Back To The Cold

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving this paradise and heading into the snow and ice of Ohio. Well, we will probably only make it to Kentucky, but I can't imagine it is very warm there. We have had a great 6 weeks and have been blessed to be able to do this. We visited Mary and Jerry one more time today. We got to laughing at the way we have been almost free-loading on this trip to Destin. Jerry was making fun of the way we had to pay next to nothing for our penthouse. We realized we even free loaded when we visited him. They couldn't remember the combination to the beach-access gate used by their condo, so all of this time we have been breaking into the gate used by the condos next door to him. This afternoon, while we were sitting there free loading, a man brought a table down and told us they were going to have a wine and cheese party FOR US later in the afternoon. We thanked him like we knew that we were entitled to that, without letting him know that 2 of us were from a different condo and the other 2 were just simple free loaders. We laughed hysterically after he left. Jerry started calling us squatters, which made us laugh even more! We will have stories to tell!

The best thing about being in Destin is seeing my sister, Barb. It has been too long. Our lives are totally different, but we discovered that we laugh alike, look similar, and even have mannerisms that are the same. We are proud of our heritage and eager to share our family traditions with those around us. Thank you Mom and Dad, for making all of this trip possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they were looking down on us smiling at the sight of us together. That always made them happy!

Barb's Transformer Car

Aunt Barb has a really cool hard-top Volkswagen convertible. After our boat trip on Saturday, she demonstrated how the top went down. I didn't have my camera ready in time to put the top down, but I was able to get it going up. I hope you enjoy all the moving parts!

Destin Boat Trip

It was close to 70 degrees Saturday, so Tony thought it would be a good day to take the boat out. We traveled along the harbor then went out near the ocean to anchor down for a while. Mary's dog Icky went with us and did fine on the boat. I seemed to be the only one having problems with motion, so I was under the influence of Dramamine. We had a great time. Barb and Tony are always gracious to take us out on their boat when we come down here.

In Search of Margaritaville

Friday we walked the beach, had lunch at the Boat House with Mary and Jerry, and walked along the Harbor Walk investigating the shops along the way. Our mission was to find Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville to buy T-shirts for friends up north. The Harbor Walk also had docks with boats used for fishing excursions and tours. We saw a lot of people coming back with the catch of the day. The fish was cleaned on the spot, which attracted several pelicans. We got a great picture of them, as they did not seem too afraid of all the humans in the area. They concentrated only on the fish that were being cleaned.

We finally found Margaritaville and were able to make our purchases. We caught this great picture of Earl's shopping experience and enjoyed the Florida sun in the chairs outside the store.

Destin at Last!

Wednesday, Feb. 4, we arrived in Destin, Florida. Finally. I love the Gulf! We first visited Mary and Jerry Smith from Green who were staying in Miramar Beach.  After dinner at Bubba Gumps, we checked in with Barb and Tony. It was so good to see her - it had been too long. They arranged for us to stay in a friend's (Art's) condo while he and his wife were in Aruba. The condo was on the top floor of the building adjacent to Barb's building. The view was spectacular looking over the harbor! This is just paradise to me.

View from our bedroom:

View from our bedroom at night:

The next morning, Barb and I walked to the beach. The only beach access is about a half mile away, but it is worth it to get to spend time on one of the finest beaches in the USA! I made this walk almost  every day during our stay.

A Stay in Live Oak, Florida

We left Palm Coast Saturday morning on Jan. 31 and headed northwest to visit Kenny Butler and his wife Lee Ray in Live Oak, Florida. Earl went to high school with Kenny so they always have so many stories to swap. Kenny lives out in the country on 25 acres that belonged to his father when he was living. When I say country, I mean COUNTRY! We saw miles and miles of farm land, pine tree groves harvested to make pulp, dilapidated houses with junk strewn all over the yard, and a variety of mobile homes in all sizes. Kenny lives in a double-wide, pre-fab home with a huge screened-in porch along the back. The temperature was in the 60s so we spent a lot of time on the porch.

Late Saturday afternoon we drove up to an old bridge that crosses the famous Suwannee River. The bridge is no longer being used, so the kids use it as a hang out and a place to display their graffiti.

Sunday, before watching the Super Bowl, we walked all around Kenny's property. His "street" is made out of sand. Only some of the streets in the country are blacktopped. I drove Lee Ray in a golf cart down the sand road. Everything was going well until I put the cart into reverse to turn around and stepped on the gas rather than the brake! We had a good laugh over that and decided not to tell the men about it.

All over the property are "Gopher" holes. We northerners think gophers are like prairie dogs. However, a "gopher", according to Kenny, is really a land tortoise that digs a hole in the sand for his home. The holes can be about 1 foot in diameter. We saw many holes, but never a gopher. I was not about to stick my hand down there!

Tuesday was cloudy and cold, but that didn't stop us from going to a retirement community along the Suwannee River called Advent Christian Village. It was a small village out in the country complete with a restaurant, shops, grocery store, drug store, clinic and more. Retirees lived in purchased homes, condos, apartments, an assisted living complex, a rehabilitation center and, of course, a nursing home. It is a quaint little area with everyone riding golf carts.

We walked through the woods on a path along the Suwannee River. Even though it was overcast, we enjoyed the walk. I always wonder what it was like for the indians and explorers who occupied the area. After our visit to this community, we did what we do best - go out to eat! We ate out every night and met Kenny and Lee Ray for breakfast Wednesday morning before leaving. If anyone has any money, feel free to send it! Enjoy these pictures of our walk: