June 28, 2020 Edition: Sunnyside Arms Over Easy Blog
- The Sunnyside Arms Gazette
- Jun 28, 2020
- 6 min read
The Sunnyside Arms Gazette's Over Easy column is taken over today by our head-in-the-clouds, mystery loving, BETSYTalks-giving, quirky and sluethy, on-the-fly event planning, resident specialist of knowing about all things creative, the one and only Betsy Ross!
Wilderness Explorer Betsy Ross reporting for duty!
With the big news of the upcoming Sunnyside Arms field trip to the Everglades, I have been preparing the best way I know how—with research, arts and crafts, and a BETSYTalk! It is amazing what one can learn from movies and Google! Oh! And that YouTube place is a help for my arts and crafts as well as handy tips for new and experienced explorers alike—like safe gator spotting in the Everglades. Always good to know! And what is that bluish-purple bird that likes to fly over the water looking like a blooming flower in the wind? I want to know!
From My BETSYTalk To You Here
My June 13 BETSYTalk was a success! Most of the residents tuned in on Zoom and a few came to the LIVE streaming event and watched from a safe social distance in the rec room. I’ll be sharing some of my helpful takeaways here for those of you who missed the LIVE event or just forgot what I told you. This post should inform and excite you for our upcoming trip to the Everglades.
Just 5,189 Balloons To Get On Up And Fly
Trailer for Disney/Pixar's Movie Up
As part of my research on how to be an explorer, I watched a movie called UP, have you heard of it? Have you watched?! I have learned SO much from that movie! I now know that dogs CAN talk (I have been telling Agnes that for about a year now), and that if I have the correct number of balloons, I can fly!
My research specifically indicates that it will take 5,189 helium filled balloons to lift me into the sky! I learned this online using a helium balloon calculator, so it must be accurate. It just has to be. With this exciting news, I’ve ordered 5,500 balloons from Amazon.com for my first flight! I figured it was best to buy a few extra hundred balloons just in case something goes wrong or Genevieve makes good on her threat to join me on my inaugural trip. Yes, she thinks I need a chaperone, just because I’ve already broken one arm this summer. I think I am doing fine; I am typing this one-handed, after all.
Anyway, UP was a fantastic film and it really brought out my inner explorer! Even though there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases here in Florida, I’m still getting ready for our field trip because an explorer is always prepared.
Exploration Preparedness, Betsy Style
I purchased some appropriately crocodile/alligator themed face masks for attendees to wear on our outing. STAY SAFE! These masks will also be a very nice souvenir for the residents to keep in memory of our field trip! Additionally, I’ve managed to really stock up on sunscreen, aloe, and bug spray. Floppy hats or visors as well as water canteens (filled with beverages of residents’ choice) will be mandatory for all. STAY SHADED, STAY HYDRATED!
Since the Everglades National Park’s visitor centers will likely still be closed when we take our trip, it'll be up to me to be the group's tour guide! To that end, I have memorized literally EVERY fact and knowledge nugget about the Everglades. Just call me Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Mother of the Everglades! (Or maybe just call me her “Sister of another Mister.”) Get it?! I crack myself up sometimes which is good because if I can’t make myself laugh, who can?! Here are a few Everglades fast facts for you! This place is SO AMAZING!
The Everglades covers 1.5 million acres of land. That’s SO MUCH LAND!
The area gets, on average, 60 inches of rain a year. Could you imagine that amount of snow? No thanks! Luckily they don’t really get snow in the Everglades.
These wonderful wetlands are home to various plants and animal species not found anywhere else on the planet! The park is home to one of the largest wetlands in the world!
And, there are NINE distinct habitats in the park alone! There is only, like, one habitat at Sunnyside Arms. We’ve got some catching up to do!
December 6th is Happy Birthday Everglades! Don’t worry, I’m already planning a party.
What We Do In The Shallows
I have organized some excursions for the group, the most challenging being canoeing and kayaking through over 100 miles of water trails. I had a long discussion with the park representative over the phone where she made it very clear that she doubted our group’s physical vigor and stamina—saying we couldn’t travel 100 miles in a day. I told her she was wrong but a very polite woman. I think the conversation went well.
