[susieq]

We got back from North Carolina on Weds night and have been mellowing out from the long drive, trying to get the house back in order, everything put away. It is a lovely morning here in Hudson, Florida on the Gulf Coast. It has finally cooled just a bit and I don't mind going outside for a change. We live in the remains of the pecan grove that Mr. Hudson planted over 125 years ago. We used to have 8 huge old trees here that produced a lot of nuts.

Over the last nearly 40 years that we have lived here, most of the trees have died off, one by one. We still have two huge trees and it's that time of year again..... the nuts started falling from the trees about two weeeks ago, very slowly. Now they are raining down with every little breeze. Because of their great age, they don't produce like they did years ago. Some years we don't get any nuts, some years the Hurrican season blows them all down before they are ripe. These year the fates conspired and there will be more nuts than we have had in at least 5 or 6 years.

The crows woke me early this morning, thumping around on the roof, chasing the nuts and screaming from the tops of the trees as they harvest them right out of the hull. The crows have come for the nuts every year this time, for as long as I can remember.

I stood in the back doorway with coffee in hand just watching all the excitement. We have a pair of large red tailed hawks in the area and one of them was trying to pick off a crow. I watched him make passes at several crows but then veer off. The crows are nearly as large as the hawk so maybe he had second thoughts.....

About 350 feet from our back door is also the cell tower our neighbor let the phone company put in. Some may remember from posts earlier this year, that we have a nesting pair of bald eagles on that tower every year. They arrived back about 3 months ago, from where ever they go in the summer and have been busy refurbishing their nest. There might even be eggs at this point. I guess all the birds are happy this morning because the eagles were giving voice too. Normally I hate living in Florida, except on a beautiful fall morning in November....... Well, time to hit the studio and carve.

[Joy]

What a way to charge your batteries! You should carve with extra zeal today.

[Tom H]

Susieq, Sounds great! I really hate cell phone towers, but I would love "yours" right now. How luckey you are. We still have it purty good here, but are now fighting the urban spraul that is taking over the country. Houses 3 to 5 per acre, traffic, new folks complaining about dust from bean or corn harvest, smells from cattle and horses, etc. And now they're tryin to put a regional sewer plant across the road and field from me...May be time to move further out and try to get back to the wild life and wide open spaces....Tom H

[susieq]

Thanks Joy, I am...
Tom, this may surprise you but the town of Hudson surrounds me here...... I am less than a thousand feet off of us hwy 19 in the old part of town. The part of the grove we own is only two lots in size. The rest of the grove is subdivided into two parcels, one on the North Side of Hudson Avenue and one on the South side, our side....the large piece behind me is owned by a business called RV World of Hudson and is about 5 acres.

When RV World bought that piece, they cut down probably twenty or more gigantic old pecan trees and we were sick about it. But he uses it for RV storage. The eagles on the tower are on this parcel closest to us and they don't seem to be bothered by the activity all around them. They are 275 feet up in the air though. There is a little swamp (spring fed) at the edge of the property and it is full of wonderful things. Aligator snapping turtles, great blue herons, greater egrets and lesser blue herons, spoonbills, even the occasional sand hill cranes. Also king fishers. The otters used to live there but haven't seen them in years.

It is a little island of paradise in a very busy town......

[doris]

susieq, i dont know if i understand every word you said, but your story surely made me remeber on a very nice time in my jouth, where i lived very closely with nature and animals... thanks so much, and i am glad you can find this still, even close to a busy town

[Eddy Smiles]

SusieQ...sounds poetic! I'm trying to place the area where you live in my mine. Over the past 30-years I've driven and biycled up US-19 more times than I can count. You use to be out in the country, now the country doesn't really get going until you get past Spring Hill and then for only a little bit before Homossasa and then Crystal River. We had company up at our cabin in Tennessee, friends from Brooksville. They moved up there from Pinellas County about 15 years ago and now, because of the growth in and around Brooksville, are looking at moving up to Southwest Georgia. I guess before long there won't be anyplace that a person can go where there won't be someone wanting to cut down the old growth tress and put up cell towers.

[susieq]

Hi Doris,
One of the few nice things about Florida is the wildlife here. We have fish eagles, hawks, owls, bald eagles, every kind of wading bird and a host of little creepy things that most folks wouldn't care for but I am fond of reptiles too. We have geckos and tree frogs, little lizards called anoles everywhere and a few snakes. The black snakes that co exist with me in the bonsai area are more than welcome. I do get frustrated with racoons and squirrels because they are destructive. Also, we have already had the discussion about spiders (ugh). But over all, it's good.

Eddy, do you remember where the turn off for Hudson Beach is??? RV World is one of the businesses just past that, heading North.....on the West side of the highway. If you know you are coming this way, give me a heads up and I will pm you with my exact location.

[Eddy Smiles]

SusieQ... Thanks for the standing order. You never can tell. I may just get back up your way one of these days (Like it's that far away....right?). My brother is coming down from up north to visit me for a couple of weeks this winter in Janaury. If I end up having to miss our club's show I deffinitely want to get up to the Hudson Show. Possibly then!