberg then pulled on a shoulder-length latex glove and reached in to Crescente’s rectum. She pulled out some feces and tossed them in a bucket. Then she peeled off her glove, cleaned up Crescente, and re-gloved to insert the ultrasound probe.
A horse’s reproductive tract sits just beneath her gastrointestinal tract, so the vet can palpate the reproductive organs through the wall of the rectum and use an ultrasound to see a cross section of the uterus.
At first, Crescente’s exam seemed normal. Then Dr. von Rosenberg pointed to the screen and said, “This line right here is all placenta, but I’m not too happy with the way it looks. The problem is this placenta is separated from the wall, which means we’re looking at a red bag starting to happen.”
The equine placenta is made up of two parts: The amnion is the white, filmy bag that contains the fetus, and the chorioallantois, or “red bag,” attaches to the uterus and allows nutrients and waste to pass through the umbilical chord. In a normal delivery, the foal arrives first, and the red bag is passed within a few hours. However, in a red bag birth, the chorioallantois detaches prematurely from the uterus, cutting off the foal’s oxygen supply. If the baby is not immediately cut out of the red bag at birth, it will die.
Dr. von Rosenberg said the baby in utero was moving and seemed fine, but she recommended taking Crescente to the Equine Medical Center of Ocala (EMCO). Within 15 minutes, Crescente was in the trailer and headed to the hospital.
Monday morning, as Jess and I were working in the barn, we got a text from Sharon saying Crescente had foaled. It was a red bag birth, but the EMCO staff were able to intervene immediately to rescue the little colt. We all feel profoundly grateful for those splotches of blood on the concrete that ensured Crescente was at the right place at the right time to deliver her baby.
I could hardly wait to meet the little guy.
When he was just six hours old, the colt greeted us at his EMCO stall. He was up and walking around, a bit wobbly but determined. Unimpressed, Crescente didn’t act very maternal at first. Finally, Sharon realized the poor mama was hangry. She found a few flakes of alfalfa, and Crescente chomped away happily for almost two hours while her baby waddled around her in circles, poked at her teats trying to get the hang of nursing, and otherwise made a nuisance of himself. Finally, satiated, she licked her boy’s little face. He eventually tired out and awkwardly collapsed his gangly legs to take a nap.
Six hours old. He was so soft and cuddly!
Yesterday, I met Sharon and her husband, Dave, at EMCO to load up Crescente and her boy in the trailer. We were all stressed about the 12-mile journey, worried that Crescente could stumble and accidentally trample her foal. I followed them home and breathed a sigh of relief when Crescente stepped out of the trailer with the baby skittering down the ramp behind her.
Sharon put them in a small pasture while she prepared their stall. Crescente seemed happy to be home, and after a little romp around the pasture, she settled down to grazing. She kept an eye on her boy, though, moving toward him when he ventured away. Clearly curious and brave, he explored his new surroundings, even approaching me for a scratch on his neck. Occasionally, he jumped in the air, bucked, or ran a circle around his mom and then dove under her for some milk. He’s already so tall, he has to reach down to nurse.
Crescente had gotten quite sweaty in the trailer, so after awhile, Sharon led her up to the barn for a quick rinse. Then mama and baby settled in to their stall for the night. Home sweet home.
Since heading back to college last fall, I knew I would be required to complete an internship. The thought made me anxious. As a veteran teacher, I’m used to being one of the experts in my field, but in the horse world, I’m a rookie. I worried about feeling stupid. I worried about making embarrassing mistakes. I worried about having condescending supervisors. After my first week on the “job,” I am breathing a sigh of relief … no, it’s more than that. I am actually giddy with joy to have this opportunity.
My neighbor introduced me to Sharon Madere, a certified horse behavior consultant, who agreed to take me on as an intern at her gorgeous 39-acre farm. Her business, EquiLightenment, offers equine behavior consulting and positive reinforcement training. In addition, she operates a small breeding program, Silver Moon Iberians.
Colts separated from their mamas for the day as part of the delayed weaning program.Halters for the mamas and babies (and one pony).Such a lovely setting!
The farm has a wonderful vibe that seems to stem from a genuine love and respect for horses paired with an idyllic setting. Towering oak trees draped with moss provide a dramatic backdrop to the pastures, and the barn is bright and breezy, clearly designed with the horses’ welfare in mind.
The cart features a guide for each horse’s care, as well as supplies such as fly spray and a bucket of warm water for wiping eyes and nostrils.
