Joy in the Wind

Photos.

I swim twice a day in the pool, but  haven't yet taken a dip in the Gulf of Mexico. I like to play in the waves and then warm up on the beach, but in 55F weather, there is no warming up after a swim so I haven't been tempted by the waves. Besides, I really prefer a good pool to any kind of fresh water -- almost unbelievable for someone who grew up in the north woods, but there you are.

Too windy!

On Monday, we drove over to Fort De Soto Park to check out the beach. The day was windy and the sun was not quite warm enough to make one linger on the pier looking for dolphins, a usual favorite thing on visits to the park.

Not much joy among the huddled egrets or other shore birds, none of which lingered very long as they pecked for food on the beach. We moved on to the beach at the far end of the park, where we could see kite sails in the distance.

Soaring!

The white sands looked like snow, and the fine grains of sand in the air made photography difficult. I walked over to the shore to watch the sailboarders. They were gleeful, talking with great animation as they rested between runs.

I felt apprehensive when a lone woman walked over to the water with her sailboard. Some of the men had taken some time to get their boards set up, and I was afraid that the wind and heavy waves would be too much for the woman. I shouldn't have doubter her! She righted her sail and got her feet positioned on the board.

She was soon speeding over the waves, indistinguishable from the men. Even better, no one seemed surprised. It was an awesome afternoon.

Daring to be Different

Photos.

We go to Mass on Saturday evening, so Sunday is usually a day of reading and relaxing around the condo. This week was no exception, so we were getting a little antsy by the end of the afternoon. We had a light dinner at the Oyster Shucker.

Shelling at Pass-a-Grille

I made the mistake of ordering the "soup & salad" combo. The bowl of corn chowder was much too big, so I should have left the salad, but did not. It was not very good, and I wasted about a quarter of what I had on my plate. Bob got the twin filet dinner, which seemed OK, but not great. I don't know what possessed me to order the "two for one" margaritas. I really don't drink margaritas, and they are usually really high in calories, but for some reason that's what I had. I hadn't had a margarita for about a decade and I think it will be another decade before I order my next one. Not delicious. Not even good.

Shelling at Pass-a-Grille

After dinner, we drove down to the end of Pass-a-Grille. The sun was beginning to drop, and a few people were walking along the beach picking up shells. Two women, dressed in similar plain collared blouses and long checked skirts, looked like mother and daughter. As they worked, the skirts got wetter and wetter, but they seemed oblivious to either the wet clothes or the fact that they looked very odd, dressed more for church than the beach, walking on the sand and over the rocks.

On a warmer evening, they would have looked much more out of place, but it was cold and hardly anyone was on the beach. And so they picked through the shells, completely at ease, or so it seemed. Feeling nothing but admiration for these strong women, I felt a little guilty taking their pictures, but not guilty enough to stop.

Cold Front

Photos.

In St Petersburg overlooking Tampa Bay

I really don't mind colder weather because the pool is empty when I want to use it -- but then again, it usually is when I go down for my morning and evening swims. More so, now that it is chilly all day. Yesterday, our high was 62F. It's warmer today, but a morning arctic chill was certainly a deterrent to all but the hardiest.

Yesterday, most people walking up and down Gulf Blvd were wearing fleece and many were warmly dressed from head to toe. Bob and I settled for light jackets and shorts, but we were quite cold, on occasion.

Doesn't matter to us, really, because we're here for a month, but many visitors have only a week or so on the beach. Somehow, it seems wrong to see one's breath in the cold air. Looks as though the next 10 days will be cooler than normal. Still, the sun is shining and the water is blue. Can't complain too much.

Too Much Imagination

Photos.

Our visitors left on Sunday morning. It was chilly and a little breezy, as we're in what Floridians call a "cold front". Temperatures have actually fallen to the mid-fifties after dark and daytime highs haven't reached 80F since late last week.

The good news is that I love this kind of weather. I like to swim in the morning (the earlier the better) and evening (after dark is best). Last year, I observed the new signs that indicated pool hours were dawn to dusk, but most others did not and I was a little put off that I was missing my swims at the times I prefer.

This year, I noticed that the pool signs are contradictory: one says "dawn to dusk" and the others indicate the pool area is open 8 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. In fact, the pool gate is open as soon as the maintenance guy gets here around 7:00 a.m., so I decided that I'd swim at about 7:30, when I'm really the only person in the pool area. In warmer weather, the pool seat grabbers are there to claim their spots for the day, but not right now.

Sunrise Resort pool after dark

In the evening, I've gone for my swim both before and after dark. The other night, it was really cold and there was no one outside, not even on the balcony.  I felt so isolated that I actually got a little spooked. The night was dark except for a bright full moon over Boca Ciega Bay, and I could hear the night birds and other after dark sounds.

