Stories from the Road: Salmonella, banyan tunnels and drunken walks
The banyan tree is a tree native of India. The first banyan planted in North America was planted by Thomas Edison near his winter estate in Fort Myers, Fla. This tree was brought from India in a butter tub and was 2 inches in diameter and 4 feet high when given by Harvey Firestone and planted by Edison in 1925. This tree now has a circumference of 390 feet and is considered the fourth-largest tree in the world.
There is one in Hawaii that is even bigger, taking up an entire city block. Also called the strangler fig, banyan trees start life by growing on another tree. We have nothing like them in South Dakota.
I did not see either of these large trees, but what I did see is another banyan oddity, the banyan tunnel located on St. Lucie Boulevard in Stuart, Fla., a road in the mansion district of the Treasure Coast where banyan trees envelop the street to make it look like a tunnel. The hurricanes of 2004 broke enough branches to allow some light in but it is gradually getting back to its old form.
Along with seeing manatees, it is one of the things to do in the area. I also got a year bird in one of the ditches along the tunnel, a yellow-crowned night-heron of all things.
As you can see, we are back on the road and in Florida. The RV made it south, but it was not without some issues down here.
First, despite no engine lights, when we finally hooked up the full water west of Tallahassee, we blew a water line, and later in Lutz, Fla., we had a repairman look at it. The leak was where the feeder line for the hot water heater went into the coach behind the shower. To repair it would take quite a bit of work and many people. Large items would have to be removed like the shower and the toilet. No one here wanted to have any part of this project. The result – we will be stopping at the factory in Red Bay, Ala., (the home of Tiffin) to get it fixed on the way home and drop it off for a while. We will therefore be camping this entire trip without having water.
Secondly, despite the FDA warning, I ate that lettuce — you know, the lettuce they recalled. I got salmonella and had a week of abdominal pain, but I fought it for days. Before I started myself on antibiotics, I self-diagnosed myself with appendicitis, an ulcer, alcohol-induced gastritis, a kidney stone, an appendicitis again and e. coli from a bad hamburger. Despite it all, it went away as we left Pasco County, Fla., on our way to Poinsiana.
Despite feeling like death, we went out with a bunch of couples for Buddhist breakfast near Tampa, and despite having something eating away on my inside, the Thai noodle soup was to die for. A word to the wise – if they recall lettuce again, don’t eat any!
Thirdly, I have had a bit of amnesia. Walking home from the bar the other night after the Eagles loss, my right knee started to hurt and then swelled up. The knee has slowed up my birding somewhat, and led to my third sleepless night due to pain on this trip. I guess it is always something. I just wish I remember what I did. Some say I was singing “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” in front of a restaurant but I corrected them. That duet was sung the night before my knee injury. The person I sang it with doesn’t remember singing.
Despite some cool weather and my gimpy knee, we also spied a few butterflies and some rare, cool birds. We also met up with friends from multiple states and countries.
So despite having no water, all is well, even if the local spa/massage office is closed until Christmas. I’ll have to find something else to do. Maybe I’ll go looking for more famous trees. Whatever I do, I won’t be eating any more lettuce and I definitely won’t drink and walk. If I do go out, I won’t be singing bad Christmas songs.
If I could only remember what else I did … then maybe my knee wouldn’t hurt so bad. Having Christmas cheer is good, but too much cheer? Priceless? I’m not so sure.
Have a good holiday season.
