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!

February 16, 17, 18. 2013. Chilly, Concert, Birds and Bikes

It isn't always hot and sunny in Florida. Occasionally there are cold fronts that come through and the temperature drops. Sometimes it even rains. Any cold front that does make it this far is blamed on Canada of course, and the television forecasters seem to make a big deal out of the "cold" weather. However, it is all relative and cold to Floridians is certainly not cold to Nova Scotians. Going for a walk wearing jeans and a long sleeved t shirt is definitely no hardship for this snowbird.

On Saturday evening we braved the elements (tongue in cheek) and went to a Venice Symphony Concert. The guest piano soloist, Joyce Valentine received a standing ovation. Her fingers were a blur as she played a Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto. The remaining pieces were equally as good. A concert is that much better when the musicians are enjoying themselves and there was a lot of energy coming from the stage.

Every morning we go for a walk that takes us past a long, shallow pond where there are always birds hanging around, wading and foraging for food. I finally remembered to take my camera with me and captured a couple of my favorites: Sandhill Cranes and the Snowy Egrets. Both are common here as this park is a bird sanctuary. We have seen so many different birds and have wondered what they are and so we purchased A Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America. 

Today was an ideal day for a bike ride. We took a side street and ended up on an unpaved road that led us to farms where we saw goats, donkeys and horses. Apparently all of this area used to be farm country. 

I picked the remaining tangerines from the tree today and squeezed out some delicious juice. Fresh fruit is one of the great things about Florida.

February 8, 9, 2013. Tangerine Tree, Hair and Bikes

On Friday morning, before it got too hot, I tackled tangerine tree maintenance. This involved pruning, weeding, removing sod from around the tree and of course, enjoying the scent of the newly forming blossoms. I enjoy gardening and am glad that there are a few gardening chores to be done here. 

In preparation for dinner guests on Saturday evening we went shopping on Friday afternoon. Our last stop was the grocery store. As we approached the grocery store I noticed a sign that read, Haircuts, $4.99! Half jokingly, I said that I should go there since I needed a haircut. Before I knew it, the car was stopped in front of the Salon , I was out and the other two drove on to the grocery store. Fortunately the haircut was a good one (so I have been told) and $4.99 was the grand opening price.

This morning we put two bikes on Westy and one in Westy and drove to the community college in Sarasota to attend a bike maintenance workshop. We learned about tire changing, basic adjustments and routine maintenance. The instructor was a little scattered but I did learn a few things. I was particularly interested in how to prevent rust and how to take care of a chain. Some parts of mime (brake line, a few bolts) got a bit rusty from sitting on the bike rack on Westy in all kinds of weather. Also there is a lot of sand in Florida and it can play havoc with a chain. Fortunately, I had already done one thing right by applying good old WD-40 to the chain to remove the sandy grit. 

Dinner for seven of us was great. The carnivores ate steak while veggie burgers were on the menu for the vegetarians. Cake and ice cream for desert and a decaf cappuccino completed the day. Isn't Florida fun?

February 6, 7, 2013. Shuffle and Golf

When my parents spent their winters in Florida I recall seeing a shuffleboard court at their condo complex. When I asked my dad about the game he said that it was just for old people and so when given the opportunity to try shuffleboard on Wednesday I couldn't help but think back to my father's comments. Dad was  wrong. If shuffleboard is just for old people, then I am old people.

The object of the game is to slide your discs, with a long stick called a cue, so that they land in a scoring area some 50 feet away. Players alternate sliding each of their 4 discs trying to hit opponent's discs out of the scoring area while keeping theirs in. It is kind of like curling.  

We played with some of the neighbours and thoroughly enjoyed the game. After shuffleboard we spent some time at the pool.  We plan to play again next Wednesday.

Wednesday is shuffleboard day, Thursday is golf day and so we played 18 holes at Bird Bay Golf Course. It was hot today and quite windy and so after the game we were exhausted. However, not too exhausted to go to Left Coast Seafood Company for dinner. The crab stuffed shrimp were almost as good as the coconut shrimp.

February 5, 2013. Travel Plans

If you could name the two worst travel problems I am guessing that cancelled flights and illness would be close to the top. Although these things haven't happened to me during this trip, I have been witness to both. 

A couple who were supposed to fly from Halifax to Tampa yesterday spent the day in the Halifax airport only to read "cancelled" on the departure board after many, many delays. As disappointed as they were, the went home and vowed to get here somehow. That "how" seemed to materialize this afternoon as they packed the car and headed out. They should arrive on Saturday.

Their best friends who are already here experienced the other icky travel problem; illness. After a great bike ride yesterday excruciating pain brought this guy to his knees. A guy who never gets sick and never complains about being sick asked for an ambulance. Luckily, although she was in a bit of shock, his wife was able to call the ambulance and get him to a hospital. The diagnosis of kidney stone needing to pass was a relief to all. Unfortunately, he spent the night in a lot of pain and couldn't keep his meds down, but an appointment with a urologist this afternoon will definitely spell "relief".  Luckily they have a great health plan... A must when traveling outside of Canada.

Due to being at the hospital until late last night, today was a rather lazy day here in Venice. I did manage to do a bit of yard work and the orange tree looks much tidier now after my trimming and weeding. How pleasant to pull weeds to the scent of orange blossoms.

Sitting out on the patio, after all that work in the hot sun, we heard many bird sounds and as we looked towards a tall palm, we noticed two ospreys. Jays cardinals and even a seagull joined the chorus.

Plans for the rest of the week include golf, eating out, golf and getting Westy's awning repaired.

January 30, 31, 2013. St. Pete's Beach and Wind, Wind, Wind

Today's plan was to take the ferry to Egmont Key to hike and visit an historic site. We rode our bikes up to the pier and as we peddled against strong winds, I began to have doubts about the ferry. When we reached the dock, the first thing we noticed were big waves pounding on the beach. It was much windier here than at the campground. A sign indicated that the ferry would not be running today due to high winds. In spit of the winds it was hot, around 80 degrees.

Plan B was to drive into St. Pete's Beach to explore the town. Breaking camp is easy with the Westy: roll up the awning, put the top down and go! 

We found a great coffee shop where we enjoyed Internet access and a good cup of coffee. When we finished here it was time for lunch. I had surfed TripAdvisor for recommendations and fortunately one of the seafood restaurants recommended was a few doors down from the coffee shop. After a delicious shrimp lunch we drove to the beach and walked off some of those lunchtime calories. St. Pete's Beach is beautiful, with miles of white sand and warm water. 

We returned to the campground, feeling sunburned, windburned and weary. It was another great day. However, the night was another matter.

The winds were still fairly strong when we went to bed but since they were in a southerly direction we were sheltered. At about one am we were awakened by a crashing sound. The wind had shifted to the north and with the shift came rain and more wind. The awning took a direct hit and hence the crashing sound. We quickly got the awning rolled up, but not without damage to two poles. Back in bed, I wondered how the testers next to us we're doing as the rain poured down and the wind howled.

We woke up to a sunny, but very windy, cool Thursday. We will wait until the wind subsides later today before we attempt a repair to the awning. Lesson learned: when there are heavy winds and even if you feel protected, ROLL  UP THE AWNING! 

I was intrigued by the behavior of the birds this morning. Normally there are lots, but they are not all together. This morning I noticed a  swath of black on the water, moving ever so slowly and realized that it was about 500 birds huddled together, letting the wind bring them into the bay. Hard to believe that it is too windy for the birds to fly.

Tomorrow we return to Venice for the month of February. Have I mentioned lately how much I love retirement?