JIMMY BUFFETT IN CONCERT

It has been my dream forever to see Jimmy Buffett in concert and now I can mark that one off of my bucket list!

In January I heard that Jimmy was coming to Tampa but the date for the concert was after we were supposed to leave for home.  It didn't take much convincing to get Dick to stay an extra day so we could attend the concert.  I really wouldn't classify us as die hard "parrotheads" but we've got all his music and I've read all his books, and we both love the lifestyle that the music represents!  No, not the booze and women, but the laid back key west style of living ...

I got on the internet right away and started looking for some good tickets.  Found a couple that I thought we really good and snatched them up.  Then a couple of weeks later I found a pair of closer seats - and suddenly I had four tickets.  But I wasn't too worried - I did have, afterall, 2-1/2 months to sell one set of them.  So I posted them for sale on several bulletin boards in the RV Park.  I mean, come on .... every one there knew who Jimmy Buffett was and surely loved his music as much as me!  They'd sell quickly.  I didn't bank on people on fixed incomes not wanting to spend $319 on my great seat tickets.

Ok, so I was wrong.  Next I tried selling them in the local newspaper. Two weeks later not one single bite.  Well that cost me $40.

Ok, I'll repost them on the park bulletin boards and lower the price to $275 .

Ok, it's two weeks before the concert - I guess I'll try Craig's List at $290!  Day two - a hit, someone wants to buy my tickets.  But no, wait ... he found seats for sale a little closer!  Damn, damn, damn ....  Ok, maybe we can take them to the concert with us and get rid of them there!

Lowered the price again on Craig's List to $250.   Ewwww, ewww, ewww, another hit on Craig's List.  But this guy will pay what I want but can he give me $200 now and $50 next month???  Well, no we'll be gone by then.  Should I sell them to him for $200 and suck up my losses?  OK, OK .... he can have them for $200!

Then I made a mistake .... I went to Facebook and looked him up.  Yep, there he was, right there in front of me, and a true Parrothead to boot!  And then I made my second mistake .... I began reading some of his posts.  He was lamenting the fact that he really wanted to take his wife to see Jimmy Buffett.  That she was getting ready to graduate from nursing school and he wanted to surprise her but due to some unfortunate circumstances they were not able to afford to go right now.  He said he had tried to put together a "graduation party" for his wife but that fell through due to $$ problems.

So I logged into Craig's List and emailed him to call me.  I told him if he would meet us in the parking lot of the WalMart I'd bring the tickets.  An hour later we were face to face, I handed him the tickets and said tell your wife happy graduation - go and have fun.  I think it's the first time I've been hugged by a complete stranger with tears in his eyes.  Tom later emailed and said he was so happy on the drive home that he forgot to take his exit and drove halfway to a neighboring town before turning around and going home.

Things happen for a reason and I thank the Lord that he has given us the ability to do things like this once in awhile!

NOW ..... for the concert!

Jimmy Buffett ..... he's right up there in my book!  Love the music and always have, the talent of a writer and his ability to tell a story both in the written word and his music that wants - no makes you yearn for the livestyle.  Living on a beach somewhere, watching the pelicans (or sand hill cranes) play, smelling the salt water, and ... well, ok, tipping back a margarita or in my case a Corona!  Those of you who know me know what a margarita does to me lol .... no, I don't get loosey goosey, I get sick.

We arrived at the Ampitheatre which has a seating capacity of 20,000 and an unknown capacity with the use of the upper lawn area but I'd guess 7,000 additional.  It was pretty easy to get into the grounds and not too hard to find a parking place but we were way the hell out in the left 40.  It was a good mile walk around to the entrance and I was wearing my flip flops (bad choice).  At least we had a lot of company walking with us and a lot of entertainment along the way.  I would say that there were half as many people tailgating as were attending the show.  I wish I would have taken more pictures as we made our way to the entrance.

These people had been partying all day .... lots and lots of costumes, guys in hot tubs, girls in bikinis, tents all decked out in proud parrothead style; people giving out pirate beads and free margaritas ... dang I wish I could drink them!  Parrot hats, shark head hats, coconut bikini tops worn by both men and women, colorful shirts and, of course, lots of Jimmy Buffett t's; people carrying palm fronds, hats that light up, jewelry that lights up, and lots and lots of beer and margaritas.  It was crazy...

