December 31, 2013. A Day on Isla de Vieques.

After trying to get to Vieques by ferry last week and encountering an impossible, never ending line at the ticket counter we decided to take the 10 minute, $35 flight to get to the island. We boarded a 10 seater and after getting safety instructions from the pilot, the props were fired up and we taxied down the runway. What a fun flight. It was my first time traveling on such a small plane...so small that we were seated by weight. 

 

Vieques is most well known for its beaches. They are truly spectacular with soft white sand and crystal clear, warm water. Sun Bay Beach was almost deserted when we arrived, except for about 17 horses grazing in the field behind the beach. Nolan picked up a coconut that had fallen from one of the many palms lining the beach and was able to break it open so that we could enjoy the milk and the soft textured, sweet meat. 

  

 

After enjoying the water and lying in the sun, it was time to walk to the small town of Esperanza via the beach. Along the way we picked up a pocket fullmof beach glass. We settled on a small restaurant, enjoyed our piña coladas and waited and waited for our lunch orders to arrive. After waiting for well over an hour, two of us had to leave to catch plane back to Cieva and so were forced to cancel our order. The others were taking a later plane and got their food shortly after we left.

We were lucky to find a taxi within about 10 minutes. Back at the airport, we discovered a small open air cafe serving drinks and food. Since we hadn't eaten since breakfast we were ready to eat just about anything. Fortunately there were two local guys sitting near us. Seeing our dilemma as we perused the menu they quickly recommended the fried vegetable dumplings. We took their advice and were glad we did. 

We were again seated by weight on the flight back. After 10 minutes of spectacular scenery from the air, we landed in Cieva where Joanna was waiting to take us back to the condo. 

What a wonderful way to spend New Year's Eve.

December 27, 2013. El Yunque National Forest.

We started the day early, thinking that we could catch the ferry and go to the island of Viques for the day.unfortunately, the line for ferry tickets was very, very long and our chances of getting aboard we're next to impossible. And so, we switched to plan B and headed for the El Yunque Rain Forest for a hike to be followed by a swim at Loquillo Beach.

The El Yunque Rain Forest is a cool, mountainous, sub tropical rainforest.

The true sub tropical 'Rain forest' occupies very little area in Puerto Rico, only a single, crescent shaped, band on the windward side of the El Yunque mountains. It lies wholly within the El Yunque National Forest Reserve. This life zone is characterized by an annual total of 3,400 mm of rain. 

The trade winds blow from the north east and these mountains ( 3,500 ft elev. ) are in the north easternmost part of Puerto Rico. As the warm moist air rises when it meets the mountains and cools off, it dumps the rain...and intensifies the  wind. 

We hiked the steep Mt. Britton Trail which ended at an observation tower from which we could see the ocean when the mist cleared for a few seconds. The hike down was much easier than the trek up.

A stop at the beach for a swim was very refreshing. 

When we returned to the condo I made malanga chips. Malanga is a root vegetable native to the tropics. When I saw it Ralph's (the local grocery store) I was intrigued and decided to buy it and then figure out how to cook it. Thanks to online recipes, the chips were a hit.

Tomorrow: Seven Seas Beach.

  

December 24, 2013. Best Beaches...huh?

Sometimes it is best to take advice from TripAdvisor postings and travelers' blogs with a grain of salt. It is best to check the posting date and then be suspicious of words and phrases like "best ever" and "so amazing". We now have first hand experience with that kind of advice.

So many postings appeared about the southern side of the island when we looked up "best beaches in Puerto Rico". We certainly had already experienced some great beaches here in the eastern end and on the island of Culebra. However, we wanted to swim at the best even though it was about a two hour drive away. 

It was cloudy when we set off and it wasn't long before the torrential rain hit. However, like most rain events in Puerto Rico it passed quickly and the sun came out. We drove through  both urban and rural areas and again experienced the aggressiveness of many Puerto Rican drivers. Passing on the inside lane appears to be acceptable, as is passing on the shoulder if an inside lane is occupied. 

The scenery through the mountains was beautiful with colourful houses seemingly jutting out of those hills with cattle grazing on the slopes. Banana trees were a common sight. 

