Homecoming week plus knucklehead's birthday has kept me running from event to event. Tonight was the big "pre-homecoming" show on the football field, with some hilarious games between the different classes. Very wacky and messy. I double as our yearbook photographer so I was busy avoiding flying chocolate syrup, marshmallows, mustard, ketchup, and relish as I took pictures of the craziest game of twister I've ever seen. Then there was a tug o'war, a frozen t-shirt game, and well, I'm not sure what that last thing was, but the Freshman class won the night.
Tomorrow night is the big event. Our tiny football team will do their thing, Emma will be in the running for Homecoming Queen as was Katie last year. I think it's tougher to run after your big sister won the year before, but she's my queen no matter what happens. You should see her in her dress ... sigh.
Anyway, to say it's hectic is to excel at understatement. I did pull into Devil's Hammock Preserve on the way home recently and found a few quiet moments.
This millipede was scurrying across the road and I scooped him up for a pic. He wasn't very cooperative for such a youngster.
The Waccasassa river is a tiny stream here near the headwaters. Quiet, tea clear, and in no hurry, it flows over a bottom cobbled with tiny mussels about the size of your thumbnail.
Ironweed blooms along the Waccasassa's banks. As I focused on this blossom, a swarm of fire ants were moving over my ankles waiting the signal to all attack at once. I did the fire ant slappy dance for a few minutes until I had swept them all off. They are so vicious. If you've never seen fire ants in action, it's amazing the way they literally boil up out of a disturbed nest.
I could only spend a few moments "off schedule" in the swamp, and then I had to leave. It worked though. By the time the JEEP's tires hit the paved road again, I was feeling a little less harried and ready for whatever it was I was supposed to be doing wherever I was supposed to be.
15 comments:
I noticed the paucity of comments from FC at all of the regular blogs, and I saw that posts on his own blog were a bit lean, and I did instantly thing, "Hmmm, it must be homecoming week at his little school." First thought that came into my head.
Well, I certainly hope we DO get to see Emma's dress.
Definitely sounds like a busy week!
Belated Happy Birthday to JR!
Good luck to Emma!
I'll try to get caught up with you over the weekend, I've got a alot to talk about!
I'm glad you found a few minutes to play around with a millipede and check out the river. We are the lucky recipients of those free moments.
I know I'm not allowed to vote, but I've heard that Florida doesn't pay attention to those kind of rules-- I'm casting my vote for Emma for Homecoming Queen. I hope she wins.
this is kinda random, but i was just wandering through your blog. if your son hasn't already read Naomi Novik, i very much recommend her. "his majesty's dragon" is the first in a series - i read it in one sitting, so i recommend starting it on a weekend.
good luck with the homecoming craziness!
Ha! So that's what happened to ya.
I knew I should have brought my camera when I rescued a red worm off the sidewalk in Sacramento yesterday. Not only did I touch it, but I picked it up and put it on the grass. I felt so brave until I saw your first picture.
Sigh.
Sounds like all the commotion at your school was fun.
Did you irritate the millepede enough to smell the cyanide?
I am confused by "homecoming week" - what is this?
The pictures, as always, are beautiful - your school is very lucky that you are the year-book photographer!!!
But did you HAVE to include a picture of a creepy-crawly? Ugh!
Always nice to get away from it all and out into the woods... Personally, I've completely mastered the Fire Ant Dance. I should write a post explaining the proper form...
I like the ironweed. I was wandering through Wayne's seed catalog this morning and between your pictures and that and indications that soon- in the next couple months- I'll be able to start landscaping the Florida yard- I'm getting excited. Started thinking about the whole native plant thing and I know I have neighbors in that historic neighborhood who have certified native yards so I have information to gather.
Abby was studying on the lawn of USF this past summer and she stood up and suddenly felt as though her arm was on fire. She instantly blistered all up and down one side. The curious thing is she didn't see the ants, other than one that hitched a ride on her jeans. That was her first, and hopefully last experience with studying on top of a fire ant nest.
Fire ants- no envy there.
I second what pablo said- let's see some pics of Emma!
One does wonder how chocolate syrup, marshmallows, mustard, relish, and ketchup figure into a game of twister...
You do wonderfully well for a guy who has no subject.
Pablo,
You guessed it. I'm looking forward to not doing anything related to homecoming tomorrow.
Thanks Thunder Dave.
Robin,
Touchet!
I believe you are thinking of South Florida though ... just another South American tradition.
Ericka,
Welcome to Pure Florida! I think you just did me a favor. Actually my Emma loves dragon fantasy genre. Now I have something to surprise her with. Thanks for the tip!
Hick,
Baby steps pal, baaabby steps. I'm proud of you.
:)
Hal,
No, but I did get shat upon.
Mrs. S,
Can Canady be that different? Homecoming is a celebration of the return of the school football team to a home game after several away games. In the US, it's a week of festivities at the school culminating with the big game and announcing of the homecoming court.
... and yes, of course I had to squeeze in some slimy critter :)
HTeen,
Sounds like a post in the works.
Vicki,
Sorry Abby got nipped. They do leave little blisters ... little bastards. I really hate them. Neat about your FL landscaping ideas. Natives make it so much easier.
Deb,
Posted even as I type!
Swampy,
You just check out Friday's post!
Hoss,
Well, I was thinking of just publishing other peoples jokes, but that job was taken ;)
I'm still confused, but slightly less so ;) Thanks for the explanation.
To my knowledge we don't do "Homecoming" here... although we do have football... ooh, and also, we don't have cheerleaders for highschool teams - at least, not that I've ever seen.
Mrs. S,
I never would have guessed it was that different. This is partly why I blog I suppose.
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