Expect Delays



Atlanta

We got off to a great start Sunday morning at 5:43 a.m. and were out of Florida well ahead of “schedule”. We stopped at Magnolia Plantation for gas and rip-off pecan, peanuts and a few sweet treats, and then ate the lunch we’d brought from “home” just outside the cemetery. We had a shared roast beef and cheese roll, along with crisp veggies and a diet coke. The hand-made caramel pecan candy topped off our meal. All very satisfactory. 

Cherry blossoms

Trouble hit at mile marker 192 in Georgia. Traffic slowed to a crawl and it took us several hours to travel about 40 miles. We bypassed the freeway at some point, but probably didn’t gain any time. We were perhaps 40 miles from Atlanta and were told the problem was due to road construction in the northbound lanes of I75.

Finally Atlanta. Although we took the HOV lane through downtown, progress was slow. We finally got past Atlanta and decided to go the extra 100 miles to Chattanooga. We limped into the Hampton Inn at Lookout Mountain well after 6:00 p.m.


Tennessee morning

Our second day started with a delay because we stopped at Cherokee Automotive for a tire check. A guy at a rest stop had remarked on what looked like a roofing nail in the front right tire, and we’d been a little apprehensive about the outcome. Turned out to be a short screw that did no damage, and there was no charge for that peace of mind diagnosis, but we did get off to a late start. Traffic around Nashville was horrendous due to road construction, and we lost time there too, more than wiping out the hour gain as we got back to Central time. We ended the day at the Baymont Inn & Suites,  Rockford, Illinois, totally spent. The Baymont is basic but clean, and the bed was very comfortable.

Our last day was, thankfully, easy and fast. We drove most of the morning through fog, but arrived home shortly after noon. We unpacked, sorted mail and did laundry, but the sun was shining and it felt good to be home! I love Minnesota.

2015 Top Ten

Egret

It's hard to pick ten ... but here they are, in no particular order:


Our manatee

1. The parks we visited, especially the Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village. These beautiful grounds are an oasis of calm on a steamy Florida day.
2. Dolphins, especially those showing off for us in Gulfport.
3. Sunrise over Boca Ciega Bay, and sunset on the Gulf.
4. Lunch with Temiscaming friends at John's Pass.
5. Wildlife ... everywhere! I especially appreciated the osprey, the cranky Great Blue Heron on the dock, and the laughing manatee.
6. St. John Vianney Church, welcoming and prayerful.
7. A great day at the beach, and every day around our pool.
8. Shared meals at beach restaurants.
9. Our Wisconsin friends, Carol & Joe, Mary & John.
10. Good company in each other.

It's been a great month, but Minnesota is beckoning. I'm looking forward to a lovely spring!

Missed Photo Ops

The weather was a little "cold" (low seventies F) and rainy yesterday so we stayed close to home. I had time to reflect on the pictures I either missed or didn't get to take.

 

One of our osprey

Osprey vs. Pelican Some of our best entertainment has been watching the osprey in the tree across our little inlet. One evening, a pelican was minding his own business fishing in the general area of the nest high above the water. One of the osprey repeatedly dive bombed the pelican. No matter how far away it moved, the osprey attacked until the pelican finally flew out into Boca Ciega Bay. I was too riveted by the spectacle to take an adequate picture.

Jumping Dolphin I saw lots of dolphin but didn't get a good action shot. I guess I cook have taken a video but once again I spent too much time watching and failed to capture. I'm not worry about that either: the memory of those energetic marine animals makes me smile.

Parakeet Pair There was so much parakeet activity at the beginning of the month that I was sure I'd get a good picture of a mating pair. Well, they moved on and the wild sounds we heard for many days has ceased. I miss their crazy screeching.



Unsettled early evening sky on Friday, March 27

Stained Glass The stained glass at St. John's is lovely and beautifully integrated with the waterscapes of the Gulf and Boca Ciega Bay. I was reluctant to disturb quiet worship after weekday Mass so I didn't pull out my camera, except once or twice. I might have been more intrusive if Bob hadn't been beside me to restrain my bolder tendencies.


