February 8, 2015. Egmont Key

For the past three years we have talked about taking the ferry to Egmont Key. Each time we went to the ferry dock it was either the wrong day or the ferry wasn't running for some other reason. But, today was our lucky day. We drove our bikes up to the dock and stood in line with about 30 others. The boat left the dock at 11 and ten minutes later we were walking down the ramp on one of the many beaches on Egmont Key.

                               

The 74 degree temperature was perfect for exploring Egmont, a former fort complex surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches. The island is about 1 1/2 miles long and only 1/2 mile wide. Part of the island is a restricted wildlife sanctuary where birds and gopher tortoises nest. 

                               

Strolling down one of the trails that led to sites of former barracks, we came upon a tortoise that seemed to pose for pictures. We crossed over to the other side of the island and walked the beach, examining some beautiful shells and watching various pleasure boats as well as ships making their way to the port of Tampa.

                    

                              

  After two hours of exploring we made our way back to the ferry for the ten minute ride back to the Fort DeSoto wharf. A two mile bike ride later and we were back at our campsite, having thoroughly enjoyed Egmont Key.

February 1 - 6, 2015. Fort DeSoto

We are currently staying at Fort DeSoto campground, the most visited campground in all of Florida. In order to get a site here for any length of time, booking has to be made six months in advance. Fortunately I learned this lesson a few years ago and was able to book this site last August. We are comfortably set up with electricity, water, a picnic table, chairs and hammocks with a water view.

With temperatures dipping down to the high 40's F at night and slowly going back up to the high 60's and low 70's during the day, Floridians, including TV weather forecasters are calling the current stretch of weather a bit of a cold snap. I beg to differ. With a good heater for the early morning and a hoodie to take along during the day, the weather has been great for biking, exploring, reading and relaxing.

We have taken a couple of long bike rides, venturing all the way to St. Pete Beach driving on a bike trail for most of the trip but also having to use bike lanes, one of which was on a very busy street. Stopping at Dolphin Village we discovered a "real" French cafe. The owner and baker left her corporate job in France to open this cafe which has become a very successful business. 

Another great find was a Tuesday market in Gulfport. Since Internet access here is only at the camp store and ranger station and can be quite slow if there are a lot of people online, we decided to go to the Gulfport Public Library. After a couple of hours at the library we walked down the street, bought some fresh vegetables at the market and found Mangia, a quaint little restaurant serving predominately vegan, vegetarian and organic food. Lunch was delicious.

                        

        

                               Sunset at Fort DeSoto campground

January 25, 2015. Gator Bait, Concert and Landscaping.

There is never a dull moment around here, even the quiet moments are never dull. Mind you, the quiet moments are few and far between. However, last week, Janet was a little quiet about where she was going and why she was going there. Normally, when she jingles her car keys, I am ready to hop in. On this occasion I did join her but was instructed to stay in the car when we reached our destination. It was a few hours later when we were pleasantly surprised to be appointed official crew of her vessel, Gator Bait and presented with hats bearing the name in embroidered hot pink letters. I hope we can get out on the water this week so that I can wear my Gator Bait hat while paddling.

          

     

Two hours full of entertaining moments were spent at a concert Saturday in Sarasota. A wonderful soprano, Mary Wilson, sang with the Key Chorale, Chamber Chorus and orchestra. Billed as The Courts if Heaven and Earth, we were treated to music by Handel and Mozart. It was a great way to spend a chilly Florida afternoon. By chilly I mean around 18 degrees Celsius.

        

     

Today's moments included a landscaping project which we worked on a couple of years ago. We helped Janet expand her patio by lifting, placing, replacing, cleaning and finally lounging on the 30 lb. patio blocks. Doesn't the patio look great?

       

    

January 19, 2015. The Ringling Museum of Art.

John Ringling made his fortune in the circus business as the principal owner of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Shows, which were known as The Greatest Show on Earth. 

