A Farewell To Audrey

It is with a sad heart the family of Audrey Frank is posting her obituary here to let her readers know she passed away on August 25, 2016, after a brief stay in hospice. She had a wonderful life and accomplished all she set out to do. She will be missed by all who knew her and loved forever by her children and grandchildren.  As mother would love, a final plug for her books. They will remain for sale on Amazon. Her obituary from The St. Augustine Record is below including a link to the actual online site and her guestbook.  Thank you all for being part of her life by following her blog.

 

 

Link to the online site:

 

 http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/staugustine/obituary.aspx?n=audrey-frank&pid=181309439

Memories of Cuba

I've been watching with interest our president's visit to Cuba. I don't really have an opinion one way of the other. It simply brought back memories of a gentler time.

Seventy years ago, as a graduation present, my father took us all to Cuba. I had a ball. Just fresh from Spanish classes. I was able to understand most of what the Cubans said. I had been taught Castillian Spanish and had some trouble with the Cuban "slang". But it was so much fun.

To top it off, my father invited my boyfriend Winks to come along. I guess at that age I wasn't aware of the poverty and domination of the Cuban people. All I knew was that Havana was a beautiful city. We spent three days in Cuba, taking side trips into the countryside. It is a beautiful country.

Unfortunately, that was the first and last time I spoke Spanish. If you don't use it you lose it

 

Goodbye Floral City

Actually, it's been fun being here surrounded by nature in all its glory. Things I've learned?

First. Have patience. Boy, do you need it when the twenty-fifth squirrel hops up on the window ledge and sticks its tongue out at you. Fifty Cardinals are a beautiful sight, but I would rather see fifty tourists groping for a seat on the downtown bus. In all seriousness, the care my daughter Pam has given me has been priceless. Her patience with a grumpy old mom deserves a medal. In many ways, the stay here has been fun. I got to know my daughter Pam more intimately than before. She's quite the woman. Not only a great book cover designer, but a caring and compassionate person.  

I will be here through the weekend. Couldn't find anyone who would give up Super Bowl Sunday to take me home. Love doesn't include missing the biggest football game of the season. So I'll party with her friends, overstuff myself with food and drink, and probably root for the wrong team. Then Monday morning back to St. Augustine and a slew of doctor visits to be sure I'm capable of living on my own again. I am.  

This will simply be another adjustment I will have to make. If I've learned nothing else since this illness began, it has been you must be able to ride with the punches and pray for the best. 

Thanks to all my friends who have kept in touch and boosted my moral when it began to sink. Not sure what I would have done without you.  

 

It's a little late, but for me a New Year has started. I intend to make the most of it that I can.

 

 

                                                                                                Love,

                                                                                                Audrey

 

 

 

 

Greetings From Floral City, Florida

   

 Being stranded has its rewards.

On my better days with Pam and kids visiting right after I got out of the hospital.

 

 

     Remember Me? Probably not. I'm still trying to forget what happened to me during the month of January.

     I came to see Pam in Floral City, Florida. What was supposed to be a short, happy visit turned into a nightmare of pain and hospital stays in Inverness, Florida for the whole month. I fell and fractured several bones in my back. I was in and out of the hospital all month, much to my consternation. I'm still recovering at Pam's and don't know when I'll finally get back to St. Augustine. But get back I will eventually, and start living a normal life again.

     In the meantime, I'm getting caught up on nature studies. Squirrels abound. Scooting up bird feeder poles that were meant to keep them at bay, these wily creatures flaunt their unique talent to go where no squirrel has gone before. Cardinals and doves, disturbed by their presence, squawk their discontent. Yes, the country is enchanting, but to this city-bred gal, give me St. Augustine with its Churches and tourists spots.

     With luck, I'll be back in St. Augustine for next month's column. How about helping me out with some new feedback about your pets and interests?

     Hopefully I'll be back with you in time for new facts and fun by February's column. 

     Love you all. Audrey

Turtle Tales Guest Post Designer Pam King

     Well let me be the first to join your blog. I have 8 baby yellow belly slider turtles. A few months ago my husband and I saw a large female turtle laying her eggs in our yard. Since we have often seen broken turtle eggs we know that the raccoons love to eat them. We covered the area with a large piece of plywood to keep them safe.    

     About 3 months later I decided to check on the nest. I very carefully dug into the dirt and there was a little face looking up at me, still in his egg! We put him in a small container with water and out he came with yolk sack still   attached. I didn't know if he would live, but in seconds another one came out. 

     I started digging again and found whole eggs. Some were shriveled up, some felt empty, but by the time I finished I had found 6 more viable eggs. To better keep an eye on them I put them in a bucket with enough dirt to keep them covered and moved them to our screened in porch. 

     For the next week, every morning I was greeted with another little turtle sitting on top of the dirt. It was great fun to wake up and wonder if another little turtle had joined the world! They all made it and I am a proud mother of eight ravenous baby turtles. 