After two and a half hours of driving we arrived at Ponce where we stopped at a Burger King to ask directions to the beach. A crude map drawn on a sales receipt got us nowhere and so we asked the GPS to find us a beach. After another half an hour we ended up at a small beach at the Guanica Dry Forest. Since we expected to find white sand and crystal clear water, we were sorely disappointed. The beach was nothing spectacular. Even so, we all went for a swim and had some good laughs about being in the water after such a long drive as we watched an approaching thunder and lightening storm. 

After our quick dip we looked at the time and decided we had to get moving if we wanted to be back in Fajardo before dark. The drive back was easier than the drive down and even more scenic as we took a winding, narrow, cross country route through the countryside. (Our driver, Joanna may disagree as there was some necessary white knuckling along this route).

The driveway to our condo was a welcome sight after such a long day in the car. However, it was indeed a great Christmas Eve family outing and a day that will engender lots of laughs when one of us says, "Remember that Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico when..."

December 23, 2013. A Day in Old San Juan.

Now that there are seven of us, we have two cars. With one GPS, one car has to be the lead car and the other follows. This made for some interesting lane changes with signage not the best and aggressive Puerto Rican drivers out in full force. We did make it to the municipal parking lot with not too much effort and fortunately the tourist information centre was right across the street.

With maps and walking tour information in hand we set a meeting time and place and headed out. It was a hot day.

 Founded in 1521, San Juan is a well preserved example of what was a Spanish colonial town. Sections of the old city are surrounded by massive walls and several defensive structures and notable forts. These include the 16th-century Fort San Felipe del Morro and the 17th-century Fort San Cristóbal. The main central part of the city is characterized by narrow streets made of blue cobblestone and picturesque colonial buildings, some of which date back to the 16th and 17th century.

We roamed the streets, took pictures of statues, balconies, an above ground cemetery, forts, the turquoise waves crashing on the shoreline and even San Juan cats. I read a sign telling us not to feed the cats. Puerto Rico has feeding stations for cats and provides medical attention for them when needed. We did notice a number of stray dogs roaming the streets.

          

             

By the time 3 pm rolled around, the most important site for me was the good coffee shop recommended to us by a parks person at the fort. I had the best cappuccino ever. Puerto Rico grows some great coffee. We sat at the outdoor cafe and were eventually joined my two other members of our group...beer for them and another cappuccino for me.

The seven of us enjoyed an authentic Puerto Rican meal before driving back to Fajardo. Old San Juan is a must see if you visit Puerto Rico. 

December 20, 2013. Culebra

 Taking the ferry from Fajardo to Culebra is a great way to get to what has been described as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. The round trip fare (over an hour each way) is a mere $5. However we were warned that lineups to buy tickets are often long and that many have been disappointed to find out that they waited in line for hours and couldn't get on the boat. Although we did stand in line for about 45 minutes, once we had our tickets we were pleasantly surprised to be ushered to a very short boarding lane for the 9 am ferry. We discovered that we were moved to the first line to board because there is a special line for those traveling with small children and for those over 60 and their party. Sometimes it pays to be over 60 and this time it worked out well for the five of us. I am not saying who the agent thought was over 60. 

Boarding with the first group allowed us to get good seats on deck. These were very important seats to have on the trip as many people, especially those in the cabin, got seasick. The crew was busy handing out "barf" bags, selling seasickness pills and cleaning up after those who were sick. It was really quite funny to those of us who kept our breakfast. As he offered up "barf bags" one crew member called out, "happy meals, get your happy meals here" while another tossed a full bag in the trash while saying, "pizza sauce." 

After we landed we took one of the many buses that were taking passengers to Flamenco Beach, a absolutely beautiful beach. The water was warm, the sand was soft and white, and the temperature was just right for swimming, sunning and walking on this pristine beach. The 2,200 people who call Culebra home like to keep it this way.

   

A walk to one end of the beach revealed part of Culebra's past. A derelict US army tank sits on the beach as if ready to head out.                                                                                                                           

Lunch at one of the park entrance small concession stands was inexpensive, Puerto Rican and still remains a mystery. Although we ordered what we thought were crab and shrimp turnovers, we are still not sure what we ate.

