Winding down....

We are slowly winding down here and as I sit and have my morning coffee looking out on the water I know I am going to miss this lovely view. It is one of those  calm mornings where the water is has barely a ripple and it perfectly reflects images of the boats and buildings. The sky is blue, the sun already bright and shining and the air is heating up. The stillness is calming and it reminds me to slow down and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. I marvel at a small brown and white wren like bird that has landed on the sea wall who is precariously perched on the edge leaning forward but does not fall in.  Yes I will miss it here, but look forward to home , family and friends. 

February ending ….March beginning…time a passing

February ending ….March beginning…time a passing

February has been an active month for us with barely a day to catch our breath. Although the weather has been cooler than normal we have not lacked for anything to do.  The snowbird “peak of the season” is always filled with festivals, parties, dinners, and visitors. The restaurants are packed as are the grocery and clothing stores. For this reason we have not ventured off the island much except when necessary. I must admit that even the island has been a bit busier this year so we have come to appreciate our quiet little community behind the gate.

Valentine’s Day was special with a 16 person cocktail party at our condo.   Everyone brought appetizers and with an array of food, including chocolate, pink champagne, pink sangria, pink Lemoncello cocktails and red wine, we had a whale of a time. We played a rousing game of “would you rather….” and laughed until our sides ached. A memorable 2015 Valentine’s Day.

 

Our Valentines cocktail party!

 

 

Mid-week we were off to the Flagler Mansion with Rona, Gary, Clint and Betty, our Canadian friends from home. We met at the Mansion in West Palm Beach and proceeded to tour the grand home that is bigger than some hotels. The hand painted ceilings and chandeliers were spectacular. The home has a lot of French influence in the décor.  Although it was not a highlight on Gary’s list of things to do he was a good sport and did the tour. I wish you could have seen the look on his face when the women decided we should visit the new outlet mall for a bit of retail therapy. Not another highlight for him either, but he was appeased with a beer and lunch at the Ale House.

 

The weekend brought the whacky Mardi Gras with parade and Dinner Theatre. Oh my goodness I am not even sure how to describe it.  Perhaps whacky, weird and wild would begin to touch on it. People with colorful costumes, masks, and shopping cart floats, appeared for the little parade before the inside festivities began. Each building in our complex area was responsible to create a shopping cart float and there were some great ideas. I will post some pictures so you can see a few. Our cart had a blow up jester and a balloon lady with a pink wig and mask. It was not the parade winner, but I would say it was a great effort for a first time float. The winning float was from the party building and they gave out jello shots to the voters. It was nicely done though and they had a graphic artist on their team who did some amazing art work. Following the parade we entered the club house for the Mardi Gras Dinner Theatre. Now, believe it or not Roger and I were cast members. I was Lady Pink and Roger was Big Boy Blue. The play was called Murder at the Mardi Gras Ball which was murder and mayhem over stolen diamonds.  A strange play but the cast was a fun group of people to work with and we had a lot of laughs.  The audience laughed and enjoyed themselves so that is the important thing. A perfect Mardi Gras meal of Gumbo, sweet rolls, chicken, beans and rice and traditional King cake made it a fabulous evening.  

Mr. Jim Bolya  with Ms. Melba Toasty ride in the float

 

Rita holds the sign for the front of our  our float!

 

The cast!!!
 

Unfortunately, that night on the way home after the cast party our friend Karen tripped on the side walk handicap ramp and broke her arm.  Thinking it was just sprained she waited to go to the doctor until the next morning. She received great care at a good urgent care facility but they did not take her insurance. Her husband paid cash up front.  She was splinted and referred to an orthopedic surgeon to have the bones set and casted.  Even though she had out of state health insurance ( they live in New York) she had problems getting an orthopedic clinic to take it. Finally, she reached a doctor that would accept the insurance and had her arm set 4 days later. They had offered to pay cash for treatment at the other ortho clinics since their company said they would be reimbursed, but were turned away. Even their insurance company was frustrated and tried to intervene on their behalf.  Canada may have its problems but we are thankful for the health care system we have.  We are repeatedly told that the USA offers the best medical care in the world. Well, I guess it’s only good if you can access it. I’ll take the  Canada system any day!!






