Paradise Dreamed
“I feel like I’m arriving in a dream sequence, like I’ve been here before in my dream life,” I said to Joe after we had been in Cedar Key, Florida, for all of five minutes. We were checking into a fuchsia colored camp office. A man in hip boots was dumping oyster shells from buckets onto the drive-way and spreading them out like we would spread gravel on ours. Breathing in the salty sea air, I felt at home, and as though we had be transported in time, dropped off onto a quaint island fishing village where something magical was about to happen..
The mullet fish at Annie’s Café was fresh and the weather was warm enough to sit on the deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. We hadn’t told either of the two former Floyd Countian couples who now live in Cedar Key that we were planning to visit. The café waitress, who knew one of the couples, Pat and Tom, brought us a phone book so we could call. They weren’t home, but we left a message.
The Gulf that surrounds Cedar Key looks more like a bay than an ocean. The sand is bright white and egrets, ibis, and herons outnumber the gulls in some places. Walking barefoot with Joe along the shore after lunch with shells jiggling in my jacket pocket, a truck hauling a boat pulled up beside us. It was Pat and Tom! The looks on their faces were priceless.
Then it was old home week in front of Willie and Gina’s place, the second former Floyd County couple, where we had all convened. When I hopped out of Tom’s truck, my friend Willow’s jaw dropped. She and her mom, Liz (also a longtime friend), were also visiting from Floyd, but none of us had any idea the others would be here. It was a spontaneous rendezvous line-up that probably wouldn’t have happened if we had tried to plan it.
We admired Willie’s antique bike collection and shucked some fresh oysters in the front yard, catching up. Some were drinking beer while others sipped tea. Gina showed me around, pointing out her banana, fig, and pomegranate trees. The sun slipped down low and my bare feet got cold. Someone offered to lend us one of the bikes, but we had our own. We made plans for a ride the next day to explore the rest of the island.
Post note: Terri from Island Writer also lives here in Cedar Key. We hope to meet up with her as when she gets back from her book signing journey.
Photos: 1. Hibiscus flower. 2. Bath house at campground. 3. Gulf birds 4. Floydians in Cedar Key. 5. Willow, Colleen, and Liz catching up.
February 11th, 2007 3:42 pm
Wow. Serendipty. Way cool. Love the photo of the flower.
February 11th, 2007 4:49 pm
Oh, Colleen, how truly wonderful..and especially since no one knew you were coming…Great Fun! And I love that you are going to see Terri…Would you and Joe ever think of spending more time in Cedar Key? It sounds like such a wonderful peaceful place, and W-A-R-M….(lol) Can’t wait to see more pictures and read more of your adventures on that beautiful Island!
February 11th, 2007 7:00 pm
Pretty flower!
February 11th, 2007 8:04 pm
sounds like a great trip!
michele sent me.
February 11th, 2007 8:44 pm
It sounds like you just transplanted everyone from Floyd down to Florida. What a fun time!
February 11th, 2007 9:51 pm
Isn’t it wonderful to be warm again? That is the only thing I hated about coming home….loosing the pretty flowers and warm air. How wonderful that you guys get to hang out in Terri’s part of the world. I’m betting a great time lies ahead……
February 11th, 2007 10:25 pm
I feel more relaxed just reading this!
February 11th, 2007 10:40 pm
Sounds like a wonderful visit with old friends. Doesn’t get any better than that.
The oyster shell driveway brought me back to my childhood on the Mississippi Gulf coast. Our driveway was oyster shell there. I still can hear the crunch under the car tires!
Thanks for that.
February 11th, 2007 11:03 pm
RE Florida: Stay away from the light!!!!~,:^0
Sorry I’ve been around so infrequently lately. I’m involved with two on-line poetry groups. They are taking chunks of time from blogging.
I’m in San Francisco this week, and I just ate a mess ‘o mussles in North Beach. A pile of driveway shells. Then I went to City Lights, Lawrence Ferlenghetti’s bookstore and spend money I don’t have for books I don’t have time to read.
So–I haven’t been in the blog-o-sphere. But think of me from time to time.
February 11th, 2007 11:45 pm
You are having such a cool time with old friends!
I love hibiscus but I’ve only ever seen red in Bermuda!
February 12th, 2007 1:04 am
Sounds like you are having a grand time!! Makes me feel a little homesick-I grew up 10 minutes from the Gulf, on the Texas coast.
Eat some shrimp for me!
Susan
February 12th, 2007 5:54 am
Wow, warm salt air, talk about aromatherapy! Get some sand between your toes for all of us up here in the cold with our thick socks on. Glad you got away, enjoy!
February 12th, 2007 8:02 am
Yippee for you both, Colleen. Still cold and wintry here in Floyd. Give our love to Terri. Thanks for sending back “warm” posts!!
February 12th, 2007 9:31 am
It sounds like you are having a great vacation!!!
I miss going to Florida with you and I miss you on the love-link.
February 12th, 2007 11:37 am
Oh man! How long are you there for?
We are expecting a blizzard or a Nor’easter this week. And, tonight? 25 below.
Send me warmth!