Sharon was out of town last week, but her barn manager and fellow trainer, Jess Ward, provided a warm welcome. She has patiently showed me the ropes regarding their barn management practices, and I’ve already learned so much from her.
On my first day, Jess introduced me to Meg Eades, who was visiting to perform body work on some of the horses. According to Meg’s website, she offers Lazaris Method Nerve Release, which “gently unwinds chronic tension and nerve impingements, and promotes soundness and healthy nervous system function.” Watching Meg and Jess work together on a horse named Epic was riveting. Slowly and gently, they helped Epic release tightness in his neck through body work and movement.
Jess leads Epic while Meg offers guidance.
Meg also worked with the resident stallion, Ladino.
Meg and Ladino.
On my second day, I met Dr. Karen Hitchings, who shared her philosophy about barefoot trimming. The goal is to help the horse feel balanced, she said, to move him out of his sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and into his parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax).
When we weren’t chatting with visitors to the barn, Jess walked me through the daily routines. We brought the horses in from the pasture to feed and groom them. We cleaned stalls and filled hay bags. We hauled hay out to the pastures to ensure horses had 24/7 access to the forage necessary to keep their digestive system in working order. Jess drove the Gator, zig-zagging around the pastures, while I threw handfuls of alfalfa, a management practice that encourages horses to move around as they graze.
Jess backed the Gator up to the hay container.Jess and Chris pulled down flakes of hay and loaded them on the Gator. Eliana spotted the delivery and stopped for a snack.Throwing handfuls of hay to the colts in the pasture.
One of the pregnant mares, Crescente, is due to deliver her foal any day now. She is huge and uncomfortable. Not surprising since a newborn foal averages around 100 pounds! Jess explained that testing the pH balance of Crescente’s milk would help predict when she’ll have the baby. Researchers have found that when the pH drops below 6.4, the mare has a 97% chance of foaling in the next three days. I have my fingers crossed that I will be there when it happens.
Me leading Crescente in from the pasture.Jess took a milk sample from Crescente.Close, but not there yet!
I also watched Jess give a dewormer to one of the colts, Solsticio. She calmly desensitized him to the plastic syringe – showing it to him, letting him smell it, touching his face with it, etc. – so she could administer the oral paste. I followed her lead later than night when I had to give one of the minis some anti-diarrhea medicine.
I’ll be working and learning at EquiLightenment three days a week until I complete 120 hours. After all those Equine Studies classes, I’m thrilled to have more hands-on experience with horses and the experts who work with them. It reminds me of when I trained to be a teacher. You learn heaps of information, but none of it really makes sense until you step into a classroom. Lucky me … this time, my classroom is a barn.
Since starting my petsitting gig in August, I have been eager to share this experience with my family. My mom has been here a few times, and my sister, Megan, and her kids have visited, but I really wanted the whole gang here at once.
Wendi, the farm owner, was traveling the week after Christmas, but she gave me permission to use her guest rooms for my sister, Kate, and her family, who were driving from Michigan. They arrived on Dec. 26, and the next day everyone else made a day trip from The Villages.
Watching my nieces and nephews love on the Great Danes, play chase with the two barn dogs, feed treats to the mini horses, and explore the property, I felt my heart soar. The joy was palpable.
Paul gets attacked by Timmy and TJ. Welcome to my world.Annesley and Katie give treats to Grace.Will – decked out in full camo – gets a greeting from Max.TJ sports a new do.Timmy transforms to a unicorn!Nico gets swarmed.Max gives April a little love.Jack couldn’t get enough cuddles with the dogs.A morning at the farm.
After hanging out at the farm for awhile, we piled into cars to visit the World Equestrian Center (WEC). We unpacked a huge lunch at the tables overlooking the Grand Arena, and nobody bemoaned the lack of a horse show because many of WEC’s “Winter Wonderland” exhibits were still up. Between bites of their lunch, the kids ran around, checking out the huge Christmas trees and other decorations. We visited the toy shop and hotel and then got some ice cream before heading home.
The kids pose in front of Sgt. Reckless, a U.S. Marine Corps horse who served in the Korean War.Playing in the Winter Wonderland decorations before workers could dismantle them.Sunny post-Christmas fun at the World Equestrian Center.Cousin love!Mama meets a dapper reindeer.All my silly lovebugs!Siblings! I’m surprised we didn’t get kicked out of the hotel. We were laughing so hard and took many inappropriate photos before finally getting this one. Is it any wonder the kids are such goofballs?