We’ll have 90 minutes to explore whatever waterways we can! I will be covering at least 100 miles or my name isn’t Betsy Ross! I should add that the park representative also suggested we consider using swamp boats for our excursion, but I told her those were too showboaty and too noisy, in my opinion. So canoes and kayaks it is.
To maximize our time and minimize the chaos I’m sure we’ll create on the water, I have paired the residents up with their friends for the ride, with a few exceptions. Harold will be in his own kayak. He’ll take forever to paddle everywhere. He’s going to want to stop and sniff literally every square foot! Hopefully I’ll be able to steer him in the right direction or else he’ll have to answer to Agnes. She can be quite persuasive. I placed myself with Agnes! She doesn’t know yet BUT I know she will be SO excited! I can’t contain myself! I’m FINALLY going to learn her last name! She’ll have no choice but to tell me!
Nurse Susan will be in her own kay-ambulance. See what I did there? Ha! We want her to be able to speed paddle to anyone in distress! Genevieve and John will pair up. I put Ms. Daphne and Mr. Hawker together (I’ve been trying to get them together for months now, between her love of cooking and his love of food...it’s a match made in the kitchen!). Herscel has requested to be “Number One” to a resident’s captain. This perplexed me at first, but then once Herscel explained the connection to Star Trek (and I binged the whole series of shows), I knew what to do.
Conveniently for me, a new resident named Dentley (although I don’t know how he snuck in since we’ve been on lockdown—not sure he can be trusted) snuck up on me from behind a fern plant in the lobby! He said he’d be joining us on the field trip to the Everglades and demanded he be posted as captain of his own vessel forthwith. I translated that to “Hi, nice to meet you. I’d like my own canoe. Thanks!” And then I assigned him a canoe with Herscel. The Captain and his Number One! So excited how that worked out!
Rounding Out Our Adventure With A Slough Slog
Video Of Slough Slogging In The Everglades
Before the day is through I will be leading the group on what the nature folk call a Slough Slog! I swore myself under oath to be a park ranger so I’m now more than qualified to run the show. It’s slated to be messy and miserable and I CANNOT WAIT! Agnes and John will likely hate it.
Personally, I love a good challenge and this exploration of the Everglades is sizing up to be just that! The actual date of our upcoming trip to the Everglades is still being determined by management but I have it on authority (from Agnes) that it will be in July, sometime after the July 4th holiday.
Celebrating July 4th At Sunnyside Arms
Speaking of the July 4th holiday, I’m actually quadruple tasking while writing this and should really get back to working on my next EPIC endeavor, our July 4th celebration here at Sunnyside Arms. It's going to be FABULOUS! There will be special food, games, decorations, fireworks, and SO MUCH MORE! I Hope you'll join us for my Super-Sized, Red, White, and Blue, Flag-Flying, Patriotic Explosion of July 4th Greatness AND Independence Day Extravaganza! Agnes told me I needed to shorten the title, so I’m going to go work on shortening it by a word or two. There will be a NEW BETSYTalk about July 4th Fashions, too! See the OTHER BREAKING NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS section below for details!
"With Fourth of July just around the corner, patriotic ombre styles in face masks, tops, and dresses are just everywhere!" - Betsy Ross
In closing for today, I'd just like to say that I think the management and staff here at Sunnyside Arms are doing a lovely job of keeping us residents safe and informed at this uncertain time in our history. Handmade certificates of appreciation are coming for you all!
STAY SAFE, STAY SHADED, STAY HYDRATED, STAY SWAMPY!
-Betsy Ross
P.S. That Dentley fellow apparently saw my rough draft (is he a hacker too?) with my question about the bluish-purple bird that looks like a flower. He saluted me in the hallway outside of my room and then informed me that the bird is a purple gallinule! Well, I'll be! ...I'll be on the lookout for some on our Everglades trip, for sure!
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