Re-Entry

I had a great night's sleep, perhaps due to the mighty effort I put into finishing my bottle of Old Crow bourbon -- I ended up leaving some, but not much. Had to empty a glass or so of a bottle of merlot down the drain. Bob didn't sleep well at all -- he's always restless before a travel day and this was no exception.

We jumped out of bed at 4:30 and were on the road a few minutes after 5:00 a.m. Hardly anyone was on the road at that hour of the morning, and we made good time to TPA. No problem with Exit 39 and car rental return was uneventful.

One teenage boy and I were the only passengers wearing shorts on this chilly morning. We arrived at MSP right on time and walked in the door shortly after 11. Still lots of snow but it is melting on this sunny day.

It's good to be home!

Fort De Soto Park

Fort De Soto Park is always one of my favorite junkets when we're in St. Pete Beach. The day was cloudy and a little cold, so there weren't many visitors in this high capacity recreation area.

The fishing pier is always fun and my only regret was that I was too far from several families of dolphins to get a good picture. I did see two pairs of osprey, and was close enough to get a couple of shots.



Good fishing at the boat ramp for this osprey and mate

We drove in the rain to Caddy's on the Beach for an early meal before heading home to pack. Bob said the fish and chips meal was excellent. I enjoyed my grilled shrimp but couldn't believe that it was served with canned vegetables. I did have the "perfect margarita" I'd been afraid of earlier in the week: quite ordinary, except for the pricey brand name tequila and triple sec.

Revisiting Tradewinds

Beach at Tradewinds - only a few spring breakers

Thursday afternoon we walked over to Tradewinds, where we spent our first St. Pete Beach vacation two years ago.

The wind was blowing so hard that watercraft and parasailing equipment were being pulled out of the water. No one was in the water, though the waves looked inviting. I took my sandals off and the sand felt cool on my feet, not unbearably hot, as I had half expected.


The buffet looked good but cold and wind made outdoor eating impractical

We had a drink in the bar area (expensive: $16 for a Corona and a margarita) and I was happy to have my jacket because it was COLD! People watching was pretty good; wondered how the concrete repair convention attendees could be drinking in the middle of the afternoon -- those full of booze drinks like Long Island Iced Tea.

We were happy to have our little condo waiting for us when we headed back across the street.




Swimming for Manatees and Others

Manatee attracts an admiring crowd

Last year's record heat made swimming in the Gulf of Mexico so pleasant! On this vacation, Bob has discovered the pleasure of  a morning dip in an empty pool. Yesterday the sun was brilliant, and the Boca Ciega side of Gulf Boulevard was warm, especially after the temperature finally got above 60. We were both in the water for several hours.

A couple of manatees entertained us after we returned to our condo. They weren't "frolicking" like last year's manatees, but they seemed to be finding food and coming up regularly for air. We wondered if our mating manatees of 2012 had escaped the Red Tide disaster.

Caddy's on Treasure Island

Caddy's on the Beach.

Gulf Boulevard was remarkably passable yesterday afternoon. It was a coolish day, with occasional spurts of rain, and we were pleased to see parking spots at Caddy's on the Beach, where the parking lots have always been full whenever we were in that area.



Gulls vs Girl

We sat at the picnic benches outside the bar, watching the people (few) and gulls (many). Our biker girl server scared us away from ordering a "perfect margarita", described as a "Lear jet", so we settled for the delicious "ordinary margarita", a "bicycle". Tasted close to perfect to me.

It was fun to watch a girl feed the birds and experience the same gull swoop that scared Bob last week.




TPA Exit 39

Encountered rush hour traffic near TPA this morning, particularly on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Since we had successfully navigated the route only last week, I didn't take out the GPS. Mistake.

While I remembered that the exit was 39B ("Take Interstate 275 North to exit 39B and follow the signs to the airport entrance"), I had forgotten that 39A and 39B are simply individual lanes after exiting on 39. No harm done. We exited on 40, turned left and got back on 275 S.

Arrived about 8:15, in plenty of time (I think) for Marilyn's 9:45 a.m. flight to Atlanta. Her ATL-YYZ flight should arrive in Toronto around 3:00 p.m.

This is the second time I've led us astray at TPA. I'll get it right when we leave for home on Saturday!