For my Christmas present to all the nieces and nephews this year, I planned a bowling party. Their enthusiasm and shenanigans, including lots of silly performances following strikes and spares, kept us in stitches. Compared to the last time they all bowled together in the summer of 2018, they’re all so dang big now. They still used the bumpers, but nobody needed the assist ramp to roll the ball onto the lane. There were no hissy fits or tears among the losers, and we could send them to the counter on their own to return their shoes. Perhaps the most dramatic change was when they all went to hug me at once, I was legitimately scared I would fall over. I guess that’s more a reflection on my aging than theirs!
July 20, 2018
December 28, 2022
No more babies! Wah! Middle: All my nieces and nephews with my mom.
Meet Josephine, the first alligator to steal my heart. (Chances are, she’ll be the only alligator to steal my heart.) The 7-year-old gator is a farm-reared pet at Swamp Fever Airboat Adventures, where we got the opportunity to hold her. I was surprised by the rubbery feel of her skin and the soft texture of her belly. The handler said Josephine loved being held, especially on cold mornings. After all, as a cold-blooded reptile, Josephine can’t produce her own heat. She must have felt pretty toasty by the time our gang was done with her.
My sweet BGF (best gator friend), Josephine.My brother, Mike, and his crew.My sister, Kate, and her crew.My sister, Megan, and her crew.
The cuddle session was the culmination of our airboat adventure on Lake Panasoffkee, a 4,820-acre lake in west central Florida, on Dec. 29. Our tour started at 9 a.m., a bit early for the swamp’s reptilian sun seekers to make an appearance. Captain Kyle maneuvered the airboat through the backwoods of the Withlacoochee River system, pointing out natural springs, explaining the cypress swamp root system, and identifying wildlife.
Our view upon arrival.Ready to go!
As our airboat zipped through the lake, we saw little black birds that seemed to pop up and run across the water to escape. Captain Kyle said the coots have lobed feet that create little paddles for pushing away the water while they dash across the surface of the lake. We also saw moss-draped trees filled with cormorants and anhingas, wings outstretched to dry in the morning breeze. Those birds dive into the water to catch fish, but they lack the waterproofing oil that other waterbirds have, so they must dry out on land between dives or risk being unable to fly. Other sightings included bald eagles, osprey, herons, wood ducks, hawks, and a few turtles.
We didn’t see any big alligators, but Captain Kyle steered into a little cove, where he pointed out the silty swirling water at the entrance of a gator den. He said it took about six months for him to pinpoint this location, where an 8-foot mama gator hangs out with her babies. Several toddler gators dotted the shoreline.
a lucky young survivor
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “About 1/3 of alligator nests are destroyed by predators (mainly raccoons) or flooding. The average clutch size of an alligator nest is 38. For nests that survive predators and flooding, an estimated 24 live hatchlings will emerge. Only 10 alligator hatchlings will live to one year. Of these yearlings, 8 will become subadults (reach 4 feet in length). The number of subadults that reach maturity (6 feet in length) is approximately 5.”
Speeding through the swamp was exhilarating, but I also loved the peaceful moments when the boat slowed to a crawl with stunning reflections in the still water.
Zipping along Lake Panasoffkee.Cypress trees with root “knees” that aid in respiration and provide structural support.
After the boat ride and our date with Josephine, we gathered around a big fire pit and snacked on treats from the resident food truck while the kids played cornhole.
I now officially have Swamp Fever, and I hope to visit this place again!
Christmas Day 2022 started much like every other day in recent memory. I got up early and fed the horses, who were all dressed in toasty blankets because of the bitter cold snap pounding Florida. I sent a few texts to friends and family. I colored my hair, read my book, surfed social media, DIY’d some lotion bars to give as gifts, and took care of random housekeeping tasks.
Warm and stylish!
Later, I drove to the Villages to bake cookies and hang out with my mom and family friend, Bev, who whipped up a late lunch of fettuccine alfredo. My sister, Megan, who was in town Christmasing with her in-laws, popped by with her kids for awhile, which was fun. I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos at my only Christmas event!
Tony and I generally try to talk most days, but our Christmas Facetime call was especially fun. He dug out old passports, and I slogged through photos, Facebook posts, emails, and even old Christmas letters (written by hand on paper!) to figure out how we spent our 30 years of Christmases since we got married. Of course, there’s no digital footprint from those early days. Photos taken with film cameras and printed at an actual Fotomat are buried in our storage unit. Maybe someday, I’ll unearth them to finish our list.
Here’s the rundown (with some additional travel notes).
1992: Newly married and living in Lawrence, Kansas, we most likely split Christmas with my family at our house and Tony’s family in Sedalia, Missouri. Not sure.