Sunset on the Beach In the past, we've gone to one of the Pass-a-Grille beaches to see the sunset, or across the street to the TradeWinds property where we stayed our first year in St. Pete Beach. This year, our sixth floor view of the Gulf kept us at home for a great view of both the water and frenetic Gulf Boulevard.

Regrets? Only a few ... it's been a great month for photos.



St. Armand's Circle

John Ringling

Last year we sloshed through a downpour in St. Armand's Circle and saw nothing through the sheets of rain, so it was enjoyable to walk around and people watch yesterday afternoon. The anticipated cold front was nowhere in evidence and Sarasota was very tropical and humid.

I love the statues in the circle, especially the one of John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers Circus fame. Until the recent announcement that the circus would remove elephants from its shows, I hadn't realized the impact of circus history on this part of Florida. Ringling looks very much the Victorian gentleman in his sculpture, hardly the ringmaster I expected to see.



African children seem a long way from Sarasota

The "rich and famous" weren't in evidence but people seemed to be shopping and spending lots of money -- all except an odd looking little nun I saw darting here and there on the sidewalk. I was very curious and saw when we crossed the street that she had set up a makeshift table, with pictures of African children and other photos of her organization's good works. Turns out her presence isn't welcomed by merchants and I can see why, but she doesn't really bother anyone and I couldn't resist giving her a couple of dollars.


We had a fortifying lunch and libation at the Crab & Fin, where the food is excellent and the service is great. Before heading home, we swung by the nearby Lido Beach where the waves looked inviting but I'd left my suit at home.


Lido Beach

Ride on the Dolphin Racer

Captain Dennis and Brittany on the Dolphin Racer

I love fast boats, and I was looking forward to a little speed on the Dolphin Racer. Although we knew the bow would probably not give the best visuals of the promised dolphins, we sat there anyway and the views of Boca Ciega Bay, the Gulf and Tampa Bay were spectacular on this perfect Florida afternoon. This video is pretty good and so are these TripAdvisor shots.

Captain Dennis and the very articulate and personable
marine biologist Brittany were in charge. Captain Dennis' humor is a little tedious but the two do a good job of making sure visitors see dolphins and learn something about this lovely area.

We took a ride on the Magic a few years ago

The boat wasn't full so we had a lot of room in the bow to move around and enjoy our surroundings. Not wanting to get anything wet in the bow, I brought only my little Samsung camera, but I needn't have worried. The "high speed ride" couldn't have been at more than 50 mph and I didn't even get a splash as we moved through the calm waters of the bay. I did not need my little Minnesota Vikings windbreaker on this 80F day.

So enjoyable to see not only familiar Boca Ciega but also the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. Familiar landmarks look different from the water and it's fun to see boats and sailboats up close. We watched pelicans, osprey and cormorants fishing in Tampa Bay, with great success.

The ride was longer than expected, because I guess we didn't see as many dolphins as usual. Both Captain Dennis and Brittany visited with each group during the ride, and Bob cynically commented quietly to me that the personal touch might improve tips. Nevertheless, the personal touch was appreciated and I enjoyed myself very much. Another great afternoon!

Rainy Day

Gulf pier at Fort De Soto Park

The promised rain ("one and a half inches an hour") came in spurts until early afternoon, but it certainly didn't seem measurable to me. Each little shower refreshed the air briefly but then steam began to rise from the ground -- above 80F, like all but two days this month. We decided the weather was good enough to spend a couple of hours at Fort De Soto Park.

The second gull took longer to leave

The park has great capacity and the parking lots are often full, but not today. The park was as close to empty as I've ever seen it in the five years we've been coming here. Maybe that's why I enjoyed our visit more than ever before, even though most of the migrating birds seem to have left the area. There were lots of resident osprey, herons and shorebirds, along with the ever present laughing gulls. Bob had the nerve to compete with the gulls for a picnic table and, to my surprise, he won.




A windy day at Fort De Soto Park

For the first time, we accidentally ended up at the second fishing pier, where the fishing seemed to be great, especially for a large dolphin methodically swimming along the full length of the pier, back and forth. Schools of small fish moved in dark blobs from one location to another in the water. Bob asked a couple to take our picture: we look a little weathered but happy, which we were.