Nest Robbery

We've been enjoying the two mourning doves swooping into their nest in the bushes below us. They are an affectionate pair, cooing at each other and entertaining us with their energetic nest preparation.



Rusty blackbird: a loud egg thief

On Tuesday afternoon when I was swimming in the pool, I saw one of the aggressive blackbirds, later identified by Marilyn as a rusty blackbird, carrying a large white egg in its mouth. Bob later told me that the bird had systemically transported three of the doves' eggs, one by one, and deposited them in different palm trees.

In the early evening, the doves checked the nest again and again and seemed to be either house hunting or establishing a decoy nest somewhere in the neighborhood.

Corey Avenue

After lunch on Tuesday, Bob dropped Marilyn and me on Corey Avenue in downtown St Pete for a little shopping. A lucky dog may be opening a gift from Gone to the Dogs Boutique (on FB https://www.facebook.com/Gonetothedogboutique). We both loved the Kapfer Glass Studio, where the owner told us he sold works sent to him by artists in Toronto. Seemed a little unusual, but maybe works in glass are a sub-specialty with few distribution outlets.

Our walk home was only a mile or so but the sun beat down on Gulf boulevard, which has very little shade. I was glad to trudge into the cool condo ... and hit the pool once again to end the afternoon.

Finally: Florida Weather

I waited 40 minutes for this "sunrise". The day was much nicer than its beginning suggested.

Tuesday dawned gray, with rain in the forecast for the afternoon. We all swam anyway, and stayed at the pool after the sun made a mid-morning surprise appearance. The pool deck -- empty most days -- was suddenly full of cheerful vacationers, including a couple of frail looking men well beyond their eightieth birthdays.

A "real" Florida sky. Sun at last.

The sky looked iffy so I wore transition lenses rather than sunglasses, my usual optimistic choice in eyewear. When I finally got out of the pool after over two hours, I actually sat to warm myself on the chaise longue, something I hardly ever do. For the first time since we arrived in Florida, the sun was so bright that I had to shield my eyes from the rays. Pure bliss!

Marilyn took us to lunch at Sea Critters, where we sat on the porch beside the water. The same server we've enjoyed on previous visits (and I'll bet I have his name somewhere) regaled us with his good natured kidding and witticisms. Excellent open faced sandwiches for all of us (Marilyn: crab; Bob: grilled sheepshead; me: lobster).

The day was feeling like southwest Florida at last.

St. Patrick's Day

Last year St. Patrick's Day fell on a very hot Saturday and we were, at least marginally, part of the celebration in St. Petersburg. This year most of the parties, including parade and fireworks, were the day before.

Shortly after our visit a year ago, demolition began on the "troubled" Baywalk area near the St. Petersburg Pier, with the goal of revitalization. A lot of people, mostly young and affluent looking, were having lunch in the restaurants overlooking Bayshore Drive, but most shops were not open for business.

We had a good lunch at American Brasserie - really breakfast (crab benedict for Marilyn, brie & apple omelet for Bob, eggs & sausage for me). The weather was cooling fast as we drove back to St. Pete Beach, where we checked out the Irish festival at Horan Park. Not very Irish; too much cigarette smoke (!) and poor sound system.

Pizza for dinner, my first experience with food delivery on any vacation.

Manatee!

Finally, a manatee near the wall this morning, feeding and moving along with lumbering elegance. It was a thrill to see one after the sad news about Red Tide.

This manatee seemed fine: it came up to breathe regularly and no distress was in evidence.

Lunch at John's Pass

Livin' the Pelican Dream at John's Pass

The crazy busy-ness of John's Pass makes for the best people -- and bird -- watching. We've become self styled experts at judging the relative size of pelicans, and the birds at John's Pass are among the plumpest and strongest. Free handouts from tourist fishing boats and plenty of fish under docks keep the food supply coming, I guess.

Sculley's for Lunch

Marilyn has been treating us to lunch every day, this time at Sculley's. The food: burger for Bob, conch fritters for Marilyn, and shrimp spring rolls for me. I think Marilyn's conch fritters were the best, but I enjoyed my shrimp too, and I especially liked the two large glasses of red sangria.

We went to 4:00 o'clock Mass at St. John Vianney (very humorous retired priest from Buffalo, NY) and settled down for a quiet evening.

