When I was a kid, I used to love getting up before the crack of dawn on Christmas morning so that I could see what Santa brought, but those days are long past. Santa was nowhere to be found when the alarm went off at 5:00 am so that Tim and I could get to Miami International Airport in time for our 7:45 am flight. Herbert graciously drove us to the airport, and we said our goodbyes and thank yous for a wonderful visit.
The terminal was busy at that hour, but we were able to check our bags and make it through security without much problem. Our concourse seemed to be miles away, but we had plenty of time and did not have to hurry.
As we finally started walking down Concourse J, I noticed words embedded in the terrazzo floor. Since our gate was at the very end of this very long concourse, I soon realized that the words were not random, and I became more intrigued the farther we walked. After arriving at our gate and leaving my bags with Tim, I wandered back to see what the words were all about.
The subject was the Everglades, the largest tropical wilderness east of the Mississippi River. I found the artist’s name and a dedication to Marjory Stoneman Douglas on the floor and did a little research when I returned home.
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| Foreverglades |
I learned that this art installation is called Foreverglades and is artist Barbara Neijna’s homage to Douglas and her book, The Everglades: River of Grass. Foreverglades is an award-winning piece of art and one of the largest public art projects in the country. It includes not only passages from the book on two floors, but also 4,500 linear feet of photographs expressed in glass panels that range up to 60 feet long. Unfortunately, I totally missed that part of the installation since I was so focused on what was under my feet.
Tim and I finally boarded our plane and settled into our first-class seats, our Christmas present to each other. The plane was surprisingly full, and I was happy to be at the front of the plane. We enjoyed a tasty breakfast and chatted with the wonderful flight crew.
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| A Tasty Breakfast |
Seated across the aisle from us was a nice couple with an adorable dog. I thought that United required pets to remain in their carriers, but this guy never got the message (or perhaps he was a service dog). He was incredibly well behaved (better than so many passengers), and I enjoyed watching him throughout the flight.
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| Waiting for Mom |
Our flight arrived on time, and we hurried to our next gate to catch our Landline bus to Loveland. I had booked a Lyft ride in advance, not knowing if anyone would be working on Christmas Day. Luckily, our driver arrived on time, and we were soon home again after another amazing adventure.
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| Arriving in Denver - Almost Home |
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