We had a shared salmon dinner at the end of happy hour at our "go to" restaurant in Pass-a-Grille, Sea Critters Cafe. Bob enjoyed the sides of black beans and rice, and swiss chard as much as I did . We ended the day on the Boca Ciega facing dock, where the sunset was reflected in the eastern sky.

Last of the sunlight reflected in the building across Boca Ciega Bay

Afternoon at the Museum

Monet to Matisse exhibit

After a little too much sun on Saturday, we spent a few hours indoors the next day at the Museum of Fine Arts. I'd wanted to see the Monet to Matisse exhibition, and I thought Bob would enjoy some of the places we'd visited in Normandy portrayed on canvas. We went right to the exhibition that featured paintings of the Atlantic coast and the Côte d'Azur. I liked it, but I would have preferred to see more Monet and Matisse, since I had the impression (based on nothing) that the exhibit would be heavily weighted in favor of those two painters.
I really did enjoy the adjacent exhibit Life's a Beach, photographs by Martin Paar. The photographs are printed poster size, some brighter than life. Others though recent, had a retro look, and a few were almost shocking. One large poster showed largish women in old, undersized suits sitting on a rock at some beach in Slovenia, so awful I really wondered if the subjects had signed a release authorizing publication of the picture. I loved the photos and thought that I've taken so many water pictures myself that I could put together a little online collection. Something to think about.



Sculpture Museum, Museum of Fine Arts

We walked through the rest of the museum, looking briefly at some items in a wide variety of collections, from many periods and cultures. Way too many periods, but fine for those looking for a kind of art history "sampler". We appreciated a little break in the lovely sculpture garden that made me think of a long ago visit to the Cloisters in Manhattan. The little courtyard is a cool and comfortable space in the middle of downtown St. Petersburg.

As always, I visited the museum store but thought the inventory was limited and poorly selected. The $25 Monet to Matisse book was lovely but more than I wanted to spend for a souvenir. Some of the local crafts were way beyond my budget and I wasn't interested in mugs or other souvenirs made in China. The little store could be so much more!

We had a bite to eat at our "go to" restaurant, Parkshore Grill. The Guinness and Corona were refreshing and our appetizer, Sonoma Goat Cheese Spinach Dip Roasted Red Peppers, Olive Crostini, was delicious. When I balked at the "olive crostini", the server graciously offered plain ones for me. Against my better judgment, I did try one of the little toast rectangles with a small dried olive, and was surprised that it was almost OK. Perhaps my aversion to olives will end some day ... but not yet!

Spring Break at the Beach

Pass-a-Grille beach on a sunny March Saturday

I love to swim, and I have my favorite swimming areas, all over North America. Some of them are northern lakes, like the Lake Temiscaming of my childhood or the lovely, cold Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota. I love ocean beaches like New River Beach in New Brunswick or Cocoa Beach in Florida. I'm never really happy on a boat ride unless I can swim ... that's just the way I am.

However, there's no swimming hole I like better than a good pool, like the one we have in our condo complex in St. Pete Beach. We hadn't been swimming in the Gulf of Mexico yet this year, so we decided to go early yesterday morning and enjoy a beautiful stretch of beach in Pass-a-Grille, named in the Florida Top Ten on this list and many others.

We've learned from previous beach junkets so we went the minimalist route. My only "extra" was my Samsung point-and-shoot camera; it's older now and all the pictures on it were backed up, so I wasn't worried. We locked up our phones and brought only chairs, towels, and sunscreen.

We arrived shortly after 10:30 a.m. so we got good parking and a nice spot to sit. The most fun was watching families with young children and young spring breakers parading up and down the beach.

What's not to like about spring break?

I was in an out of the cool, refreshing gulf water several times. The sun was very bright so I wore my sunglasses and restricted my swimming, but that was OK because only the serious distance swimmers out beyond the buoys were really getting any exercise in. The waves were gentle and soothing. Bob swam too, and his new knee was stable and strong.

The people watching may have been just a bit too interesting. We stayed for four hours, and Bob got a sunburn on his neck and chest. I've had far too many sunburns in my life, so I was well covered when I was out of the water, though my face is a little red today.

