Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

Duane and I left on a vacation February 25. Our first stop in our car was in St. Louis, where we met our friends, John and Peg Seiger from Trempealeau, WS. They brought along their airboat, so the next two days all I saw from my driver’s seat was the back of the army green airboat equipped with an airplane engine and a three bladed prop. That sort of engine, John explained to me, made the boat more maneuverable in the water than a regular car engine that an airboat usually has.

From Memphis, TN to Tallahassee, FL it is springtime with warm temps and green grass. The spring flowers and blooming trees made us all feel better. South of Tallahassee it’s just plain summer with the thermometer reaching 85 degrees most of the days we were there. Our white winter skin was glowing red almost immediately. It’s like a different world, containing lots of convertibles and people outside walking and enjoying the wonderful warm sunshine. The hibiscuses were in bloom like pink teacups outside our motel room.

We arrived at Leesburg, FL later than we expected because of some car trouble. We went to some new friends, Dewayne and Evia Gardner, whom we met at John and Peg’s home. They are from Spooner, WS, which lies in the northern part of Wisconsin. These new friends had just bought a place to the east of Leesburg and are owners of a brand new airboat. That very day, we put both boats in a small river in the area. The weather was so nice I didn’t even have to take a jacket. I just can’t get over the fact that while the snow flies in Nebraska there is a place where it’s always summer. Dewayne and Evia made us feel so welcomed and took me to a roadside stand to buy some sweet oranges. We brought home a cooler full, but not nearly enough. I don’t see why we here in the Midwest can’t have oranges like that made available to us. We bought those unwashed oranges for a dollar a bag on the honor system and they are as big as a grapefruit. The orange trees grow in that area like Franklin County cedars-lots of them.

A couple of days later, we put the airboats in the St. John’s River at Cocoa, FL. This river is known for alligators. I was amazed when I saw cattle grazing right on the banks next to the gators. Of course, I scooted to almost sitting on John’s feet as he drove the boat over a large gator. This gray-green monster splashed mud all over me with his tail. This river is 100 to 150 feet wide and the cattle have grazed the vegetation to almost nothing allowing the gators plenty of sunning room. Up the bogs of this river the water plants, which we pay good money for, were growing free for anyone to pick. Among pickerel and the parrot feather, up and out of the bottom of the creeks grew a majestic water lily with a bloom as bright as the sunshine. The water plants were so abundant that I wanted to bring them home. After all, Lorraine Money says its time for us to put out our hardy water lilies. She say as long as the bottom of the barrel doesn’t freeze they will be protected and start to green up.

The St. John’s River flows north to Jacksonville, FL. Where it empties into the ocean. The sunset glowed red and purple to create a calm serene setting as we rode back to the landing that evening. This large country of ours offers us so much-if we tire of snow, just go south, and in a matter of hours we can be in a complete different climate. The best place to eat on the river is the little restaurant called the Lone Cabbage. We ate fried gator and shrimp outside on the deck that hangs over the waters of the St. John. I’m told that at times during the year the gators come to the deck to get handouts of food.

From there we drove on south to Lake Okeechobee. You can look on a national map this lake is huge. We put in on the lake’s north edge and went up the feeder channels. Among the gators, yellow lilies, and over hanging trees, we had our lunch on the bow of the airboat. This part of the lake was alive with people so we didn’t stay too long. Here is where I pulled out some water plants to bring then home with me. Floating in the weeds I found an old soda bottle into which I stuffed paper towels and some floating plants. These are somewhat alive in my garage waiting to adorn my water barrels. This is where we parted company with our new friends, Dewayne and Evia. The Seigers and Donovans traveled on south to Everglade City and spent a day there, then we too came to a parting of the ways as we all headed back north. We last saw Jon and Peg along Interstate 75 around Tampa, FL. As we passed them up and waved good-bye, unspoken words traveled from our car to their Jeep Cherokee: “See you soon along the banks of the Mississippi when summer arrives to the bogs of that mighty river,” or maybe, “We will see you at Mushroom time.” It’s such fun to go to our friends’ home on the Mississippi.

We drove on to Tallahassee that day, turning west on Interstate 10. On west we went to Pensacola Beach, where we spent three days. I will tell you about that lovely place next week.

Vacations are good for the body and soul-a get away from the every day world. We were so busy everyday and so tired at night I didn’t have to worry of what was going on at home. The old procrastinating attitude took control of me telling me I will worry about my problems later. Bedtime came early and sleep was welcomed and in need to prepare for the next day’s adventure.

The flowers sprang wanton to be prest,

The birds sang love on every spray-till soon, too soon,

The glowing west Proclaimed the speed of winged day. Robert Burns.

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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