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D J’s Locker

20x23 watercolor

Framed Size: 28 x 30

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A FREDERICA & CHLOE PICTURE BOOK MYSTERY – PART 11

A series of short-short stories featuring Frederika/Freddie and Chloe, Freddie’s cat

© Julie Gilbert Pollard

Freddie and Wendy are still in Paradise…

But they lose Tommie…

I am feeling homesick, yet dreading to go back home as well, due to all the “stuff” that has been happening. Talk about ambivalence.

And – do I miss Chloe? Oh my, yes, I do miss my sweet furry little companion. And I’m sure she misses me, though she’s pretty good at hiding her emotions, being a cat and all. That’s OK – I know she loves me.

But I digress…

Wendy and I still have the rest of the workshop to get through, despite the trouble at home. I know Rogero will take care of things.

Plus – Wendy and I had planned to take a few days of vacation after the end of the workshop. Instead of rushing back home and into the fray, so to speak, Rogero has given his blessing for us to continue with our original plan.

He’s actually a pretty good egg. We’re not very good at being married, but we’re pretty good at being together-apart.

I have managed to compartmentalize, and while conducting my workshop, I give all my attention to my job. I only worry about home after class is over for the day, at which point, I then obsess about how to deal with the crap that has befallen us.

Yes, us. It was me to begin with. But then Wendy became involved, and now Rogero. Misery does love company, but I don’t want anything to happen to them. No more concussions, dammit!

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Let me tell you about where we are this week. We’ve been diving John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in the Atlantic, off the coast of the Florida Keys.

Alternating scuba diving, snorkeling and photo-taking underwater one day, with painting the “under-seascape” the following day – repeat – we’ve all been having a blast!

Wendy didn’t have any idea that she would so quickly fall in love with scuba AND painting. As it happens, she’s doing great at both. I think we have a convert!

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Now, a couple of days since my last writing, I must report that our awesome time here has been slightly marred by another “incident”. One that did not take place at home, but here in paradise!

Before I begin the story, let me assure you that everyone is OK!

Today – in spite of all safety precautions – one of my students nearly got swept out to sea – by a sea creature.

The creature in question was a playful dolphin who did not understand that “Tommie” (Tommie is not her real name – we are protecting her innocence, as the saying goes) does not breathe through gills. Tommie was snorkeling and gazing down at those of us who were within her sight down at the reef. Totally minding her own business. When a friendly dolphin was suddenly merely yards away!

Of course, the first thing she saw was a fin. So, her very first thought was not “Flipper, yay” but – you guessed it – SHARK!

In fact: “shark, shark shark, shaaaaark!” is what screams through her mind.

Now, as it happens, the previous day Tommie and another one of the workshop participants decided to take the day “off” and drive up to Key Largo to an attraction where you can actually swim with dolphins. The trainers encourage the dolphins – by way of treating with raw fish – to interact with the guests. Tommie and “Deloris” (again, a name-change) were “kissed” by dolphins, towed around the pool by dolphins, and all-in-all, totally enthralled with dolphins.

So, today, a day later, Tommie’s initial reaction of raw fear – during which she too forgot that she doesn’t breathe water and nearly drowned herself (it really wasn’t the dolphin’s fault) didn’t last long enough to do her any permanent or even long-lasting damage.

In fact, she soon began to think of this creature as the aforementioned “Flipper” and started swimming after him or her.

Well, she lost track of time and lost sight of the dive boat. And, unfortunately, the dive boat lost sight of her.

When this loss was noted, we were pulled out of the water and the search began. There was much panic, anxiety, and total fear amongst us all.

Fast forward - the captain, dive-master, and crew, being pros, soon found the wayward and very chagrined Tommie.

Before heading back to shore we were all treated to a very serious talk (lecture). After, of course, hugs all around!

We have one more day of diving and the crew as well as ourselves are so very relieved, after being scared out of our wits. Scuba and snorkeling are recreation - fun! Also, very serious endeavors. We humans were never constructed to be sea creatures.

So, in fact, the creature did not sweep Tommie out to sea. That was merely a hook to keep you interested. 😊 Tommie swept herself a bit farther out to sea than she should have.

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This evening, back in the room we share, Wendy and I just look at each other. I can see my own relief and fear from the afternoon mirrored in her face. Oh god, what if…

We are – after all the dreadful experiences of the last few months – no strangers to terrifying events. So far, none have been fatal – to anyone involved. Well, as far as we know. The young man who disappeared the day I received the blow to my head has still not been found. What if…

We have both found ways to NOT live in terror 24-7. Compartmentalization – that’s my only explanation of how we live our lives like fairly normal people.

We decide to have a nice glass of chilled white and watch a movie before turning in.

Click. The set stirs to life and a famous shark movie happens to be on – at, you know, the part about needing a bigger boat…

We look at each other and – I guess it’s the wine, the day we’ve had, the relief, the fear, the YEAR we’ve had – we burst into giggles. Totally inappropriate, unstoppable, unrelenting giggles.

Oh, Tommie – we’re SO VERY GLAD you’re OK!

This morning, I think we all feel just a bit “spent”. Everyone, I think, is very glad that the only water we have to worry about today is our watercolor water! Well, that’s a challenge in and of itself, just saying…

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Elkhorn Coral

22x24 watercolor

AVAILABLE

Here is the Dropbox link to the PDF document, a watercolor lesson about painting the “under-seascape”:

11_JGPollard_Paint-the-Under-Seascape.pdf

PLEASE NOTE ONCE AGAIN: the mini art chapters following a story segment are written and illustrated – not by Freddie – but by Julie Gilbert Pollard - who has kindly allowed Freddie to borrow them for her blog. :) The STORIES are fiction - the CHAPTERS are non-fiction and quite valid!

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I would like to say here - as myself, not Freddie – that quite a few years ago my husband and I along with my sister and her husband, scuba-dived many times in various locations at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in the Florida Keys. According to Google info, “The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is located on Key Largo, the northernmost island in the Florida Keys island chain. It is approximately one hour’s drive south from Miami. The reef runs roughly 221 miles down the south-eastern coast of Florida, paralleling the Florida Keys from Key Biscayne off Miami down to the Dry Tortugas, 70 miles west of Key West, from 1 mile to 8 miles offshore”.

Diving the coral reefs over a period of several summer vacations was one of the most awesome and awe-inspiring activities of my life. It makes me very happy that I’ve been able to work this experience into one of Freddie’s adventures!