December 27, 2012. Montgomery

Upon beginning a tour of the Rosa Parks Museum I was taken back in time to  Montgomery, Alabama in the 1950's, a time when for no other reason than the colour of their skin, black Americans were treated unfairly and often cruelly. Segregation was the law...separate schools, separate water fountains and separate seats on the bus. In fact, Blacks had to sit at the back of the bus and if the bus was full and another person got on, they were expected to give up their seat it that person was white. 

Rosa Parks did something that started a movement to change all of that. Although many history books would have us believe that she refused to give up her seat to a white man because she was tired from a long day at work, such is not the case. She refused to give up her seat because she just couldn't take the injustice any longer. Her subsequent arrest, trial and fine ignited the simmering embers of the Civil Rights Movement and changed the course of history. I bought a t shirt with the inscription,"women who behave rarely make history".

After this very moving experience we headed for the Hank Williams Museum which houses a massive collection of memorabilia. Hank Williams was a country and western singer/songwriter and considered one of the most important country artists of all time. While browsing this enormous collection and hearing Hank's songs playing in the background I realized that most of those songs were familiar. This museum was well worth the price of admission.

On our way to the Civil Rights Memorial and Centre we stopped at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor here and it was from the pulpit of this church that he began his quest for civil rights. Unfortunately the church was closed for the day. Just up the street we could see the steps of the capital building where the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march of 1965 ended.

The Civil Rights Memorial and Centre honors the achievements and memory of those who died during the Civil Rights Movement. Reading the stories of these innocent men, women and children who lost their lives during the period from 

1954 - 1968 brought tears to my eyes. These people were murdered, many of them tortured first, because they were black or because they were white people who supported the Civil Rights Movement. 

Sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, this organization is dedicated to fighting hate and seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. Before entering the Centre you are screened for security. Pockets must be emptied and bags are put through a security scan. This because in 1983 the KKK firebombed the center's office. Outside, the memorial bears the names of 40 people who died fighting for civil rights. Above the memorial are inscribed the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. which were the inspiration for the design of this memorial, ".. we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

All of the above are "must sees" if you visit Montgomery, Alabama.

December 22, 2012. "Drive safe and War Eagle"

War Eagle is a battle cry, yell, or motto of Auburn University and supporters of Auburn University sports teams. War Eagle is a common term of endearment, greeting, or salutation among the Auburn students and fans. It is also the title of the university's fight song.  At the beginning of every football game an eagle flies around the stadium and lands on the Auburn University symbol in centre field.  Although the eagle is very special to Auburn their teams are the Tigers and their mascot is Aubie, the tiger.

Today we went to an exciting Tiger's basketball game. It was more than a game as there was entertainment on the floor during every time out: cheerleaders, dancers and a band. T shirts were thrown into the stands, kids competed for prizes and the smile cam winner got a $50. gas card.

At the end of the game the announcer said, " Drive safe, and War Eagle!"

December 21, 2012. Indian Pines, Petco and Kiesel Park

Wednesday was a warm, sunny day, a perfect day for nine holes at Indian Pines. The rate for nine holes on this well groomed, 18 hole, par 71 course was a mere $11. Even though there were three water hazards on the front 9, I managed to come home with the same ball I teed off with. Now that's a good day of golf.

Petco pet store encourages dog owners to bring their pets shopping with them.   Jackie was very excited when we pulled in and noticed people entering the store with their dogs. Once inside she helped us pick out a chew toy while she visited with several other puppies. One little dog was so excited that she peed on the floor. I am guessing that the pet store staff  is used to cleaning up since the floors were so spotless and shiny that Jackie looked like she was skating as we navigated the aisles.

After the pet store we drove to Kiesel Park, a 128 acre park with over 4 miles of walking trails, a dogs off leash area, as well as numerous picnic spots. Although it was only 12 degrees today, there were lots of flowers in bloom. The sun was bright and the sky was a brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight...a great day for a walk.

December 18, Oil Change and Chewalca Park

Early this morning, well, early for a retiree, I took Westy for a much needed oil change.  It seems like everything is close by here in Auburn, much closer than they appear on maps. At any rate,  after the oil change, a visit with the garage's dog and a homemade peanut butter cookie, courtesy of the garage, I drove the three blocks back home.

