It Was a Great Holiday Weekend

My sister and her granddaughter are visiting with us this week. They all made the trek to Mickey's house on Saturday with the rest of the tourists. They stayed from early that morning until the afternoon thundershowers we are famous for popped up. They came home complaining about aching feet and tired legs. All I got was a souvenir cup. Now you tell me who got the best end of that deal.

Becky had to work Sunday, so after church, little sister, her granddaughter and I dropped the top on the car and rode out to the Canaveral National Seashore. We got a hazy view of Discovery sitting on the launch pad, then went on a search of the wildlife area for alligators, raccoons, and other exotic animals.

We discovered probably what was the largest crowd of two-legged animals of the season at Playalinda Beach, but nothing worth breaking the camera out for.

We decided then to make the short drive to Haulover Canal, the main passage from the Indian River into the Lagoon and on to the open waters of the Atlantic. There is a large deck on the north side of the canal that is usually good for a Manatee sighting.

Not only were we entertained by a large school of Manatees, but there were Dolphins putting on a show as well. After watching the Dolphins until they passed out of sight beneath the bridge, we noticed another item floating in the water near the south bank of the canal.



It looked like a log was headed out to sea. We then noticed the empty chair, the overturned cooler and beer can lying on the ground at the water's edge. That is when we decided to zoom in for a closer look. It was not a log, but a...well, see for yourself.



After a few minutes, we spotted the missing fisherman behind a tree well up the bank. I can't say as I blame him.

By the time we returned home, the nine-year-old decided that it had not been such a boring day after all. She got to see an alligator, manatees, and dolphins. We won't tell her mother she (along with her Mam maw and great-uncle)got sunburned from riding around with the top down. Oh well, that's what they make Aloe for.

Is it Summer Yet?

Well, another birthday has come and gone. Someone asked me if I felt any older. My response was that once you start drawing social security, age has no meaning.

We made a combination birthday/Mother's Day trip to our daughter's in Jacksonville. She fed us well and my grandchildren sang happy birthday to me. I made out like a bandit. I scored a new pair of shoes, "Crocs" no less, and a couple of shirts. Ms Becky is now sporting a diamond encrusted palm tree around her neck.

I am still not used to this weather. I find myself worrying that the end of the season will soon be here along with short days and cold nights. Then I realize that, what the heck, I now live in the land of sunshine. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you also for 5 great kids who cared enough to call and say happy birthday, for 10 grandchildren who seem to think I am something special, and to a wife who knows me inside-out and loves me anyway.

He Sure Does Have Us Trained

When we lost our Cocker Spaniel, we swore we would never have another dog. Well, if you ask him, we are holding to that. There is no way anyone on earth could convince "The Midnight Storm" that he is a dog.

Stormy and I made a Remarkable Discovery

Stormy and I
were out in the yard watering the flowers today when we made a remarkable discovery. There are more colors in our yard than there are in a box of Crayola's!!! And all of the plants don't have open blooms right now. The accompanying video shows some of the color we found alive in the yard today.

American Hibiscus Society Show at Leu Gardens

On April 12 the Central Florida Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society held their annual show at Harry P. Leu Memorial Gardens in Orlando. Becky entered two of her blooms and was rewarded with a Gold Ribbon for one of them.

My First Anniversay as a Floridian

Today is the first anniversary of my "arriving" as a Floridian. On May 3, 2007 I made one final visit to my physician of many years for a last physical, then climbed into my little truck and headed south. Becky had been living in our retirement home for almost a year by then. She received a job offer that she could not refuse and I had to stay behind to complete enough on-the-job time to become vested in the pension plan. I could hardly walk off and leave that guaranteed income laying on the table.

I must confess that I was afraid I might become bored after a short period of "inactivity". I will also confess that that has not happened. With the Midnight Storm around, nobody can get bored. We spend most of our time together, riding around in the golf cart "patrolling the neighborhood", or riding down the road in the convertible. He lets me spend some time on the internet while he takes his naps. Lucky for me, they are frequent.

I have not lost touch with my roots. Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, I read the headlines from "back home" almost every day. I am able to stay in touch on an almost daily basis with friends and family, and if any of you think that there is a possibility of my becoming a Gator convert, one look at my golf cart will knock that notion out of your head.

The paint job cost me two tickets to the 50th. Anniversay running of the Daytona 500, but the best part is it was done by a die-hard Gator fan. He did a great job on it even though it broke his heart. Good thing he was family (our daughters brother-in-law).