1993: Again, not sure. Probably Lawrence and Sedalia? At some point during the holidays, we traveled to Weston, MO, and visited friends in St. Louis.
1994: My parents and sisters moved to Saudi Arabia this year, where my father worked as a contractor with General Dynamics. We all met up for Christmas in Germany and Austria.
1995: My parents bought a house in Lawrence to use as home base while they were abroad, and Tony and I moved in. No record of Christmas. Lawrence and Sedalia?
1996: My family came back from Saudi Arabia for Christmas, so I’m assuming we spent some time with them at our house in Lawrence and some time with Tony’s family in Olathe. I traveled to Switzerland for my sister, Kate’s, graduation from high school earlier that year.
1997: Tony and I joined my family and Dickinson grandparents for Christmas at Disney World in Orlando. Also that year, I traveled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia with my job at the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Dickinsons at Disney
1998: Tony’s mother, Catherene Ann, died this year, so maybe we spent Christmas with his family in Olathe, or maybe we went to Michigan, where my parents were living after moving back from Saudi Arabia. We bought the house in Lawrence from my parents, and I went back to school to get my teaching certification. We traveled to Italy in the spring after my sister, Megan, graduated from high school in Switzerland.
1999: I spent Christmas with my parents and sisters in Michigan, where they were playing host to the daughter of their Sri Lankan driver from the Saudi days. I can’t remember if Tony was there. Maybe he spent the holidays with his family?
2000: Another Christmas mystery. I finished my teaching certification, so we prepared to move overseas.
2001: After landing jobs in Istanbul, we sold our house and moved to Turkey. During our four years there, we didn’t get a Christmas vacation, so we spent Christmas with our friends from school.
2002: Another Istanbul Christmas. We spent the summer in Germany, where my brother was stationed with the Air Force.
2003: Another Istanbul Christmas, but we traveled to Thailand in February.
2004: Another Istanbul Christmas. However, we made a weekend pork run to Cologne, Germany, in early December; traveled to Egypt in January; and enjoyed a Carnival Cruise and time in Miami before the February job fair at the University of Northern Iowa.
On the cruise.
2005: We moved to China and celebrated Christmas in Phuket, Thailand. Tony also started work on his master’s degree this year.
2006: We traveled to Malaysian Borneo with our friends, Scott and Amy.
Kapalai Dive Resort – spectacular!
2007: My family met in Germany and gathered at the home of my brother, who was deployed in Qatar. He surprised us by returning for the holidays. Other fun trips that winter were to the ice festival in Harbin, China, and Bangkok for my 40th birthday.
At a Christmas market in Germany with Summer.
2008: We spent Christmas in Yangshuo, China, followed by the Search Associates international educator job fair in Bangkok, and Chinese New Year in Cambodia.
YangshuoYangshuoYangshuo
I started my blog the year we left China, so I’ll add links to my old stories from here on.
2009: We moved to Laos this year. Tony and I spent Christmas in Krabi, Thailand, followed by a visit from my sister Megan, who traveled with me to Cambodia and Luang Prabang, Laos.
Railay Beach at Krabi, Thailand.
2010: Our friends, the Hossacks, spent Christmas in Laos with us, and then Tony and I took off for the Search job fair in Bangkok.
The Hossacks at our house in Laos.
2011: We moved to India this year. We met up with my family for Christmas in Garmisch, Germany. Really, there’s no place like Germany at Christmas! It was my dad’s favorite place to spend the holidays.
Hiking the Partnachklamm in Garmisch.
2012: For the first time since moving abroad, we spent Christmas in the States, specifically to meet my new little nephew, William, at my parents’ house in Michigan. On our way back to India, we celebrated New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam.
My dad with baby William.
2013: Tony and I traveled to Korea for Christmas with my sister, Megan, and her family. Her husband was stationed there with the Air Force. This was the visit when baby William called me Shasha for the first time, melting my heart, and giving me my forever auntie name. On our way back to India, we enjoyed a little downtime in Koh Chang, Thailand.
A crazy exhibit in Seoul where kids could pose with taxidermied animals in wacky settings.
2014: One of my all-time favorite trips took us to Jordan for Christmas.
Entering Petra in Jordan.
2015: We traveled to Florida for Christmas to hang out with my parents and my sister, Kate’s, family. On our way back to India, we explored Dubai.
The manmade Dubai Marina, carved out of the desert.