just before it sank

 So now that I am off the soap box I will continue our life saga!  This week we were out on the jetty for a sunset walk after supper. A group of people had gathered to watch a barge being towed into the inlet by a small tug boat. Not long after we arrived we noticed the barge was taking on water and the tug was having difficulty towing against the outgoing tide. Very quickly things went wrong and both barge and tug started being dragged sideways down the inlet. The coast guard was called and they were on the seen in less than 5 minutes. Unfortunately, they arrived just as the barge sank at the opening of the jetty. The tug remained upright as it had cut the rope from the barge just in time. It was horrifying to say the least and we watched in shock as the rescue boats searched for survivors as the dark of night set in. Sadly one man drowned leaving us all to gasp at what we witnessed. Once the barge began to sink it went under in 12 seconds. The power of the ocean is mighty.  It has been a week and the inlet is not open to all traffic yet. A salvage boat from Alabama is arriving in a few days to try and raise the barge as it is presently preventing big fishing boats from entering or exiting the harbour. This has caused quite a stir around here and friction with the coast guard as the economy depends on the fishing charters and sightseeing tours.

Our next occasion was a progressive supper with a group of 11 people. This is one of those events were you move from home to home for different meal courses. Being we all live close together it worked well for traveling condo to condo, especially after cocktails. The progressive meal was delicious as we savored grilled Italian vegetables, homemade potato soup, pulled pork, coleslaw, custard pie, chocolate dessert and of course wonderful cocktails and wine. The company of friends made the evening a joyful event and the sound of laughter rang out. Roger and I feel very blessed to have made so many wonderful friends here and be able to share these winter months with them.

 

 

 

A rainy Saturday was spent with Rona and Gary before they returned home to Manitoba. Rona and I did some last minute shopping and bargain hunting adding to the extra suitcase they bought to go home. They have arrived safely home and seem to be managing the cold temperatures from what I hear.

Sunday, we saw the rain disappear and the hot sunny Florida return. A perfect beach or pool day. People lingered at the pool into the supper hour as they reveled in the beautiful cloudless day. It reminded me of the days at Clear Lake when we would stay at the beach until late in the day, finally coaxing the kids home with the promise of a wiener roast in the cook shack. Yes, it was one of those days, but instead of wieners we promised ourselves wine and fresh shrimp.



seafood on the harbour

Our week began again with our usual activities and coupled with the beautiful weather we were well tuckered out by bedtime. The days are definitely getting hotter and the sun more intense. Brimmed hats, higher numbered sunscreen and time in the shade are becoming a must at the pool. The jetty area has been a hub of activity and this week it brought the Budweiser Clydesdales for all to admire. The horses are huge to say the least and absolutely beautiful. A quick supper with friends on the inlet patio, a couple of cools ones and we were off to bowling.  We are never idle too long as we also seem off to somewhere! 

 

 

  Friday we were thrilled to have Colin, Heather and their good friend Jackie (from England) come visit us for the day.  After a lunch at the condo we headed out for a tour of the area, a walk on the jetty, a visit to the new marina and a drive Vero Beach to see the docked Nina and the Pinta ships.  These are exact replicas of the boats that carried Christopher Columbus and crew to America.  Roger and I had captured them sailing up the intercostal waterway earlier in the week, so Roger was elated to be able to board the ships and have a good look. Following our sightseeing touring we had a delicious supper at the inlet Grille here on the island.  Thanks for the treat Colin. Oh, I love snapper!

 

 

 

Today is the brunch and fashion show at the club house for the women. It is always a fun affair as models from Harbour Isle show the clothing from a local ladies fashion shop. We sipped our mimosas and eat our quiche and then sit back and enjoy the show.

Tomorrow we are off to Fort Lauderdale to see our friends Bob and Rachel from Winnipeg before they head off on their cruise. We look forward to catching up with them while enjoying some sunshine.

