I like living with the dinosaurs every now and again. I mean that lovingly, with admiration, kindness and honor.

I was planning a march Florida run with just 2 goals, see how the new house was progressing and see my 93 year old Aunt. She is my mothers sister. My mother passed away in her mid 60’s, quite young, on an operating room table, she had a stroke. The one thing my mother, aunt and their mother had was a remarkable resemblance and a NYC attitude. They were judge and jury and can dismiss you in a word.

When I see my aunt, it is like watching the history channel. I also get to see my cousins still trying to wrangle my aunt as we once tried to wrangle my mother. And better yet I clearly remember my mother and aunt all trying to wrangle their mother Ethel B. Mason(my grandmother). Still described as one tough broad and a bit of a PIA. Ethel never drove, lived in the city, NYC, walked and walked and took trains, subways, buses and the like. She simply called one of her kids or grandkids if she needed a ride.

The trip started simple, down thru CT and into the city, easy, mostly. Once on the Jersey turnpike for a handful of miles, there is a sign “Shore Points” – being alone on this FL run, I turned and headed for the Jersey Shore. I drove and drove, enjoying the landscape partially preserved, and partially destroyed. Zoning is a remarkable thing. I made it to Cape May and hopped a ferry with 15 minutes to spare.

Being near the Jersey shore it prompted me to reach out to a cousin who once upon a time, had a “Jersey Shore” beach house. This cousin is one of the daughters of my Aunt Ethelyn. “She returned the text, who is this?” I laughed. We texted a bit and I learned she was near her mother this winter. Great.

I’ll fast forward – Ferry, more beach towns, 2 states, farmland, Cape Charles on St Patricks day, there was a bridge and a tunnel under the Chesapeake .. etc etc .. great run, finally a hotel deep in Virgina as I headed back to 95.

As I got onto 95 and crossed into NC, I threw out another text to another cousin from the same clan – I have no time lines just 2 things to do over a 10 day period, so why not. No reply. Now I am an early riser and the world has to usually catch up to me, I do not usually wait for it. About an hour in, I check my phone, “I’m Here !” , “Turn right, then left on some road and drive 2 hrs, we’ll be waiting” I’ve been waiting to see Sean’s Farm in the hills of NC, so off I went – I always love to see Sean – he is his mothers favorite I think .. he always wants to help. be kind and mostly a happy 60 year old little boy, who once upon a time was nice, kind and generous to me, 50+ years earlier. Is he perfect, ? umm well .. there are some great stories of turning ones life and making lemonade from lemons, he is really good at it. What a great visit that was !!

Here we are day 3, 5am, there are no Starbucks in the the hills of NC, but I have visited one of my dinosaur cousins, texted with another who I soon will see. Now I am off to Fernandina Beach FL. no Cousins here, but there is a restaurant with food to go, a beach and a nap waiting for me there. It was nice there. I also got a room.

Day 4 – not dinosaur cousins this day, but dinosaur friends. NYC born and bred – usually my favorite people. I reach out to a 67 old un-named male – “Lets trespass into a development, check on my new house and then go to lunch” – he says in a text “sounds like a good thing for us to do !” .. “maybe not smart but we should do it !” Not quite a netflix special but I left all the details out.

Day 5 – More dino friends – they are dino friends because Sk and I do not let many people in. You need to rate … We met and enjoyed their company years ago, and it stuck. More trespassing, good restaurants, I tried to tip the contractors working on the house, but they declined. The builder doesn’t like that.

….. I found this unfinished draft – The House is done … we have put a car there…. no more roaming about, I fly.

…. 2 – a – day PB Matches swimming in between and lunch. I like it here.