The day was windy and we were covered with sand and salt when we left the beach. I threw everything in our convenient washer and we were soon enjoying a cold vodka tonic on the shady deck.

Walsingham Park

Testing new fishing lures

I didn't need a new park but I wasn't averse to visiting something new. Today we went to Walsingham Park, a venue that may have promised more that it could deliver.


Kayakers are welcomed to Shark Tales

I desperately searched for the bluejay I could hear, to no avail. I did get a few shots of waterfowl, but not nearly as many as I had expected. Our most interesting encounter was with a guy testing fishing lures for the Three Legends. He and a companion were working with lures that glowed and beeped, with what seemed to be limited success. They will be in Minnesota sometime this summer, so I'm looking forward to watching out for good old boys in a Winnebago, pitching fishing accessories.

Not as enjoyable as many of the beautiful parks we've visited in this area, but the sun shone brightly and the day was glorious. We stopped at Shark Tales fka Sloppy Pelican for lunch and a beer. We ate at the bar, full of regulars, and enjoyed watching two spring breaker girls in kayaks get up on the dock. They were greeted with great enthusiasm by the mostly male patrons at the bar.

Wisconsin Neighbors

Last year, we made friends with visitors from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and I'd been looking forward to seeing them again. Carol and Joe are here for a month with niece Mary and her husband, John, who arrived a week ago. Carol and Mary are in my general age range, very gregarious and fun. They spend most of the day by the pool and are so outgoing and friendly that they're known and liked by everyone.

Yesterday, Mary cooked ribs that she'd browned and prepared them the night before and put them in the oven at 275 in the afternoon, with occasional temperature adjustments. The smell from our balcony, right next to hers, was wonderful, and I'm kicking myself for not trying the two ribs they had left over after dinner. We'd just eaten ourselves and weren't hungry, but my stomach feels a little empty this morning, yet another Friday in Lent,  and now I wish I'd had a taste.

I enjoyed talking on the balcony last night -- a kind of "balconville" experience. The wine was flowing and the company was good.

Starlite Sapphire on Boca Ciega Bay

Waiting for the StarLite Sapphire

We wanted to be out on the water yesterday so we decided to try one of the meal cruises we've seen go past in the middle of the bay. One of the StarLite Cruises seemed to fit the bill.

The lunch cruise was available and I had a 20% coupon code. While the online reservation form was a little clunky and my own Internet connection is sometimes erratic during times of high activity, I got the job done and wondered what we would get for a total of about $35. Turns out we got an enjoyable boat ride of nearly two hours.

A good day for sailing

We arrived at the dock a little early, got our boarding passes and waited outside on the deck until we boarded promptly at 11:30 for a 12 noon departure. Unlike most of our fellow passengers, we had opted for a "sightseeing only" cruise and were directed past the pleasant dining room to the upper deck, with a bar and comfortable booth seating. I opted to got outside on the deck, where seating was not very comfortable, but I don't like taking pictures through glass if I can avoid it.

The shore looked very different from the water, but we've been here often so we know most of the landmarks, including our own pinkish building. I spent most of my time on that upper deck, where I couldn't hear the captain's narration -- but that's often a good thing -- though I did miss a couple of dolphin sightings.



PJ's Oyster Bar - retro and cool

The boat turned around at Land's End at the tip of Pass-a-Grille. Bob and I were down below in the bow for much of the return journey, where the views were beautiful and the wind blew in our hair. Other passengers told us the food was good and very reasonably priced.

We finished the afternoon with appetizers and a beverage at PJ's Oyster Bar, advertised in the St. John Vianney church bulletin. The bacon-wrapped scallops and home-made onion rings were delicious.

Saint Patrick's Day 2015

St. Patrick's Day festivities are behind the tinsel screen

We've often been in Florida on March 17, but it still feels odd to try to keep a beer cold in the hot sun. I don't celebrate much, partly because I've usually had to work the next day and I've never been able to go out on what I still think of as  "school nights". Of course, there have been a few exceptions, including an evening of far too many Irish coffees at the Ritz Carlton in Montreal, way back in the early 70s. The terrible hangover was a warning that some of us should stick to tamer beverages, drunk in moderation, even on a day of crazy excess like St. Patrick's Day in North America.




