Lunch with Kristine Hughes

Adventures in Florida this year included lunch with Kristine Hughes, one half of the Number One London blog team.  

Not many days earlier, I had the pleasure of spending time with her blogging partner, Victoria Hinshaw, at the Southwest Florida Romance Writers conference.  

It’s always a joy to spend time with another nerdy history girl, and Kristine certainly qualifies.  There was not a yawn or a glazed look in the house (not at our table, at least) as we discussed posting and the business of changing horses (at length), the Dukes of Wellington—past & present—the Duchess of Devonshire (née Deborah Mitford) and her autobiography, the "Debutantes of 1939" video, Victoria & Albert & the wonderful book about  their marriage (We Two is one of the best bios I've ever read), blacking stoves, farming books, travel in England—including her and Vicky's forthcoming Wellington Tour—and other matters historical.  Yes, we found time to discuss some of the ups and downs of family life, too. 

Outside our window, a dolphin cavorted in the harbor, and egrets and herons and pelicans zoomed in when a fishing boat docked, adding natural wonders to the delights of historical nerdiness. Conversation with a historical kindred spirit, a great view, delicious food, and a refreshing cocktail:  How much better can it get?

Thank you, Kristine, for a fabulous afternoon!

Climes are different

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I live in Central Massachusetts most of the time.  We're in some kind of magnetic field for snow, which means that when Boston gets an inch (and gets mightily peeved about it), we get four feet.  It's not a lake effect thing.  I believe the area's under an ancient weather curse.  Thus,  in addition to the arctic temps and charcoal-colored skies, we're buried under great mounds of dirty snow.  The main wildlife is mice trying to move into the house where it's marginally warmer.

As you might expect, we don't get a lot of wading birds in my neck of the woods.  Or palm trees.  So these things are terrifically exciting to me.  It's February!  There are palm trees, some of them growing coconuts. A pelican stands so close I could touch him or her.  A heron loiters in my back yard!  Little lizards lurk under the doorstep and try to scurry into the kitchen when I'm not looking.  They seem not to realize that people live inside—people, those giant Godzilla things they normally run away from at the speed of light.

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For all those fortunate people who normally spend their winters in a warm climate, this is no big deal, I daresay.  For me, it's like moving to another planet.  A kinder, gentler planet.

And then I get to go back to New England before the giant insects come out.

Algae & me

I had my first close encounter with Red Tide recently, and it isn't pretty.  On the Gulf, the culprit is Karenia brevis, a naturally-occurring organism seen as far back as the 15th C.  The algae is not particularly villainous until it has a population explosion.  That's recently happened in these parts,  and it's asphyxiating fish in vast quantities.  My sunset walk on the beach night before last?  Not so pretty.  Dead fish on the shore as far as the eye can see.  Which I did not photograph.  There's a limit to my need to document, though not to my imagination.  Something about this episode may find its way into my work, although I may not recognize it by the time it happens.