Soon be heading home....

Today we start the last two weeks of our stay here in Florida. The sun is shining, the breeze is barely a breath and the birds are chirping happily as the day begins. It is always bittersweet at this time of our stay as we hate to leave but are ready to get home and see everyone. I know the time will pass quickly and before we know it we will be in the car on our trip home.

The past month has been a flurry of activity as usual and sleep comes easily with an early bedtime.  Being outside all day soaking in the sun and fresh air certainly makes you ready for a good night’s sleep. This month Roger has golfed every week, been fishing out on the inter coastal waterway with his friend Matt on his boat, and of course partaking in his weekly plein air painting group. I have had the ladies luncheon and fashion show, book club, trivia night, and pool time, and the list could go on and on. We have had some fun nights out with friends and lots of potlucks and dinner parties.

Last week we went for a Sunday drive with our friends Karen and Terry. We tootled around to different parks and preserves and saw lots of Florida wildlife, birds and flowers.  We stopped for supper and then made one last stop to watch the sunset at the savannah preserve not far from us. It was a wonderful day full of surprises.

This week is a busy one with book club at our condo tonight, Tuesday is Rogers paintout day, Wednesday is the international food potluck at the club house and Roger has the Harbour Isle men’s golf tournament during the day, Friday is the book club luncheon at a restaurant on the ocean and finally Trivia night on Saturday. Who knows what else will crop up but we must get some packing and cleaning done in their as well.

It has been a good season and we have had lots of fun.  We have thought long and hard about a change of place and trying something new but  after MUCH debate we decided to come back here again next year.  

We are hoping the sun and warmth is waiting for us when we get home and that spring is truly around the corner. See you all soon!

Carol

These are some of the pictures from our Sunday drive!

The beautiful peacock who put on a display for us!

Moving into the last weeks....

We are now entering the last weeks of our time here in Florida. Its been a busy February and as always the days come and go in a blink of an eye.  The weather has been above normal temperatures and the winds have tapered down leaving us with very hot days. I am onto my second bottle of sunscreen and second tubes of 50 for lip and nose. I have tanned up well but don’t want to get any darker.

My friend Brenda was here for her annual visit and was fortunate this year to have fabulous weather. We had lots of pool time and managed to slip in some successful shopping.   She was also here for Mardi Gras and Trivia night and of course to watch our share of Olympics.

Mardi Gras Supper

Mardi Gras was a very fun evening at our friend Laura’s condo! Mimosas with cherries anda coctail umbrellas started off the event with conch fritters, Jambalaya, pineapple casserole, cheese biscuits, and coleslaw to delight our palate. To finish off the meal we had homemade merengue nests with whip cream and berries. Truly a fabulous evening with endless laughter!

Maggie , Karen and I at trivia

Trivia night was a success as the rivalry of teams egged each other on to the finish. Some of the answers people came up with were hilarious so it was not much wonder that there was uproarious laughter going on at the tables. My friends Karen and Maggie I are in charge of Trivia night and have one more to do in March. We are adding a few twists that I hope people will enjoy! You have to keep this group on their toes!

We have had many lazy days here at the pool, swimming, exercising or socializing.  Suppers with friends are plentiful as are the happy hours unwinding after a hot day in the sun.  Roger still paints out with his artist friends once or twice a week and of course bocce twice a week as well. He has done a fair amount of golfing this year and has quite enjoyed the men’s outing.

The last book I read for Book club was The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. An excellent read. This month is Circling the Sun by Paula McLean. It is a bit slow to start but picks up as it goes along.  It will provide good discussion in our diverse group of readers.

I was up early this morning and there was not a breath of wind, something rare here. I do see now a few ripples coming across the pond so as the sun rises so does the wind.  The mallards are circling the pond leaving small ripples in their wake. So far only one turtle has made its way to poke its head up, but I imagine it won’t be long before more come to play in the morning light. The egrets poke along the shore looking for breakfast as do the ibis. There are 2 great herons hanging out on the grass around the pond and I am sure they too will soon be snapping up a fish breakfast.  A few people mill about walking their dogs and the serious walkers have headed out before it gets too hot. I see the pool cleaners have arrived and the day takes on its life here at Harbour Isle.

