Stars & Stripes

I'm back from St. Petersburg, and staying in my stepmother's guesthouse -- which means no Internet. So once again I'm at Dunkin' Donuts, where the weirdest thing just happened. I walked in and stood at the counter, and saw one employee in back and two more standing at the drive-thru counter, tapping away on phones or some similar devices. Their backs were turned to me and they might have been working, because I couldn't tell what was happening in the drive-thru lane, but I found it very weird that no one even acknowledged that I was there. So I stood for a few minutes, and then said, "Hello?"

And they didn't turn around. So I said it louder. One of the women turned and said "Good morning," and then disappeared into the back. The other woman continued tapping away at the drive-thru window.

Finally, just as I was about to walk out, vowing to myself never to return, a different employee materialized and took my order -- one medium coffee, one jelly donut. When I went to pay, she said, "Don't worry about it. It's a simple order."

I can't tell if they felt bad about leaving me standing there, so felt the need to buy my breakfast, or just couldn't be bothered. The whole thing was very strange.

I'm trying to see a couple of friends in Tampa before I head up to Jacksonville. Last night I visited my college friend Suzanne and her sister Sarah, who I don't think I've seen in at least five years. Their mother was English and they still have lots of relatives in England, so I brought them some of my antique Bovril bottles as a little present. We went to a neighborhood restaurant called The Green Iguana and I had a Carolina barbecue sandwich -- which was fantastic, and something I don't get in London.

We still don't really know what to expect from Hurricane Elsa. Last night, while I visited Suzanne and Sarah in South Tampa near the bay, my phone kept picking up storm surge alerts from the local authorities -- they come with a loud buzz that scared me to death. I thought we were under nuclear attack!

I'm still intending to travel up to Jacksonville tomorrow, but we'll see what the weather looks like. If it's hairy out there I'll change my plans, but I think the storm is supposed to be west of us. I'm optimistic.

Meanwhile, enjoy these pictures of some wildlife near my stepmother's house -- a black-bellied whistling duck (top), a sky-blue dragonfly and an osprey* in flight. Those ospreys can really make a racket. "Screeee! Screeee!"

Oh, and one picture I meant to post yesterday but forgot:

This is just some random (cute) guy I saw in St. Pete with a pretty great Fouth of July outfit. Of course he was amenable to having his picture taken because, let's face it, you don't dress like that unless you want to be noticed!

*Actually a red-shouldered hawk. Thanks, reader Anne!