Catching up.........

It's been a whirlwind of friends, family and days filled with appointments and many trips along the highways of Florida.      It was a great week but wish I could have spaced the highlights out just a bit to savor more slowly.      

My sister Sandy knows of my love of the tropical flowers from Costa Rica and gifted me these from Hawaii.....they are magnificent (despite my feeble attempt at arranging) and I'm hoping they have a long life.     Later that day, my first and favorite husband, carted me off to the beautiful Gaylord Palms hotel in Orlando.   We spent an anniversary there a few years ago and looked forward to returning.   This was the view from our 8th floor balcony.

There are several restaurants in the atrium, this one of a fishing camp  in the Everglades, complete with live alligators and  a Steak house.  

We had a bit of the bubbly before dinner.............

And then there was THE GIFT....  My wonderful family, (and yes, they were wonderful even before the gift ) totally surprised me with a beautiful sparkly bauble......I love it and will share in another post when I get a good pic.    But the box was equally pretty !!

We hurried home the next day to welcome the Connecticut crowd back from their Disney Cruise.    We had a wealth of grandma's around as Rae joined them on the Cruise.....I have NO pics of any of it....I am really getting lazy with the camera these days.    As usual, when this particular tribe comes to visit, the weather turns ugly and cold.    But they had great days on the ship so all was not lost.  

And now , we look forward to Jeff and Jennifer returning for some sunny golf  and to escape  their rainy weather in Washington.     Isn't this a lovely pic of Jen.    She is wearing the mink belonging to  Aunt Romayne.   I did not know what to do with this beautiful coat and even though it fit me just fine, I didn't see any time when it would be appropriate for me to wear.......altho it would be very warm  sitting around our  campfire on a chilly eve somewhere.  !!    Anyway, Jennifer took it home with her in Dec and found a recent occasion to wear it......isn't this just perfect?    Romayne would be pleased.    

On another note, and a final one as this is getting much too long........... we are gearing up for our summer travels.     We are heading back to our favorite stomping grounds in Colorado and the western states.     Many years ago, when we lived in Golden, we explored the mountain 4X4 trails.   It is exhilarating and occasionally terrifying but oh so beautiful.    To go off above tree line and view the world in all it's glory is truly a privilege.    As we plan our travels, we felt that we really wanted to return to those places we remember and the only way to do that is in a proper mode .....  not wanting to hike it or ride a donkey, we went shopping and came home yesterday with a Jeep .  !!    They have made them much more passenger friendly but still a challenge to just get into  without a ladder.   

Yes, it matches the MH with it's "rugged brown pearl " color and we can't wait to 

climb those mountains...................

A MILESTONE

So,  today I changed the blog header.......Ten years ago, I spent the day dissolved in misery at the thought of growing older and reaching a major milestone.    I dreaded the next major birthday and altho the thought of turning 60 was daunting, I could not imagine what 70 would be like.  
The last 10 years brought unimaginable changes in our lives........a life changing traumatic event, leaving the working world behind, moving to a RETIREMENT Community...... All were unexpected and unplanned.    And they all turned out just fine and we have a full and healthy life, filled with special friends and new adventures.     We have each other and this is our 50th year of marriage and our 55th year of being together.    We feel relatively " current " in the changing world and we are active and healthy and vibrant and involved.    We probably look our age with wrinkles and sags and joints that sometimes creak and complain.  We are truly blessed with the most wonderful family.....from our 3 talented and successful sons, to their accomplished wives and wonderful mothers to our almost perfect, attractive and smart grand kids  (they really are all of that! ).....            
We don't know what the next decade will  bring but I'm sure  it will offer challenging and exciting  adventures that we can't imagine......  We go forth with anticipation ..... Life is good and we growYOUNGER EVERY DAY......

I miss Spring.......

Well, I don't miss the schizophrenic weather changes and the serious showers of pollen and the over-zealous gnats and the cleaning  of the yard ...........but I miss the forsythia and the crocus and the sunny daffodils and especially the dogwood.    And the search for pussywillow down by the lake and the first robin.  

 

So, it was a pleasant surprise to find spring in South Carolina.     And there was pollen everywhere and daffodils and azaleas and forsythia and the smell of spring.
I found a dogwood tree at the Freightliner campground and used the trusty iPhone to capture the color.  

We are home.................... and looking forward to favorite people coming to visit.    

Checking in with family........