Like many wealthy Americans at the turn of the 20th century, John and his wife Mable made annual trips to Europe, where John found new acts for the circus. Together with Mable, John began collecting art by Old Masters that were the beginnings of the extraordinary collection of art that today fills The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. As well as works by such artists as Rubens and Gainsborough, the Museum houses a collection of modern art. 

        

The gallery is huge, with each room decorated to suit the time period of the display. There were so many paintings to see, as well as beautiful artifacts such as a cameo collection and pieces of furniture to admire.

       

Outside, many statues, including a replica of David, adorn the museum's courtyard. In the Dwarf Garden we saw enormous Banyon trees and dwarf statues, perhaps representative  of circus performers.

                              

On Mondays admission to the gallery is free and so we chose the perfect time to go. Although there is much more to see than the Art Gallery, one would need more than a day to take it all in. The Ringling also includes a Circus Museum, the winter residence, the Asolo Theatre, an Education Centre and numerous Gardens. We will save all of that for another time.

January 6 to January 13, 2015. Venice, Florida.

Since this is the third year in a row that we have spent the month of January in Venice, I haven't been writing, thinking that whatever I say will be repetitious. However, the past week deserves a few words and a couple of pictures.

On Sunday we went paddling in Jan's sturdy vessel, Gator Bait. Coincidentally we went paddling up Alligator Creek where we saw lots of birds and fish but thankfully, no gators. The creek is quite narrow and shallow with lots of mangroves and nice looking homes along the water's edge. The bright sunshine enhanced a very pleasant afternoon.

                              

      

                           

                           

We have also played golf where there are alligators in plain sight. For the past couple of weeks there has been, what I think, is a mama gator sunning herself just off the green on the 11th hole. I say mama because just across the bridge from where she was sunning I counted eight baby gators. Needless to say, on the day she looked wide awake, we gave mama a wide berth and didn't concern ourselves with putting.

Other than that, we have played pool, taken long walks, short bike rides, and leisurely cups of coffee at the local coffee shop. Life is good.

December 16, 2014 to January 8, 2015 Auburn and Venice

It has been a busy holiday season for the McDonald, Richard, Strom, Willoughby gang in Auburn, Alabama. Michelle and I arrived on the 16th, Joanna and Lawrence drove from Toronto on Boxing Day and Jessica and Nolan had room for all in their beautiful new home. We had a lot of fun playing card games, sightseeing, walking dogs, going to yoga, going to basketball games, attending several parties and eating great food.

                          

One of the highlights was a road trip to the Whistle Stop district in Irondale, where we ate lunch at the restaurant that was the setting for Fannie Flagg's book and movie, Fried Green Tomatoes. It was a fun little cafe. We added Birmingham to the trip and toured the Civil Rights Museum where we learned a lot about the civil rights struggles that took place in and around Birmingham. 

                       

        

We left Auburn on January 5 and drove to Venice, Florida where we will stay with a good friend of ours until the end of the month. We always have a lot of fun here; playing golf, going for bike rides, long walks, concerts, exploring and just hanging out.

December 12 - December 15, 2014. Bedford, N.S. to Auburn, Alabama

  Driving through the Northeastern United States in winter is unpleasant at best with most of the unpleasantness coming from the unpredictable weather. On days one and two of this trip we encountered snow and rain which made the driving challenging. Another complaint I have is about the condition of the Interstate through Massachusetts and Connecticut. All that aside, we made it as far as Harrisburg, PA on day two. Listening to and singing along with Christmas music while driving helped pass the long hours on the road.

Fortunately on day three we drove in fair weather and on highways in good condition, ending up just outside Knoxville, Tennessee for the night. I always enjoy the scenery through Virginia. As I was admiring the rolling hills I noticed a lone Santa in a sleigh on an enormous green lawn; such an unusual site where one would normally see horses and cows.

         

Day four was a breeze. We left Knoxville, Tennessee and decided to avoid Atlanta by driving to Auburn on state highways instead of the interstate. It was very pleasant with the temperature rising as the morning wore on. By the time we reached Auburn it was around 18 degrees. It felt good to outside without a hat, gloves, heavy sweater and vest.