Songs in Shades of Green.....

THE FLORIDA INTERLUDE 1956-57

Jane Ann was about 10 months old when North American transferred Claude to Cape Canavaral to run tests on theX-10 prototype—the for-runner to the space vehicles. We bought a little house in Melbourne, Florida and once again found ourselves in a new and exciting time.  We were only minutes from the Indian River, and the Atlantic Ocean. We bought a little boat and spent our weekends and holidays on the river or on the beach.  Johnny was in 7^th heaven with bugs, frogs and baby alligators in abundance, and both he and little baby Jane found the beaches a perfect playground. Unlike the cold rough Pacific, the waters around Melbourne were bath-tub warm, and the flat sandy beaches free from riptides and ankle deep for a long way out. 

Claude was sent to the islands off Florida to conduct the tests and was in his prime.  He loved his job!!

Other than a scary few weeks when I had elective surgery and had a transfusion reaction that nearly finished me off, we had a lovely experience in Florida.  We were in the middle of the action and watched the launchings at the Cape from our own front yard.   We cruised the Indian River Waterway in our little boat, with JaneAnn cozy in a little nest in the bow.  Some of our excursions reflected our ignorance or stupidity—one day we became lost in the swamps of the St. John’s River, and our boat got stuck in the mud.

All around us we heard what sounded like cows moo-ing, while Claude waded around in the water trying to get our outboard motor going.   We were to learn later that what we were hearing were BULL ALLIGATORS!  We didn’t know there were snakes that climbed trees, and could drop down into the boat, and one time we encountered a Manatee-huge as an elephant-- beneath our boat.

One night our son Mike awakened us to come look out his bedroom window at a big black panther prowling our yard!  We learned that a circus long ago had released its animals into the wilds and they seemed to have thrived.

We had second thoughts about our evening walks after that.

Betty L. Owen, journals

A WINTER TALE

TIS THE SEASON. . . . Thanksgiving was a day of joy and gladness with just Janie and I participating.  Beth and Trish had to work.  We let the day flow around us and did what felt good at the time. A ride in the car seemed the order of the day.

 The sky was dark and overhung with cloud and little snowflakes drifted down.  The day stretched out before us and all around lay a scene painted in winter hues.  Wild horses roam these hills and we were brought to a halt by a herd  right in the middle of the road.  They were licking the asphalt (for the salt, I suppose?) It was a photo-op, ready made!

      Nevada is a place where one discovers the beauty of muted color and one perceives that ‘beautiful’ does not necessarily mean ‘green’! As we made our way south along the base of  the Carson Range snow levels deepened and EVERYWHERE was a Christmas Card.  Slowing for groups of deer munching on the shrubbery, the trees …..oh  trees of all varieties looked picturesque in their mantles of white, and snow like frosting on every fencepost, branch and twig.  Not a flake was melting—the landscape was frozen into a perfect Courier and Ives landscape.

As another Christmas season unfolds with all it entails, my mind reels with beautiful images and my thoughts, resting in the knowledge of the love of my family, the faithfulness of my many friends, wherever they may be, make my heart sing.

This new season has not been traditional in any way, but it will make a beautiful page in my book.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE !!

Love, Betty,  or Mom, Granny, or Auntie?