ARC Demo

Every year the Avian Reconditioning Center hosts a Spring Affaire. It is an event where history meets nature, as the SCA is invited to do flighting demos alongside the many lovely rescued birds. This was the first year I had been able to attend and I had a wonderful time. 

Gavin (Corey) with one of his resin bottle openers in the shape of a triskele.

Amelia, red shouldered hawk. 

Jega, short-tailed hawk.

Wedge, great horned owl.

Wedge and Max. 

Ruby, red-tailed hawk with her handler.

Moira, American kestrel.

Max, bald eagle with his handler.

Myself with Marcus (Max), and Tiger. 

Iohannis (Ian) and Marcus (Max) flighting while Nando looks on. 

Nando and Cormacc fighting while Marcus (Max) looks on.

Gem, peregrine falcon.

Iohannis (Ian), Lachlann (John), and Teric (Theo). 

Cormacc (top center) at his table with food, games, and friends.

Amennakhte (Sean) and Meadb (Christi).

The Lunar Eclipse of March 14th, 2025

On the night of March 14th around 2:30am I was able to catch this lovely shot of the moon starting to turn red.

Grandma’s Wedding Rings

My mother and I were cleaning and we came across some jewelry that she wanted to organize. It was fun going through everything with my mother and listening to her reminisce about how she got certain pieces and what she remembered about them. We admired the vintage designs and discussed how to repair broken items. Then my mother pointed out a few rings that she identified as the wedding sets that belonged to my grandmothers. 

I realized that while there were a few pieces of jewelry I remembered seeing as a child, this was the first time I had ever seen my grandmother’s wedding rings. 

From left to right: my maternal grandmother’s rings (Lois was married in 1942) and my paternal grandmother’s rings (Marie was married in 1947). 

It made me emotional. Both my grandmother’s passed long ago. My paternal grandmother Marie died when my father was twelve years old; twenty two years before I was even born. My maternal grandmother Lois died when I was two years old. I have pictures of her holding me but I was too young to have any memories of her. I often wonder about the lives of these women who loved my parents dearly but are frustratingly out of reach in my own life. I will never know what their voices sounded like or hear them tell me about their own lives and experiences. They exist through a handful of photographs and the stories I hear from my parents.

There are very few things we have that belonged to them: a bottle of nail polish, a tube of lipsticks, a box of handwritten recipe cards. To get to hold their wedding rings was so beautiful. A tangible link to their lives and items they no doubt held dear and cherished.

The Perch

On a visit back home my mother and I decided to go for a walk on Indian Shores Beach. There used to be a long dock that stretched out into the Gulf, but after the hurricanes of 2024, only a few wooden pillars remain. A useful perch for the birds. 

Sage

My youngest sister Liz recently adopted a bearded dragon from a friend who could no longer care for him. His name is Sage and absolutely loved to hang out in the Christmas tree my sister had set up for the holidays.

St. Augustine with Max

Max and I went down to spend some time in St. Augustine. We wanted to check out all the Christmas lights and the Castillo de San Marcos. 

The lovely sunset from our hotel.

For dinner we were recommended to try the Ice Plant, an industrial building from 1927 that has been converted to a restaurant. I got the fall salad and it was incredible! 

Max with his delicious burger and truffle fries.

The Villa Zorayda Museum.

After dinner we went for a walk to see all the Christmas lights. 

The Plaza de la Constitucion.

Walking up to the Castillo de San Marcos.

The beautiful coat of arms on a cannon.

The Latin phrase “VIOLATI FVLMINA REGIS” which translates to “Thunderbolts from the Offended King”. 

Walking around the perimeter of the fort.

Long Nights - A Warrior’s Path to the Queens Heart

We headed over to St. Pete for a rapier focused SCA event. It was a rare cold day in Florida but it was perfect weather for fighting all day. 

Myself with Marcus (Max) getting ready to fight in the tournament.

Luca (Will) in his new armor.

Photo by Max McDougall. 

Showing off the long sleeves on my new linen underdress.

Myself with Luca (Will) and Marcus (Max).