Leaving the island involved another lineup but we were again able to get good outside seats on the ferry deck. The seas were much calmer at 5 pm and very few barf bags were distributed. Our final lineup for the day was on dry land as we stood for another 30 minutes waiting to pay for our $5 per day parking. 

After the short drive back to our condo we ate a light meal and everyone went to bed early. The sun, sand and sea has a way of using up one's daily allotment of energy. What a great tired!

December 17 - 18, 2013. Fajardo.

Our flight from Atlanta to San Juan was uneventful, probably because we has prepaid for early boarding, which on Southwest Airlines is highly recommended because there is no assigned seating. Extra legroom was great to have on a 3 1/2 hour flight aboard a full plane. 

Upon arrival at the airport we picked up our rental car and drove 45 minutes to our condo in Fajardo. This two story condo is part of a large, secure complex with several pools, tennis court and fitness room. It features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a well equipped kitchen and a balcony view of the water. 

Sleep followed a delicious meal at a local restaurant. In the morning we headed for the beach. The water was warm, the sun was bright and the beach almost deserted. Time at the beach was followed by a dip in the waterslide pool. 

The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping and sightseeing. The downtown area looks almost like a ghost town with many shops boarded up. It looks like the few bigger stores on the main highway have lured shoppers away from the downtown area.  A stop at an ice cream shop completed our day.

Tomorrow, maybe more of the same...I certainly hope so!

The view from our balcony.

December 16, Hanging Out in Auburn

              

Life in Auburn continues to be pretty laid back. We walk Jackie each day, go to yoga a few times a week, take in some basketball games and hang out with Jessica and Nolan. We did get to a "meeting" this week and enjoyed the conversation and the people. Everyone is so friendly here.

Tomorrow morning we head to Puerto Rico for three weeks! Other family members will join the four of us later in the week. Here's hoping the weather up north doesn't interfere with anyone's flights.

December 9, Football, Basketball, Yoga and Cookies

Saturday was another exciting day for Auburn Tigers football fans. They beat Missouri and will now take on Florida for the National title. Although I am not a football fan it was easy to get caught up in the excitement, especially at a football party where everyone was wearing Auburn colours and cheering on the team. 

Besides watching football, we have attended a couple of Auburn Tigers Women's basketball games. Admittance to the stadium is a mere $5. Besides good basketball, the entertainment provided by the band, mascot, cheer team, dancers and half time contests is worth the price of admission. The girls won both games which made the games even more fun to watch.   

YogaFly studio offers new students a great deal. For $12  each we get to attend as many yoga classes as we want for 12 days which is ideal for the length of our stay. We have taken in three classes so far and hope that yoga is compensating for all the party foods we have consumed.

Speaking of party foods, I went to another fun party with Jessica yesterday afternoon; a Christmas cookie decorating party. The hostess had the most festive decorations I have ever seen, along with lots of coloured frosting, easy applicators and yummy snacks. Since gingerbread cookie decorating is a family tradition it was reminiscent of fun times at the kitchen table in Bedford.

December 1, 2013. Football Frenzy in Auburn

0When we drove into Auburn on Thursday afternoon there was not only a lot of traffic, but a definite celebratory atmosphere. Most people, including children and even infants were dressed in the distinctive orange and blue Auburn University colours. Cars sported Auburn University stickers, license plates and many had AU flags flying from their car windows. Homes were decorated in Auburn colours. We knew something was up and soon found out that the biggest university football game in the country was to take place on Saturday. People had arrived as early as Tuesday to stake out their tailgate spots, RVs were parked everywhere and football fans had traveled a long way to see this game, whether live at the 87,000seat stadium, at their tailgate site set up complete with flat screen tv, generator and lots of food, or at the many private parties being held in the homes of a town staunchly behind their Auburn Tigers, who were playing the number one team in the country, and arch rivals, Alabama.

