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After the prairie we headed to the UF campus for an Einstein Brothers bagel. Einstein Brothers was closed on Sunday, but we got in another walk and a chance to see my alma mater. Gators are national football champions again and their is a lot of team spirit around town.

When I was in music school at UF I went up to the top of the century tower with a friend, Jim. He played a carillon concert.
Info about the carillon concerts is online here.

Century tower bricks appear to be all accounted for.

The music department is sporting a new band building with a Stephen Stills rehearsal room. What's the backstory on that?

After the hike on the prairie and the walk through campus we were ready for a bagel. We didn't go here.

We ended up at Bageland for our anniversary bagels. Are those balloons for us?

Greg writes an anniversary poem at Bageland

finished poem
2.22.2009
gainesville, fl
spanish moss cascading
through streams of
morning sun
white tails flag
as deer leap into
the laurel oak woods
Shakespear’s owl
impossibly silent
winging with grace
into a sweet gum tree
to watch as we pass
wild horse eating
spanish moss
deep brown horse
with a star on its brow
dream horse
who waking
called us here
this holy morning
this sacred ground
to touch anew
the one from two.
grw
(2/22) The dream image of a dark wild horse was calling me to Paynes Prairie as I woke up on Sunday morning. It was our anniversary and I was hoping Greg would be up for an early morning trip to Bolen’s Bluff trail. It’s one of our favorite trails to the prairie.
We headed out as the day was dawning. We parked just off 441 south of Gainesville and headed down the familiar path through the woods. As we reached the first fork in the path the beautiful dark horse from my dream was waiting for us there as if to say, “Glad you got my invitation and were able to come.” I smiled, remembering the dream.

Bolen's bluff trail

the dark horse from my dream was waiting here just on the other side of this fence

Greg and I remembered once walking this trail late at night under the moonlight

Path to the prairie

Out on the prairie again

We saw a male and female cardinal and deer on our way out to the tower

sandhills were gathering, getting ready for the trip northWe've made many trips to this tower. One October the entire prairie was blanketed with yellow flowers. Looked like the poppy scene from Oz...in yellow.

While we were up in the tower a bald eagle flew right over our heads ... a sweet anniversary blessing

from the tower
(by Kiki)
We woke up dark and early on February 11th, relocating our sleeping son to the back seat of the car. The two hour trip to Disney was aided by Mom and Gordon’s GPS. Disney was an unusual birthday choice for Greg, but Basht was highly motivated to see the mouse kingdom and we obliged.
When I was in college, my boyfriend Dave worked in Frontierland and I was afforded free access to the magic Kindom anytime I had the inclination go. As a seventeen-year -old, I cruised Disney solo having the time of my life. By the end of the summer, I knew Disney like the freckles on my skin.
During the day at Disney with Greg and Basht, I found myself mentally preoccupied with conflicting feelings. Basht was having a blast. Every Disney cast member who crossed Greg’s path was wishing him a happy birthday. They were obviously having a great time. On the other hand I was continually distracted by the astronomical amount of trash being generated in the park at any given moment. My home state of Florida no doubt is feeling the environmental stress of the mouse kingdom.
Disney has some of the more creative minds working for them. Surely if they can figure out how to hurl me through a starfield, make ghosts dance in a ballroom and fly a human Tinkerbell across the park from the top spire of Cinderella’s castle , they can figure out ways to reduce the amount of trash generated in the form of cups, plates, forks, straws and napkins. Piles and piles of disposable goods were neatly stacked in snack stands, cafes and restaurants. They patiently waited their turn to make the trip to a nearby garbage can, stopping briefly in transit to hold a drink, balance a burger, slurp up a milkshake or wipe a mouth.
While Basht was racing down Thunder Mountain for the second time I was contemplating the fuel burned to transport the disposables into the park and then back out in the form of garbage. And where is all this garbage going? Are they incinerating it? Dumping it in a landfill? There really has to be a creative way to reduce the load.
I kept my thoughts and opinions to myself as we trotted through the Magic Kingdom enjoying a day-long whirlwhind tour of our favorite rides. Disney goes out of their way to make sure everyone has a great time.
Here are the pix…

Greg's birthday breakfast was an apple charlotte from the main street bakery

Cinderella Castle - Basht says they use an optical illusion to make the castle look taller

Birthday Boy waiting in line for Thunder Mountain

Entrance to the Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion

Basht and Greg checking out the swords on Main Street

Main Street Gears Up for a Parade

Greg on Main Street

Main Street is photogenic from most every vantage point

Tony's on Main Street was inspired by the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp. Greg was able to find a vegetarian entree for his birthday dinner.

We spent the evening in tomorrowland. This was from a Buzz Lightyear ride where Eastern Airline's "If You Had Wings" used to be.