Altho we are on the road, life is not that exciting for blog reading with one  exception.    We left the bugs behind and headed for the hills.    We are somewhere in SC, near Gaffney which is near Spartanburg and Greenville.     The coach is getting a few maintainance items done and we toured the Freightliner factory and saw all kinds of chassis being assembled amidst the extreme noise....and NO ONE was wearing ear protection....it was deafening and not very exciting from my viewpoint but the other half seemed to soak it all up.    P is attending 2 days of Freightliner camp to learn all about the chassis.....he said there are  4 women in attendance but I talked to other women who have gone and they said it was totally incomprehensible and sleep inducing.     

Fortunately, we had other things to interest us as P's cousins live in Greenville.    We had met Linda and Kathy many many years ago so it was time to catch up.    What a wonderful time we had, laughing and sharing and reminiscing.    AND, their dear mother, Aunt Dorothy is such a gracious, lovely lady with an amazing memory.    When asked recently, by a child, how old she was, she said "Can you subtract 2 from 100 ??    It was a privilege to spend time with her.   She reminds us so much of my mother and Aunt Romayne.   That generation had a special gift for keeping in touch with letters and phone calls that puts the rest of us to shame.      

 Myself, Linda, Paul and Kathy after catching up over Chinese food and promises to stay in touch.




Otherwise, the trip has been pretty devoid of blog-worthy chatter.    Here's the pic of the oaks I had to delete

And this is the expansive and interesting bridge over some channel in Brunswick, Ga.  
We head towards home on Saturday, taking two days for the trip.  
Thanks to those who offered suggestions re: the blog.   I haven't had time to do much and I may just consider starting a new blog so see if that will help but just the thought of all that makes me tired so I'll have to procrastinate a bit more.................Plus, I'm going to have to change the blog header shortly and that might just ruin my week completely.

Exploring Georgia

We are on the road again.....this time just 3.5 hours away in Brunswick, Georgia at the Coastal Georgia RV Resort.    It is a very very nice campground with spacious well landscaped sites and spotless facilities.    We'd give it a "10" on any scale except it has little black bugs....sort of like gnats that get in your face and in your motorhome thru the screens.   They do bite and we spray liberally before heading out but they still are a fog around the head and eyes.   It really makes being outside very unpleasant.   We are here for a Tiffin rally.   Tiffin makes our coach and there is a forum for members to share info and tidbits on everything.    This is a semi-annual gathering and there are about 70+ coaches very similar to ours .     It looks like a dealer lot !!    Paul's enjoying putting faces with the names on the forum.      Events are planned and every evening there are meals, both potluck and provided in the open air pavilion by the lake.    We'll, we sit, we eat, and we leave.    It really is unfortunate that it is so miserable being outside  as it would be lovely to meet other people.  

Before we left home, I finally accomplished one of my goals to meet a fellow blogger who winters near us.    You'd think that arranging a meeting of two retired nice women would be easy....not !    Anyhow, as I was going off to meet her, Paul was questioning my judgement in meeting a perfect stranger.....I told him we were meeting at Panera's but he still asked for a text when I left.      So here's the picture 

 of the serial killer that I met.  !!    This is Robbie and if you follow the link, you will see that she is sitting on an elephant....in Florida.     Anyhow, she is very creative and talented and we felt like old friends.    I'm hoping that some of her energy will rub off on me.      She was kind enough to take a boat- load of beads off my hands and out of my closet.    I have had them for years, beautiful and shiny, with thoughts that I would eventually do something with them........but now, it is time to start decluttering and make room for new 'stuff''.       She was able to sort thru them and regift a bunch to other friends.   Plus, she made a little 'snap bag' for my purse to carry "important things".....she is a master at free motion quilting ..... I'm so pleased.    AND, I now have a golf bag charm for my phone.....Thanks so much Robbie for the unique gifts, for helping me out with the beads, for being such a delight to meet and for NOT being a serial killer.  

 Between raindrops down here in coastal Georgia, we did a bit of exploring on St Simon's Island.

The oaks are magnificent and many of the island roads are framed by them.    We'll go back for more on the weekend when the sun shines again.  (I had to remove the picture of the oaks as the wifi here is pretty weak and unpredictable and it finally posted when I took out the pic )

I'm putting out a HELP request to fellow bloggers.    When I first started the blog, I thought I made it so people could sign up to be notified when I post a new entry.    Apparently, that never happened and over the past few months, I have had some requests to do the necessary corrections so they can put it on their readers or subscribe to posts.    I went on dashboard but couldn't figure out how to do it......so, if one of you out there on blogger could give me DETAILED instructions, I would be appreciative.