We caught a Saturday night sunset on the beach near Tradewinds and called it a night soon after.

Boca Ciega Millennium Park

Boardwalk. Boca Ciega Bay in the Background

No Snakes on the Path

Boca Ciega Millennium Park is tucked away in Seminole, about 10 miles from our condo. one of the locations on the Florida Birding Trail. I expected the birders to be lined up for admission, and I was a little apprehensive that we were arriving around noon -- late in the day for popular attractions. No fear of that. We encountered so few visitors that it was a little disconcerting, driving into the park, quiet except for the call of blue jays in the distance.

No visitor center and only a couple of moms with their kids in a small playground. We passed signs (squirrel, snake, turtle crossings) that suggested the presence of animal life. We parked in a small lot near a lookout and were pleasantly surprised by a well constructed boardwalk to multi-leveled, stunning views of Boca Ciega Bay. An osprey was fishing and a large egret soared overhead. Lots of mangroves, pines, palms, spanish moss. Plenty of activity in the underbrush, not much of it visible, except for the odd gecko. On our way out the park, we took some pictures in a wetlands near the entrance. We realized -- too late -- that there was a viewing area for alligators as well.

Nice Habitat if You're a Bird or Turtle

A satisfying stop.

Chillin' on the Beach

Sunrise on a cold March morning

Dolphin at the  Sunshine Skyway Bridge fishing pier

I could almost smell frost. My feet felt as they do when I step out the door barefoot on a winter morning in Minnesota -- just long enough to grab the Pioneer Press, of course. For the first time ever in Florida, I wondered a little about hypothermia as I stood on the balcony this morning taking pictures of the sunrise, but that wasn't enough to delay the morning swim. The only contretemps was a rapidly chilling hot tub, which was fixed by mid-morning but a little late for Marilyn and me.



One of several dolphins at the pier

We crossed the Skyway Bridge around noon and watched the fishing (people, birds and dolphins) at the fishing pier near the bridge. I took several dozen pictures of dolphins but got only two good ones. We watched a fisherman skillfully untangle a pelican from his line; Marilyn had the presence of mind to hand the man his knife. I just watched, too riveted to take a picture.

Marilyn took us to lunch at The Wharf where my lobster roll reminded me of the lobster rolls on Cape Cod. Great view too. When we got home, Marilyn and I went for a walk on the beach, pleasantly cool even in the late afternoon.

Biggest near thrill of the day: we saw a little head bobbing in the bay, right beside the sea wall. The little creature seemed to be looking at us - quite a feat since we were on our fifth floor balcony. Baby manatee? Small dolphin? Sea otter? Marilyn insisted that we go down to check. She was so eager to get a good picture that she rushed over to the water's edge and motioned for me to follow. The "head" was an oddly shaped coconut.

Floating coconut "sea creature"

Sunken Gardens

Spring at Sunken Gardens

We spent a couple of hours at St. Petersburg's Sunken Gardens on Thursday. Beautiful, tropical and just a little shabby. The map isn't very useful, and plants could all use better identification. The kookaburras and parrots need better enclosures, and koi ponds seemed a little slimey.

This oasis in the middle of the city that deserves a good board of directors, thoughtful fundraising, attention to infrastructure and beautiful outdoor spaces. Naming at least some of the animals (birds, turtle, tortoise) would create a sense of community ownership.

Loved watching an egret hunt in the jungly underbrush, but my favorite resident was the alligator snapping turtle. Didn't get a good picture, but he was fun to see in the minnow filled pond.

Sunken Gardens

Extraordinary: the feeling that we were in 1920s Cuba -- all those palms, banana and banyan trees, the feeling that snakes could fall out of the air or slither up from the, well, sunken gardens.

Coffee Making 101

I got distracted making coffee this morning and walked away from the pot to work on my photos. Sounds coming from the kitchen were a little odd but I'm unused to the pot and didn't pay much attention, until I heard a gurgling from the general direction of the coffee maker.

Oh oh. The pot was sitting on the counter and I guess it's not the kind of process that shuts itself off unless the pot is on the plate. The tiled floor was covered with grounds and a river of coffee flowed in the grout between the tiles. The counter and refrigerator were splattered with dirty brown liquid.

Marilyn helped me clean up the worst of the mess, but I still had to clean the coffeemaker, which was covered with gritty coffee. Lesson learned.

