Saturday, July 3, 2021

Doe, a Deer


After I left Dunkin' Donuts yesterday morning, I walked back to my stepmother's house, and on the way I passed some woods where I saw deer quietly grazing beneath the trees. I didn't have my camera, so I kept going, picked it up at the house and went back for some pictures.

I think I've forgotten essential information about living in Florida. For example, you don't want to leave the house without considering the weather conditions. In England, you can walk in the rain and it's no big deal. Life goes on. But when I went back to photograph the deer, this happened:


It wasn't just rain -- it was a freaking monsoon. And did I have an umbrella? No.

I stood beneath a cabbage palm and for a few minutes it kept me surprisingly dry, but eventually it got saturated and lost whatever protective capacity it had. So I wound up walking home in the rain. I have never been so soaked in my life. I hope those deer appreciate my effort.

It was pretty rainy all day. Perhaps because I'm in the land of my birth and upbringing, I got to thinking nostalgically about weather forecasts. We used to have a legendary TV meteorologist in Tampa named Roy Leep, who I just learned died about a month ago. He was well-known enough that the writer John D. MacDonald, who was pretty famous back in the '70s and who lived in Sarasota, worked him into his novel "Condominium." On page 464, one of MacDonald's characters says, "You know, I don't ever really believe anything about the weather unless I hear Roy Leep say it's true." That's pretty much how everyone in Tampa felt.

When I was a local news reporter, back in the ‘80s, we used to call the National Weather Service directly to get a forecast. There was a toll-free number for weather in peninsular Florida, including a boating report. It was always a recorded message, made by a guy who sounded a million miles away, shrouded in the static of distance. He’d mention exotic parts of the state like Cape Sable and the Sebastian Inlet, and although it wasn’t always the same guy doing the recording, they all had the same mild southern twang that sounded comforting and peaceful coming through the white noise background of the phone line. "Bay and inland waters a light chop," he invariably said.

It's pouring rain right now, actually.

Anyway, yesterday, after changing, I met my stepmother, my nephew and my step-sister's husband for breakfast at a neighborhood cafe. Then I spent most of the day hanging around and reading. It was fabulous. I must admit I kind of like the fact that the guest house where I'm staying has no Internet. It forces me to focus on my book. My attention span is getting a workout!


Oh, and remember Maybelline? Well, she's still here, and she says hello. (When I made this video I had to pet her through the fence because I was on my way out to dinner, and getting into her yard would have meant getting enthusiastically pawed!)

27 comments:

  1. I love the photo of the deer. It poured rain here too! But we needed it. Maybelline sure is beautiful. Such a happy doggie. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

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  2. You REALLY are back in Florida! And with a possible hurricane coming to boot!
    "Bay and inland waters, a light chop."
    Yep. Always. And invariably- small craft warnings.
    My favorite meteorologist now is Rob Nucatola. He is so calming. He does not try to make everything as dramatic as possible but is calming and very pragmatic with his reports.
    Honestly, Steve- those pictures that you did take are just so beautiful and so Florida. They make me smile.

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  3. A couple of weeks ago, overnight, the rainy season began. I sure hope you are not stranded here longer than you like because of the upcoming "weather." In the meantime, enjoy all that Florida has to offer. After living in Central Florida for 7 years, I am quite in love with the wild spaces. Wear lots of sunscreen!

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  4. The deer photo made me look hard- What a great shot!
    You are truly a pro at dog petting, satisfying!
    The rain does look wet, our rain is like London's , no one has an umbrella, a sure fire give away that a person does not live here is if they have an umbrella.

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  5. Love seeing the deer there. I don't know why it surprised me, but it it did. Deer? I always thought Florida was all ocean and sunbathers. Maybelline is adorable, and she obviously loves you. I hope the two of you can go out for a nice long walk together when the weather is good.

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  6. Great Video - Ah, Walking In The Rain - So Worth The Effort - Keep On Keeping On

    Cheers

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  7. Love your subject line. I went all Bambi. Remember the song "April Showers"? Drip drip drip drip . . .

    Rain makes for good footage in films, particularly if you yourself are safely ensconced on the sofa. Gene Kelly anyone?

    As to weather forecasts: Once upon a time, not sure whether they still do it, the BBC broadcast the "Shipping Forecast" for those at sea, maritime. FOS (father-of-son) was totally addicted to BBC Radio Four. At all hours. At night drifting off to those sounds . . .
    or waking up to them.

    Try it. It's meditative.

