The big day has arrived!

The big day is here!  There are no more pages on the calendar to count down to.  There is nothing left to do except share with you all that we got the call last night!  Shannon and I have been selected as the Artists in Residence at Dry Tortugas National Park for 2020!  There are some thanks that must be given out.  First up to My wife Wendy and Shannon's wife Deana!  Thanks for putting up with your crazy artist husbands and for being so supportive of us applying for and now actually planning to go to this residency.  None of this would be possible without their love and support.  Next up we are sending thanks to the National Park Service, Dry Tortugas National Park and the National Parks Arts Foundation for selecting us for what is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience.  Finally, to our podcasts guests from the first year of the Flying Tortuga Brothers.  Those great conversations encouraged us and kept us inspired to really be all in and fully committed to getting the residency.  Step one of being named the 2020 AiRs gets checked off on the project plan.  Now it is on to the planning stages, lots of lists and finally the actual month of the residency on Loggerhead Key.

I'm not sure I have the words to tell you how I feel there are so many emotions.  We have been working towards this moment for about 15 months.  It is a lot to process that in September Shannon and I will be living and working on a tiny island where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico meet.  There will be big skies, big storms and nature everywhere.  There will be migratory birds making their way south for the winter,  There will be night skies so dark you can see the Milkyway with the naked eye.  What there won't be is television, internet or cell service.  We will be connected to the National Park Service on Garden Key (Where fort Jefferson is) by radio for daily check ins and weather updates etc.  We do plan to have a satellite  phone for emergencies and weekly calls with Deana and Wendy.  Over the course of the next few days Shannon and I will take turns getting our thoughts down on the blog.  meanwhile there will be a flurry of activity with NPAF and NPS on the list of things we have to do before arriving in September.  There will be some media stuff too so there will be some interviews and the like.  We are looking forward to this next stage of the Flying Tortuga Brothers!  Stick with us and follow our Journey.  New podcast episodes will be coming out soon!

Loggerhead 2020 or Bust!

Carl Stoveland 

for the Flying Tortuga Brothers