First Day of Spring

Spring March 20, 2018

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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

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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
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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

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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.

Joy in the Wind

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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

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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

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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.