After a week in Florida, Stacey flew in on Friday night. Hooray! We’ll get to what the two of us are up to soon, but first let’s look at a few highlights before her arrival.
Charlie grew more comfortable in her new surroundings and realized that Tim is a new friend willing to have endless tugs of war with her! We made a trip for lunch to one of our favorite spots, The Old Salty Dog, and found a table right on the water. I love to look across the beautiful water at the bridge onto Longboat Key. Life’s challenges lessen when crossing that bridge. Fresh air was added to the bike tires for lazy spins up and down Gulf of Mexico Drive. Charlie and I walked every morning, but she never did catch any lizards. There’s still time Charlie Girl!
There was some business to conclude in transferring title to Mom’s old car, and that included a dreaded trip to the Tax Collector’s Office. This is the equivalent of what I knew of as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) growing up. Nobody looks forward to that. But, it did mean we would get to see Maggie, so every cloud has a sliver lining. As a significant added bonus, all of the homework Maggie had done made this trip to the “DMV” not only uneventful, but actually pleasant! We were in and out after 100% success! Thank you Maggie and Ron!
Tim and I experienced some self-inflicted disappointment in the middle of the week. We had tickets to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to see the Pirates play the Orioles at 6 PM. When I took the trash out at 4:00, there was a steady drizzle. We looked at the forecast and saw a radar map that concerned us. Neither of us was interested in sitting through a rain delay. We have both been to the stadium before. The last time there for me was in 2021 with Mom two days before moving her up to Virginia Beach. So, we wanted to go, but the radar scared us. At 5:00, it was still raining, the radar still looked scary, and we bailed. Bad decision. They played on time and completed the game in a light drizzle. UGH! Live and learn. Always take the chance to see a ballgame with family!
Charlie and I found a very dog friendly place at Bird Key Park and walked a small but beautiful beach with a spectacular view of Sarasota. I vowed to return here with Stacey when she arrived, but not before yet another stunning sunset into the Gulf of Mexico from the beach we are so lucky to walk to in 3 minutes from the house. I first saw a sunset here as a kid in the 1980s, and they still inspire me. The view and feeling is so incredibly serene for a solid hour, including well after the sun has disappeared beneath the blue horizon. Seabirds frolic under an increasingly purple sky. Time stands still for a while.
I snuck in a lovely paddle a few hours before Stacey landed. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy kayaking here. It is simply amazing. Amazing.
Stacey arrived Friday night after a work week in Virginia Beach! We stopped for a late (for us) dinner on St. Armand’s Circle at Venezia. So many great seafood choices on a Friday during Lent – YUM! As promised, we headed to Bird Key park on Saturday for some beach therapy on a gorgeous day with a lovely breeze. Charlie cuddled up with her buddy and took in the view. After a bath for Charlie and naps back home, we headed back to St Armand’s to dine at one of our favorite restaurants, Columbia. The “1905 Salad” is literally the best salad on the earth, and it is just the starter. It never disappoints here at Columbia. Sometimes the menu overwhelms Stacey (surprise), but only because everything is amazing. The mojito is always an easy choice though! We returned home to watch Virginia put things together and close out the regular season with a convincing win. Phew! 🏀
Today we headed south towards Fort Myers for some Spring Training baseball at Fenway South on Monday! First we went to visit Mom, Dad, and Sean at the Sarasota National Cemetery where they rest peacefully. We beautified their sites and prayed with them on another beautiful day here in the Sunshine State. I miss you all. From there, we stopped at the Myakkahatchee Creek Park for a nice stroll through the woods before grabbing lunch in Punta Gorda. Both were lovely stops with ample time to stroll slowly and take in the sights. One unfortunate sight was a poor waitress spilling an entire beer directly on the head of a woman at the table sitting next to us. Yikes. We were so embarrassed for her. But, the woman just started laughing, and kept laughing. She was so graceful to the poor waitress. It was heartwarming to see how nice the beer soaked patron was. Life can be hard. We should all strive to lighten anxious moments. We arrived at what is one of the nicest AirBnBs we have stayed at in North Fort Myers in time for short naps before dinner and The Oscars! Looking forward to some Red Sox baseball tomorrow. Hope Springs Eternal! ⚾️🇺🇸⚾️🇺🇸
Looks like a fantastic time!