     Another three months have passed and I can’t believe how they have grown. Feeding time is the proverbial frenzy. They have learned to come to one end of the thirty gallon tank when I approach at our regular feeding time. They climb all over each other and have a contest to see who can eat the most and the fastest. In the beginning I had to place them in shallow water and put the food right in front of them to get them to eat. Now they can swim all over the tank to catch floating tidbits that swirl in the current created by the filter. Their menu consists of shrimp, mealy worms and kale. 

     I don’t know how long I will be able to keep them. I will have to release them back to nature because they will grow to large to keep. But for now, they are great fun to watch

 

                                                              Pam King

                                             www.pdkingdesign.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pearl's New Home

     When this house was built back in the twenties, it had open porches surrounding the entire front, including the upstairs. Over the years, one owner must have decided to close them in, which made the perfect setting for my plans as my hobbies changed.

      What is now Pearl’s room was once my artistic rubber stamp room. For years, stamping was my passion and I owned a shop in the historic area of St. Augustine, called Stamp Augustine. As time changed, I decided to write romantic fiction novellas, which are available on Amazon and Kindle. This was my writing area.

     Now the room houses around three thousand boxed stamps and Pearl. My writing takes place now in a different upstairs.

     What you see through the open window to my bedroom is a white cage to house Pearl. Next to it, although not so visible, is a red play gym with a second swing, a ladder to climb, and several small play toys.

     For the first week, this satisfied Pearl and she would sit on the ladder and chirp at me. I would sit on the edge of the bed and talk to her, hoping she might learn a word or two. She has learned the "Up" command when I hold my finger against her chest. She has become quite good at doing that and seems to like it even more than just chirping at me.

     One evening there was a television movie I wanted to watch, so I left Pearl

on her swing and moved to the sitting area off my bedroom. All of a sudden I was aware of wings slightly flapping. There was Pearl, walking across the bedroom floor headed in my direction. I put her on my shoulder and "movie" night has become one of Pearl's favorite activities. As long as she can sit on my shoulder and nibble gently at my ear she's content.

     As I write this column, it has dawned on me that not everyone is as passionate about birds as I am. The last thing I want my blog to do is bore you. With that in mind, I have decided to make this blog into one where everyone can share his/her stories about their favorite pet.  Along with cats and dogs, do any of you have some type of pet that could be classified as

"weird"? An iguana for example? That would be fun for anyone to read.

     In fact, I once owned a twelve-inch iguana that eventually grew to ten or more feet. I had built a large cage on my balcony, but it was starting to outgrow that.  I managed to sell him to a man for three hundred dollars. I know I lost money because that iguana had eaten through tons of fresh vegetables and so many heads of cabbage I lost count.

      Then there was the time I purchased an untrained monkey who almost wrecked - ah, but that is another story.

     Are you seeing the real reason for opening up this column to new ideas? Because people need people in their lives. Too much texting is going on. Real honest communication has almost been obliterated from conversation. Even e-mail, as easy as it is to send, doesn't promise too much enlightenment. My own children send me a quickie - Hi, Mom, Love you! - then zip-zap they're gone.

     To me, a column that takes the time to write about your interests, would at least keep a conversation going. How about your friends? Invite them to join us. We are becoming a world unto ourselves. With all the hate and horror in the world today, wouldn't it be nice to hear happy thoughts about a special pet or activity?

      Let me know what you think.  You can send an e-mail or send a story and your pet's photo. See the tab at the top of this blog header for contact info.

 

                                                                Audrey

 

And may God still be there, holding our magnificent country in the palm of His hands.

Pearl's Favorite Spot To Nibble On Millet Strips

 

 

     It was dark, about 3AM. I heard a thud first, then a thrashing of wings that pulled me out of bed fast. I grabbed Pearl, held her close to calm her down. Evidently the perch she had been sleeping on worked its way loose and had toppled Pearl with it.
    Once she felt safe on my shoulder she calmed down and started pecking on my ear. The only thing she likes better is nibbling at a long strand of millet strips. I always place it on the top of the cage, so I can quickly scoop it away when I think she's had enough.
    Seeds aren't the best things for birds to eat. They need nutricious pelleted food. I bought what they had at Pet World, but Pearl doesn't seem to like it. Sometime this weekend, I'll head to Pet Smart and see what they have. Also need to buy some toys for her - right now she likes searching for my hearing aids and that's a no-no.
    Although I haven't had her but a few days - and the first day wasn't too great - life is changing for me and Pearl. I can sense the subtle bonding. If I let her, she'd perch happily on my shoulder all day.
   In my next blog post, I'll tell you about the strange cage arrangement I have. It's pretty neat and Pearl can look through an open window at all times.
     I do hope you will come back to this blog and enjoy what I'm writing. I'd like this to be a place where you ask questions and even offer advice.
     Until next time, live happily. It's the only way to go.

                                                                                                     Audrey