We decided to go Chewacla State Park for the afternoon.  Again, although it looked quite far away on the map, in less than ten minutes we were there. The Park attendant was quite taken with Westy and so we invited him aboard for a  tour of the van. He then pointed out some good hikes for us and Jackie (the dog) and so we drove to the top of the park and walked two trails, one to a picturesque waterfall and the other through a wooded area. Needless to say, Jackie was exhausted after our excursion and headed straight for her bed when we returned to the house.

A trip to the car wash and a cup of coffee at the Overalls Cafe in Opalika rounded out the day.

December 15, 2012 Auburn

Although  Auburn is a city, it feels very much  like a small town. With a population of about 50,000 the main employer and the centre of this town is the University.  Auburn University  has over 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty. Almost everyone in town wears the Auburn colours of navy blue and orange.  Auburn  gear is sold in many stores including the drug store and the golf course. The Auburn University emblem is on most license plates and in many rear windows. Support for the university's sports teams is huge, especially for football. The stadium seats 90,000 and I am told that it is filled for every game! In short, Auburn fits the description of a true university town. 

There is lots to do in this town. Yesterday we played golf at one of the many courses nearby and today we  went to the Christmas parade. There were lots of floats and a huge, great sounding marching band. Like the sporting events, it looked like the whole town, wearing Auburn U orange and blue, turned out to watch the 45 minute long parade. The afternoon was spent walking the dog and raking leaves. Life is good in Auburn. 

December 9, 2012. Made It

According to Lori, my GPS, Athens, Tennessee is a mere five hours from our destination in Alabama. She was right. We left Athens at 7am and arrived in Auburn at noon. Actually it was 11am due to the change from eastern to central time when crossing into Alabama.

When we turned onto Jess and Nolan's street there was Jessica outside with the dog, waiting for us. After a delicious lunch of homemade pizza (Nolan is an excellent cook) we went for a walk in a nearby park. Part of the park is a large dogs off leash fenced area which Jackie (the dog) thoroughly enjoyed. It was quite amusing to watch about 20 - 30 dogs playing.

It is great to be here!

December 8, 2012 Only 400 Trucks

A Saturday drive on the Interstate means fewer 18 wheelers on the highway than on a weekday. Today 40 truck per hour passed us as compared to at least double that on Tuesday. It was a very enjoyable although long drive today. The radio stations played lots of Christmas music, which helped to pass the time as we sang along. We both liked the scenery in Virginia and Tennessee. The rolling hills got greener the further we got down Interstate 81 as the temperatures got higher, reaching the high 60's by the time we passed Knoxville.

Tomorrow we will reach our destination. Here we come Auburn!

December 7, 2012 Progress

We were happy to see the state of New York in our rear view mirror. We spent the early part of the day on a state highway and enjoyed the ride. I particularly enjoyed seeing the coal mining towns in Pennsylvania.  I noticed  a town named Carbon with a main street named Coal. This area is supposed to have the largest deposits of coal in North America.

Leaving the scenic route and traveling the Interstate meant very little scenery and zillions of trucks. However, we wanted to make up for some of the time we lost while being stuck in New Windsor and so pushing Westy to do 55 - 60 helped us reach Woodstock, Virginia where we will spend the night.

December 6, 2012 Fixed

Westy has a new coolant hose and is ready to move on. The guy who owned the repair shop loved to talk politics and was only too happy to share his staunch very right of right wing, Republican views with us. In spite of this, he was a nice guy. We will leave here early tomorrow morning.

December 5, 2012, New Windsor, NY

We walked to the RV repair place this morning and found  Westy and its contents along with the bikes safe and sound. We met the shop owner who said that although he doesn't do RV repairs anymore and is into real estate now, he would fix it tomorrow as long as we didn't call him every few hours to see if it was ready yet. We put the bikes inside the shop, took the food out of the fridge  promised not to harass and walked back to the motel.

I spent a good part of the day on hold as the TracPhone folks tried to reactivate my cell phone. In the end, we walked to the local drug store and bought a new prepaid phone. There is not much to do in this town. However, the day was warm, the sun was shining and it felt good to walk around after sitting for two full days.