Beautiful Sunsets

Roger's Trivia Team

Already February...

We are already into February and I am yet again amazed at how time flies.  It has certainly been a different experience this year with the cooler temperatures and never ending wind. There is no amount of hair spray that could hold your hair in place with these winds.  Every few days we get a calm and warmer day but I must say this is the coolest year we have had down here. Pool days have not been as plentiful but we have managed to find things to do. I have read many books in addition to our book club books and been to lots of really good movies. Movies are only $5.00 for a senior here so it is a cheap outing! The last 2 movies were excellent, The Darkest Hour and The Post. If you are at all interested in history these are great movies.

I am not sure if it is the cool weather or just the lack of tourists but the restaurants are not as busy as previous years.  Very seldom do you need a reservation and I notice that other than the market on Saturdays there a fewer people out and about. I will say that colds and flu have really taken a toll on the area so maybe people are just staying home. I had a brief cold for 4 days and Roger also had it for about a week. Roger seemed to be hit a bit harder with it but compared to others we seemed to kick it quick. I said it was our good strong Canadian blood!

Our social life remains busy with dinners and BBQ’s and Y-Not Wednesday get togethers. Luckily, Sunday was a beautiful evening and we had a great BBQ with friends and were able to eat outside and enjoy each other’s company. 

Finally this week we had a couple of really hot days with decreased winds which made it perfect pool days.  It has been a long while since we have been able to sit out at the pool until late afternoon enjoying swimming chatting and sunbathing.  The forecast looks great for February so let’s hope its right! 

Super Bowl weekend is huge down here and is taken very seriously. Everywhere has Super Bowl specials and the bars and restaurants are having big parties. We are off to a party on Sunday at a friend’s condo here in Harbour ilse.  They are fellow Canadians from Ontario and we always have a good time with them so we are looking forward to the party. Many of our friends will be there as well adding to the fun and excitement.

It looks like another pool day today so I best get my grocery shopping done early. It is market day so will have to stop and pick up some fresh veggies. They have the best brussel sprouts here that are tender and delicious. They seem to make it onto our table at least once a week now. It is honey bell season as well so oranges are a must. The honey bell oranges are picked the night before the market so they are fresh, sweet and juicy. Even the grapefruit are very sweet when they are so fresh!

I hope you are all well and keeping busy.  Take care all.

Carol

evening sky as sun sets

blood moon setting

blood moon setting with partial eclipse

on to a New Year....

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and Happy New Year.  The holiday season for us was full as we celebrated with old friends and a few new ones.  Christmas eve was spent at our condo with friends and we had a wonderful night of laughter, reminiscing of old times and sharing delicious cocktails. Christmas Day brought more festivities ending with a full turkey dinner at our friends Karen and Terry’s condo.  The evening ended with music and dancing and of course much laughter as we jived and did the hula dance!

We have been fortunate to have Gavin, our grandson, with us since the 30^th of December.  The first couple of days we had warm weather but since we seem to be in a cold snap. That has not dampened the visit though and we have been out and about seeing the area. He did get in a couple of pool days and did some late night swimming and hot tubbing! The New Year’s Eve was a party at our condo with a good crowd reveling in the New Year.  It was champagne all around as we toasted in the New Year vowing to make it the best one ever!  The morning brought the “Turtle dip” event. Like the polar dip except a dip into a 88 F. heated pool!  

This week we have been to the Navel Seal museum, which was right up Gavin’s alley. He watched all the short documentaries and was very interested in the history of all the wars. The island where we live was the training base for the naval seals during WW2. They trained in underwater explosives. It is where the term frogmen came from.   There are many interesting artifacts and equipment to see, as well as helicopters and boats to explore. To see how the Navy Seals have evolved over time is quite amazing. We  then spent the afternoon exploring different beaches and seeing the area along the coast. To finish off the day we went to the movie “Jumanji”, and had a late supper of Pizza and Strombolli!

