THE TAKEOFF ROLL FOR MY KAMCHATKA TRIP
IS PRECEDED BY CALLS TO KACIE FOLLOWING HER BIRTHDAY,
AND TO JUDY AND THE TWINS-
EACH LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LATER VISITS
August 17, 2001
I called Kacie and caught Kathy who was on her day off, working at North Florida Regional Hospital. It seems Kacie had had a bit of fever and diarrhea around her first birthday, and it turns out to be Salmonella. Now, just what dairy or eggs or whatever gave that a start, no one knows. But, she is just about on the schedule of her older brother before her-walking and talking about twenty words-her favorite of the moment being "Kitty Kat" She just got my little package of goodies in commemoration of her birthday last week for which I called a few times but mostly only left voice mail. I had been thinking of her and her brother, and had set up the permits for the Cumberland Island excursion Jan. 6-9 at Nancy's Fancy with the thought in mind that maybe they could come over, if not during the hunt for which I had reserved a permit for Donald, then maybe before the hunt on the weekend at Nancy's Fancy which Keith Carr has already reserved for me.
Donald just got a promotion and a raise which means he starts up in September back on patrol and on the beat. I thought he had liked his detective job, but he was also interested in whatever raises the pay scale had for him. I may try to arrange far enough in advance that during my post-Christmas visit I may be able to do the "Ride Along" with him.
Andrew William appears to be doing his own thing just now and is not at this time Kacie's prime tutor. He is going to the Day Care School and will be staring kindergarten next year. He still may harbor his memories about being eager to go out hunting with his "Grandpaw." He has a toy Model 94 Winchester lever action that was his constant companion in riding shotgun for us when we went to Oleno State Park and were stalking gators. The new 20-guage Charles E. Daley might be the ideal device for him to learn something about the handling of a real device.
I called Judy, and heard the little noises of a pair of twins who are each gaining weight. She took pity on my eagerness to know more about them and sent a couple of newer pictures via the internet---before my office desk top computer's "system disc" went down to stay. But, I got a print out of the boys to carry along with me. About the only time they get together in unison is to disrupt a quiet spot like a restaurant. They are on a somewhat variable three hour schedule. Judy is now finally free of a few longer term visitors, and I said I was looking forward to joining in on that list before too much longer. At present, the first scheduled trip I have planned going that way is the November schedule built around the flimsy excuse of the "Marathon of the Americas" which still has not got its act together to send me an application for a number of us who may run variable distances.
I left a call on Milly's line as well, as I packed up what details I could pack away and try to put a few into the mail, along with the Test Reeboks on my last day near the office for awhile, and then packed up the Bronco.
As I opened the tailgate of the Bronco to put the duffel bag and rifle in
as I set out on a distant big game hunt, a Derwood deer stood ten feet away
watching motionless but with interest. He thought, as they all do, that if only
they stand perfectly still, they are invisible. That was nearly true until the
retinal reflex of the flash bounced back to the camera. So, my big game send
off to big game hunting in the far corners of the world is a salute from the
deer of Derwood!