Indoor Beauty

My orchid is starting to bloom again! The pink geranium saved from the patio table last fall is also blooming. The beautiful roses and carnations on the coffee table are a gift from the kids for babysitting! Can you see how snowy it is out the dining room window?

Sick Little Boy

I spent three days with my daughter and son-in-law this week babysitting our grandson because he was too sick to go to the babysitter and his parents had to go to work. S. was there to help also on the first and third days but had to drive back home to attend to the dog and other things in between. Even with pain killers and antibiotics ear infections are really nasty and hurt like heck. Poor little boy who also had a major cold with a cough and sore throat couldn’t eat or drink much for several days. We could get some fluids in him using a medicine syringe and squirting it into his mouth over and over but he cried so much. It hurt to swallow. The one thing that consoled him or diverted his attention was watching Bubble Guppies and Mickey Mouse kid shows over and over. He is on the mend now either the antibiotics kicked in or the analgesic ear drops helped him turn the corner. I was glad we live close enough to go and help them out. Now I have all the songs from those shows stuck in my head. Yikes.

Memories of Florida

Today is another cold and snowy day so I am revisiting some of the memories of our trip to Florida almost three weeks ago. The Naples Botanical Garden is worth the admission price to walk the pathways and see the beautiful plantings and collections of tropical plants from around the world. I think I posted pictures from there last year as well. I need to see these pictures today!

Our Kayaking Adventure

A few years ago we rented a canoe and paddled the Cocohatchee River out through the mangroves, past condos and marinas, across the intercoastal waterway to the beach at Wiggins Pass where we could watch small boats enter and exit the Gulf of Mexico. We saw others doing the same in two person kayaks and it looked a lot easier to maneuver them so we have wanted to try it again that way ever since.

A week ago on Saturday we had our new adventure and it was very fun. We would recommend it to other adult family members. Having never kayaked before we weren’t quite sure what to expect.  They sit low on the water and ones seat and legs get wet from the drips off the paddles. We wore swimsuits and T-shirts. They do not wobble near as much as a canoe especially when a boat wake passes by. They make you wear life vests and give you a waterproof aerial map of the area, a guy even helped us in and out of the kayak and took a picture for us.

Depending on the time of day the water is flowing in from the ocean or out to the ocean and they will give you that information beforehand if you call the rental place. For our trip we were paddling against an inflowing current on the way out which requires more effort and had the same current helping us on our way back from the pass. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes going out and then only 45 minutes coming back. We stayed at the pass for 30 minutes or so, had our picnic lunch in the shade of a tree, and then walked around on the beach looking at the large intact shells.

Even with the map it would be easy to get turned around or stuck in a dead end back in the mangroves because they all look alike! So I would advise people to pay attention to the landmarks in the distance and count the little mangrove islands and listen for the highway sounds off in the distance near the rental building.

You should all try this! The photo isn’t the most flattering but at least it shows the whole kayak, it is wide and not the flipping over kind.

Ah Florida!

We got to spend a week in the sun visiting my parents at their winter abode. Their lovely villa is surrounded by tropical plants and blooming flowers. It is just the antidote for the winter blues. We were treated to many wonderful meals. In the photo the patio at the La Playa resort with the flaming torches reminds me of Hawaii. Our children will recognize the beach restaurant at Pelican Bay at sunset of course. We also made trips to the beach near old Naples where I took the picture of the funny ocean birds sitting on the posts. The final photo is of Steve washing the little car. We had a rental car but drove the convertible to charge up the battery and because it was so fun! The next two posts will be about Florida as well. Sorry to rub it in.