St. Patrick's Day afternoon in Gulfport

Bob likes to have corned beef and cabbage, as he did for many years with his brother-in-law Larry Longley. A group of the guys used to go out together for the parade in downtown St. Paul and do a kind of pub crawl, which included corned beef sometime in the evening. When Larry moved to New Mexico, I became the "next best" parade companion, so I'd take the afternoon off but our pub crawling was limited. I started making the corned beef and cabbage myself. Times change.

Yesterday we drove across Boca Ciega Bay to Gulfport for lunch, where the bay area was crowded but not raucous. Here in Florida, people prefer outdoor tables so we easily got a table indoors at O'Maddy's. Since we spend most of our day outdoors, I enjoy the cool break from the sun. We split a meal of corned beef and cabbage, and I was surprised that it was so tasty. The green Bud for Bob was an unpleasant surprise, but my Guinness was refreshing and good.


Peeps for the day

The people in the tent outdoors were mostly retirees out for a quiet afternoon, dressed in the paraphernalia of the day. They didn't seem to are that most of the music wasn't Irish at all, though it was live and not too bad. It was pleasant to have room to circulate and a place to sit down in the tent or on the benches outside, facing the bay. We topped off our afternoon with a beer at Woody's, where we had spent a rainy St. Patrick's Day last year.

Bob's afternoon wound down on the deck with a cigar. The pool was too much for me to resist, especially as the sun moved to the other side of the building and the sunbathers left the area.

A Real Frog Pond

Frogs in a pond

A hungry mallard

When we stayed at TradeWinds five years ago, I could hear the bullfrogs at night and in the early morning. I looked for them in the frog pond, but all I could see were a few well-fed koi lounging lazily at the bottom of the pond.

This year, I’ve seen mallards and several frogs, including a big three-eyed guy that hasn’t missed too many treats in his lifetime. Today’s frogs were just hanging out, floating in the cool water near some large lily pads. I suppose the weight of one of them would sink a lily pad, so it’s just as well they seemed to be using the large leaves for shade and camouflage.

Some girls came by with the fish food that’s sold in vending machines, but neither the frogs nor the koi had any interest. A bout ten minutes after the girls left, a small mallard female landed in the pond and systemically made the circle, scarfing up every food pellet.

The frogs paid no attention to the mallard, and after she was sure the pond was thoroughly worked over, she flew away.

A Long Way from Temiscaming

Les girls: Eliane (Mainville) Lamarche, Lise Lefebvre Campbell (seated); Linda O'Rourke, Rita (Charron) Johnson, Catherine Hennessey (Cathy Ryan)

I left my home town of Temiscaming 48 years ago, a month or so after my 17th birthday. I never expected to return and, in fact, after a couple of years, I was only an occasional visitor. I certainly didn't imagine that I would be in touch with anyone from high school a half century down the road.

Time passed and I still wrote to one or two friends of my parents, but after my mother died in 1997, I lost touch with them too. And then Facebook changed everything.

Thanks to my longtime Montreal friend Kathe Lieber, I reluctantly joined Facebook, in 2008, I think. I soon reconnected with friends from my 18 years in Montreal. Nor long after, I idly Googled "Temiscaming" and found a Temiscaming Facebook page. People I'd known as a teenager posted to that site, and after a while many of us "friended" one another.

One thing led to another and I found myself wanting "more" than Facebook "likes" and comments. I attended my first Temiscaming reunion in Gatineau in 2013 and went back the following year. Not only did I renew my friendship with several former acquaintances, but I made new friends too. I blogged about this emotional experience and took some pictures, in both 2013 and 2014.

Two years ago, Beatrice P. and her husband came to visit us here in St. Pete Beach, and last week classmate Linda O. and I had lunch in Gulfport. Today, five of us "girls" (we're still girls in my mind!) met for lunch at Bubba Gump's, John's Pass.  It was a joyful event, and our husbands seemed to enjoy themselves too.

We were a long way from our small hometown, but we chatted as though we were still kids at the Boulevard, the waterfront, the arena, the ski hill, or De La Salle. Technology is a wonderful thing.

