Keeping Busy

Hi All,

Last Tuesday we attended a raptor program at a local city park, Hammock Park. Volunteers from a raptor rehabilitation center in Clearwater came to talk about some of their "educational " birds. These are birds who's injuries mean they cannot be released.

This beautiful swallowtail kite has a wing injury.

The barred owl is very common around here.

This eastern screech owl is only 6" tall!

We have been training for a new volunteer gig with the CareLift program at the local hospital. Carl will drive the van and Sandy will help get clients in and out of the van as we drive them to and from doctors appointments. This free service operates 8 vans in two daily shifts from 7:30-4:00. That's 32 volunteers per day for five days!

Still lots of flamingo photos being posted as the birds blown north by hurricane Idalia recover from their stressful adventure.

Wildlife in the condo remains curious and entertaining.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Here Comes Idalia

Hi All,

We watched carefully as Idalia grew from a tropical wave to a Cat 3 hurricane as she  roared out of the Gulf of Mexico towards us. While working at the state park on Sunday, the ranger we work with invited us to stay with her if we needed to evacuate. We are in Flood Zone A (lowest & closest to ocean). Sure enough, at 7 PM Monday the county issued a mandatory evacuation order for Zone A.  Early Tuesday we prepared the condo including getting all of the furniture and plants off of the balcony. It all fit "neatly " in the corner of the dining room!

Sophie and her family were wonderful hosts and we felt very welcomed. We spent a lot of time watching TV news and weather as the storm slowly moved to the west, sparing us the worst of the rain and storm surge. Still, the causeway leading to our condo was closed with 4-6' storm surge.

At 5 PM, after the high tide had passed, the causeway reopened. We packed up, thanked our gracious hosts and headed home. Not too much damage visible but lots of debris along the the causeway.

All was fine in the condo. We never lost power. Thanks again to Sophie and Kevin.

Thanks also to all of our family and friends who called and texted to check on us.

The departing storm left us a beautiful sunset.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

James Museum Jewelry

Hi All,

Amidst the sculptures and paintings is a room labeled "The Jewel Box" containing very intricate examples of Native American jewelry. Luck for Carl, none of them were for sale!

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

James Museum Paintings

Hi All,

Here are some of the images that spoke to us.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Smaller Photos

Hi All,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art



Hi All,

Wednesday we toured the wonderful James Museum with Alan & Barbara. The collection is so vast and varied that we have three different emails. Sculpture in this one then painting and jewelry to come.

No western sculpture collection would be complete without a Remington. The details are extraordinarily!

This is one of a series of eight Native American sculptures.

Forget bronze, this is sculpted in cast paper!

If you stare at this long enough you can hear the hoof beats.

More extraordinarily detail.

This piece speaks volumes about our early treatment of Native people. A brave is kneeling on a copy of the Constitution while offering a peace pipe.

More to come.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Sealife Safari

Hi All,

Monday we went to the Clearwater Aquarium with Alan & Barbara to go on a Sealife Safari.

Once we got out in the bay they dragged a collection net to survey the fish and invertebrates. After a detailed inventory of the hundreds of creatures in the net they showed us some of the more interesting stuff including a pigmy octopus 

a variegated sea urchin 

and this puffer fish.

Some tour boats are really over the top.

In the condo, Carl needed to fight for his lunch.

The evening sky continues to be a gift that keeps on giving.

Live,

Sandy & Carl 

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502