The opener - Ilo - a 30-year-old African singer named Ilo Ferreira.  Ilo, whose sound is an upbeat mix of influences from Paul Simon to Elvis, with some African rhythms thrown in, will soon leave Buffett’s tour to play his own dates. “Jimmy is a shortcut I didn’t see coming,” Ilo says, happily.

A little history on Jimmy:
Buffett began his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee during the late 1960s as a country artist and recorded his first album, the folk rock Down to Earth, in 1970. During this time Buffett could be frequently found busking for tourists in New Orleans. Country music singer Jerry Jeff Walker took him to Key West on a busking expedition. Buffett then moved to Key West and began establishing the easy-going beach bum persona for which he is known. Following this move, Buffett combined country, folk, and pop music with coastal as well as tropical lyrical themes for a sound sometimes called "gulf and western". Today, he is a regular visitor to the Caribbean island of Saint Barts and other islands where he gets inspiration for many of his songs and some of the characters in his books.

The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of Jimmy Buffett. Originally it was a fictional band consisting of the imaginary members Marvin Gardens, Kay Pasa, Al Vacado and Kitty Litter.  The name "Coral Reefer" alludes to both coral reefs (in line with Buffett's tropical-themed music) and also "reefer," which is slang for marijuana. The term is also related to sailing; a sailor who shortens or "reefs" a sail is a reefer.

The music was awesome, the crowd was huge and noisy, and everybody knew the words to the songs lol ... I called Sean & Lisa just before the last encore just so they could hear all of the excitement in the crowd.  They couldn't hear a word I was saying but that didn't matter.


The walk back to the car seemed more like five miles ...  Saw lots of inebriated people and one fight but they were both drunk so I think the only thing hurt was feelings.  We sat in the car for awhile and let the cars thin out and then headed home - singing JB songs and feeling young once again.


FINS UP PARROTHEADS ....

For Photos .... CLICK HERE.
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

By: jimmy buffett, 1977

I took off for a weekend last month

Just to try and recall the whole year

All of the faces and all of the places

Wonderin’ where they all disappeared

I didn’t ponder the question too long

I was hungry and went out for a bite

Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum

And we wound up drinkin all night

It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of our running and all of our cunning

If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.........

Gearing Up and Cleaning Out

Well, Dick thinks I'd better get this blog caught up before we hit the road  next weekend.  Am having some problems with my computer but the tech guy will be here tomorrow so should be good to go once again.

Yay - it's fixed.  Just a little heads up if you peruse the photos - I could not use flash inside and some of the photos are a little dark and/or blurry (sorry).



For My Sister Judy & Her Hubby Don



We've been spending the last couple of weeks marking things off of our Florida Bucket List.  It doesn't seem possible that winter is over (well, here at least) and we'll be on the road next Sunday.  We're planning on taking a month to get home but that's for our travel blog, so stay posted!

A visit to Florida would not be complete without a visit to the John and Mabel Ringling museum of Classical Art in Sarasota. Many of you are familiar with the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus, hailed as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” and if you were like me, you could not wait to see this grand performance as a child. 

I don't quite know where to start on this one - there were so many things to see. Maybe a little history lesson ..

Sarasota was the winter home for many of the Ringling family, dating back to 1911. In 1925, John Ringling engaged architect John H. Phillips to design the art museum. The Museum was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Construction also began in 1927, but was slowed almost immediately by the collapse of Florida’s land boom and later, Wall Street’s stock market crash. Financial misfortune and Mable’s death in 1929 might have ended the dream, but John Ringling instead gained a new resolve to complete the museum, borrowing money as needed, knowing that it would perpetuate the memory of his beloved Mable. In October 1931, “The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art” was officially opened to the public.

The Museum of Art sits on a 66-acre estate looking out over Sarasota Bay.  The grounds include Mable's Rose Garden, the Secret Garden, Dwarf Garden, Millenium Tree Trail, and 13 historic banyan trees, complete with paths and picnic areas.

The most prized items in the museum are sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth century European paintings, including an amazing collection of paintings from the world renowned Peter Paul Rubens. Other artists works that are represented include; Marrioto di Cione, Cranach the Elder, Frans Hals, H. C. Van Vl.  Dick and I were in awe; neither of us were particular excited about the "art" part of the Art Museum but what a blessing that we got to see some of the Old Masters works of art.  On display were also ceramics produced in Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Japan and an absolutely wonderful exhibit of Jade from the late Qing Dynasty.

For photos of the grounds and Art Museum click here.

