Merry Christmas.....

December 20^th, 2013

Hello and Merry Christmas. As most of you know we are back in Manitoba for the Christmas season. Roger calls it our “12 days of Crispness.” What a shock to hit the -37 C temps when we exited the airport. I was like an ice cube for 2 days, but I have finally warmed up and seem to be acclimatizing nicely… well as much as one can any way under these harsh winter conditions. 

The past couple of weeks before arriving home were filled with the usual holiday parties and events, including the boat parade, tree lighting, and a drive through the Golden Pond Retirement Park that had an open house for people to drive through to see the elaborately decorated community of lights. It took just over an hour to drive through and was really very well done.  The residents partied in the cul de sacs while others played music, directed traffic and handed our candy.  It is a different feel to the holiday season in Florida with decorated palm trees, glowing flashing pelicans and decorated boats.  In the boat parade Santa’s sleigh was pulled with sea horses….very cute but kind of strange. We hated to leave the warmth and sunshine behind but it has been wonderful to connect with family and friends here in Manitoba.

We head back to Florida on December 30^th for the remainder of the winter and will be back in time for the arrival of our new grandchild in early April.

Roger and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy  2014.

palm tree at the entrance to our condo complex

 

boat parade

Thanksgiving over....and on to Christmas...

December 3rd, 2013

Hello everyone,

Another week has slipped by with a mix of weather and the big American Thanksgiving.  There has been a fair amount of wind and rain with sun off and on as is typical we are told, for Florida November weather.  I manage to get to the pool everyday so by Canadian standards the weather is not too bad. It is usually myself and a few other hardy Northerners as we are called that are in the pool.

Thanksgiving is over but the shopping hype continues. Every day there are countless ads and emails about Black Friday sales Black Weekend sales and the approaching Cyber Monday.  We have not ventured into the swarms of eager shoppers, but have driven by the parking lots to see them full to capacity. This is especially true for Walmart and Target.  On Thursday, which was the real Thanksgiving here we went with a group of people to a great restaurant on the water called manatee Island. The food was fabulous and the view could not have been better.  Watching the water birds, the sail boats and other water craft cruise by was a nice touch to the day. There was the traditional thanksgiving food like turkey , ham, stuffing, regular and  sweet potatoes, but it was so nice to have the mahi mahi , shrimp, and smoked salmon.  The desserts were countless and Roger said the pecan pie was delicious but I opted for the warmed Bree cheese with fresh strawberry glaze coupled with fresh oatmeal raisin cookie; a good choice as it was to die for.  Our reservations were for three in the afternoon so we had time to walk off some of our meal before we headed to friends later for coffee and “holiday custard pie”.   Now we are on toothpicks and water for the weekend. Lol

We tried a lovely new wine this week called Gnarly Head which is an old vine zin. A beautiful medium bodied red wine that is very smooth and is great wine to sip and savour.   It is made in California and has won several awards. I hope we are able to get it in Canada when we get back otherwise we will just have to drink our fill while we are here.  Last week we tried Malee Point Shiraz which was also very good. I am not sure what next week’s pick will be, perhaps a new white wine is in order.

We look forward to the arrival of more of our friends now that Thanksgiving is over.  People seem to arrive in waves, the pre-Halloween, the post-Thanksgiving and then the post-Christmas crowd.  As some people arrive others go back up north for the holidays only too eager to return to the sun once the holidays are over.  We are excited to go home for Christmas and see everyone, but I know that we too will look forward to returning to the warmth and sunshine down here.

Last night we were out for dinner with friends as Carrabas, an Italian restaurant, which was extremely good. They call it “amore night” with great specials.   A four coarse meal for  12 or 15 dollars a person  depending on what you order along with dipping bread and half price drinks.  A pretty cheap evening out for dinner and lots of fun.

 The week ahead promises blue skies and sunshine with low wind, perfect for lounging at the pool.  The weekend holds the Santa Claus parade, the tree lighting on the harbour and our community Christmas party at the clubhouse.  Before you know it we will be on the plane home for the holidays.

Have a great week everyone!

Carol

Late Posting......

November 22, 2013

I am a bit late posting this week as our social calendar has been full and we always seem to be on the go somewhere. I suppose it is a good that we are busy and keeping active with the days just flying by one after the other.  There is no time for boredom and we are sure sleeping well.  I continue to get up every day for aqua sizes that start at 8 am so the day begins bright and early with barely time for coffee before heading to the pool. I have not yet convinced Roger to come but the number of water fitness beauties are growing every day.  Roger’s early morning is his painting morning with his art group as he heads out before 9 am.  It’s early to bed and early to rise here these days although I still have to get down to the jetty to see the sunrise.  We have seen lots of sunsets but sunrises are still on the list of to-dos. 