Shivering Spring Breakers

You'd think that a visit to Florida the last week of March would guarantee beautiful beach weather......but not this year.   It has been so cold this week for Lizzie  ( left )and her friend Jenna on the right.     Freeze warnings every morning and windy, cool , sweatshirt weather during the sunny days.    Key West is cold as well.    The girls seem unfazed by it all considering they left Colorado with a foot of snow on the ground.    

They are old enough to avoid a chaperone in the theme parks.    So we dropped them off at Universal on Tuesday where the avid Harry Potter fans lived out their fantasy.    Then on Thursday, they will spend a long day at Disney World.     

On Wednesday, we headed to Homosassa State Wildlife Park.   I've written about this well run park before.   I think it is a must-see for manatee viewing and native birds and animals.    

The manatees were out and about and altho they don't DO anything, the large blobs are obvious in the crystal clear spring water maintained at a constant 72 degrees.   Manatees cannot tolerate cold water so they congregate near Florida springs.   

 This park was once a wildlife tourist attraction.   The State took it over and moved all of the non-native species out .....except for Lu, the hippo who has lived there since 1964.   He is a popular attraction but there

 are practical warnings around his enclosure.......and that isn't water they are warning about.  !!

The birds are plentiful and this is another anhinga.   I learned that they have no oil in their feathers so after they dive underwater for their food, they need to dry their wings.  

Alligators were popular attractions and to me, they all look stuffed since they rarely move......even in the water but that is their predatory nature.   

For the artist readers of my ramblings, you might be interested in an online class I'm taking called Watercolor Lettering  from Val Webb.   She's very good and came highly recommended.    So far I'm keeping up with the lessons despite working on the tree frogs, traveling, company and assorted lazy periods.  
I follow a few blogs and enjoy one in particular of an artist with a very quirky sense of humor.    She recently bought a Mini Cooper car....................and named it Alice !!     Think about it.............

Among the wild things.....

   After 2 weeks,  900+ miles, 4 campgrounds and assorted bug bites,  we are back at the homestead.   We explored parts of the state that we had never been to and reaffirmed that we like Sanibel Island the best of all..........unless we happened to come across about 20 million, then we would consider Jupiter Island our favorite....as long as Tiger was my neighbor.   

Altho I didn't get a pic of the Class of 61 reunion, I did manage to capture 3 of the 4 alums the next evening on the beach in Naples.    It was a tad chilly but we stuck it out to see the sunset with Mark and Annette.   (She took the pic so just imagine someone MUCH younger than this trio )  

 We came across many birds on this trip.   Maybe because we were in State Parks with preserves and the campground in Sanibel with an aviary.    Florida has beautiful state campgrounds with outstanding facilities and programs.     We certainly didn't take advantage of all they offered but wouldn't hesitate to go back and explore some more.

 I liked this view of the Blue Heron with the leaf pattern .....

 We saw the skyscraper Osprey nests everywhere.    This one was in a preserve and is a manmade tower but they build their huge nests in the highest trees as well.   And one guide suggested that if we need shelter in a hurricane, we might consider a nest as none of the osprey nests in that area were destroyed in the last storm.

 One day, on Sanibel, this anhinga came to visit our campsite and showed off his plumage and his turquoise eyes.    In the same pond were many ducks in  their varied colors.  

 And another Blue Heron.

 This was our beach on Bahia Honda Key.   That's the real color.    The palm is an endangered silver palm.   The water was 74 and chilly but the kids didn't seem to mind.    You can see the layers of sea grass that wash up and provide good hunting for the birds.

 We did go into Key West for another few hours one afternoon.   Again it was filled with the college crowd on Break.......they seemed pretty clean cut and well behaved and sunburned.   The senior population was also very well represented .... not as attractive however.
And so, we moved up the coast to Jonathan Dickinson SP, near Jupiter on the east coast.    This park is located next to the Loxahatchee River  and the opposite of Bahia Honda.   No tropical plants and flowers here.    Very scrubby coarse landscape with no trees in the CG.   But again, facilities are excellent and spacing is generous.      We took a guided boat trip on the river.    We chose the early morning trip hoping the wildlife would be more active and we were rewarded with some good viewing.

 This alligator was much too relaxed.    I have pictures of herons, osprey, turtles and more turtles,  and even more alligators.   The manatees were plentiful but the water is dark and murky and it is hard to capture them.  