Hopefully Westy will be all better by the end of the day tomorrow and we will be on the road again by Friday.

I did take a picture of Westy on the tow truck bed but can't post it as it is on the phone that has yet to be reactivated.

December 4, Stuck in Fishkill Again

Last year when we traveled this route we were storm stayed in Fishkill, NY for two days. As we approached the town this year the temperature gauge rose to an alarming level and we made a quick exit and managed to park in a mall parking lot. Steam was rising from the rear of the vehicle and as we looked underneath we could see the coolant pouring out of a pipe. Luckily  I have a Good Sam roadside assistance program. With one phone call, on a borrowed phone (my US phone was having problems) I reached Good Sam, they located someone who would work on the Westy and a tow truck arrived to take us there.

 Unfortunately, it was after hours and we had to leave Westy in the yard of a repair shop. I am hoping that our belongings, especially the bikes, will be safe. The tow truck driver was kind enough to drop us off at a local motel. I spent over an hour both online and on the phone trying to get my US cell phone problem resolved. I ended up with a case # and a promise that it would be working within 24 hours. 

I will either sleep soundly due to exhaustion or fitfully with concern about Westy.

December 3, 2012 Heading South

It was easy to get up early this morning as the day had finally arrived when I could hum "Farewell to Nova Scotia" and know that the cold weather will be abandoned until April. 

Today's drive was uneventful. The roads were clear, the weather fine and for most of the ride we had the road to ourselves. We are spending the night in Waterville, Maine.

April 10, 2012. Home

Home. 3663 miles = 5895 kilometers.

April 9, 2012. Almost There

The past two days have been spent on the road.  Somewhere in the Poconos was as far as we got on Saturday. We spent  last night in Freeport, Maine. This morning we did a bit of L.L. Beaning before driving to Rothesay  where we will spend the night with friends. Tomorrow:  home.

April 7, 2012 Gettysburg and the Poconos

We started the day with breakfast at Gettysburg's No.1 rated restaurant, Hunt's Battlefield Cafe. Not only was the food good, it was reasonably priced and the owner was happy to point out the "must sees" in Gettysburg and provide us with a lot of background history before we went exploring the 6,000 acre historic site.

The battlefield tour is 24 miles long! Thankfully, the Cafe owner  gave us a few good suggestions and so we spent a couple of hours learning about the battle that claimed 50,000 casualties. There are monuments and exhibits throughout the park as well as trails and pathways that all contribute to the historical significance of this park.

The Gettysburg Museum of History was next on our list. This privately owned collection of over 4,000 artifacts is free of charge. The curator is the great, great grandson of a man who found artifacts on his farm and kept them for future generations. It is a very unique museum.

Leaving Gettysburg we headed north and ended up in the Poconos in New York State for the night. Much of the route here was scenic, while other parts were in the company of maniac freeway drivers. However, we just kept to our 55 mph speed and ignored everyone else.

Tomorrow: more driving at 55 MPH!

April 6, 2012 A Long Day

"Please take me with you."

As we started to pull out of the campsite this morning, we noticed that we had a passenger. A small frog was clinging to the windshield as it was trying to hitch a ride. After gently taking our little hitchhiker off, we took the scenic route; The Blue Ridge Parkway.

 Although it stretches over 400 miles across the highest Appalachian peaks, we chose to drive a mere 90 miles on it. The scenery on this narrow, hilly, winding road is spectacular and we stopped at several look offs to stare in awe at the mountains and valleys and to take a few pictures. The sun was bright, the air cool and we were one of the few vehicles on the Parkway.

We left the Parkway at Roanoke and joined the traffic on the Interstate. There are a lot of hills to climb in Virginia and so it was a challenge to keep up with the speeding crowds. We had a mission today, to pick up a new fridge for the Westy and since we promised to be there by 4, we had to keep any stops very brief. We picked up the fridge at 4:01 and headed for Gettysburg. We are staying just outside of the town for the night and will explore some of this very historic area tomorrow.

April 5, 2012 Homeward Bound

After saying goodbye to our good friend in Venice on Tuesday we drove north for a couple of hours to scout out a place to stay for some Jays spring training games next year. We stayed the night at a park that we will definitely contact for 2013.