Time here is coming to an end with only three weeks left. We look forward to getting home and seeing everyone and spending time out in our yard. Let’s hope for an early spring! 

Take care all!

So much going on.....

Feb.10^th,201

Ok, I know, I have been negligent in writing this blog. Life is full down here to say the least.   Our calendar has not been this full since we had all the kids at home. It is a good busy though and we are having a lot of fun. Yes, between arts and crafts, sports, pool time, games, and social events the days fly by. I will try and catch you up on the last month.

 My friend Brenda came to visit us for 10 days and although it was not the best weather, we did have a great time. Brenda was tossed into the world of jewelry making and has turned into quite the artisan.  We had limited pool time but we made use of the time shopping, sightseeing, and jewelry making. Brenda could vouch for our “on the go” lifestyle. I think we about wore the women out most days.

No wonder we love beading together!

 

Success....just one of many projects



White city Park

 

Y-Not Wednesday

Another kind of wild life...

Following Brenda’s visit we went to the west side of Florida, on the Gulf, to visit Barb and Frank who were vacationing there for 10 days. We had a fantastic, relaxing time from Friday to Sunday. The   Wanna B- Inn is a quaint older style resort right on the beach on Minnesota Key near Englewood. It was featured in the Canadian Snowbird Magazine and had great reviews. It did not disappoint. We walked the beach, collected seashells, swam in the pool, Roger and Frank went fishing, and come 6 pm we watch the beautiful pink and orange sunset complete with the blow of the conch. We ate delicious food that we prepared in the rustic kitchen and drank wine to our hearts content. Even the moon was full and bright lighting up the sky and creating a circular aura around it. Beautiful. 

 

 

 

Superbowl is big around here so of course there was a party at the clubhouse.  The potluck was fantastic and was followed by a very exciting game. The whoops and hollers filled the clubhouse as everyone cheered for their team. Lots of Patriot fans here that ended up very happy with the win. 

 I did not know that bowling could be so fun and yet so frustrating at the same time.  I have improved immensely from the beginning but sometimes that ball has a mind of its own. It is all in good fun though and our team is easy going as are most of the teams.  Laughter and high fives abound making each game fun and exciting. We encourage each other no matter what team a person is on, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie. Let the good times roll as they say!

Our fellow Canadians from Brandon have arrived and are settled into their condo at Ocean village about 5 minutes from us. It is good to hear news from home and have the company of some fellow Canadians. So far we have avoided the Manitoba cold and flu they brought with them. They are on the mend so let’s hope Roger and I are safe.

This month was a wonderful ladies outing to Lady Anne’s tea house again.  A marvelous time with friends enjoying the 5 course luncheon. I highly recommend the stuffed sole !

 

My good friends Laura and Karen

Coming up we have the Valentines cocktail Party, The Mardi Gras Murder Mystery Dinner Theater( Roger and I both have roles), and a Progressive Dinner. This month is going to fly by as well.

Well, that’s our life in a nutshell. Hope all is well with everyone. Take care all!



Birds on the pond in front of our building

Life in full swing......

Well, life is in full swing here as all the snowbirds have arrived. Hugs, handshakes, welcome back and good to see you are are common place these days. It is great to see so many people return and watch everyone slip back into the Florida life. Activities are booming with many social gatherings on the horizon. Our weekly calendar is filling fast and I am beginning to wonder how we stepped into all these activities. Our latest adventure is bowling on Thursday nights. Neither of us are bowlers but I am assured most people aren't either so I guess we will give it a go.  I am really not sure how we were talked into it but the league is made up of all people from our complex area so it should be fun.

Jewelry making has begun and off to a roaring start as we laughed and created our masterpieces! 

Trivia night at the downtown bistro offered a hilarious evening of entertainment as our team of 14 retirees competed against much younger college students and several other groups,competing for gift certificates  and beer. We did not win although our score was close. At least we weren't whomped!

Book club had its first meeting and was very enjoyable. Our first read was "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier. A very old book but very good with lots of lovely discussion. A successful evening of chatter, laughter and wine!  Roger played cards the same night with a group of guys and apparently it was lively as well. 