Lots of Room on the Beach

Bob's Laughing Gull

We bundled up, picked up a couple of Subway sandwiches, and headed to Pass-a-Grille for the sunset. Bob decided to walk with his sandwich and talk to us, with his back to the water. He quickly made friends with a laughing gull, and (not being much of a crust eater) he illegally started dropping chunks of bread, which were quickly scarfed up by the bird.

The gull's many friends soon arrived and circled Bob's head, screeching noisily for a handout. He soon looked like the Birdman of Alcatraz, though less serene. In fact, not serene at all. Maybe it was more like a scene out of Hitchcock's The Birds. The wind was blowing so hard that I didn't dare put my own sandwich down to take a picture.

Marilyn and Bob sat huddled on the park bench, looking as though they were going to dump me to wait in the car. However, they pressed on and we stayed until the sun dropped into the gulf. People scurried off the beach and it was soon quiet again, except for the odd evening walker.

Habemus Papam Franciscum

A new pope already! Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected on March 13, 2013. Lots of stories on Vatican News but, for the most part, we watched the coverage on CNN.

Pope Francis I, now Bishop of Rome, visited the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore soon after his election. Bob and I visited the basilica on a choir tour in 1999. I returned later on my own for what turned out to be a private viewing of the famous mosaics, which I'd missed two decades earlier when I was in Italy with my mother.

It's awesome to remember the sights and smells (wax, incense, dust) of that lovely space.

Marilyn Makes Three

My sister Marilyn drove through snow and sleet on icy roads to get to YYZ yesterday morning for her flight to Atlanta followed by a connection to Tampa. We picked her up at the airport, which is much less busy mid-week than it was last Saturday when we arrived.

Marilyn Marshall. That's me in the reflection.

It was chilly but warm enough for lunch on the deck: cold cuts, cheese, salads, hummus ~ all washed down with a tasty but cheap Barefoot Riesling. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, now bathwater warm since the heater was fixed. It had been broken over the weekend, which suited me fine, but even I was happy to slip into warm water on a cool day.

Still Got That Special Spark

The other side of the bay was barely visible in the rain and fog of Tuesday morning. I began the day with a solitary swim in the pool. A somewhat frisky older man who reminded me of Uncle Leo in Seinfeld chatted at me through the gate, reflecting loudly that he might join me in the pool, as long as there was no thunder and lightning. "You just try", I thought to myself.

Seems the scenarios don't change much as one ages, even if the quality of prospective suitors has taken a deep dive. Fortunately, nothing came of this one's intentions and I swam happily for nearly an hour.

Rainy Day

Shelling on Pass-a-Grille Beach

Pass-a-Grille beach is beautiful and ever changing. Because of the wind and rain, the gulf was quite choppy yon Tuesday, more like the Atlantic coast. We stopped at a few spots on the beach to take pictures and watch the waves splash on walkways and benches near the water.

Good Sailing Day

At the very end of Pass-a-Grille, we walked out to the point, a favorite rocky beach frequented by shellers. My Minnesota Vikings windbreaker is a conversation starter, in this case the catalyst for a visit with a young Stillwater family and, later, a man from Minnetonka.

We had lunch at Daiquiri Shak (burger for Bob, white chicken chili and salad for me). By late afternoon, the sky was clearing ... but it was definitely still jacket weather. The weather forecasters seemed to enjoy the change from "80 and sunny" and I had another great swim in the chill of the evening.

Florida Cool

Long time residents and northern visitors bemoan the cooler weather this winter. I really appreciated the cool wind yesterday afternoon when we visited John's Pass. The sun was San Diego warm rather than Miami hot, and I didn't spend the day in fear of sunburn.

The pier at John's pass was busy but not crowded -- bad for business, I suppose, but more enjoyable for visitors to this fun venue for people and pelican watching. We had lunch at Bubba Gump's outside bar and could actually find a spot at the rail to enjoy the activity at the dock. Lots of boats, fish, sea birds, and tourists, of course.

Alone in the Pool

We spent the later afternoon at the pool where the competent mother of four little boys played Marco Polo with her 10-year-old twins. At the end of the afternoon, I was, once again, the only swimmer. This morning, we woke up to rain: perfect swimming weather.

