Happy Birthday, Joe!

When the acacia blooms we know it’s Florida Seafood Festival time, the yellow blossoms are usually at their best this early November weekend -- though the bush should be more covered over the next several days. 

We had several Acacia bushes at the back fence outside the kitchen window of the rectory in Apalachicola. Our florist across the bridge in Eastpoint always called them cassiaberrianna. They grew fast, became enormous in a few years, and were splendiferous in full bloom. A freeze one winter cut them to the ground, but they returned, though not to their fullness while we were still there. 

Yesterday Joe sent me a picture of a white car. It’s a 1938 Buick, easily ID’d by the body style and the bold horizontal bars in the front grill. The grill bars in the green 1937 Buick below were more delicate. My favorite era.

One day soon perhaps, a post on Buicks of the 1930s. They were generally huge cars, a Buick Eight with the OHV straight eight engine, especially compared to the Buick of today. My Buick Regal is the prettiest car I’ve ever had, quite roomy in the front but leave your legs at home if you’re sitting in the back seat. 

Today a wedding on the green beside the channel and Bay across from the Shrimp Boat restaurant in St. Andrews. A nostalgic spot because in our growing up years our grandfather’s fishhouse was where that building is today. It was pink, probably faded over many years from its original red that may have been bottom paint for boats, but not sure. Walt and I spent many hours under that fishhouse catching oyster cats, little minnow size fish. And playing on the huge old fishing boats that were tied up at the dock. We were supposed to be working but no boy works all the time. Our own sort of Tom Sawyer days, eh, Walt? Never thought to ask my father whether those boats were the same as Annie & Jennie that wrecked in the squall leaving the Old Pass that January 1918 night. 

Main thing today, Happy Birthday, Joe!

TW