Our life is busy but a good busy. We still have plenty of time to be at the pool, rest, read and walk in the sunshine. A pretty good life I would say. We are grateful!! 

hungry pelicans



morning out my window...dolphin,
great blue herons, and a pelican

 

 

Out on the town
playing trivia!
 

Into the new year......

Happy New year to all !  New Years was a grand time down here in Florida with fun, food, friends, music and dancing. On New Year's Eve we had a several friends over before we headed to the clubhouse  dance and party. The quiet cocktail  party here blossomed into a roaring good time with a table full of food, drinks, laughter and champagne all around. Eventually we made our way to the clubhouse and the festivities continued. The live band kept things hopping and we danced like crazy,  toasted in the new year with more champagne and finally found our way home about 1:30 am. It was  a great way to ring in 2015! We were slow to rise on on New Year's Day , but did manage to host a small New Years supper with friends. 

We wish all of you prosperity, health and happiness in 2015!

Enjoying the holidays....

Hello everyone. We hope you are all having a great holiday season and enjoying the festivities with family and friends. Christmas here was rather different with no snow or family around , but the weather was warm and the friends were plentiful. We had two Christmas meals,one on Christmas Eve and one Christmas Day with a variety of different dishes. An untraditional Christmas but lovely just the same. It was wonderful to skype with family so we could share in the joy of their celebration. 

We have not been off the island since Christmas Eve but have heard the stores are crazy busy with people looking for bargains and returning Christmas gifts. I think we will avoid the mayhem for a few days. I will have to grocery shop next week before New Years as we are having a gathering here at the condo New Year's Eve prior to the club house party and dance. The live band is really good and everyone is up dancing the whole night. There is nothing like live music to get a party going. 

I will be sure to post some pictures in the coming days of the florida festivities. 

Have a wonderful Happy New Year and we hope you all have many blessings in the new year!

Oh Oh, I am behind.....

I realized this morning it has been about three weeks since I have blogged. Time…such a precious thing, marches on faster it seems than it used to.   Every day I am amazed when evening approaches, the temperature cools, the pink glow of sunset appears in the sky and I know another day is almost done. The darkness falls and the lights come on the harbour and the quiet of the evening settles all around.  Sleep comes early here, as early mornings, fresh air and sunshine along with exercise and an active social life leave us a “good tired” at the end of the day. 

I must catch all of you up on the comings and goings of our southern life.  We were fortunate to sneak in another Thanksgiving while down here. American Thanksgiving is quite an event and seems almost more important to people than Christmas.  We were included in a group of about 20 who went to a local restaurant on the water for dinner. The meal was fabulous, all the traditional food along with fish and seafood, Italian fare and unlimited desserts of pumpkin and key lime pie, cheesecake and cookies, and lots of chocolate brownies.  They also had a breakfast bar for anyone interested in omelets, waffles, eggs benedict and French toast.  I must say I am more into the traditional meal, but could not pass on the baked Mahi Mahi and shrimp.  After our midafternoon meal we were invited to friends for late afternoon drinks and socializing. It was a fun day and no cooking needed!

Thanksgiving--post dinner.... really full!

It was a week of celebrations with an 80^th birthday party thrown in for Helen, a woman who does not seem 80yrs old at all. She is a spunky classy lady who lives life to the fullest.  It was a great afternoon pizza party at the clubhouse including   champagne toast and cake to top off the afternoon.  A few hours of laughter spent in the company of some really good people is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The following week, Barb and Frank came for a visit. A perfect pre-Christmas getaway for them and a perfect infusion of family for us! Barb and I managed a couple of days of shopping, while the guys did some fishing and sightseeing.  Barb and Frank were great sports and even went with us to 8 a.m. exercises in the pool every morning.  By the end of their visit they were up ready for the pool and had the coffee made before we were out of the bedroom.  Such great company! Lol We also had some days of lounging at the pool in the sun collecting our vitamin D and of course working on our tans.  A visit would not be complete without a party. Yes, the community Christmas party was at the club house while they were here and without missing a beat they joined right in. A tasty supper of fish and chicken supper were complemented with a few bottles of wine and good company all around.  We had a very relaxing and laidback visit that passed all too quickly and before we knew it they were heading back to the airport, but not before treating Roger and I too a wonderful lunch at Mulligans. A good taste of fish and seafood before they headed back to the Prairies.  