I thought I heard someone in the bushes, though I knew it was really the pool pump.  I thought about itinerant serial killers and various beach murders I've read about over the years. I imagined the mess a slit throat would make on the pool deck. I got out of the pool, looking over my shoulder as I grabbed my glasses on the poolside table where I'd left my things. Because I was cold, I stepped in the hot tub, moving around so that I had a pretty good 360-degree idea of my surroundings, but stayed only as long as it took me to warm up. I scampered up to the elevator and back to the condo. Feeling silly, I said nothing.

Otherwise, I've enjoyed my solitude. The pool water isn't too hot, as it sometimes is when the weather is warmer, and I love getting out of the hot tub into the cool air.

Doesn't get any better than this.

Crabby Bill's Revisited

We've been to Crabby Bill's several times in the past, mostly with visitors to St. Pete Beach. Bob and I have never been too impressed with the food or drinks, but it's a good place to go with a family and we thought it would accommodate all seven of us nicely.

Chris took us all out early Saturday evening after Mass at St. John Vianney. Although the service was somewhat lacking, we really enjoyed our dinner. Two of the kids had mac & cheese, and the other tried the whitefish. Melissa ordered an appetizer, Chris the crab legs, and Bob and I shared a grouper plate. Chris ordered peel & eat shrimp (delicious) which we all shared. Bob and I also had a cup of New England clam chowder, which was really good. The server brought a huge piece of chocolate cake to the table for dessert, as a kind of apology for the uneven service. It must have been good: the kids seemed to enjoy it.

After dinner we drove to Pass-a-Grille and spent a very short time on the beach. The last embers of sun were rapidly fading in the sky, and the north wind was too cold for us to stay long.

I think the visitors enjoyed their last night in Florida and we have revised our opinion of Crabby Bill's. The food was good and you can't beat the view of the beach.

A Pod of Dolphins

Photos.

I made the mistake of Googling "how many dolphins in a pod", and I still don't know. Let's say there were lots of dolphins yesterday when we were out on the Dolphin Racer. We were last on the Dolphin Racer several years ago and, while the ride was fun, the boat was crowded and there weren't all that many dolphins. It's also difficult for a short person like me to see over the heads of taller passengers, and that day, it seemed that everyone was tall.

Yesterday was a different day entirely. I felt a little doubtful about the excursion because the skies were cloudy and this didn't seem like the best boating day. I was wrong! The seven of us -- Chris, Melissa, Lena, Everett, Eloise, Bob and I -- boarded with a small group promptly at 1:15. We saw our first dolphins about 5 minutes into the boat ride. The captain explained that we would have to wait awhile before he could go fast enough to make a legal wake, but it was fun to see the dolphins anyway, especially at least one mother with a baby.

Not much later we were free to create the wake that attracts the dolphins. We had lots of takers, some jumping in the others, others just riding the waves. The captain said that in ten years, he had never seen dolphins jump so high.

Captain Dennis and first mate Mike, who will soon have his captain's license, took great care to explain that the dolphins like to swim in the wake and are too smart and fast to get run over or hit by this or any other boat. He must get a lot of questions about this subject because he addressed the issue in one way or another several times.

The Captain and Mike are very personable and they thank each passenger for taking the cruise. Toward the end of the ride, he invited the kids up for a photo behind the wheel. Melissa handed over her cell phone and Mike took a picture of each child. Then he asked me if I wanted one, so what the heck. I went too. So did Chris and Melissa.

Later, Chris, Bob and I stopped at Bongo's for a beer and appetizers (coconut shrimp, shrimp cocktail, spinach and crab dip). The kids had been swimming all morning before our outing, so she took them home for a rest. We had a wonderful afternoon.

Happy Change-Up

Photos.

Kids in the pool

On Wednesday we drove to Tampa International to pick up Chris, Melissa and the three kids. They're in Florida until Sunday, staying just north of us at the Alden on the Gulf side of of the street.

Chris, Melissa and the kids

Their suite wasn't ready yet so we spent the afternoon together here at the pool. Melissa had told me that the kids wanted to snorkle so I found a mask and snorkle set for kids on amazon.com, and ordered three of them in different colors, for about $8.00 each. I felt a little doubtful, but Chris taught them to snorkel in about 10 minutes and they were soon happily exploring the pool. I hadn't realized that this would improve swimming skills, but Chris correctly figured that keeping one's head down is less tiring and the kids can swim farther without fatigue.

I made lunch in our condo and brought it down to the gazebo area. The food disappeared quickly and all were soon back in the pool. At the end of the afternoon, we packed up and spent the few hours before sunset with them at the Alden. Their suite has a direct view of the Gulf of Mexico, and while it could use a little updating, it's spacious and seems fine for the five of them.

Bob and I sat with Chris at the little outside bar and enjoyed a couple of drinks, while Melissa and the kids went swimming in the Gulf. After sunset, Bob and I came home to our pasta aglio et olio we bought at Mazzaro's on Tuesday. The little antipasto salad was a tasty accompaniment.