On game day we walked downtown to experience the football frenzy. The atmosphere was truly electric. There were thousands of tailgate parties happening, thousands of families dressed in orange and blue, and thousands of people chanting "War Eagle". Since we were wearing our Auburn t shirts, we fit in nicely and knew to respond to the "war eagle" greeting with "war eagle". I had my picture taken with two complete strangers who were dressed in their finest Auburn Tiger garb.

We watched the game on tv with some diehard fans. I found myself caught up in the excitement and responding to Auburn's upset win over Alabama with loud cheers and high fives. As is an Auburn tradition, much toilet paper was strewn over specially built wires at the main intersection of the town. Up until late last year the tissue was strewn over a very special tree but unfortunately an Alabama fan poisoned the tree and it had to be taken down. That guy has apparently served time for the crime.

Although much of the town partied until late into the night, I was in bed by 10, having had enough excitement for one day!

November 25 - 28, 2013. On Thr road again.

This is the third winter in a row that we will spend in the southern US, specifically Alabama and Florida. For two years we drove and camped in my 1987 Westfalia. This year,  Westy is for sale and currently is in storage for the winter. Wanting more space and more reliability I bought a 2010 Pleasure Way Excel TS.  She is 20 ft long and with a V8 engine can easily keep  up with and pass anything on the Interstate.

Since we didn't get away until Monday afternoon, Fredericton, NB was our first stop en route to Auburn, Alabama. On Tuesday we took advantage of a dry, sunny day and got as far as Connecticut. Listening to the radio during the day, we heard about storm warnings and possible travel disruptions on the busiest travel day of the year in the US:  the day before Thanksgiving. 

The forecasters were not wrong about the stormy weather. We woke up on Wednesday morning to torrential rains and strong winds. After breakfast it seemed to calm down a bit and so we decided to head out with full intentions of getting off the highway if the storm got worse. It was a white knuckle drive. It was very busy with every big truck in the nation rushing to get somewhere and every car in the nation right behind them. We seemed to be the only ones obeying the numerous signs flashing the words, "Slow down, maximum speed 45" Perhaps they couldn't see the words through the driving rain. We stopped at 4 and were fast asleep by 9. 

Today's drive was very pleasant. Although there were some trucks on the Interstate, the winds were calm, the skies were clear and all drivers were well behaved. We are in Abingdon, Virginia and will be in Auburn tomorrow.

April 3, 2013.

Home!

April 1, 2, 2013. Lots of States.

April 1: Maryland, New York, Connecticut. Spent two hours in traffic driving through Hartford. There were several accidents. Saw a fifth wheel split in half, with furniture, insulation, glass and aluminum all over the road.

April 2: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick. We made great time today and thought we would be staying in Maine for the night. After a quick stop at LL Bean and an even quicker one at the Duty Free, we landed at a friend's place in Rothesay for the night.

Today I witnessed what could have been nasty accident. A truck was coming up behind us, ready to pass, when suddenly began to slow down. A quick glance in my rear view mirror revealed the reason why: flames were shooting off one of the front wheels as it spun away from the truck. It looked like a ball of fire.

Home tomorrow.

We had such a great winter. Today's cold temperatures remind me that next winter we plan to head south earlier and stay longer.

March 30, 31, 2013. Heading North.

Although it is still March, the time has come to head home, even though we could easily have stayed in the warm Alabama sunshine much longer. Hanging out with Jessica, Nolan and Jackie was just plain fun. I miss them already.

We set out on Saturday morning and decided to drive the interstate thinking that because it was Easter weekend, there wouldn't be as much truck traffic as there is during the week. Although the truck traffic was no very heavy there were lots of cars. The I 85 seems to connect city after city and everyone seemed to be heading to the mall in the next city.

After spending the night in "somewhere" North Carolina, we drove on state highways today, crossing over the Blue Ridge Mountains at Shenandoah Park and landing in Frederick, Maryland for the night.

Clouds and misty rain have been with us since North Carolina.

March 27, 28, 2013. TED, Basketball, Golf.

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) events are conferences, held all over the world. The main goal is for speakers to share "ideas worth spreading" in an innovative and entertaining way for up to eighteen minutes each. The website for TED is an excellent source for watching some very engaging talks on a wide variety of topics.