Waiting on the fireworks

Cinderella's castle changed colors many times during the fireworks display

The fireworks display was expertly choreographed to music

The day at the park ended with a bang - multiple bangs. The trip back in the car was much the same as the trip down...with a happy sleeping boy in the back seat.
We ran into our friend Tom at Chopstix on Wednesday. Tom and his wife Shirley are wonderful friends. We asked how Shirley was doing and to our surprise we learned that Shirley was now the principal of an elementary school in Tokyo!
Tom invited us to his home in MacIntosh, Florida to skype Shirley. Skype is computer software that allows two parties to chat over the internet. If both parties have cameras and microphones, they can see and hear each other. Tom invited us over at 5pm Florida time which would be 7am the next morning in Tokyo. We went back to Dad’s house and grabbed the guitar, then headed for MacIntosh.
Shirley was just waking up in Tokyo. Tom told Shirley he had a surprise for her. We popped in front of the camera and played Rice Cakes from the Moon. Shirley sang along. We’re pretty sure it was the first time that Rice Cakes was sung simultaneously on two different days. Wow!
Shirley walked around with her skype camera giving us a tour of her apartment. She took the camera out on her balcony to show us her view of Tokyo. We could see the Tokyo tower outside her apartment window. Looks like a red version of the eiffel tower.
Tom has been to Japan to visit Shirley. Tom said theft is unheard of in Tokyo. One day Shirley accidentally left her purse on a bench. It had her wallet, camera and other valuables in it. During her day, Shirley realized her purse was missing and returned to the bench to find it. Someone had duct taped it to a public wall near the bench to make it easy for Shirley to find. The contents were just as she’d left them.
Shirley shared stories of life in Tokyo and the four of us sat around the computers and chatted as if we were all in the same room.
Small world.
- wine transport for musicians


We found an undisturbed (except for the boardwalk) stretch of shoreline, south of Ponte Vedra

from the boardwalk looking back toward the parking lot

North Atlantic Right Whales (are there Left whales?) calve in this area.

happy to see the Atlantic again

Greg gathering seashells

Greg found a living starfish

Kiki returned it to the sea

cool shade on the way back to the car
After two long walks on Florida’s east coast we were hungry. We went to a favorite restaurant in St. Augustine, the Gypsy Cab Company, where they made Greg some scrumptious tofu enchiladas. They always go above and beyond at Gypsy Cab and we left with warm hearts and full bellies.

Kiki & Greg back at the Thomas Center

Leon Larson helped us out on his granddaddy ashiko

Greg was amazing

Kiki, Greg and Leon

Jingle Dancer

Meadowdance with Bob and Leon

Dear John Lennon ... Cathy DeWitt, Kiki, Greg and Bob Mc Peek

Yes It Does! L to R Cathy DeWitt, Janet Rucker, Kiki, Greg, Robby Rucker, Bob McPeek and Leon Larson
Greg and I are very excited about tonight’s gathering at the Thomas Center. The Thomas Center holds many memories for both of us: numerous concerts including our first concert together as “Greg Webb and Kiki Carter.” The Washington Sisters, a wonderfully talented gospel group, opened for us.
Greg and I were married in Turtle Court, then had our reception in the Spanish Court. Turtle Court is outside. A huge thunderstorm blew in on our wedding day. Miraculously the clouds parted and golden rays of sunlight shone down on our wedding. Once the ceremony was over and we gathered inside, the sky unleashed its pent up fury. It stormed for the rest of the day and throughout our wedding night.

Turtle Court - first kiss

Reception in Spanish Court

Greg in front of the Thomas Center fountain

in front of Turtle Court

the Thomas Center was once the "Hotel Thomas"

Kiki at the Thomas Center
We landed in Gainesville last Friday. Took in the Art Walk downtown. Ran into many friends. Good to be home. Mom anticipated our every need and we settled in quicky and comfortably.

backyard at Mom and Gordon's home
Sunday afternoon we headed over to the University of Florida to chat with Cathy DeWitt on her radio show, Across the Prairie. We met another couple from Nashville that was also appearing on Cathy’s show.

Greg outside of WUFT studio

WUFT. Kristen at the helm. Cathy through the glass in the booth. Cathy is the host of "Across the Prairie." Kristen engineers Cathy's show and also has a great show that's her baby called "On the Bridge." Kristen's show comes on just before Cathy's and we like to tune in on our way to the studio.

Jeni and Billy were also on Cathy's show. Voices pure as a mountain spring. You can find out more about them at jeniandbilly.com
After the show we went to see the bats at sunset. It was cold and only about 50 or so came out. Will return when it warms up.

Lisa served us up our first ice cream in months at Sweet Dreams, on of Kristen's favorite spots.

Greg outside sweet dreams. MMMMmmmmmmm

Kristen turned us onto the Guinness Stout ice cream. Actually was pretty good!

Heading through the twin cities. Happy to be on the road again.

Minneapolis

through the tunnel

Driving through Swiss-consin

Ryan's power converter kept us in the lap of technological luxury

Sunrise over Madison, Swissconsin

from our hotel lobby

navigating Madison

Greg in his home city
Woke up at the crack of dawn. Wanted to make Woodstock, Georgia by 6 pm. Fellow travelers at breakfast recounted horror stories of the road ahead. Ice three inches thick on top of the highway, power outtages for a two hour stretch, cars and semis in the ditch. We left Mt. Vernon in a somber mood a little anxious about the day’s journey.

I-57 to Paducah

on the highway

north of Paducah, Kentucky

Greg driving in the wake of the ice storm

trees are broken under the heavy ice

trees and powerlines heavy with ice

cars and semis were ditched after hitting the ice

we decided to turn off for a needed break

Unfortunately there was no power at this rest stop.

the sun came out as we headed into Nashville

eastern tennessee was beautiful in winter

to Chattanooga

brother Chris and nephew Parker

our beautiful sister-in-law Stacy

day 4 on the road zzzzz somewhere between Atlanta and Macon
Feeling claustrophbic and road weary by Friday. Georgia now seems like the longest state in the Union. Each mile seems like ten.
When we hit the Florida state line, we stop at the welcome station. The welcome station has be giving out free samples of Florida grapefruit and orange juice since I (Kiki) was a little girl. Always puts a smile on my face.

greeted with grapefruit and orange juice at the Florida Welcome Center

Florida and POW/MIA flag