About to wrap up a fantastical vacation in Jacksonville Beach. Saw some sites, spent some dough, ate a lot, spent time on the beach and on the porch overlooking the beach. Fantastical. Couldn't find a shot that shows the beauty of it all, but here's one of the beach at least. Uh, yes, i did don a bathing suit and get into the water... ok, so it was waist high... but i did get into it! Pictures, you ask? Indeed, but none of me in my suit. "Oh wait, secksy, naked man, before i dive headfirst into these stormy waves, would you mind snapping a quick shot of me in my tankini? Oh, you'd like to be in the picture too? Well, i guess that would be ok. It's really all about the tankini, you know." *smirk* Right...


Really, can i just relate how much comic relief my Sis brings to just about any situation. Here's a favorite one of her as we toured an old Spanish fort in St. Augustine.

Imagine: we're hot, sweaty and learning about the poor, hot, sweaty Spanish soldiers who manned the fort against the naughty French and English. "Oh, and here's the chapel. How quaint." Pious Mel makes the most of the opportunity -- and ironically after a serious debate with Dad on religion in the car ride to St. Augustine. *lol*

And one final note that resonates today. We toured a fairly well preserved cotton plantation today, Kingsley Plantation, with slave quarters mostly intact.

What in the world gave white folks the right to think that owning another human being was in any way acceptable? Sometimes i feel deeply ashamed of my race and our history of prideful pretentiousness. Why would we be so special of all God's creations? And really, this was not so long ago. So much history, so many emotions, so much hurt squished into a few hundred years. So glad i was born today!

And one final, final note, thank you, JC, for air conditioning!