On Wednesday there were TED talks at Auburn University. The list of speakers looked interesting and so we decided to register and attend. The global issues topics ranged from educational inequity to sex trafficking. Although not all of the speakers were inspiring it is kind of neat to say that I attended a TED Talk.

More exciting and entertaining than the TED talks was the women's basketball game. The Auburn Tigers defeated the Tulane Green Wave to advance to round four in the Women's National Invitational Tournament. There was a lot of energy in the stadium for the game...cheerleaders, dancers, the band and of course the plays on the court, kept the momentum on the home team's side.

Today the weather was perfect for golf...no wind, bright sunshine and 71 degrees. We played at Indian Pines Golf Course here in Auburn, where during the week, 9 holes costs a mere $10. The course is quite challenging with some very long holes and several water hazards.

We finished off the day with a great meal and a couple of rounds of Race or the Galaxy with Jessica and Nolan. The last thing I did before going to bed was to take Jackie for a stroll down the street under a star lit, full moon sky.

March 24, 2013. "Race for the Galaxy," Rain and Sunshine.

Jessica and Nolan are teaching us how to play "Race For the Galaxy," a rather complicated game that won, among many other awards, the Golden Geek Award for best card game of 2008. Playing "Race For the Galaxy" is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, which it certainly was yesterday. It rained all evening and was joined by thunder and lightening through the night.

By this morning the rain was over, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. We noticed lots of beautiful spring flowers in full bloom as well as blossoms on fruit trees. Apparently it has been unseasonably cool in Alabama this winter, but it looks like spring, along with the warm weather it brings is just about here.

March 22, 2013. Back in Alabama.

Although it was rather sad to be leaving sunny Florida, I am excited about spending some time in Alabama with my daughter and her husband. Our time in Florida was wonderful: hanging out with Janet, making new friends, golfing, the opera, symphony concerts, the circus, Spring Training ball games, biking, camping, hiking and of course, enjoying some great meals.

A cold front was moving through when we left Myakka State Park on Thursday morning but oddly enough the weather improved as we drove north. However, by the time we settled in for the night at a campsite in Perry the temperature started to drop. Needless to say, we were glad to have our great little heater.

We left Perry at around 9 this morning. Instead of taking the Interstate we have been sticking to the state highways. Most of them are double and divided. Today we drove the Florida/Georgia State Highway where there was very little truck traffic. In fact, for most of the day we seemed to have the highway to ourselves.

One of the highlights of today's drive was a stop at a pecan/peanut outdoor market. We bought a supply of nuts and even left with a large cup of hot, boiled peanuts. Once the guy found out that we were Canadians he wanted to have a conversation about our healthcare system. Many Americans seem to be conflicted about what they are calling "Obamacare" (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), a health care plan that among other things, aims to
decrease the number of uninsured Americans.

I haven't taken any pictures in the past few days, but I will post a couple from Tuesday's great day at Myakka with Janet and Bobby.

It is great to be back in Auburn.

March 18, 2013. Rattler, Armadillo, Pigs, Alligators, Osprey, Turkey Vilture.

Our friend Bobby came out to the park to go biking and to spend the night. We set out on our bikes with water, cameras and a trail map. We chose one of the longer trails that was deeper into the park so that we could see some wildlife. Just when we thought nothing would appear Bobby spotted a rattlesnake on the side of the path. It was the first time that I had ever seen a rattler. We took pictures as it slowly slithered across the path.

The next creature we encountered was an armadillo, digging and rooting amongst the bushes. More pictures, a drink of water and we were off and ready to see more creatures. An osprey nest was next, with a head barely visible.

We pushed through the rough parts of the trail...sand is brutal to get through...and came upon four black pigs feeding in the bushes. We barely got stopped and got our cameras out when they scurried away.

Alligators are very common in this park and easy to spot and so it was no surprise to see several large gators sunning on the river bank. Turkey vultures are common as well and there are signs posted warning that they can damage vehicles.

After dinner we had a great campfire. The rain showers held off until we were ready for bed. What a great day.