We have enjoyed some evenings down at the water, especially the jetty where the new park and walkways are so lovely. There are people of all races and all ages walking along, fishing, or just sitting watching the water and boats.  On Sunday there were families with their picnics enjoying the beautiful evening, elderly couples holding hands on the benches and there was even a wedding on the dunes overlooking the ocean.  After 2 years of construction down seaway drive the benefits are paying off creating a small piece of paradise on this lovely little island.

We have had a fair number of days lately with cloud and a bit of rain mixed in although I am always able to get pool time every day.  Apparently it is typical weather for this time of year and since the temperature is still warm, 24-28 degrees C. we do not complain. With the mix of sun and cloud it gives nice variety to the day.  Yesterday we had whapping storm in the afternoon with 4 ½ inches in an hour. It was torrential rain that filled roads and canals and although it eased off a fraction the rain continued to pound down for several hours.  No leisurely evening walk on the jetty last night that for sure.

This week was Y Not Wednesday at the club house where we have potluck appetizers and drinks, socialize and get a good dose of laughter in.  Last year it was Thirsty Thursday, but the date had to change to Wednesdays because bowling league is Thursday now and interfered with people attending.   I have had several offers to join the bowling league, but I think I will pass and opt for the occasional game of Bocce instead. Bocce is very big as there are many Italians that live here.  This means there is never a shortage of baked Ziti, lasagna, Italian sausage and peppers or lemoncello . It is a real Italian smorgasbord at the potlucks.  Yum! Yum!

It is hard to believe another weekend is here. We plan a quiet weekend, but who knows what might come along. We will go to the fresh market tomorrow and perhaps the fish market as well. I have a craving got snapper. I love the fresh snapper down here as it is so mild and flakey, although most people here are grouper fans. I find grouper a bit fishy, but it is still good and most popular at restaurants.  (Of course Norma, we will not ask for the sweet almond sauce. lol)

I have been slowly getting used to my new camera but have not quite mastered it yet. I like it though and hope in time I will get more proficient with using it. . The SLR is a great but a steep learning curve for me.  

It is American Thanksgiving on Thursday and we are off to dinner with friends to Manitee Island Thanksgiving dinner.  We are not sure what to expect but agreed to go along with whatever they planned, so 3 pm dinner it is. I do know we are overlooking the water so the view alone should be good. Once Thanksgiving is over I imagine the push to Christmas will be crazy. Black Friday is fast approaching and the ads and flyers are filling the papers. It is strange to see the decorated palm trees and the non-traditional Christmas colors like turquoise and lime green decorations on the light posts and buildings. They have red and blue as well as another Christmas combination.  I am anxious to see what they  have in their Santa Claus Parade in  couple of weeks. I will be sure to take some pictures to post.

Hope all is well back in Manitoba. Take care everyone and keep in touch.

 

Carol

birds of  feather.....

 

                      

 

 

 

 

Out and About.....

November 10^th, 2013

A quiet week here as we enjoyed the warmth and kept ourselves active.  The weather was warm bout 26-29 degrees most days, but bit cloudy this week with occasional spurts of rain.  Most rain was at night so it did not interfere with being out and about. Between crafting, painting, reading, walking, biking, fishing, photography and pool time we managed to fill out our week.  Oh, and I can’t forget happy hour with friends to round off the day. Yes, life is good here although we certainly miss everyone at home. 

Yesterday we went to the navy seal museum for their fall muster which included a great demonstration of what the navy seals do. Service dog demonstrations, sniper shooting, helicopter recognisance, takedowns, and Para trooping.   The Afghanistan re-enactment with demo ammunition and explosives was so real. The noise of the guns, smoke and bang of the explosives created quite an unsettled feeling.   The whirl of the helicopter set down in front of us and men with their camouflage uniforms, helmets and guns hung out pointing their weapons at the targets. A thick green smoke screen made cover for them to rescue marines from danger and apprehend the enemy.  It was all very tense and realistic as they made calls over the radio. The helicopters pulled away and a military plane flew over with the paratroopers. They dropped from the cloudy sky with wide white billowy parachutes, landing exactly on their target.  The crowds cheered and the music blared and over the loud speaker you could hear the “hooyaa” ! It was all very American and very rah rah rah, but still a spectacular show.  As we approach Remembrance Day tomorrow (or Veterans Day as they call it here) it was a reminder of how many sacrifices are still being made by those who serve and their families.