2016: This year, we moved to Chile, where winter was summer and summer was winter, meaning our long “summer” break from school occurred from December to February. Rather than head to North America for Christmas, we spent the “summer” holidays discovering our new host city of Santiago in the warm sunshine.
Christmas brunch in Santiago.
2017: Just a red-eye flight away, we traveled to my parents’ place in Florida for Christmas. This year, my sister, Kate, drove from Michigan with her family to celebrate with us. Tony then flew to Kansas to visit his family, and I went to Del Rio, Texas, to see my sister, Megan, and her gang. We returned to Santiago for the rest of our long semester break.
We spent a day at Kennedy Space Center during our Florida Christmas.
2018: This was a very busy seven-week break from school! My family gathered at Megan’s house near Destin, Florida. Then Tony and I spent a few days in Chicago before preparing our Michigan lakehouse to go on the market. We sorted, packed, gave stuff away, and cleaned. Back in Chile, Tony played tourguide for his two sisters.
A Polar Vortex post-Christmas in Chicago.
2019: My father died this November, so Christmas felt a bit melancholy at times. The family (minus my brother, who was living in Abu Dhabi) met at Megan’s house, where Tony and I stuck around for an extended vacation. After a short time back in Santiago, we flew to Ilha Grande, a fabulous tropical island in Brazil.
Post-Christmas paradise in Brazil.
2020: Deep in the bowels of the pandemic, Tony and I spent Christmas alone at the Villages in Florida. My mom went to a party, but after experiencing strict social-distancing rules in Chile, we weren’t ready to risk it. After a short visit with Megan, we returned to Chile for the rest of our break.
Back in Santiago after an uneventful Christmas.
2021: We spent Christmas in Michigan with my sisters and mom, and then Tony traveled to Kansas to celebrate with his family. Later, we headed to Florida for some beach time, followed by a few petsitting gigs, including at the farm where I’m spending this gap year.
Before the Christmas Nerf War had even started, we had our first casualty.
2022: That brings us to this year. I’m in Ocala, Florida, attending Equine Studies classes and caring for 15 animals at a little farm, and Tony is in Bangkok, Thailand, teaching middle school English at KIS International School. Here we are Christmas morning my time, Christmas evening his time.
A very Facetime Christmas!
After compiling this list from scratch, I discovered that we had already done this twice before in 2012 and 2017. See why I need to document my life? I can’t even remember stuff that I already blogged, much less parts of my life that I failed to record. Sigh… note to self: Next time you want to remember all your Christmases, just open The Guide Hog and search “Christmas.”
You know you’re desperate for a get-away when you toss your cat in the car and head out at the crack of dawn during a hurricane.
That’s what I did on November 10. My sister and her husband were going out of town for a wedding, and I was supposed to drive 339 miles to babysit my nephew and niece. However, Hurricane Nicole was slowly blowing her way up the Gulf Coast of Florida when I was scheduled to hit the road. I googled, “What wind speed can flip a car?” and “Is it dangerous to drive in a hurricane?” Google basically rolled its eyes.
Adrenaline-fueled, I took off slowly in the pitch black early morning through sheets of rain with 30 mph winds buffeting my little car and my cat, Ella, howling in the back seat. My body was so tense, I knew I would break into a million pieces if I crashed. After about an hour, the rain stopped and the sun came out, and I relaxed a bit. By noon, we had arrived and had time to decompress before the kids got home from school. Then the fun began.
Ella mainly camped out on the top bunk in Will’s room, but eventually she started exploring and interacting with the kids.
Ella allowing Annesley to pet her.Ella overseeing Will’s brushing.Ella exploring the kitchen.
We played hard all weekend till their parents returned. And then I stuck around for two more weeks! With 14 animals depending on me at the farm, I rarely get to skip town. However, Wendi (the farm owner) was back for awhile and kindly took over my chores so I could enjoy a little vacation.
Highlights included hanging out at a state park, going to the beach, hiking, playing board games, and reading with the kids.
Despite literally not paying attention at ALL, Annesley kicks butt at Sequence.Beach bunnies.Will is all about his Army men these days.Oh man, we love us some Crumbl cookies.Family hike.Hanging out at Annesley’s school for their Turkey Trot.
We celebrated Annesley’s 8th birthday a month early (rather than compete with Christmas), but it came with a couple disappointments. First, most of her friends were unavailable during the Thanksgiving weekend, so she ended up having only one party guest (plus the girl’s brother). Secondly, the kids were bursting with anticipation for the arrival of their cousins, but my brother called to tell us both his son and daughter had contracted the flu, so they cancelled their visit. Nevertheless, we played minute-to-win-it games, and Annesley had a great time.
