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