Thursday

 

Annie is back!  Regardless of what her blood chemistry says, she’s back at full speed; eating, drinking, running, playing, sleeping, digging crabs on the beach; all with enthusiasm.

 

And the coots are back.  We’ve been cootless until this morning.  It was nice to see them paddling around the pond.  We don’t know if it’s the same pair as last year yet, because they haven’t actually knocked on the door demanding food, but they might be last year’s coots.  One turtle is back too.  We tossed some dog kibble out on the water and he came right over.  Nessie, the grass carp, lurks just below the surface in the shallows.

 

Smooth weather today, but there is a big storm coming.  Strong thunderstorms.  Not cold; 70 degrees.  Heavy rain.  Predictions of up to 6” of rain.  Accumulation in the ponds tends to run about 4 to 1, so if it rains 6”, the pond water should rise 2 feet.  Judy put a 1 foot stake in the ground at the water’s edge.  If we get the predicted rain, the top of that stake should be a foot underwater.

 

Got the rain gauge out, the chairs all put up, the leaky slide closed, the awnings all retracted.  We’re ready.  In the meantime, Tropical Pie Night at the Welcome Center, compliments of Susan and Carol.  Key Lime, Mandarin Orange, Lemon Merangue, and Grapefruit Pie.  It took two trips down the pie table, but we got to sample them all.  Dessert before dinner.  Don’t need much dinner after that.