Afternoon at the Fishing Pier

Crossing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge

I always look forward to crossing the Skyway Sunshine Bridge and our annual visit to the fishing pier on the other side. It's a state park that attracts both sightseers and others who simply want to spend some time fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Heavy wind warnings made me a little apprehensive, but in fact, wind on the bridge was less strong than we've experienced in the past, probably because there was no crosswind. I love the height and the feeling that we're flying into the clouds through gates of gold.



A great cast!

End of the pier

The pier was full but not crowded. In the past, I've had the sense that many people were fishing out of necessity, not for recreation. Not so this year: I was happy to see a cheerful, polyglot crowd simply out enjoying a warm day on Tampa Bay. At the end of the pier, salsa music was blaring but it seemed "right" and I felt like dancing.

It was very windy on the pier and but the heavy, well balanced pelicans are unbothered by a gulf breezes. Other birds were less numerous. No dolphins at all, and only a few boats in the bay.

Osprey Neighbors

 









Osprey in flight over Boca Ciega Bay

I couldn't believe our good fortune when I realized that the active bird circling our little bay was an osprey. I was even more thrilled when a second bird appeared and the two appeared to be nesting in a tall tree across and a little east of our balcony. I've been trying to determine the status of the nest, which is hidden by the leaves of the tree, even on the street side.

The birds still seem to be exhibiting signs of their mating ritual, though the male's "courtship dance" hasn't been as spectacular as this article promises.  While I'm hopeful that we may see chicks before we leave, that seems improbable since the birds may not have mated yet.


Courtship dance or just landing gracefully?

 




The male's job is to provide fish for the female and the chicks in the nest, a task that can require a 6-8 fish daily catch. One of the birds flies regularly over to the Gulf of Mexico across the street, presumably to fish. Both osprey also seem to fish right here in Boca Ciega Bay. I saw one of them with a fairly large fish one day, but I wasn't quick enough with my camera to capture a shot.






Osprey staring down a crow

Yesterday evening an aggressive crow seemed to be threatening the nest. One of the osprey looked prepared to engage in battle, and the crow didn't back down. In fact, it chased the osprey like a bird of prey and stationed itself on a utility pole not far from the ospreys' tree. Both "my" birds plunked themselves on the tree above their nest, eyes on the crow. I wondered if there were perhaps eggs in the nest after all. Two years ago we saw crows methodically steal a full nest of eggs from mourning doves, and I'd hate to witness
my little osprey devoured as a treat for crows.

Exciting times on Boca Ciega Bay.

Manatee Games

Hosing the manatee at the fishing dock

Bob called me to the balcony early yesterday afternoon to see a guy hosing a manatee beside the fishing dock. I grabbed my camera and got a few zoomed shots, but mostly I just wanted to watch.


Enjoying a drink of fresh water

The manatee was on its back, flippers skyward. It rolled over to get the other side done, head to toe. Then back over for a good hosing to the head, mouth open for a drink. We, and a growing audience at the dock, were riveted. The manatee and the guy with the hose had a friendly bond that was as magical as the playful ritual they were enacting.


Finally the hosing ended and the audience dispersed, but the manatee returned to the dock after snacking a little on the grasses near the shore. Out came the hose. I decided to go down to the dock and see for myself. The hoser said the manatee loves fresh water, but doesn't usually stay for as long as it did yesterday. I wasn't sure whether he always hoses the same manatee, but it seemed so to me.

Simple play; total magic.



Bliss

Frog Pond Breakfast

We had breakfast at the Frog Pond last year, after Ash Wednesday mass. It was very crowded that morning but a couple of guys invited us to share their table, and we enjoyed a very pleasant meal. Much too large, though, and I felt somewhat reluctant to return

The name is vaguely nauseating to me. I know what a frog pond is and I can see it in the spring, full of frogs' eggs, smelling like a dirty aquarium. ]

I overcame my reluctance and we went back yesterday. We got in right away this time and Bob found a breakfast special toward the bottom of the menu.: $7.45 for two eggs, toast, choice of meat (we both had sausage), choice of many sides (tomatoes for me, home fries for Bob -- which he shared), juice, coffee. Service was quick and friendly.  Plenty of food, but not one of the giant plates perfect for a teenage boy or construction worker.

