Happy New Year! I am Back! Yeah!!

Well for two old fogies this has been a momentous beginning to the new year.  I hope the last two days of 2012 aren't portents for 2013.

If you have seen my Face Book post you know that Pat tried to re-enact a bit of Psycho on Saturday the 29th as we were preparing to go to the Temple before it closed.  We spent the rest of the day and much of Monday, the 31st in either the ER and the doctor's office. 

We had been pretty house bound for the following week but I could tell Pat was getting pretty tired of the same 4 walls on Saturday (Jan 5th) so we hurried and got our errands done and took off for Clearwater,  FL.



 My Dad was stationed at McDill Field in Tampa during WWII.  He served in what was called a RTU
Replacement Training Unit.  They had the job of getting new crews ready to fly together, everyone from the Pilot and Co-Pilot down to the Bombardiers and Gunners were all sent to this base and then trained together in a plane.  Dad had some pretty hairy tales about guys "freezing" with bomb bays open, or in gunner turrets and having to manually shut the doors or pull guys from the turrets before the plane landed.  Their motto, apparently, was "A plane a day in Tampa Bay".  Sometime everybody was rescued and sometimes not so good.


We didn't make it to McDill AFB but it is in the background of this picture out across Tampa Bay.
It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday.

Crabby Bill's in Clearwater, Florida.  The food was so good we took a senior couple, who have done several nice things for us, to the one in St. Cloud which is much closer to Orlando.

 Every one we talk to who has been here for any length of time asks if we have been to the Deseret Ranches.  So Monday (the 21st) we went.  It was very fun.  About an hour drive but well worth it, as you feel miles from any urban place, and actually you are.   Check out the web site for the amazing particulars like acreage, head of cattle (that is astounding) and other businesses on Ranch property.

A couple of teenagers showing off.

 Pat's big thing has been "NO alligators".  That is all we hear about is "there are alligators in the  pond". There are innumerable ponds around Orlando and Kissimmee.  There is even one alligator in the pond behind the Mission Home and Pres. has stories of watching him stalk the squirrels.  But we have never even seen a hint of one in any pond, anywhere! 







But at the ranch they are very visible and the poor bus driver was assailed to stop for all sitings.  We were informed that you can't tell the sex of an alligator without an internal examination.  I know that is a piece of information you have all be yearning to know.

Big Daddy or Big Mama

Much more interesting to me are the cattle.  This is a cow/calf operation and they are breeding their own breed of cattle for the climate of Orlando, Fl.  The cow is kept for only two years and if she doesn't calve in that time she is moved to the feed lots and then sold to a broker for slaughter.  They have 45,000 head, yup folks you read that right 45K.  Check out the link for one of the most efficient ranches I have ever heard of.  They take care of that many cattle with only 90 employees and about 2 dozen missionaries (who don't work with the cattle, they keep the whole place running.  A plumber 3 electricians, 1 general handyman/carpenter, and an office guy.  The wives give the tours, sew for humanitarian and take one day a week for temple or family history.)

This is Gus.  He is about 20 feet long and a few years ago he was in the citrus groves when the pickers showed up.  The cowboys tried to get him to move but it was a no go.  You can't kill an alligator because they are an endangered specie, unless he is a danger to humans and only licensed hunters can kill them.  There is 1 licensed alligator hunter on the ranch at all times for times just like this.  He was called, put the workers out of their misery and carted Gus off to the taxidermist.  He now spends his time on the floor of the visitor center.

Please if you want to see how the Church really runs a great "for profit" business check out the link .  I was so impressed!