Bushnell, FL Nov 22, 2008

Here is another report from Northern Florida. It has gotten quite cold a couple of times, below freezing a couple of nights. I am not sure what that does to the citrus crop. Much of the citrus farming has moved further south of here because of the years with frosts which destroys the crop, and if bad enough kills the trees. However, in our campground there are a number of orange and grapefruit trees, that seem to be doing just fine.

This week I went to Jacksonville and had the cataract removed from my right eye. I now only have reading glasses purchased from Walmart. However, I think am eventually going to need glasses. Already I miss the trifocals, I used to have. I think I still have a little astigmatism in one eye that was not complete;y corrected by new corrective lens put in to replace my old cataract-ridden natural lens.

While walking about the campground, late one afternoon this week, Madeline spotted an owl in the tree-top. It was a fairly large bird. It was calling to another bird out in the woods near the campground. It is a Barred Owl -- called by some, erroneously I believe, a "Bard Owl". When we have been here in the past, in the spring there often were a pair of owls, with a nest. I suspect these are the same owls, or possibly their offspring.



We are enjoying the political news. Those who know us, know we would and did support Obama -- so we are pretty happy with the result. We now are pleased with what, so far, seem to be good cabinet appointees. We are NOT enjoying the stock market gyrations. One wonders just how much worse things can get. Well, if we live long enough, this will be one can can tell our grandchildren about. I barely remember, the tail-end of the Great Depression, but it certainly had an indelible impression on the generation before me. I suspect, we may be in for some of the same in the years to come.