We came across this very large gator, the guide estimated over 10 feet and as I pressed the shutter, a fish jumped right in front of it.    It's not a great pic but it sure was a surprise when I looked at the image.    I'll put this one up with the eagle with the prey in his claws from last summer.......maybe now, National Geographic will call................And, just had to share this find.     I love Merrill shoes and have been looking for a pair of slip-on types to replace a very old pair. In Key West, I wandered into a cluttered shoe store and found these Merrills.   They are part of the Barefoot selection.   They are a soft sueded leather with quite thin soles.   If I said that you could feel the surface of the floor/ground, you probably would think that wouldn't be comfortable.    I am barefoot most of the time and these are very similar (hence the name ! ).....  I've worn them every day since and they are perfect.    I bought them in black with tan sole and will definitely go back for another color.    The young man said they are washable in the dishwasher ???    

And so, we're off the highway for a week or so and looking forward to having Lizzie and her friend join us on their Spring Break.

Beach life

We are in Bahia Honda State Park on the Keys.  About 45 min from Key West.   We have no Internet so I am using the data plan on the iPad mini and Blogger does not work very well....thus no pics and just one- fingered typing. ( left the keyboard at home).    
We gathered for a mini- Class of 61 HS reunion in Naples.    AND I didn't get a single picture !!    So just imagine 3 couples who are still very young in spirit and look pretty darn good.    Naples is where the money is and the winter crowds.  Went to Costco and it had the best dressed shoppers and top of the line cars to take those 24 rolls of TP home.  
All of Florida's State Parks are very well done....or at least the few we've been to.  But the ones on the beach are very hard to get into " during the season".  Paul made reservations 11 months ago.  And then it's like getting a seat on Southwest.......you have to press send at exactly the right time to get a spot.  The alternative is private campgrounds where they pack them in like sardines and charge a fortune.  
Bahia has nice private sites, you can walk to the beach (best beach in US in 1992 the sign says) and trails for exploring.     We spent a few hours on the beach.   No shells, little surf but beautiful white , soft sand.  And not very busy.  
We did go to KW.    VERY busy with a cruise ship in and the young Spring Break crowd.    We did the tour of the Hemingway House and walked all over, has good Mexican food, bought some clothes and came home.   Probably don't need to go back.

We'll  do more exploring, more beach lounging, more reading good books and more drawing of the sea grape leaves (a favorite of mine) and lots of relaxing.        Pictures later.    

Heading south..........

First, I made the chili.....  A large pot of my version that will give us a couple of quick meals on the road and then I will freeze it into meal sized portions for later (I used to use ground turkey but now use the meat substitute which we actually like better and can't tell the difference from ground beef)   Then we packed up the MH.....forgetting assorted odds and ends.    And then we drove for about 5 hours on Saturday.   It's not really that far, about 230 miles but we stopped at rest stops along the way to make sure the CALIPERS were behaving.      And then we drove into Periwinkle Park on Sanibel Island.   It's not the red dot on the map, it's right after the causeway from the mainland.    We are on the west coast of Florida, near Ft Myers.    

 We've been here once before and the area is lovely with wide shell- filled beaches and bike trails that go on and on.    
The campground is very old and has narrow sites but we are next to a pond with ducks and swans and egrets.    There is also an aviary with more exotic birds.    And we can walk or bike to the beach.  

I have pictures in my camera but forgot the transfer cord to the computer so its iPhone pics or nothing.
We'll be here until Tues before we move on down to Naples and then the Keys.    
  
Unfortunately, we have arrived along with the Red Tide.    This is a toxic algae bloom that kills fish and manatees (149 so far this year).    It is also hazardous to humans , causing rashes and severe respiratory issues.   We've been told that it is better this week and there aren't as many dead fish on the beaches.    It fluctuates with the winds and currents.    So, before you make those reservations for this area, check the local news for the latest conditions.  

Good morning.......

We're getting back to the hum drum of daily life so that must mean it's time to get back on our horses soon and get out of Dodge.      We had a couple of trips planned in the MH but I felt the need to stay put for a bit and enjoy what we have in "The Bubble".    We'll head out in about 2 weeks.  
Meanwhile, Andy and Mason came on the coldest weekend of the year but we burned truck loads of $$$$ and had the pool in the 90's and the hot tub at 98 so they swam and played all day.    They are amazing little fish, bobbing and diving and (hopefully) only came  out to pee !!!    

Meanwhile, I am totally inspired by the colorful memories of Costa Rica and I'm honing my shaky skills once again.     I have several great  Red Eyed Tree Frog shots that I hope to capture.  

This is rendered with colored pencil.    I am not comfortable with watercolor so I revert to either graphite or CP.   I like the fiddly details and CP allows me to work it over and over.   The frog is far from complete but I may try another practice pose and then decide which one to do for  real.    I am  enjoying it but finding that my eyes are giving me fits.  
I just ordered a reading/craft light......I researched before deciding on the BlueMax lights and I'll let you know if they are better than the Ott lights as advertised.    If so, I may replace some of the other lighting in the house.     I suspect that cataracts are creeping into my lovely blues and I need to get that checked out.  