The sky seems to be clearing now, the 70-degree temps are unseasonably cool. Perfect weather for vacationing Minnesotans.

Technology Challenges

I have a new appreciation for fast wireless Internet. Internet performance seems to degrade as the day goes on and, for the first time in a long while, bandwidth has some limitations. Make that many limitations.

Not so many years ago, I was often one of two or three wireless users in a condo complex. Times have changed. Too many devices share an inadequate wireless infrastructure. Must be good work in this area for network engineers.

Red Tide Tragedy

For months we'd been looking forward to manatees in the bay and, in fact, chose a higher floor in the condo complex to have better perspective for photos. I was shocked to learn that the manatee population has been declining dramatically because of Red Tide.


This toxic algae bloom has infected the manatee food supply and yesterday the Tampa Bay Times published a story with the startling statistic of 174 deaths this year, a sad record.

Even after the bloom fades, the toxin persists in the manatees' ecosystem for several months, do the death toll will continue to rise.

Manatee in Boca Ciega Bay - March 2012

Sunday R & R

We usually attend the vigil Mass on Saturday evening, but our routine varies when we travel. Yesterday, we returned to St. John Vianney for 10:00 a.m. Mass. Many Italians in that parish -- Italians who still speak the language, even after several generations in North America. Listening to people visit after Mass transported me to the Jean-Talon Market area, where Notre Dame de la Défense is the mother church of Montreal's Italian community. We recognized many parishioners, particular the white dinner jacket and bow tie clad ushers. I loved the music -- mostly contemporary -- and the choir, though more attention was paid to key and time than to phrasing and musicality.

We spent part of the afternoon at the pool and enjoyed cocktail hour on the deck. Then we grabbed a sandwich at Subway and headed to Pass-a-Grille for supper on a bench before sunset. We were joined by winter visitors from Maryland, giving Bob his favorite opportunity to "talk to strangers", a pleasant couple looking forward to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

Spring Ahead

I love coming to Florida on this second weekend in March, because we go ahead two hours, one for the Eastern time zone and the other for the transition to DST. This is the one weekend of the year when I can be fairly sure of sleeping in until at least  5:00 a.m. This morning, I did wake before five by eventually went back to sleep and didn't wake until the eastern sky was brightening. The herons and egrets were fishing before dawn, but first light seemed to wake the gulls -- and they roused everyone else.

Canadians

Lots of Canadians here (Ontario, New Brunswick), some of whom we remember from last year. I had to laugh when people from Sarnia claimed to have come from the cold "60 miles from Detroit". Cold compared to where? The Fredericton contingent includes a couple who live "not 10 minutes" from St. Thomas University. The Ryans have a strong maritime connection, so I'm fairly sure we would discover that we know some of the same people.

Orientation Day

I wore my Sports Illustrated freebie Vikings jacket yesterday by the pool, while we waited for our condo to be ready. It was no heat wave but we were happy to have a beer (fresh from Norman's Liquors) in the gazebo area. Make that two beers.

We got our keys shortly after two. Same layout as last year's, two floors higher, with more panoramic view. The kitchen is better equipped and Bob is happy with the TVs. He's already referring to the second bedroom and bathroom as "Marilyn's", in anticipation of my sister's visit on Wednesday.

Shopped at Publix for a picnic supper (fresh gulf shrimp, roast beef, horseradish cheese, salads-Greek, chicken, fruit). By 7:30 I was fading fast so I headed to the pool, where I was the lone occupant for the rest of the evening, except for a couple of brief dips by kids in the hot tub.

We're Off!

For the first time ever, I had the foresight to take Friday off but, of course, I didn't have enough common sense to decompress a little before leaving on vacation. I have slept very little in the last week and was up at 4:00 a.m. nearly every day, so by noon or so I felt a little weary and doubled up on physical work to stay awake. Yesterday's activities included many loads of laundry and washing the kitchen floor and by 10 p.m. I was exhausted. Slept quite soundly until Chris let himself in around 1:00 a.m. - back from Wyoming after he and Scott drove for over 18 hours, alternating drivers with every tank of gas. I managed to sleep fitfully until 4:00 a.m. Chris drove us to the airport at 5:00, through the pouring rain. The alley was a sheet of ice but the rest of the ride to MSP was uneventful.