The winter chill of Florida hit this week with some nights going down to 8 C.  That is pretty cool for here, but the day time highs have been around 19- 21C.. You can tell the “northerners” as they are the ones in shorts and t- shirts, while the southerners have pants and jackets. Most days there were only 5 or 6 of us at the pool in the afternoon. I found it great, not too hot and not too cold, just perfect for sunning!

Painting and art is very big in this community and we have been to two art extravaganzas in the past couple of weeks. The first one was at the Backus Gallery on the waterfront. It was their Christmas gala that featured “artistic” Wreaths.  Different, odd, not quite my taste but interesting I guess. They had different categories to enter but some were just ugly, there I said it….plain awful!  There was some interesting steam punk pieces and a lovely assortment of handmade jewelry as well as some wonderful photography of owls and some photos on canvas.  The oil paintings were very neat with a good use of light in the paintings.  A very different show from last year, but worth going to.

On Wednesday we were off to the Mundo Art walk and reception. Roger was asked to submit a piece of his work for community display so that was very cool. A group of us went for the walkthrough and reception and it was great. All the studios were open and the artists were there to answer questions and give some history behind their work. There were some really different types of art forms that were truly amazing. Who knew art could be so diverse.  I really enjoyed the sculptures, and pictures made of layered cloth.  Following the reception we all went for supper at 2nd Street Bistro and stayed for Trivia night. A real blast of fun.   I think trivia night is going to be a regular event as we all really had a great time.

Roger continues to paint, play bocce and now has joined three other men in Thursday golf. He purchased some used clubs and is having a great time playing with them. They are all about the same level of players so it works out well. No pressure!!!

Our book club has started and we are already reading the first book. I look forward to the lively discussion we will have with this one.  A good read actually although a bit wordy at times, Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier.   

I am not sure if I mentioned Lady Anne’s Tea House last year of not, but Friday was another adventure into fine china, lace, tea, scones and a delicious 5 course  lunch.  The place is a beautiful old Victorian decorated home that has been converted into a tea house.  They have 2 sittings a day for lunch and spots are hard to get.  We had 21 ladies participating and the reservation was made 3 months ago.  The owner was telling us that the winter months are almost completely booked already.  All the Christmas decorations are old Victorian as well which added to the ambiance.  A lovely day with a lovely group of ladies…….treated and fed like royalty!

Christmas has arrived here on the island as all the lights and sounds of Christmas fill the air. The boat parade last evening on the intercoastal waterway was delightful. The decorated boats motored by as people clapped and cheered. Kids decked out in flashing lights ran up and down the beach in the dark trying to avoid the rising tide from getting their toes wet.  Honking of horns, squeals of delight and cheers from the crowd ran out in the night.

Not to be outdone by the parade, the 55 plus community of golden Pond had their light show open house as well last evening. Hundreds of cars were weaving their way through the guided streets of the development viewing the spectacular show of lights on every lawn. They also had 5,000 luminaries lit along the way. A very impressive display of not only lights, but of sense of community.  The residents were gathered on every street around fire pits and tables of food and drink, waving to the cars and wishing them good cheer.

A different type of Christmas decoration!

 

Today was warm and sunny, a pool day with no clouds in the sky and only a slight breeze. Lots of sunscreen needed today as those rays hit deep. Full bottles of water were drained as we soaked up the glistening sun. Surprisingly the pool area was quiet as I think many people were out doing Christmas shopping or attending Christmas events. It was a perfect day for poolside relaxing although Roger cut his afternoon short so he could go fishing out behind the condo with a couple of guys.  I guess that is just as relaxing even if you don’t catch much.

The sun is lowering in the sky and the heat of the day is ebbing away.  Must be cocktail time! 

Until next time, take care everyone,

Carol