Grateful Dreamin': Winter in Florida

April 5, 2011

Hello everybody. Again it has been a long time since writing, but we have been having a wonderful time in Florida. I will let the pictures do most of the talking again.

Valentine’s Day was fun as we had friends, Paul and Barbara from Rhode Island, over for the day. Mark and Paul went golfing and Barb and I went shopping, walked the beach and she helped me surprise Mark with a fun V-Day gift. I had the marina help me and they pulled the dinghy, scraped and powered washed it clean. It was back in place before Mark came back from golf. However, he was delayed at the golf course because Paul had to register his HOLE-IN-ONE!!! The day was made perfect by dinner at our favorite restaurant on the island, Terra Nostra.

A couple of days later friends from Wisconsin, Barb and Ron, came to visit. We had a great time as always with shopping, fishing, a boat ride and lots of good food and drink. We couldn’t believe that Wisconsin’s Governor and unions were making national news – and this was only the beginning.

We participated in the Sanibel Shell Festival. There were shells all over the place – in flower arrangements, shell mosaics, displays, and in boxes for sale. I learned a lot – probably wasn’t Geff and Mark’s favorite thing to do. Not much later, I found a huge horse conch. This is Florida’s state shell. It wasn’t very attractive on the outside. The inhabitant is a brilliant salmon color. In the shell you see the “trap door” showing. Mark and I were taking it to deeper water and hopefully, it will live to get even bigger.

At the beginning of March Bob and Dianne, more friends from Wisconsin, came to visit for a few days. Again lots of good food and drink, card playing, puzzles, and miniature golf! Fun times…

And then because of spring break and surgery – a long story – sweet sister Sarah, Don, and their son Mark and his special friend, Cindy came to visit. Because of them, Mark and I went to the beach to see our first sunset over the gulf. Imagine being here almost two seasons and not seeing one of those beautiful sunsets. We saw a few sunsets that week. Mark and Cindy went fishing in the dinghy every chance they got and we eventually had enough fish for a fish fry. Don went kayaking and watched a fisherman catch and release a six-foot bull shark. (I’m not doing waterwork with Porter any more).

Joe and Rox, my brother and sister-in-law, joined all of us for St. Patrick’s Day. We had a full house (boat), but we all like each other even though we are related. A parade was one of our first agenda items and then lots of sun and sand. Sarah, Don, Mark and Cindy left the next day to drive home. Joe and Mark spent a couple of days fishing. Rox and I looked at monstrous homes in Naples. And the guys and gals tied in Hand-and-Foot games.