Christine Hudnall

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida

I sometimes wonder why I don’t just give up. Give up making plans that is. Every time I plan ahead of time, something happens, yet when I don’t and decide to just do it then things usually go okay.

I got down to Homestead the night before the workshop, checked into the hotel (more on that later), then decided to surprise my family by joining them at the restaurant for my brother-in-law’s parents 50th anniversary.

I know it wasn’t something that I ate at the restaurant because I only grabbed a garlic roll, so it had to of been something I ate on the way down. What I do know is… that I got so sick that I missed the morning workshop on Friday, went to the afternoon session, but left right after an alligator decided to have pelican for dinner. One of the other members of the group was in the right spot and captured gorgeous image of it, I on the other hand learned that I need a longer lens!

Artie was gracious enough to invite me to go to Saturday & Sunday’s workshops, even though I wasn’t signed up for them, but I just felt so sick, that I stayed in bed Saturday and drove home early Sunday morning. I think that was one of my longest drives from Homestead.

Okay back to the hotel, now admittedly I am from South Florida but have not been ‘home’ in a long time. But since when did Hampton Inn take over the old Holiday Inn in Florida City and why did I not remember they didn’t have elevator, so that I could get ground floor?! What really irritates me about it though is that when I asked on the telephone when making the reservation, I specifically asked for ground floor unless there was elevator. Of course when I arrived there is no elevator and I am on the 2nd floor, and of course there are no rooms available downstairs. The young man at the desk offered to help me carry all my gear upstairs. And then promptly forgot about this old woman.

It must have been the 20-something pretty brunette that was standing next to me at the counter. I put all the gear back into the truck and walked down to the office, where the poor guy went very pale when he saw me. “I’m so sorry!!” I laughed and said, “I understand, my nephews would have forgotten me too!”