    Viking
    North Utsire
    South Utsire
    Forties
    Cromarty
    Forth
    Tyne
    Dogger
    Fisher
    I particularly liked "German Bight". Bight/bite - get it?
    Humber
    Thames
    Dover
    Wight
    Portland
    Plymouth
    Biscay
    Trafalgar
    FitzRoy
    Sole
    Lundy
    Fastnet
    Irish Sea
    Shannon
    Rockall
    Malin
    Hebrides
    Bailey
    Fair Isle
    Faeroes
    Southeast Iceland

    With that reassuring list I bet you wish you'd never left these fair isles to get soaked back at home, Florida.

    Greetings to the Sunshine State, you and Maple Syrup,
    U

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    Replies
    1. Oh, memories, Ursula...and the music, Sailing By....

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  8. You did a great job of petting that dog! Nice photo of the deer - worth getting soaking wet! Glad you are enjoying your visit.

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  9. I would agree with you on the rain. I live in the PacNW where it supposedly rains a lot but it is hardly ever unwalkable or a monsoon. I've been unpleasantly surprised by the torrential downpours other places where even an umbrella might not have done the trick. Hope the weather improves!

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  10. Wonderful shot of the deer staring back at you. And the rain! You do know there's a hurricane heading your way, don't you? Love the video of you and Maybelline. You seem to have an affinity with dogs.

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  11. Maybelline looks like she's truly enjoying those pats. You got a good photo of the deer before the skies opened up. I hope the weather clears up for at least part of time you are there. However, I did get a breaking news alert that there is a tropical storm heading toward Miami. They want to take down what remains of that condo bldg. before there are high winds.

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  12. Well isn't Maybelline just a sweet dog. She made me smile. We need rain here. I have plants dying from the heat, plants that never die.

    Enjoy your books.

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  13. Oh, I LOVE Maybelline! I'm so glad you gave her a thorough, loving greeting rather than just a quick pat on the head.

    Sorry, but I had to laugh about getting caught in the downpour. We get those in south Arkansas, too. NOAA/NWS has always been my go-to for weather forecasts.

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  14. Safe landings, good...but what a wet welcome!!

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  15. The best reading happens on vacation. All my favorite books I seem to have read on one vacation or another. Maybe I loved them best because I read more deeply into them. Welcome home.

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  16. I am sorry to hear that you got soaked but that was a gorgeous shot of the doe. Please go ahead and send some of that rain to the Sierras specifically to Reno.
    I loved this post and description of the weatherman. We are always awaiting rain and it just doesn't seem to be able to survive the Sierra mountains before it breaks up. We get a few sprinkles but I hear that we will soon be getting into our Monsoon season soon and I haven't even looked that up yet but I will.
    Enjoy your time home. It will fly by before you know it. Hugs, xxxx

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  17. Rest and relax. Nice.

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  18. When we go back "home" we sometimes find that we've forgotten about the realities of weather.

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  19. Hi Steve. Don't tell Olga you have been spending time with maybeline. She will not like that. (lol) We're getting rain here. Not very much where I live. I was rushing home to bbq and half way there the rain drops started hitting my windshield. I said no devil not today. It wasn't raining hard so I fired up my pit and put my meat on and I did finish before it started over and a bit harder. I just covered the pit before we get a down pour again. Enjoy your stay in Florida but you probably want to be leaving by the time Elsa arrive. I think she is suppose to be there in Miami on Monday. The reason we are getting rain is because of Elsa is on her way to the Gulf coast. Take care and stay safe.

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  20. Maybelline clearly loved that thorough scratch/massage. A dog's tail does not lie. And why did I not realize there are deer in Florida? Thanks for the photographic proof; sorry about the drenching though :)

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  21. Those deer were laughing at you. Maybelline is irresistible.

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  22. Snap....we have a monsoon here this morning! Well, it sounds like one on the velux windows! Dog will have to wear his mac I think for a very short street walk. He needs to go out to " do his business".

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  23. You went to Dunkin Donuts and then got a dunkin yourself. I thought Maybelline was a range of cosmetics. Who wants to look like a dog?

    P.S. England 4 Ukraine 0 in the quarterfinals of The Euros.

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  24. Pretty sure after all those lovely pets--Maybelline will be true! Couldn't resist. Bet seeing her made you miss Olga just a bit, too. Sorry you got caught in the monsoon. Can only imagine how hard it was to keep your camera (phone?) dry under those circumstances. Hope that Elsa doesn't hamper your visiting plans too much.

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