Bad news and Good news

I had a very nice adventure today that I’ll talk about in a little bit, but first I want to get the bad news out of the way.  My plan for tomorrow morning was to take a nice paddle on the lake in my inflatable kayak.  So late this afternoon I dragged the Sea Eagle out of the basement storage area along with the paddles and the air foot pump.  I had decided to pump it up tonight so tomorrow all I had to do was get it down to the water, and hop in.  As I went to take it out of the storage bag, I discovered that a mouse had eaten a hole the size of two golf balls in the side of the kayak.  Of course that mouse, which probably did that while I was at Anahuac, didn’t touch the three seat backs that were in the bag.  Nope, it chewed the side of the kayak!  Grrr!!  I don’t think there is any way to patch a hole that big, so I guess I’m literally sunk.  Phooey!  What a bitter disappointment that was.

On the bright side, I drove to Warm Springs, GA, this morning to visit FDR’s Little White House.

This State Historic Site is managed by the Georgia State Park system, and includes the residence, grounds, museum, and pool complex.

President Roosevelt had The Little White House built so he could enjoy the warm springs here in hopes of curing the debilitating effects that he suffered from Polio.  He made 41 trips to Warm Springs before and during the time he was president.

The Little White House is in the middle of the bottom right picture.  The building on the right is the servants quarters, and the building on the left is the guest house where many important dignitaries stayed.  Interestingly, Eleanor seldom accompanied Franklin when he came here.

All of the states in the union, and Washington DC, have paid tribute to FDR by providing stones in his honor.  Each native stone along with the appropriate state flag line the walk way.  This walk was an education in itself.

On April 12, 1945, Madame Elizabeth Shoumatoff was working on a water color portrait of FDR as he posed in the living room of his retreat.  As he was posing, he suffered a massive stroke, and died shortly afterward in his bedroom.  Madame Shoumatoff immediately quit working on that portrait and never finished it.  This famous “Unfinished Portrait” is hanging in the museum.  A year later, the artist painted another portrait from memory and photos in oil, and it too hangs in the museum.  A difference between the two is that she changed the color of his tie.  The room with these portraits has other poignant displays about FDR’s passing while “Going Home” plays in the background.  I found it to be very moving as I remembered how my parents held FDR in such high regard.  He was only 63 when he died.

A short distance from the museum and Little White House are the spring-fed pools where President Roosevelt took treatments in the water with other polio victims.  There is also a small museum attached explaining the facilities and including Roosevelt’s founding of the adjacent Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute.  As you can see, the pools are empty now.

But here’s the really good news… twice a year the pools are filled with the 88* warms springs water from 3800’ below the earth’s surface and the public can purchase tickets to participate in a therapeutic soak for an hour and a half.  This opening of the pools will take place over the Memorial Day Weekend, and I found I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to soak in this historic place.  So, a week from Saturday, I will join a limited number of other people for a soak from 10:00-11:30!  By the time I finish I just know all my little aches and pains will be gone, so I’m taking myself out to lunch at a well known Inn in Warm Springs to enjoy some tasty fried green tomatoes and other Southern delicacies.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy