January with Friends

January 2010

What a great month!!

Hi All. Let me start out by saying that it was wonderful getting all the well wishes for my BIG birthday. I have had a fantastic time enjoying all the celebrations.

Mark and I have so enjoyed Ft. Myers Beach that we decided late last week to stay for another month. We are here until February 15^th.

We are not quite sure how we will proceed from here, but the Bahamas are still in the picture.

Our time here has been fun and filled with friends.

Geff and Mary Sue have a condo not far from the Fish Tale Marina where we are staying. They came into town the day Monica & Bryan left for Oregon. Their big event was taking possession of their new boat and dock with a boat lift. Mary Sue is convinced that most business dealings and deadlines here are subject to “Florida time”. Even so, eventually, they were able to get their boat and with teamwork with Mark, they were able to have a boat lift that worked.

On January 6^th, our mutual friends, John & Vickie, came into town and stayed with Geff and Mary Sue. Mary Sue took Vickie and I out to all her favorite shopping places. I didn’t think there was anything I needed, but I sure found a few things!! We enjoyed a great meal at together.

Later that week, Dale and Cindy, came to visit on January 9th. Their plan was to stay with us for a few days and then to look at Florida real estate in Ft. Myers and Cape Coral. The weather was still chilly, but we were able to walk the beach, go for a boat ride with Geff & Mary Sue, and visit Manatee Park. This is where manatee gather to be in the warmer water dispelled by the power plant. We heard estimates that 300-600 manatee were there. The lighter spots in the picture are all manatee hovering in the water. Cindy held a skeleton of the manatee flipper and it is amazingly similar to the human hand. Cindy and Dale came back on Thursday to take me out for my big birthday. We ate at Doc Ford’s – this restaurant is owned by the book author Randy Wayne White (for any of you who have read his mysteries.) Dale & Cindy gave us the “bug” to start investigating real estate in this area – it’s a nice place.

Finally, on January 16^th, Ron & Barb came to visit for a week. They were expecting to be traveling to the Florida Keys with us. However, we had a change in plans by staying in Ft Myers Beach and the weather was not conducive to traveling out in the gulf. We had a great week here. Ron got a fishing license and he and Mark went out several times. Barb and I entertained ourselves by shopping in Naples and all the other places I had learned about just the week before (found a few more things I needed). Did I ever mention the little ice cream store a block from the marina??? They make great banana splits!! Barb and I went on an Eco tour that left from the marina. We learned interesting facts about the Estero back bay area – birds, mangroves and dolphins.

We have had great times with great friends! Now we are cheering on the Vikings as I write this. GO VIKINGS!! It is just about halftime and I wonder if I should wait until the game is over to publish. Alas, I did wait and I am so disappointed. Although Mark and I have both enjoyed watching the Vikings so much more this year because of #4.