clouds gathering

Yesterday morning, crossing Tarpon Dock Bridge on the way home from a meeting at the church office, I thought to stop in the fish market and buy a large red snapper, which I’ve been wanting, half to cut into portions and pan fry and half to oven bake as my mother used to do for us. There were no large snapper, but for the first time in my several years shopping there, large mullet reclining on the ice in the display case. Two were dressed and came home with me. 

From time to time I eat fried seafood anyway, especially fried oysters, though as the body ages but the mind does not, fried food sits less and less well with the digestives. Therefore, we never deep fry food at home, pan fry with a smear of olive oil, but never deep fry. And mullet, we’ve found that we like them best oven broiled, baked really, the meat is beautifully white and delicious. Of two huge mullet we ate one and a half for dinner, with steamed okra from Grocery Outlet the tenderest okra I've ever had in my life; and the other half mullet now warms in the toaster oven for my breakfast. Anyone who doesn’t like mullet for breakfast can’t possibly be a native of the Florida Gulf Coast. Mullet, black coffee, and a slice of extra thin ww bread with four thick pats of butter. 

Then finish preps to conduct eleven o’clock funeral service at StThomas by the Sea, Laguna Beach, a small church I loved serving as parish priest for five happy years, 2004 to 2009. After all this time, they still make me feel welcome and wanted. 

Saturday morning under a steadily darkening sky.

Rest in peace, Ed McFall.

DThos+