The next day we were up early and off to the Kennedy Space Centre. It was really rainy and cold in the morning but it did warm up a bit later in the day.  Most exhibits were inside so after our initial arrival we managed to stay out of the rain. We did get soaked going from the car to the ticket booth and on the run to the first building. Another bad hair day!!! Lol. It was a very fun day though and the new Atlantis building, housing the space shuttle, was really a highlight. There has been quite a few changes and upgrades at the Centre since we were there last and I was impressed with new presentations. The cinematography was unbelievable.  Roger and Gavin went on the take-off simulator which apparently is very realistic according to the astronauts.  I opted to browse the gift shop since I am prone to motion sickness! All in all it was a fabulous trip.  We ended the day with a stop at Bass Pro so Gavin could buy a hat he has been coveting online.  It was a quiet trip home as this happy young man promptly fell asleep and did not stir until we arrived at the condo.  I do believe we wore him out!

The next day was a chilly one outside but we bundled up and headed out for the airboat ride on the Florida swamp land. It was a 1 ½ hours long and well worth it. The alligators were a bit elusive with the cold weather but we did see some really old large ones basking in the sun. The bird life was very active and we saw many beautiful species flying, perching and fishing for food. The green heron was so gorgeous and I was happy to see it as they are often hard to spot as they blend in to the environment. The ospreys were nesting and roosting in the cypress trees and as usual they display themselves as proud regal birds.   If you come to Florida I would highly recommend the swamp tour.  Skimming across the swamp seeing the natural Florida environment including the plant life is amazing and a great way to view the native birds of the area. The pond lilies, the water irises, water lettuce to name a few flourish here and cover the swamp in beauty!  After a shrimp supper, Gavin and Roger went to see the latest Star Wars movie while I caught up on some needed rest!

Friday we gave Gavin a morning to sleep in to catch up on some needed sleep! Actually Roger and I slept in a bit too as the busy week was catching up to us.  At noon we were all rested and ready to head out to the Oceanographic Center of Florida. It is located about 25 minutes away along the A1A coastal highway.   Gavin really enjoyed the time spent here as it provided some interesting information much to see. First was the sting ray exhibit where you can pet the stingrays and feed them. The presentation was informative and fun. The turtle exhibit was interesting but we were not able to see all the live species of turtles due to the cold weather. Apparently the get “Turtle stunned”  if exposed to  much cold weather.  All the turtles are rescue turtles at the Centre and have had issues where they cannot be released back into the wild.  Gavin enjoyed the nature trail down to the lagoon and saw snakes and other interesting things he stopped to take pictures of. The trail walk was followed by a presentation and feeding of the fish. There are many natural Florida  fish species in the man-made lagoon area, including sharks.  The presenter was very knowledgeable and also spoke about the pollution of the area and the effects of the water flow and run off from the farms and Lake Okeechobee. He was available for questions at the end and Gavin talked with him for a while. He was able to ask him about the pictures he took and what they were and the different types of algae he saw on the lagoon.  The afternoon was a great experience and very informative for all of us.

The week flew by and we hated to see Gavin go home so soon but off to the airport we went. It was a wonderful week and we enjoyed having Gavin all to ourselves. I wish the weather had been warmer but we made the most of it and so did he. I know he will be back!

Most of the snowbirds have arrived back here and all the winter activities start this week. The weather is promising to warm up to normal temps and activity at the pool will resume.  

Here’s to a new year filled with happiness and good health!

petting the stingrays

The two week mark...

The two week mark…..

We have been here for 2 weeks and all is well. The weather this week has been on the cool side but we have made the best of it with activities and social outings. Dinner parties have begun and people are slowly getting into the swing of the holiday season.  The annual Christmas party was on Sunday night, gathering over 70 people for great food, music and dancing.  It was wonderful to mingle and catch up with friends, some snowbirds and some permanent residents, but all people who share the desire for friendship and fun times.