We were delighted to start our trek north on Wednesday morning in very light traffic. We stayed away from the Interstate for a good part of the day and enjoyed the scenery;  lots of peanut farms, cattle and horses. Once on the I95 the traffic was heavy with most of the license plates indicating that the snowbirds are going home.

With the aid of good maps and Lori, my GPS, we made it as far as Yemassee, SC where we spent the night at a very nice campsite, complete with coffee bar and delicious pizza.

Bumper to bumper on I 95

Our ambitious plans to get on the road early on Thursday morning to get ahead of some traffic were apparently the same plans that all the other northerners had. A few miles out on the I95 found us in bumper to bumper traffic, crawling along while miles ahead, an accident forced us all into a single lane.

When we reached the scene of the accident, some two hours later there was quite a mess...an overturned big rig, a load of water bottles piled high in the ditch and sadly, the front cab of the rig, squashed. We did see a helicopter take off from the area of the accident, so hopefully someone was airlifted to get medical attention.

Tucked in for the night

We ended our long day of driving in Fancy Gap, Virginia, at a delightful campground  nestled among the trees on Fancy Gap mountain. Although tempted to stay up and watch the season finale on the 52" TV in the lodge, we were both exhausted after a nine hour day on the busy interstates. Tomorrow we will drive some of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.

April 2, 2012 Lake Venice

Today we returned to the scene of the crime and were pleased to use our "poor you" gift from the golf course to play 18 holes. It was a gorgeous day, yet again with temperatures hitting the 30 degree mark. However the breeze off the Gulf tempered the feel of the bright sunshine.

After about four hours we left the 18th hole feeling very satisfied with our games. We reviewed the round while sitting outside at Black Gold Coffee Shop and agreed that this carefree lifestyle is indeed carefree.

March 31, 2012 Boca Grande Revisited

Today we returned to Boca Grande, a short hour's drive south along the coast. We took three old bikes (driven by two old broads and one younger bird). We drove right to the parking lot next to the South beach restaurant, unloaded the bikes and began riding back toward and past the little town. 

The flat paved trail goes for 7 miles to the bridge, and we rode all the way there without stopping. We were happy then for a lemonade at a very nice but deserted Tiki Bar, then mounted up and rode back to the town. We had a bite of lunch there, then rode around to explore - what a beautiful place. We discovered a marina and the greenest green golf course next door. We saw dolphins in the channel, and then a large shadow emerged from under the bridge we were standing on - a manatee! 

 The final  leg back to the lighthouse at the south end of the island was short but more difficult as we were wearing out by then (especially bums and knees). We enjoyed the  breeze from the Gulf for a bit and then rode the bikes to the car and went in to the restaurant.

We had started biking at 12 and entered the restaurant at 5.We were pooped - and hungry! We drank much water while waiting for our dinner - Crab-Stuffed Shrimp South Beach "again".

As we approached home we stopped at the local DQ to get a little ice cream treat to finish off the day. One black cloud which had passed over us with a sprinkle just before we began biking apparently rained out the baseball game in Port Charlotte. Thanks for the script J!

March 30, 2012 Cruising Down the River

A one hour cruise on the Myakka River was a great way to spend the afternoon and to celebrate the arrival of a replacement driver's license. Someone, and you know who you are, did a huge favour by going to the DMV and getting those valuable documents here this morning. Thank you.

The river cruise boat meanders along the twisty Myakka River while the narrator provides those who want to listen with some interesting information. For example, did you know that a female alligator lays 40 to 50 eggs after a gestation period of 60 days? Fortunately only about 10% of those hatched survive beyond the first year.

The river is a protected area and so the beauty of the vegetation along its banks remains untouched. Particularly intriguing are the air plants that sit on the huge live oaks and yet take nothing from them. They get their nourishment from the air, dew and dead insects.  Fun day.

March 27, 2012. Sometimes...

Not all days in Florida are spent at spring training games or on the golf course. Some days are spent reading, shopping, doing chores like laundry or even gardening. Yesterday was like that. Today was a golfing day, 18 holes, to be exact.

 Somewhere on the back 9 we decided to put some money in a drink machine to quench our thirst. However, when I reached for my wallet it wasn't there. Thinking that I must have left it on the counter at the pro shop, we finished our game. Unfortunately, it was not at the pro shop and to make matters worse, another golfer determined that hers was also missing.