Thanksgiving was lovely. My mom and her boyfriend, Ram, visited from The Villages. Ram is an estate-sale aficionado, frequently finding treasures that he passes on to us. This time, he brought a golf practice net, which was a big hit.
We set the table with our grandmother’s dishes and beautiful linens I had bought in India (with gift certificates from my students’ parents). I don’t exactly remember giving them to Megan … but whatever … it was nice to see them. I also gambled on a vegetarian “turkey” just for me; nobody else would have tolerated that. Turns out, it’s delicious!
Oh Thanksgiving Tree, oh Thanksgiving Tree, how lovely are your branches!Turkey leg!More turkey leg!Our beautiful table.I don’t even want to know how they do it, but it was yummy.
I felt pretty special to make Annesley’s list of things she’s thankful for. (I’m Sha-Sha.)
At some point, I showed the kids how to use the Prisma app to play with photo filters. They went a little nuts with it, but some of their creations are fantastic.
Edited in Prisma app with Thota VaikuntamEdited in Prisma app with LeyaEdited in Prisma app with GothicEdited in Prisma app with ParisEdited in Prisma app with Street ArtEdited in Prisma app with CartoonEdited in Prisma app with Thota Vaikuntam
Disclaimer: Hurricane Nicole had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time I ventured into her bluster. Still pretty brave, I think. Or stupid. Anyway, it was worth the risk to hang out with this clan!
Before moving to central Florida in June, I would look at maps and drone images online to get a sense of the area and speculate about where I wanted to live. This big swath of green intrigued me, but I never took the time to figure out what it was.
From Google Maps
In recent months, I’ve driven under this bridge many times. Again, intrigued but too lazy to pursue any information.
I’ve seen this photo on many websites, but I couldn’t find the original owner.
Recently, I encountered the landmark in person while on a bike ride. I still don’t know many people here, so I used the Meetup app and joined a group to cycle for a couple hours on a paved path starting at the Santos Trailhead in Ocala. As we took off, the organizer, Robyn, said, “Let’s ride to the bridge and then turn around.” Which bridge? Everyone else seemed to know what she was talking about, so I didn’t ask for clarification.
I pedaled alongside various members of the group, chatting and enjoying the scenery, until we arrived at “the bridge,” which turned out to be THE bridge. The Land Bridge is part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, and that greenway is the mysterious green swath I had noticed on the maps of this area. I excitedly dashed to the top of the hill and looked down at I-75 traffic zipping by below. It was a bit anticlimactic, but I resolved to learn more once I got home.
At the top of the bridge.
Turns out that green swath was actually meant to be a canal that would have bisected Florida to create a shipping channel from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Ever since Spanish conquistador Pedro Menéndez de Avilés explored the coast of Florida in search of trade passages in the mid-1500s, “national and local leaders fought to secure funding and manpower to build a canal they believed would boost Florida’s economy and importance to global commerce,” according to a Florida State Parks sign on the east side of the bridge.
From a Florida State Parks sign.
In 1942, Congress authorized construction of a 107-mile canal to protect the U.S. shipping industry from Nazi submarines, but a lack of funding delayed construction for almost 30 years. In 1971, about eight years and $50 million into the project, President Richard Nixon signed an injunction to halt the canal. His decision was in part based on opposition by the Florida Defenders of the Environment, headed by local scientist and conservationist Marjorie Harris Carr.
I found an article in the New York Times archive that reported the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. In the article, Nixon said, “The step I have taken today will prevent a past mistake from causing permanent damage. But more important, we must assure that in the future we take not only full but also timely account of the environmental impact of such projects, so that instead of merely halting the damage, we prevent it.”
In 1992, the canal property became the Cross Florida Greenway, a 110-mile linear state park. The park includes 70,000 acres of land and the country’s first Land Bridge over a major interstate, a corridor used by black bears and other wildlife. According to the Florida Hikes! website, construction on the Land Bridge started in 1999, and is at its core, “a giant planter, with 87-ton beams stretching 2,000 feet across I-75 to hold soil, rock, trees, native plants, and a watering system in a thousand-ton cradle of concrete and steel.”
The day of our bike ride, the only non-human I saw using the Land Bridge was this gopher tortoise. (While researching the Land Bridge, I spent an inordinate amount of time getting side-tracked by this cool animal. They dig burrows that are said to provide shelter for 360 other species of wildlife!)
Now that I have identified the mysterious green swath, I hope to spend more time there.