March 16, 2013. Myakka River State Park

March 13, 2013. Great Friends, Great Lunch, Great Hike

The Blu Island Bistro in Venice is my new favorite restaurant. Our friend Janet discovered it and we have dined there with her on several occasions. Today was a special day because our friend Catherine was visiting and the four of us went to the Blu Island for lunch. After a delicious meal, accompanied by pleasant conversation we went our separate ways.

Back at the campground it was very tempting to settle in with a book for the afternoon. However, I thought better of it and suggested a walk. The short walk ended up being about a 5 mile hike. There are several trails here at Oscar Shearer and we started out on the path that was identified as leading to an eagle watch area. We didn't see a nest, but we did spot an eagle hovering overhead.

After completing the Green Trail we returned to the Nature Centre and chose another route. We took the short trail around Lake Osprey and then followed the South Creek Trail which meanders along the Creek where we watched schools of mullet frantically feeding on the algae which is close to the surface of the the water.

Back at the campsite it was time for a snacking, reading and relaxing. It was yet another gold star day.

March 12, 2013. More Fun in the Sun

March 10, 2013. Time for a Blog Entry

We have been very busy since I last wrote....ball games, meeting up with friends, returning to Venice, camping at Oscar Shearer, biking and attending our second Venice Symphony Concert.

While in Palm Harbor we took in three Jays games. Not only did we have great seats, the Jays won each game. It was a different story when we took in a game against Baltimore in Sarasota. It seemed like the Jays had the game in the bag with 2 on, 2 out and a 3, 2 count. I heard one Orioles fan yell, "hit one out of the part" and that is exactly what that batter did. Exciting for Baltimore fans.

We spent a pleasant day in the Indian Rocks/John's Pass area where we met up with relatives for lunch, a stroll on the boardwalk and some window shopping. Although this meet up was planned, we were surprised and pleased to see friends from New Brunswick exiting the restaurant we were entering. It is a small world!

Back in Venice, we are booked to stay one week at Oscar Shearer State Park, one of the most popular state parks in Florida. Our site is on the bank of the South Creek and so we hear fish jumping and can wave to paddlers going by.

Yesterday we biked part of the Legacy Trail. We met our friend Bobby and decided to ride together. The highlight of that ride was stopping at a coffee shop on the Trail where we had the best ice cream ever. We were told that it is locally made by an Amish family.

We had plans to go out for dinner and to the Venice Symphony in the evening. Our good friend Janet kindly offered to pick us up. We had a great laugh when she arrived at the campsite with her Tassimo coffee maker. Needless to say, it was a very pleasant surprise and we had a delicious cup of coffee. Thanks Janet!

The Symphony concert was excellent, especially the cello concerto. Janet brought us back to our campsite where we sprung ahead our time pieces and fell asleep to the sound of fish jumping in the creek.

March 3, 4, 2013. Movie, Chilly and Pinellas Trail

On Sunday it was too chilly and cloudy to spend a lot of time outside (12 celsius) and so I went online to look for a movie theatre. I found several within a 10 mile radius. We decided to see "Silver Lining Playbook" for which Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar. It was an excellent film.

Sunday night was cold; down to single digits celsius . Fortunately we have a great heater that ran all night. We awoke on Monday morning to bright sunshine and warmer temperatures....up to about 18 celsius by around 10 am. I had been researching things to do in the area and came across The Pinellas Trail. This rails to trails biking, walking trail extends from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg, a distance of 47 miles.

The proper name for the trail, The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail was the brainchild of a man whose son was killed while riding his bike. An average of 70,000 per month use this paved corridor which links picturesque parks, scenic coastal areas and residential neighborhoods. Needless to say we did not ride the 94 mile return trip. However we did ride 36 kilometers, from Tarpon Springs to North Clearwater and back stopping for a break at The Cappuccino in Dunedin.

Tomorrow promises to be a very warm at The Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

February 27, 28, March 1, 2013. PINK Concert, Blue Jays Game.