Further investigation revealed that they must have been stolen from our golf bags while we were on the putting green, waiting for our turn to tee off.  The police responded quickly and we filled out reports. Then it was time for the arduous task of calling banks, canceling cards and reporting other important cards missing. Luckily there was very little cash in my wallet and the thief didn't try to use any of my cards. 

Since there are those who believe (sometimes I do but sometimes things just suck) that there is always an upside to everything, I will say that the upside of this is that we get to hang out in Venice for a few more days while we wait for replacement "stuff" to arrive. Plus, the golf course felt so sorry for us that they gave us a coupon for another 18 holes.

March 24, 2012. Cirque Italia Aquatic

Before Cirque du Soleil, the word "circus" for me, conjured up images of lions, elephants and various carnival acts. Yesterday we watched a circus troupe from Italy perform "Cirque Italia Aquatic" here in Venice. It bore no resemblance to my old  ideas of a circus and was just as good as a Soleil performance. We were indeed dazzled by all the  acts, in particular a woman walking across a high-wire, singing, all the while with a man standing on her shoulders! It was truly breathtaking. You should go.

March 21-23, 2012 Baseball, Golf and Ice Cream

We woke up early on Wednesday morning and enjoyed watching a small herd of white tail deer munch their way through the tall grass, just a few meters away from our campsite. 

 

After a walk to the camp cafe and a chat with the campground hosts we drove to Sarasota where we took in a Jays vs Orioles ball game. The Jays were behind until the top of the ninth when they scored four runs to win the game by a score of 6 - 3.

Myakka wildlife

There seems to be a huge magnet that keeps pulling us to our friend's place in Venice. The drive from Sarasota is so familiar that Westy could almost do it on her own. We enjoyed dinner together and retired early.

Thursday is golf day here. We played in a best ball tournament and in spite of the extreme heat, had a great time. The easygoing nature of this group of players makes golfing with them very enjoyable.

Friday's chores included a walk to the local coffee shop, a bit of shopping at Publix, a glance at the Bealls' sale, a trip to pick up tickets for the Cirque d' Aquatic tomorrow and a drive to Nakomis groves for their famous orange ice cream.

 

It doesn't get  much better than this.

March 15 - March 20 First PGA Tournament, First Snake, Myakka River State Park

It was great to be back at my writer friend's place in Venice and to spend time with her and her family. On Friday the five of us headed north to Palm Harbour and the Innisbrook Golf Resort to take in some round 2 play of the Transitions Tournament. Although neither Tiger, nor Phil were playing, there were some very highly ranked players on the course. Watching from the edge of the fairway is so much better than watching from the living room. It was an experience that, given the opportunity, I would do again.

Saturday was a day of rest for everyone, as we had all had a busy week. We enjoyed some home made macaroni and cheese and the home made 

shamrocks on the table to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. A great dinner was followed by a yummy brunch on Sunday morning. We had booked three nights at Myakka River State Park and so we said "thanks for everything and a bientot" to our Venice friends.

Myakka River State Park is one of the largest parks in Florida, covering 58 square miles. There are lots of things to do in this park, everything from hiking, to canoeing, to fishing to airboat tours of the lake. One of the most fascinating things to do is to stand on the bridge and watch the alligators which are abundant. We were told that a lot of dogs go missing in this park. One of the best hikes is a mere 45 minute nature trail that includes a canopy walkway and 70 foot tower where you are above the treetops. The view is spectacular.

On our drive into the park we saw our first Florida snake. Luckily for us, we were in the van and the snake was not!

We spent part of Monday at Sunshine Auto in Sarasota getting a window repaired and look forward to staying put and enjoying the park for a couple of days.

March 11 - 15, 2012, Baseball, Manatees, and Camping

On Sunday we watched the Jays defeat the Braves from our awesome seats just to the right of home plate. After the game we stocked up at Publix and headed to our overnight site which was less than stellar...our first "miss" when it comes to places to stay overnight. Needless to say, we pulled out early on Monday morning, had breakfast at McDonalds and took advantage of their WiFi to try to locate a place to park for Monday night. Luckily I was able to locate a place in Largo that had one site left. It was a great place with a pool,  laundry facilities and an "all you can eat" shrimp restaurant located next door.

