Another "Season" in the Books

That's what they call it down here...season...the months when all the snowbirds come and stay to enjoy the nice, warm, sunny weather.  I'm sure they all breathe a sigh of relief when we all go home, like we do when the summer is over and everyone goes home!  

Well, today we are leaving and heading home.  I always have mixed emotions...

I'm sad because:

     I love the warm weather
     I love the big, wide, sunny blue skies
     I love the canal with it's jumping fish and high/low tides
     I love going to the beach and parking for $.75/hour and hardly anyone's there
     I love the tropical birds
     I love the palm trees
     I love the lack of responsibilities and appointments
     I love Mercer's Coffee, the Celtic Ray and TT's Tiki Bar
     I love Charlotte harbor and the Peace River

I'm excited because:

     We are going "home"!
     I love being closer to my family
     I love sleeping in my own bed
     I love hearing the peepers and wood frogs
     I get to reconnect with my friends
     We get to go back to the gym and connect with our Brickhouse family
     I get to eat some of the great things Bill cooks 
     Titan gets his big, fenced in yard!

So, we are on the road again, happy to be heading home but sad to be leaving...

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)
   
   
   

Visit to MOTE

Another one crossed off our list.  We joined Archer and Karen Ann in Sarasota and they drove the additional half hour to the MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.  I have no idea what MOTE stands for but it opened in 1955 and the aquarium opened in 1980.

This is the only photo I took because I didn't think our friends would be too impressed if I stopped every few minutes to take pictures and to be honest, there wasn't that much that I would have taken photos of anyway.

It is a typical aquarium with tanks full of fish and sea turtles.  Most of the animals there have been rescued and are unable to live in the wild.  It is somewhat sad to see them swimming around in a big tank, rather than in the ocean with lots of room.  Unlikely they will be eaten by anything, tho. The sea turtles are either blind or vision impaired, the manatees were born in captivity and would not know how to live free.  

They breed and raise seahorses, which they ship to aquariums around the world.  There is a tank full of pregnant MALE seahorses because they carry the young.  Pretty interesting actually.  

It was nice to cross it off our list but I doubt we will return.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Wishing My Baby Girl a Happy 37!

Yes...she is turning 37 and yes...she will always be my baby girl.  I'm so proud of her entrepreneurship, her creativity, her compassion and her courage.

She's a super good "Auntie", too.

Happy Birthday Honey, hope it's as special as you are.  I love you, tons!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Today's Haiku

Westerly winds blow

Delivering cool breezes

Water tickles toes