Vacation

The original girls of rock, The Go-Go's provide the classic title to this post.

Last week, the Tennessee sect of the Rogerson Family made their annual pilgrimage to the land of my fathers, Virginia. We decided to drive through North Carolina in order to stop in Kill Devil Hills to first visit my sister in her new home.

North Carolina treated us quite well- the days were long, hot and enjoyable. The ocean was not so accommodating. I had been waiting since I was pulled out to the water to go to the hospital regarding Jennifer's abdominal pains to make a return to the ocean to surf. For the last 12 months, I had been waiting for the moment I could take a longboard into the ocean and ride the waves. As I gazed upon the coast, there was something lacking- waves. It was as flat as the Florida Gulf Coast. My heart was completely ripped out of my chest and rested alongside the locker of Davy Jones. Every day was more of the same. I would have no surfing this trip either.

The best source of fun in North Carolina came by way of my sister's boyfriend, David. We decided to spend the evening on the beach hunting ghost crabs. I was the spotter, Michelle held the bucket, David was the catcher and Gabriel was leading the charge to get that next crab. Once I spotted the crab with the flashlight, David would take off like Michelle's border collie in a crab frenzy. He would pounce on the crab like a cat, locate and close the claws, and toss them into the bucket.

We caught several little crabs early as the daylight waned. As the night progressed we were catching numerous crabs with ease. David had continued to try to get Gabriel to pick up the crab himself, telling him that they wouldn't hurt him. After several attempts, he simply could not bring himself to do it. Just as Gabe backed down, the crab clamped down on David's thumb and he wimpered like a school girl. It was the funniest moment of the trip by far. David didn't think it was as funny, but he was able to laugh about it after a few moments.


Once we made it to Virginia, we were able to visit with cousins and newphews, enjoy the waterpark nearby, and eat at some of my favorite locations. The best moment came when Gabriel, Dad & I went to a Norfolk Tides game- one of Gabriel's vacation priorities. It was 50 cent hotdogs, drinks, and popcorn at the ball park. Our seats were about 8 rows behind home plate- behind the protective screen. We ordered a ridiculous amount of food and drink on the cheap and watched the Tides boat race the Iron Pigs. During the top of the 9th inning, a foul ball went staight back behind us and hit the luxury suite wall. As it returned to earth, I noticed the ball was coming right toward me. I didn't even have to move my feet: It was on a collision course with my head. I raised my hands in the air and caught the ball as if I was an outfielder catching the final out of a game. I looked toward Dad and Gabriel to celebrate and hand the ball to my son, in a moment of pride. Gabe was not there. As I look down, I noticed Gabriel in a ball under the our seats! Dad and I finally coax him out and as I place the ball in his hands, the fans cheer as he lifts it triumphantly in the air. Best moment of the vacation, no question.

We had a great time and both North Carolina and Virginia treated us well. Can't wait to get back soon. Hopefully, next year the ocean will be more forthcoming of its bounty. We may not plan a vacation next year. We'll just come with the waves are 4-5 feet. Mayble we should plan using a Farmers' Almanac...

Wild Wild Life

A Talking Heads song lifted from one of the best animation films in the last 20 years, "Open Season."

This weekend was quite strange. As I begin the drive home for a relaxing weekend with the family, I get a call from Gabriel telling me that there is a deer close to the road by our house. As I pull up to the front of the neighborhood, I see this small deer that looks confused and disoriented and without a mother. After a few minutes, I was able to corral her and bring her home. The intention was to contact Tennessee Wildlife to have them intervene. I had not planned for the events to come.

She looked as if she had the eyes of an old toy poodle- a thick bluish-white haze covering each iris. A lady working the animal rehab center said the deer was blind or so young, her vision had not come into focus. It looked like cataracts After finally getting in touch with TWRA, I was advised to attempt to introduce fluids with a baby bottle and wake up at 4am to place her in the area we found her in order to allow the mother to acquire her and move her to a more private location. After about 8am, see if she is still in the same place where I left her. I did as TWRA advised and woke up before dawn to place her in a den area. When I went to see if she had been moved, I found her in the exact location I left her: mother never showed. I picked her back up and my objective turned to delivering the fawn for rehabilitation.

The woman at TWRA called and advised me that she had an emergency in her family and she was unable to receive the deer. She gave me a few pointers for feeding her while I waited to deliver her to a rehabilitation center. It was up to me to provide the nourishment needed to sustain her life. We went to the Co-Op to buy some animal milk and a goat's nipple to feed her. I spent all weekend taking care of her.

Over the weekend, we noticed that when I set her down in the grass, she would follow me around no matter where I went in the back yard. I was being recognized as her mother! As Tuesday came, we were set to deliver her to the rehabilitation. Slowly, there was less following me and more running from me. I had to catch her several times in the back yard when I set her down to stretch in the grass.

We finally delivered the fawn to the rehabilitation center and she commented that the cataracts was due to malnutrition. She must have not eaten anything in days before we found her and we had done the right thing to intervene. This evens the score with killing the deer that jumped in from of my car while in Virginia Beach several years ago.