Day 15, Feb 9, Miami, FL

 Rain, rain, rain.  It rained all day.  After agonizing all morning about whether or not to gear up and face the elements, we finally decided that a day of kayaking and camping in a chilly rain didn't sound like so much fun after all.  So we spent the day in Miami instead, first touring the winter home of magnate Charles Deering of International Harvester fame, then on to....

The Ancient Spanish Monastery.  Built in Spain in 1133, the monastery fell into ruin when William Randolph Hearst saw it, fell in love with it, dismantled it, marked and then packed in hay each stone, and shipped it all to America.  But the depression hit, Hearst had to sell his goods, and the blocks sat in storage for  26 years before being put back together in Miami like a giant jigsaw puzzle.  The monastery and church are exquisite; tranquil, beguiling and difficult to leave.  

Three amazing things:  1-Someone actually fell in love with a dilapidated monastery, bought it, dismantled it, shipped it across the pond, and reconstructed it.  How is that even possible?

2- Outside of the Deering Estate was a woman squatting in the brush.  Upon inspection, we observed her feeding several feral cats.  Now I am an animal lover, but feral cats can't possibly all be saved.  Yet this well-spoken, well-dressed young woman comes three times daily to feed these poor creatures because her heart is just that big.  She said to me, "I've been hungry, and it's the worst thing ever.  At least these cats won't be hungry."  Sometimes angels live amongst us in disguise. 3- I have the world's most adorable, amenable, affable, and lovable companion.  Period.

Good deed:  The cat-feeding woman touched my heart so much that I gave her $20 to buy cat food.  She tried not to accept it, but I insisted.  As well, I offered a granola bar to the racoon that comes daily to horn in on the kitty feeding.