I actually played golf the other day....and didn't do so bad after taking about 2 weeks off.    With the knee and traveling and apathy, my game has suffered.   When I'm out there, I feel determined to do some serious work and get back to enjoying my clubs once again.   But I'm basically lazy.  

AND, for those of you wondering how I'm doing on the change in my diet......well.......    it's a sad story.    I had my labs done before we went to CR.    Both the Dr and I anticipated great numbers and the staff thought I looked so healthy and thinner (note....not thin, but thinner ).    So, we came home, I got the results in the mail and there was NO CHANGE.!!    6 months of not eating meat, fish, chicken, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy and NOTHING CHANGED.    I was more than disappointed.   Granted, I did lose weight, I do feel better, I sleep better but I still can't believe that my CHOL is exactly the same.....Now, granted, the numbers aren't so bad but still.........So, that tells me that it's not what I eat, it's who I am......and unless I take statins, (which I won't ), I can't change anything.    So, altho I'm not really eating meat yet or sugar (well, just a bit) and only have had a bit of cheese , I have eased up and I'm a bit more relaxed about the food thing.    And I've gone back to my favorite Starbuck mochas.       That's more info than you wanted this morning so I'm done................

Looking back and ahead......

I am left with memories of the colors of Costa Rica.   It is an impoverished country but they brighten their lives with pastel painted houses and gorgeous tropical flowers.     Despite the abundance and varieties of orchids, I came to like the heliconias the best.    They vary by size and shape and come in colors from a light coral with yellow to a deeper red with orange.   This one I snapped in the lobby of the hotel as we waited for our ride to the airport.   

 I'll never forget the brilliant scarlet macaws.   They are large, noisy, vibrant and curious.  

How can I not like the red eyed tree frog as my favorite jungle creature?    He seems to symbolize Costa Rica and his image is everywhere.   

 The greenery was oversized, magnificent and sculptured.

And, guess who is in the area??    They arrived yesterday at Universal, just in time for the rain but it will a nice respite from the ugliness of the news and coldness of the  snow.   I can't wait to hear about their trip to the Hogwarts Castle today.   

Over but not forgotten...........

 We are home.    It was a memorable 10 days and we are left with privileged experiences and opportunities.........................and one of us is still harboring a respiratory bug but it didn't slow us down one bit.    
Mindy, the artist, has been involved with the Sloth Sanctuary for many many years and includes it on her tours.    Judy, the owner, is originally from Alaska and married a Costa Rican and they bought beautiful land and settled in.    They received a sick and injured sloth and cared for it and thus began a life that now includes over 150 of these delightful creatures.   They receive sloths regularly and try and release as many as possible.   They have tiny babies in incubators to the oldest and original, Buttercup,    

 comfortable in her swinging lounge.   She is 18 years old.    I won't go into sloth details but they are very interesting in their habits and life cycle.    We did see one in the wild on our drive one day.  

The grounds are beautiful and so well cared for with birds and flowers.    Students come from the world to study and they welcome volunteers for short periods but mostly it is maintained by staff and supported by tours and donations.   If you go on a cruise and dock at Limon, CR, this visit is an option and I highly recommend it. 

 Oprah is this little girls name.     She is a different type than Buttercup as you can see by the hair.  

 After we arrived and had a wonderful lunch, we were informed that we were to be filmed as part of a documentary by the Discovery Channel.    Mindy drew and spoke to the camera and us about the details of a sloth and what to notice to make it authentic.   ( I have no intention of drawing one but I learned a lot while she was being filmed.)    We all had our cameras and Nancy instructed us on capturing a particular angle or exposure.  

 I tried to stay out of range as much as possible but with two cameras shooting, it was not easy.    It should be out in about a year.    Look for me, I'm easy to spot with the bad hair.  

 Leaving the Sanctuary, we headed to the coast and passed miles and miles of banana plantations.   They keep them in the blue plastic to protect them.  

 We stayed overnight on the Caribbean Coast in a lovely tropical hotel.    We all said that we would have liked 2 nights there but soon it was off to another rainforest and research center.   Nancy, the photographer, had a lovely butterfly choose her  in the Butterfly house.    
And so, we headed back to San Jose, a farewell dinner and the trip home the next day.   Our group was very interesting, very compatible and I learned so much about the country and the eco systems and how serious Costa Rica is in safeguarding their unique habitats and rich diversity.  
I would go back in a minute............but first I need to get rid of this bug.