Roger has started painting with his plein air paint group again and is right back into the regular bocce games. From the sound of the roars and cheers from the court I think they are having a great time. Today he is off golfing again, up early with no complaint and off to play with the fearsome foursome.

Friday is a potluck supper at the clubhouse followed by a concert at the Sunrise Theatre. It is a children’s benefit and has youth choirs from the area preforming. I will let you know how it goes!

Saturday is the light parade at Golden Ponds, the annual drive through with amazing light displays. Every year it seems to get better and better. The fee is a canned good for the food bank .  Like many communities this time of year it is difficult for food banks. Donations are low and need is high. You do not have to drive very far off the island to see the poverty that exists in this area.

Yesterday it was a movie and dinner out with friends. We went to see the movie Murder on the Orient Express. It was a very good movie with great acting. Movies are only $5.00 here so it makes it very reasonable to have a cheap night out.

Hope all is well with everyone at home. Talk soon.

Carol

a few pics....

These are a few pictures taken with my phone while out and about the past week!

Lights at the club house .Seen on our nightly walk.

part of the holiday parade

Trided to capture the huge moon, hard to do with my phone
It was so big and bright!

on the harbour, lights set to music

morning from my front patio

We have arrived....

We have arrived and somewhat settled in. Bags are unpacked , some groceries bought, contact made with friends and a good swim in the pool. The weather is exceptionally warm for this time of year and we are enjoying the heat and sunshine.

The trip down was uneventful and although seemed long at times we made good time. There was a short stop in Wisconsin dells for cheese but beyond that it was pretty much straight driving.  We listened to an audio book the first couple of days and that passed the time as we became involved in the mystery. It was called The Forgotten Girls and was very good. It had some historical fiction in it as well which was interesting.

Today is the holiday parade and harbor and tree lighting. It will be crazy busy but provides free entertainment down on the harbor from 1-10 pm.  It is a ninety unit parade and has the added bonus that it is not cold!!! No shaking and shivering waiting for the Santa float.  I will be sure to get in a swim this morning before we go and be all refreshed for the festivities.

The December calendar is filling up with holiday parties and events. Now the big question is “What do I wear”. Shopping might be in order….oh yes, I know it is.

Well, best get on with the day. The pool is calling……..come have a swim!

Take care all.

Say hello to sunshine.....goodbye to snow

Say hello to sunshine….

We leave once more for the warmth and sunshine of Florida. Every year we think it will be our last trip down, but we continue to be drawn by the promise of the sun and the friends who wait for us to arrive.

The spring, summer and fall have been a whirlwind for us as we navigated the life of the sandwich generation and are reminded of our own aging. No one is immune from the challenges and changes in life and sometimes it all comes at once.  My sister called it an upside down year and that is what it has been. These past few months have left us little time to connect with friends here in Manitoba and it seems strange to head back south after not seeing very much of them.  I hope they all understand.

We head south this year with my mom settling into Fairview nursing home. It’s a change for her and a change for the family, but for both a bit of a relief as now her daily needs are taken care of. The process of placement is a difficult one and I am glad I had siblings to share it with. We had many an evening with late suppers, wine, whiskey and laughter after a day of sorting, packing and visiting our mom. Sister time took on a whole new meaning.  Perhaps that was the silver lining, all the time spent together.

Health issues plagued us through the first part of the summer but we now feel patched back together and ready to move on. It was sisters to the rescue again when I was down for the count. They put a lot of miles on the road back and forth from Winnipeg this summer and fall. Their spouses were a godsend and always ready to take on a task. We feel blessed!

We did manage to sneak in some time for Grandchildren but could always use more. I do know we have the greatest Grandkids ever. Smart, loving, funny and…. need I say more…. The BEST!

Our preparations to head south are well underway with many  boxes ticked off of our list of to-do’s.  The last few days are hectic every year as the last minute chores and packing get done.  We finish up the last of our appointments, banking, packing and cleaning and then it’s off to a warmer climate.

We say a temporary good bye to our friends of Manitoba and a see you soon to our friends of Florida!  I will do my best to keep this blog up to date and include as many pictures as I can.

Take care and have a good winter.