Post by admin on Feb 2, 2009 9:32:18 GMT -5
As you know, I'm a locktender on Lake Okeechobee, and the boaters have been telling me that they are seeing pink flamingos on the lake. We haven't seen them in this area since I was a little girl, and I'm fifty seven years old.
Back in 1950's there were pink flamingos up on highway north 441. I remember seeing them over there across from the boys school. It was all marshy in there, and the birds would flock in there, such a beautiful sight. I don't know what is bringing these birds back to Okeechobee, but it's really a wonderful thing happening this year.
Of course we can't ever hope to see the huge fish again that were once in the lake. I've heard stories from all the old-timers about how big the fish were, and they weren't stretching it either. One of my favorite books is one called Totch. In it, you find a wonderful description of the paradise Florida was at one time. I really would have loved to seen it and experienced the wonders of natures bounty.
I really do enjoy my job up there on the lake. There are wild creatures almost every day, and you find out quickly which ones won't usually bother you. We had a bobcat come up the stairs a few days ago, just looking at us and continuing on his way. I guess he was just early that day, because it was just before closing time, and he wasn't concerned about humans being here.
There are a lot of wild game recipes to be found on the internet. Last year we tried eating raccoon because we could barely pay our rent and meat wasn't on the grocery list. I didn't know that you're supposed to boil the meat before you bake it. It was okay, but now I'm going to try boiling then baking and see how that goes. I'm very thankful to be working, but with the cost of living climbing so fast, I'm still having to decide whether meat is a priority on payday. There are some armadillo meatballs recipes and such that are sounding very good. This last week, there was a decision whether to pay tithe or buy meat and I went with tithe. I'm ashamed to say, thats one area I have to really learn to be faithful in, and it has been a struggle. I hear that it's bigger than something we're told to do in the bible, but really is one of the "laws of the universe", to give and we will receive. So in case anyone thinks it's just a God thing, it's not.
My ex mother in law used to tell me that the Athapaskan ways said that you were supposed to give to others and others would give to you. I do remember that when someone would kill a moose, they would cut it up and every family in the village would get a piece of it, and no one ever went hungry. They checked on each other to the point of looking around in each others kitchens. There were no refrigerators, but we did have a cache up on stilts out back that was padlocked and nobody got to look in there. I guess that was the only place nobody else got to look at your stuff. So your whole life was pretty much an open book. It was like living in a huge family back then. If someone didn't have warm boots, one of the women would make some up and deliver them to the one needing boots. I wish our whole society would practice kindness to each other like this to each other. I try to practice it myself, because it does make a difference. A neighbor told me that I was too nice. I told her no, I'm just trying to be what we are supposed to be.
Try it, it really is the happiest way to live.
Have a wonderful day.
Elaine
Back in 1950's there were pink flamingos up on highway north 441. I remember seeing them over there across from the boys school. It was all marshy in there, and the birds would flock in there, such a beautiful sight. I don't know what is bringing these birds back to Okeechobee, but it's really a wonderful thing happening this year.
Of course we can't ever hope to see the huge fish again that were once in the lake. I've heard stories from all the old-timers about how big the fish were, and they weren't stretching it either. One of my favorite books is one called Totch. In it, you find a wonderful description of the paradise Florida was at one time. I really would have loved to seen it and experienced the wonders of natures bounty.
I really do enjoy my job up there on the lake. There are wild creatures almost every day, and you find out quickly which ones won't usually bother you. We had a bobcat come up the stairs a few days ago, just looking at us and continuing on his way. I guess he was just early that day, because it was just before closing time, and he wasn't concerned about humans being here.
There are a lot of wild game recipes to be found on the internet. Last year we tried eating raccoon because we could barely pay our rent and meat wasn't on the grocery list. I didn't know that you're supposed to boil the meat before you bake it. It was okay, but now I'm going to try boiling then baking and see how that goes. I'm very thankful to be working, but with the cost of living climbing so fast, I'm still having to decide whether meat is a priority on payday. There are some armadillo meatballs recipes and such that are sounding very good. This last week, there was a decision whether to pay tithe or buy meat and I went with tithe. I'm ashamed to say, thats one area I have to really learn to be faithful in, and it has been a struggle. I hear that it's bigger than something we're told to do in the bible, but really is one of the "laws of the universe", to give and we will receive. So in case anyone thinks it's just a God thing, it's not.
My ex mother in law used to tell me that the Athapaskan ways said that you were supposed to give to others and others would give to you. I do remember that when someone would kill a moose, they would cut it up and every family in the village would get a piece of it, and no one ever went hungry. They checked on each other to the point of looking around in each others kitchens. There were no refrigerators, but we did have a cache up on stilts out back that was padlocked and nobody got to look in there. I guess that was the only place nobody else got to look at your stuff. So your whole life was pretty much an open book. It was like living in a huge family back then. If someone didn't have warm boots, one of the women would make some up and deliver them to the one needing boots. I wish our whole society would practice kindness to each other like this to each other. I try to practice it myself, because it does make a difference. A neighbor told me that I was too nice. I told her no, I'm just trying to be what we are supposed to be.
Try it, it really is the happiest way to live.
Have a wonderful day.
Elaine