We left Largo on Tuesday morning to go to Fort De Soto Park for two days. We enjoyed our campsite overlooking the water and relaxed for the rest of the day. On Wednesday we met up with our friend from Jacksonville in downtown St. Pete's to take in a Team Canada vs Toronto Blue Jays ball game. Our tickets for this game were about 2 meters from the Blue Jays on deck circle....literally within chatting distance from the players. While Toronto won the game handily, the Canadian National Team put on a good show for all the Canadian fans.

The rest of the day was spend relaxing at our campsite at Fort De Soto. The guy at the site next to us, who was a kiteboarding instructor, went out with his kiteboard  and put on quite a show, doing tricks while the wind lifted him to a height of about 40 meters in the air. Fort De Soto is a great park.

On Thursday morning we explored the fort before heading to The Manatee Viewing Centre at Apollo Beach, one of Tampa's power stations. Manatees gather there when the water is below 68 because the water in the reservoir is very warm. A couple of manatees surfaced for us and of course, we took several pictures.

From Apollo Beach we drove to Little Manatee State Park where we spent the night. We did a short hike there and for the first time ever I experienced what my Jacksonville friend said were the early symptoms of heat exhaustion. it was extremely hot, close to 90! At any rate, we got back to the campsite safely, drank lots of water and cooled down in the shade.

Today we said good bye to our friend from Jacksonville as she headed north and we headed south, back to Venice for a few days. Tomorrow we are going to watch some PGA golf at Palm Harbor where The Transitions Championship will be played for a 5.5 million$ purse. Maybe we will pick up a few tips from the professionals.

March 7 - 10, 2012. Markets, State Parks, Friends and Ball Games

When we pulled out of Fort De Soto Park we headed south over the Sunshine Skyway and found our way to The Red Barn (a giant flea and produce market) in Bradenton. Our goal there was to purchase some freshly made kettle corn. We found the kettle corn stall as well as stalls for strawberries, beans and apples. The prices were excellent, for example, a box of strawberries for $1.00!  We took some kettle corn to friends in Venice, did some laundry there and headed off to Oscar Shearer State Park, where we spent two nights.

 On Thursday morning we took advantage of the pancake breakfast being offered at the Park's Nature Centre and enjoyed blueberry pancakes, orange juice and coffee, all for $4.  The rest of the day was spent at a ball game in Sarasota, the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. It was a great game with the home team coming away with the win on a very hot afternoon.  While we were at the game Westy was getting a coolant hose replaced at Sunshine Auto, a great shop with a super mechanic named Ron. The motto above the door at Sunshine Auto is "No VW should ever die".

 On Friday morning we went on a guided hike with one of the Park rangers. We learned all about scrub jays, saw an eagle, a cardinal couple, saw bobcat tracks and were educated about the complicated issues surrounding park management.  We were thrilled to spend Friday night with a friend in Venice where we enjoyed a trip to Bealls, a bicycle ride and a delicious meal of Thai food.

On Saturday morning we drove north to Dunedin to watch the Jays defeat the Astros by a score of 5 - 2.   Bautista hit 2 home runs and there were several great plays made in the field. It was a great game in the gorgeous Florida sunshine.  Today, the Jays take on the Braves and we have great seats for the game.

March 4 - 6, 2012 Bradenton and Fort De Soto

On Sunday we watched the Jays defeat the Pirates again by a score of 8 - 5. This game was played in Bradenton, the spring training home of the Pirates. At first we were glad to see that our seats were in the shade, however, that soon changed as the wind came up and the temperature dropped to the low 60's. Luckily we brought socks in our bag and were the envy of those sitting next to us as we pulled out heavy socks to put on with our sandals.

After the game we drove about 30 minutes to Lake Manatee State Park where we had a reservation for the night. Florida's state parks are great; very clean, lots of room on the camp sites, electricity and water at each site, hot showers and even hiking trails.  We walked one of the trails at Lake Manatee and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the park.

