Hennessey Visitors

Cath, Trudy, John, Mitch, Adam

Photos.

Our Florida vacation is almost over.

John, Trudy and the boys arrived last Saturday and we've enjoyed St Pete Beach through their eyes and experiences.

Bob, Trudy, Mitch, John, Adam

Lots of swimming in the pool and a day on the beach at Fort DeSoto were lots of fun for me too. The Gulf of Mexico was nice and chilly, with the usual therapeutic effect. Trudy made us a sandwich lunch which we ate at the picnic tables near the beach. The gulls stayed away -- so that made me think there must be plenty of picnickers on the beach itself, willing to share snacks with the birds.

We did a run on the Dolphin Racer (our second this season) and, once again, dolphins were plentiful and very willing to entertain us in the boat's wake. Yesterday we were back at Fort DeSoto for an hour of kayaking. Bob and I took pictures and then rode down the beach to catch them as they paddled by.

Most evenings, the visitors explored on their  own along the beach.  Yesterday afternoon, we delivered our crew -- bearers of happiness, all of them -- to Tampa International. We arrived way early, not wanting to be caught inTampa Bays Rays opening day traffic, as well as Easter Break travel to the airport, and, of course, the usual rush hour congestion on I275.

Fun week went by quickly and the condo felt strangely quiet.

House Cleaner

Who the hell cleans house on vacation? Well, I know my neighbor does because she lent me the bathroom cleaner I needed last week. I do like things neat and clean, and I am a laundry fanatic, so it's no surprise that I don't let things slide (much) when we're away from home.

We were expecting the second of wave of Minnesota visitors and I wanted to get the condo spruced up. The cleaners do an OK job, but not great, so I always wash dishes and linens myself when I get here. I'd cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen several times but they weren't really company ready, so I spent part of Friday morning cleaning and washing the tile flower. Bob did the vacuuming for me.

The heat had finally returned and that is a warm job. I looked curly haired and shaggy when I finished. Still, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction one feels when a job can be clearly defined and the results easily measured.

Pool Exercises

Because of many decades of knee problems and several chronic illnesses, I may be more aware than most of the fragility of apparent good health. Over the winter, I had several colds and the flu too, and inactivity seems to have resulted in a recurrence of muscle spasms in my lower back and left leg. Those commercials featuring sciatica sufferers? That's how I felt.

When I arrived in Florida, I wondered whether I'd be able to do my daily swims. Thinking that the right kind of movement would help, I started doing simple pool exercises to stretch my legs and back, as well as my usual swimming. The backstroke felt better than a front crawl, so I did more swimming on my back that I normally do. I followed up with 15 minutes in the hot tub.

I felt better after my first swim. Today, three weeks later, I am almost pain free. There are many resources on the Internet, but the basic idea is to stretch arms, legs and torso. I swim 10 laps, exercised for 5-10 minutes, and repeat at least two more times.  I am a strong swimmer, comfortable in deep water, so I do my exercises in chest deep water. The depth can be varied, according to skill level and ability to balance effectively.

When I get home, I intend to try some kind of land yoga class and, of course, keep up the pool work.

First Day of Spring

Spring March 20, 2018

Photos.

The first day of spring in this part of the country usually feels like a summer day in Minnesota. Not this year. After a few warm days with temps approaching 80F, we're back to the low 70s this morning.

I woke up a little late this morning after a good night's sleep -- better than the night before when I tossed and turned so much that I should have quit trying to sleep shortly after midnight. It was almost 7:00 a.m. by the time I got out of bed to heavy fog on Boca Ciega Bay. I knew that unsettled weather is likely today, so I waited until almost 7:30 before going for my morning swim. The sun rose about 20 minutes later, a silver ball behind the clouds.

Because of a tornado watch in Sarasota, 40 miles or so to our south,  and possible thunderstorms this afternoon, we'll head up the shore for the middle part of the day. It doesn't really feel like spring, nor will it tomorrow when part of the day will be in the fifties under cloudy skies.

Sun and warmer temperatures return on Thursday, a warm-up in time for our next Minnesota visitors. John, Trudy, Adam and Mitchell arrive on Saturday, and it looks as though they're bringing 80s with them.

Rencontre Temiscaming - en Floride

Photos.

The girls

It's always fun to get together with friends from my hometown of Temiscaming, Québec. Fifty years ago or more, many of us left town. I went to Montreal where I spent the next 17 years. Many others settled in the Ottawa area, and our companions yesterday were all from the national capital region; Bob pointed out that he -- the only non-Canadian in the group -- was in the minority.

Because of social media, most of us know one another better today than we did as teenagers. That is certainly the case with the women at yesterday's lunch at Billy's Stone Crab. The group is a little different from year to year, but we  really keep up with one another on Facebook and via email, so there isn't that much catching up to do.

Our table

The conversation tends to move to long ago events in our hometown and the mood sometimes gets a little intense and emotional. I always marvel at how far we've come ... and how that little town has  left such a profound and lasting impact on our lives. I sometimes forget the details of Temiscaming families, and, as always, I learned a lot about the present during our discussion of the past
.

Our husbands have gotten to know each other over the years too. Yesterday, they chatted amicably or simply watched "the girls" talk. We went our separate ways just as the evening "early bird" diners were moving in, lingering a little in the parking lot, reluctant to move on too quickly.

Enjoyable and satisfying.

Pennsylvania Special Election - Congressional District 18

I can't resist a political event, so I couldn't wait to follow yesterday's election results on TV. I really didn't know what to expect, and I realized fairly early on that the race was too close to call so I wasn't up late following it.

According to both the New York Times, Fox News and other news sources, Democrat Conor Lamb may have defeated Republican Rick Saccone. As of 30 minutes or so ago, Lamb was leading Saccone by 0.3 percent. There is no mandatory recount in Pennsylvania; in Minnesota, a recount in a federal election is triggered if the difference in the number of votes for the winning candidate and any other candidate is less than 0.25 percent. The next couple of days should be interesting.

The more interesting statistic is that President Trump carried this district by 20 percentage points in the 2016 general election.

Spring Break on Clearwater Beach

Photos.

The streets were full but lots of space on the beach

We hadn't been to Clearwater Beach since 2011, our first year on the Gulf.That year, we went somewhere every day, as it was all new. I wasn't impressed with Clearwater Beach then -- the overbuilding and crowds were simply too much for me. I guess I've gotten used to both, though I am still stunned that every square inch of space is used, and there is more concrete than water or palm trees.

Sand Key Park

Yesterday was another cool day so we drove north. There wasn't really much traffic, and we covered the 22 miles in less than the 53 minutes allocated by Google maps for that time of day. We saw more of the beach this visit, but still had trouble parking. Some of the spring breakers on the beach were in swim wear (brr!!) but many were wearing jackets and sweatshirts.

Not really much of a party atmosphere, I thought. At 54F, too damn cold. We crossed the bridge to Sand Key Park, where the large parking lot was quite empty. A few fishermen sat on the rocks, and one family picnicked not far from the rocky shore.

The water really was clear and blue, and quite beautiful.