Out With the Old, in With the New!

  I mentioned in my last post that we had 8” of rain in one day and I wanted to assure you, that wasn’t a typo.  During the 18-hour deluge, roads filled with water and accidents happened right and left.  Many roads had to be closed.  When the storm was over, it was like the aftermath of a hurricane with deep water standing everywhere.  

 The day after Christmas, the sun was out, it was 74 F, and we were eager to get outside.  

  I couldn’t yet hobble far from the car so we set up our chairs on a dike at the edge of an old rice field in Santee Coastal Preserve and let birds come to us.

The view in front of us ...

An expert fisherman, a great blue heron in his 

winter gray plumage, watching for his lunch.

And over our heads, a kingfisher, ready to give his piercing, rattling call 

and plummet straight down to the water to spear a fish on his harpoon bill.   

  That was a few days ago.  Since then I have traded in the walker for a cane, the pain from the surgery has significantly lessened, and I am going for short walks outdoors.  Yay!  

 

  I spent some time today looking through my photos for the year and thinking about all the wonderful things we’ve done, the places we’ve gone, the family and friends we’ve spent time with, in 2019.  I’m so thankful for all those good times and can’t wait to see what the next year brings!

  We may or may not be awake tonight to welcome the new decade but tomorrow we will for sure eat our Hoppin’ John and cornbread for good fortune.  

  And for you, my friends —