Awesome site at Fort De Soto Park

On Monday we headed to Fort De Soto park, a beautiful Pinellas County Park consisting of four Keys jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico. Our camp site is facing the water and affords a view of seabirds, fish jumping and people, as well as pelicans, trying to catch them. It has been a relaxing two days here. As I look at a map of the area I am reminded of the many winters my parents spent in St. Pete's Beach and the fun times spent with them on March Breaks.

Today we head south again and will spend few days in the Sarasota/Venice area.

March 3, 2012, Blue Jays

It was an easy drive from Zephyrhills to Dunedin and the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

 The street lights in Dunedin are decorated in Welcome Back Blue Jays banners and there are Canadian license plates parked everywhere. We paid $5 to park in someone's yard as there is very little parking at the stadium.  There are no bad seats in this small ball park, except maybe today. Some had to endure 88 degrees of direct sun for nine innings. Our seats were excellent as we got some shade after a few innings. The water and beer sellers were doing a brisk business,entertaining all by advertising, "beer flown in from Canada and cold water from the Oakanagan, just for you eh!" The Jays beat the Pirates by a score of 7- 1. Three great double plays and a couple of home runs made the game very exciting.

We spent the night in an RV park and slept fitfully as a wild rain and wind storm blew through, taking the thermometer from the 80's to the 60's.

Today the Jays are playing the Pirates in Bradenton and we will be there.

February 27 - March 1, Zephyrhills

I have been told that the population of Zephyrhills decreases by 60% in April when all the snowbirds head home. Looking at the number of  55+ parks, three wheel bicycles and golf carts it is not hard to believe that most of the people in this town  are older winter residents.We came here to visit family for a few days, after spending three great weeks in Venice.

Country music seems to be the name of the game here in Zephyrhills. Music concerts and jam sessions abound. Other interests seem to be golf and skydiving. Today on the golf course we were easily distracted by the sounds of small aircraft dropping people out, and the awesome sight of all the colorful chutes heading for earth.

It is very hot in Zephyrhills...upper 80's yesterday, 90 today!

Good news: Rocky is improving and sent me a slobbery kiss!

February 25, 2012 Carmen, bikes and Rocky

Last evening we went to our very first opera. Janet took us to the Sarasota Opera House to see Carmen. Carmen is a French opera about a gypsy woman,  a soldier, love, jealousy and of course, murder. It was a wonderful experience. Thankfully, the translation was provided but I enjoyed trying to comprehend some of the lyrics before looking at the translation. My meager French remains meager.

Today we went on a bike ride to the beach where we watched surfers, dolphins and lots of boats on the waters of the Gulf. A stop at the gelato shop on the way back provided us with the nourishment to peddle the 5 miles back home.

On a sad note, my little buddy, Rocky is not well. He is the cutest little dog I have ever met; my neighbour's dog who helps keep me in shape by walking with me 4 or 5 times a week. Some positive vibes sent out to Rocky would be appreciated.

February 23, 2012 Not a vacation

I have been asked the following question on a number of occasions lately: "So, how are you enjoying your vacation?"  My reply has been the same each time, "This is not a vacation, this is my life."

 Being retired means choices, many choices; among them travel. And so, traveling, golfing, beach combing, hiking, camping, reading, spring training games, long walks, spending time with good friends and sometimes afternoon naps are not vacation, they are just what I do. Tuesday was beach day, Wednesday was walking and gardening day and today was golf day. Tomorrow we will go to the opera in Sarasota. This is not vacation, this is my life.

February 17, 2012. Boca Grande

Boca Grande is a little island off the west coast of Florida, about 30 miles south of Venice. The island is a mixture of wealth and natural beauty. While there are many huge homes and several gated communities, the island is very laid back and boasts 0 gas stations, 0 fast food restaurants and 0 traffic lights. The most  beautiful part of this island are the beaches. The warm white sand next to the turquoise coloured water is very  inviting. In fact, it would be easy to spend many days on Boca Grande.

After walking around the town, where the locals travel about in golf carts, we decided to stop at the local ice cream parlor....yum, need I say more? We spent a couple of hours on the beach before meeting up with friends for dinner at the South Beach restaurant, a restaurant that is literally on the beach. Eating crab stuffed shrimp while watching the sun set over the beach was nothing short of spectacular. It was a perfect ending to a perfectly relaxing day.