The frog pictures and wall decorations are cheery and original. We'll go back.

Mini Reunion

Cath and Linda

My high school classmate Linda O. messaged me the other day about getting together sometime while we're in Florida. She and her husband have a winter home in St. Petersburg and we arranged to meet for lunch today at O'Maddy's.

It was a hot day and I was happy that I got our names in with the hostess fairly early, because the wait was 30 minutes. Our table was half in the sun but the breeze off the water cooled us a little as we visited and had our meal.

Dolphin in Gulfport

After lunch we walked on the pier and talked. Linda and I moved in different circles 50 years ago but we've talked at our annual Temiscaming reunion in Gatineau, so any catch-up has already been done and I really enjoyed our conversation. Linda's husband G. is very pleasant and affable, and the four of us had a very companionable afternoon.

Several playful dolphins around the pier helped make this a memorable day.

Walk on the Beach

Beach activity on a sunny March afternoon

A nice walk on the beach -- sounds like a great idea, and it is, especially at sunrise or sunset, when the birds are active and the seascape belongs to its non-human inhabitants. The same walk may not be so enjoyable at high noon, when the heat of the day is oppressive and the sun broils the skin and burns the eyes.

We couldn't decide what to do today so we went over to the beach at about noon. We're just across Gulf Boulevard from Tradewinds, where our resort has arranged for facilities use by its residents, so I packed my beach bag with my swimsuit, just in case we decided on one of the Tradewinds pools rather than the beach beyond the property.

I didn't want to carry one of our heavy beach chairs, so I had nowhere to sit on the beach. I walked north for awhile, while Bob baked in the burning sun. Fortunately, the gulf waters were cool on my feet, even though the cracked shells made for an uncomfortable walk. I held my camera in the air because high tide was approaching, remembering a camera I ruined many years ago in Monterey when I was drenched by rising tides.



Parasail rides are popular on the beach


I felt hot, uncomfortable , and stupid too. Nowhere to change into my suit, without walking several hundred yards to a hotel changing room. So I stood in the stand, chairless, and sweated, while Bob broiled in his black mesh chair.

It was fun to watch the families and spring breakers, enjoying the sand and water, but I was glad to leave the beach after 90 minutes or so. There's something to be said for shade and air conditioning.

Pickleball on the Tennis Court

I had never heard of pickleball before last week, when a woman at the pool was lamenting the fact that she's missed a pickleball clinic that day. She explained the game in too much detail for my level of interest, but I was happy for that information when I saw a threesome playing on the tennis court yesterday afternoon.

It's a hybrid of tennis, badminton and ping pong played with a paddle and plastic ball. The threesome playing (one on two) seemed to be having a great time, with just enough exertion to make the game something of a workout. I suppose a game is as demanding as the players make it. It looks like a lot of fun.

Pinellas County Botanical Gardens

Blooms a very large

This morning was a shock. I felt cold during the night and woke up to temps around 55F. I've rarely worn long pants in Florida but did so today. It seemed like a good day to hit spend outdoors, since indoor activities would probably be crowded.

We settled on Pinellas County Botanical Gardens in Largo. The GPS got us there in about 30 minutes and we soon realized that we'd be overdressed with our jackets, as the afternoon was warming up. The grounds are peaceful and beautifully maintained, so that that sense of "jungle" that I often have in Florida was minimized. I like to see what's over my head and underfoot too.

One of the many mosaics on the grounds

Our visit was more of an overview than in-depth exploration, but fine for a first time. We didn't see as many birds as I'd hoped, but I felt very happy, almost serene. It was fun to see two women preparing for a wedding in the outdoor setting. I laughed a little to see that the bride's dressing room was tucked into a small room in the same building as the restrooms.


We did a quick visit of the Heritage Village but by this time I'd had enough and couldn't get my mind into the early 20th century. Bob, on the other hand, was much happier here with old buildings, tools, machinery, vehicles and artifacts. Something for everyone today!

We had a late lunch at Leverock's and I hit the pool when we got home. Not surprisingly, it was empty and even Bob declined a swim this evening. It was a great day.

Florida pics.



Vivid color throughout the grounds