Now that Halloween is over and American Thanksgiving fast approaching the sale flyers are pouring in. Every store is on the hunt for the shopper who wants to part with their money. Coupons and supersales seem to be the norm here and one does not venture out without checking their coupons, either from the internet or the paper. Smart phones have apps for coupons and are seen being used at the checkouts. If it is not on sale or you do not have a coupon then you don’t buy it. The other day while shopping at the craft store people in the lineup were trading coupons before they reached the till. Luckily, Roger had printed off extra coupons so I was able to contribute to the coupon swap and shop. Black Friday notices are starting and we must not forget Cyber Monday which seems to be very popular.  I think I will leave black Friday to the brave souls who want to risk the mobs just to get a good deal.  There are certainly signs of Christmas in the stores as decorations, trees, and Christmas home décor fill the shelves and isles. Macy’s had beautiful trees all decorated in different themes.  It is quite different to see nautical themes, ocean themes, beach themed, even a peacock tree along with the more traditional. Santa’s big red mailbox sits at the entrance to the store beside a desk with Christmas paper and pens for children to write letters to Santa and then mail them.  It was very cute to see kids of all ages writing their precious letters and dropping them into the box.  Christmas music is blaring from all the store speakers and I am already tired of “walking in a winter wonder land”.  It definitely is a popular song and I figure it’s because they don’t get snow or cold here. Kind of a fantasy…lol

Not much else is new with us. We hope all is well with everyone at home. Take care all.

Carol

Roger fishing at sunset...

 

My eye is on you!

 
                             

The end of week one....

November 2, 2013

Here we are at the end of week one, starting to tan up and finishing our settling in. Life here is much quieter than in the winter months as many of the snow birds have not yet arrived. According to the locals it is right after American thanksgiving that the snowbirds flock into the area.  We are enjoying the quiet and peacefulness as most days there are only 6-8 people at the pool.  The stores and restaurants are not busy and traffic is at a minimum.

The seaway drive to the jetty is finished, after 2 years of construction, and it is a beautiful drive.  Palm trees line the road and new sidewalks are in place. The jetty park is complete with lots of seats for viewing , resting and fishing. . The traffic circle keeps traffic moving and it is easy access to the ocean by the jetty and around the corner and down A1A,(ocean drive).  It will be quick to get to Brenda and Toms place this winter. No more detours…..yipee!

Roger has purchased a new sea fishing rod and fishing licence. It took a bit to get his licence as he had to register with homeland security because we live outside the US. I am all for security, but really for a fishing licence. I guess he passed inspection because they eventually issued him a licence and told him he is now officially registered and he should have not more problem getting licence’s etc.  Whatever that means? He is out back on the harbour wall fishing with the guys tonight, enjoying the setting sun and hoping to catch the big one! 

It is beautiful sunset tonight with an orange sky with streaks of deep yellow and a few thin white clouds stretched across the horizon. So beautiful.  The sunrise still eludes me as getting up that early is not on the agenda yet, at least for me.

Roger has set up his painting equipment and has joined a painting group that meets in different parks and beaches throughout the area to paint. He has only been once but seemed to really enjoy it and plans to keep going.  It is different type of painting than he is used to but he seems to enjoy it so that is the main thing.

I set up a space for my jewelry making yesterday and plan to get started in the next day or so.  I look forward to the start of weekly bead nights  with the jewelry making group we have here. As we expand our creative minds there is lots of fun and laughter over, the “oops”, the” uglies”, and the “oh that’s beautiful “creations.  Of course, a glass of homemade Lemoncello always tops off the evening.

All in all, it has been a good first week. The weather has been fantastic, the days at the pool perfect and it has been great catching up with our friends.  

Take care all and have a wonderful week!

Carol

 

fishing for their supper.......

morning stroll on the sea wall....

It All Begins Again...

October 26^th, 2013

Hello everyone, I decided to start the blog and get it rolling for another year. We have arrived at the condo here in Florid after a wonderful drive down. It was the first time traveling through many of the states in the fall and what beautiful colors we saw.

The Ozark mountains and the Ozark forest national park in Arkansas was spectacular with the vibrant fall colors dotting the landscape. We took a  little detour onto the scenic loop while driving through the forest and found some neat little areas to enjoy. There was also a little village called Mountainburgh that was like a step back in time. Old stone cottages, church, school and stores lined the streets of this quaint little hideaway. It was nestled in a valley of the forest with large ancient trees towering above what seemed to me like the  land of the leprechauns.  There were no wee folk about so  I guess it was just an old town that stood the test of time and remained true to its own way of life.

For the most part our trip was uneventful and temperatures outside warmed steadily as we made our way south.  I developed laryngitis on the way down so there was not much conversation but we did enjoy a good mystery audio book to pass the time in the car. Our car was very good on gas and we lucked out on some good hotel prices including our free night a Best Western. So to sum up, our trip was quiet, inexpensive and picturesque.  Perfect!

We have settled in quickly and enjoyed our first evening at a murder mystery party. Good food and lots of laughter was a great way to start our time in Florida. It was fun to catch up with friends and even meet a few new people. This afternoon was pool time after visiting the market this morning for fresh fruit and veggies. The pool is as lovely as ever and continues to pull me into its silky relaxing salt water. Ahhhh, devine!!!!

Take care all .

Carol

Here few pics long the way