Wow, what a night. Seeing Pink live in Tampa was awesome. It was like a combination of cirque and concert. That woman not only has an amazing voice, she is in amazing shape. She sang for 2 1/2 hours, all the while dancing, changing outfits and even zip lining across the entire stadium while singing one of her biggest hits, "So What." She interacted with the audience and seemed to be having so much fun doing her show. It was the third show in her "The Truth About Love" world tour. Driving in and out of Tampa was easy. One of the great things about Westy's size is that she is easy to park.

We got back to our campsite at around 1 am and managed to sleep in on Thursday morning until 9:30. After breakfast we toured the park (Hillsborough State Park) on our bikes before heading to Zephyrhills Golf Course to play 18 holes. The course was very busy but the people ahead of us and behind us were very relaxed and so no one felt any pressure to hurry. Most players on the course, or maybe all players on the course were retirees, appreciative of having lots of time. We had dinner with friends in Zephyrhills before returning to the campsite.

On Thursday morning we drove to Dunedin to take in a Blue Jays game. They played the Tampa Bay Rays to a sellout crowd. Since I bought Spring Training tickets back in November we had excellent seats. It was an exciting game with the Jays winning 5 - 4. We will stay in the Dunedin area for about a week and take in some more games. Tomorrow the Jays play the Phillies and we will be there.

February 23, 2013. Spring Training

Spring training games started early this year, on February 23rd to be exact. It would have been great to see the Jays opening game but it was a couple of hours away in Lakeland against the Tigers. However, the Orioles opened their Spring Training season in Sarasota against the Twins and so we got a couple of great seats for that game. Fortunately they were in the shade because it turned out to be a hot 82 degree afternoon.

It was a great game with the home team Orioles coming out on top. We saw a couple of home runs and a few great plays in the field, plus some good pitching. It was a great afternoon. After the game we went to the box office and picked up tickets for a few more games.

On Wednesday we are going to the Pink concert in Tampa. On Friday we head for Dunedin where we will take in a few Jays games. It has been absolutely wonderful staying with our friend here in Venice. We have had many gold star days.

February 19, 20, 2013. Gasparilla Island, Shark Teeth and Opera.

Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, about 30 miles south of Venice. On Tuesday we had dinner reservations at The South Beach, but left early so that we could have some beach time. We took the scenic route to get there and traveled through a tree canopied winding road on Manasota Key which took us past secluded homes and beautiful beaches.

We paid our $6. fee to cross over to Gasparilla and waited for the bridge over the causeway to close as boats were going through.We watched a barge, down at the bow, due to its cargo of two dump trucks, plowing up the Intracoastal Waterway.

Boca Grande is a small, residential community on the Island. It boasts several exclusive shops, many exclusive homes and one great ice cream store which we visited after a walk around the town. All beaches on the island are public and so it was easy to find access to a good spot. In fact, the restaurant where we were meeting friends for dinner, is on the beach and so we parked for dinner, grabbed beach chairs out of the car and spent a good hour or so soaking up some wonderful Florida sunshine.

Since I have a hard time sitting still for any length of time, I went for a walk up the beach, meandering along in the water with the cold Gulf waves up to my ankles. I met up with a guy who was looking for shark's teeth. He showed me what they looked like and so I walked on with my eyes down, hoping to spot some of those smooth black fossils. After I spotted the first one and managed to rescue it from the retreating waves, I was hooked. I spent the rest of our beach time searching for and finding my current collection of twenty prehistoric shark's teeth.

Dining on the beach with good friends involved much shrimp, some stuffed with crab and delicious key lime pie As the sun began to set many people abandoned their tables and headed towards the beach with cameras in hand. I did too. What a splendid day.

Wednesday morning started off with a walk, shuffleboard completed the afternoon and dinner and an evening at the Sarasota Opera finished off the day. Dinner was tapas at a quiet Spanish restaurant in Sarasota.

The opera was Turandot, a Puccini opera which takes place in ancient China. Suitors come from all over the world to try to win the hand of the cold, cruel Turandot. If the suitor does not solve all three riddles, he is beheaded. Much tribulation ensues as one man is sure that he will win her hand. Although the singing was amazing, the acting left much to be desired. However, it was an entertaining evening and we experienced yet another gold star day!