Armadillo Research

Ben helped me write this: Ben's family has an armadillo in their yard and they are angry. The family brought in a armadillo trapper. Mommy let Ben come home from school and watch the armadillo trapper. Ben checks the traps every morning and every night. Last night there was a squirrel in one of the traps so Ben and Gwen let it out. We studied the armadillo and learned these fun facts: Nine banded armadillos live in Florida, three banded armadillos live in Brazil. Three banded armadillos are the only ones that can roll themselves into a ball. Armadillos like to swim, and they are very good at it. They have a strong dog paddle, and can even go quite a distance underwater, walking along the bottom of streams and ponds. They can hold their breath for four to six minutes at a time. When they need to cross larger bodies of water, they swim across. Because their heavy shell makes it hard for them to float, they gulp air into their intestines to make them more buoyant. Armadillos get run over by cars so often that they have earned the nickname of "Texas Speed bumps." Three reasons. First, armadillos will eat roadkill. Animals that eat roadkill often become roadkill themselves, because they are on the road more often than other animals are. Second, armadillos are nocturnal. It is hard to see animals by the side of the road at night, so it is harder for motorists to avoid hitting them. Third, armadillos jump up in the air when they feel threatened. This often works to startle a predator, but against an automobile it doesn’t work; they just end up jumping right into the front or underside of the car, with disastrous results.

https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/facts.html

I thought this was fun to investigate with Ben and is an amazing example of God's handiwork.

Prospects in Port Orange

Finally, a property under consideration in Port Orange! Villagio on the Lakes is located in the center of Port Orange with easy access to shopping, banks, and restaurants. The condo is inside a gated community with screened porch, heated pool, and party room. DeDe's daughter is about three minutes away. After seeing a three bedroom with the realtor, DeDe was hopeful she would not have to downsize as much as she had first thought. However, it is unlikely that a three bedroom is available on the first floor. A two bedroom condo combined with a garage/storage unit would also provide the space DeDe needs. The tough part of this selection is waiting to find out which units will be vacated by Embry Riddle students.

Not in the Running

The second possibility that caught DeDe's eye is a delightful peachy pink house on the river. She even tested the the circular driveway making sure that she could pull back into Beach Street traffic with ease. Again, the drawback on this house is the distance, it is even further north than the apartment. DeDe wrote down the information off the sign outside and called the realtor. She would have to wait for the realtor to get in touch with the homeowner.

Meanwhile, the realtor suggested another address as a possibility. This residence, a house, was in DeDe's old Ormond Beach stomping ground and only a stone's throw from her good friend, Judy. But the distance from her daughter is another story. This was the northern most address. Truthfully, 11 Brookside Dr was never really in the running . The yard was natural and leafy.

House Hunters on DeDeTV

Today we will feature a vivacious senior who is relocating to be closer to family. DeAda Ann Francey, who we all know as "DeDe" made a quick trip up the east coast of Florida to see her daughter's latest home improvements, visit friends, and check out possibilities for relocating to the city of Daytona Beach. DeDe is no stranger to the Daytona Beach area, having lived there with her husband and 4 young children for 5 years. She lives an active lifestyle, busy with church activities and entertaining. Her new residence can be either an apartment or a home. Two bedrooms are a must, a third bedroom or a garage would be desirable.

The prospecting trip to Daytona was made without a plan but not without a prayer. DeDe headed straight to Ormond Beach to see her dear friend, Judy Dick. On the way, she spotted two riverfront possibilities.

The first potential residence is an upstairs apartment over a riverside home. DeDe loves the idea of drinking her morning coffee while watching the sun rise over the river. The house has its own dock across the street. The apartment is very spacious, two bedrooms, two baths. It has a large living/dining area which will allow DeDe to continue to entertain. This is obviously an older home. One of the bathrooms has mint green tile on the floor and walls. The kitchen cabinets have slats, painted silver. The landlady is friendly and welcoming, leaving us to explore on our own. DeDe is concerned about finding a place for her orchids and discovers a large backyard complete with a well stocked koi pond and an orchid shed. Perhaps the landlady is a kindred spirit. The rent is very reasonable. While the idea of this spacious waterfront property is inviting, there is an overwhelming negative to consider. The entrance is through the garage and up a steep set of outside stairs. It is unattractive and and a little hazardous to maneuver. The other consideration is the distance between Ormond and Port Orange where DeDe's daughter lives. The Ormond apartment is almost the the Granada Bridge, easily in vew from the apartment dock.

The apartment is the entire second floor of the house. All the upstairs windows!

The dock (pictured above) The open garage door and the apartment entrance beside it (pictured below.)

This view (below) is from across the street and shows the apartments second floor entrance door. The garage roof is accessible but covered with loose rocky gravel.

This is more of the view across the river. Can you imagine the sunrise?

There is a small riverside park just yards from the apartment. This picture also shows how close the apartment is to the Granada Bridge.

TO BE CONTINUED....