The Circus Museum as well as the Tibbals Learning Center are home to the largest miniature circus found anywhere in the world. This is one place that children of all ages can appreciate with memorabilia like costumes, photos and posters. The Ringling Museum of the American Circus was founded in 1948 and it a record of the rich history of the circus, giving guests a glance of rare handbills, art-prints, business records, performing props, wardrobe, and many other types of circus equipment.  

Dick and I enjoyed sharing the Circus Museum with my sister Patt as she told us stories of traveling with the circus and of those behind the scenes moments you always wonder about. This is a photo of her husband Tony.  Tony was the first and, as far as we know, the only person to be trained as a Lion Trainer under the G.I. Bill.

I had a hard time dragging Dick away from the miniature circus - it was SiMpLy AmAzInG ...  The Howard Bros. Circus, complete with eight main tents, 152 wagons, 1,300 circus performers and workers, more than 800 animals and a 57-car train, is on permanent display in the Ringling Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center.  The Howard Bros. Circus is a ¾-inch-to-the-foot scale replica of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus when the tented circus was at its largest (circa 1919-1938), and occupies 3,800 square feet in the 30,600 sq. ft.-Tibbals Learning Center.  The “largest miniature circus in the world” was created over a 50-year time span by master model builder and philanthropist Howard C. Tibbals of Tennessee and Florida.

World's Smallest Circus

Also on exhibition in the Circus Museum is the Wisconsin, the private Rail car of John and Mable Ringling built in 1905.  Built during the golden age of rail, the Wisconsin car provides a unique view into the splendid travel accommodations that John and Mable Ringling enjoyed on their travels around the country on business and with the circus. 

For photos of the Circus Museum and The Wisconsin click here.  

An 18^th-century treasure in a 21^st-century venue, the Historic Asolo Theater is a work of art in its own right. The palace playhouse was created in Asolo, Italy in 1798 to honor the 15^th-century exiled Queen Catherine Cornaro of Cyprus.  In the late 1940s, the theater was dismantled and brought to the Ringling Estate in Sarasota. In 2006, after years of painstaking restoration, America’s only 18^th-century European theater was reset in the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion just inside the historic Cà d’Zan Gatehouse on the Ringling Museum estate.

My favorite part of the Ringling estate was the Ca' d' Zan Mansion (House of John) which stands as a representation of the luxury and romance of the 1920s. The Mansion is a Venetian palazzo encompasses John and Mables' zeal for opulence and their appreciation of European style. 56 incredible rooms filled with art and original furnishings to boggle the mind.  I could hear the laughter and the tinkle of the piano as we walked through the great ballroom, with the ladies in their fine dresses and the men with their cigars and brandy.  I think I was amazed most by the detail in each of the room ceilings - all different; hand painted, gilded, made to look like wood but was a form of plaster.

West Ballroom Ceiling

Ca' d’Zan is 200-foot long encompassing approximately 36,000 square feet with 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms.  The structure is five stories and has a full basement.  The pinnacle of the structure is the 81-foot Belvedere tower with an open-air overlook and a high domed ceiling.  Ca' d’Zan is constructed from terra cotta “T” blocks, concrete, and brick, covered with stucco and terra cotta, and embellished with glazed tile. The original roof was made from 16^th century Spanish tiles imported by the builder Owen Burns.  The bayfront terrace is made of domestic and imported marble.  What a place to hold a party!!!

For photos of Ca' d'Zan click here.

I took my husband on a shopping trip to St. Armand's Key.  I know it wasn't the highlight of his day but it sure made mine.  130 shops around a main square, beautiful lush landscaping, sidewalk restaurants ... shopping heaven.  I did bribe him with the promise of dinner and so we headed for Columbia Restaurant a local destination since 1905.  Ummm good food too!

Inbetween all of these fun times - we had a not so fun time.  I'm sure you saw the storms that buffeted the middle of Florida.  Nine tornadoes touched down; one of them just a mile north of our location.  This particular one hit one of the poorest areas and left a path of downed trees, lost roofs, electric lines down, and a general mess.  There was a semi overturned on the interstate and a few small planes turned upside down at a small airport.  We were fortunate and only saw high winds and rain, rain, rain.  Tracked it all day on the tv until our satellite went out and then switched to the computer.  It was pretty scary for awhile but we had prepared and had everything tucked inside and the slides pulled in on the RV.  There were a few downed trees in the RV park, along with a couple of roofs damaged and awnings torn off.

We managed to squeeze in a Spring Training game at George Steinbrenner Field between the NY Yankees and the Pittsburg Pirates.  What a great day to watch a game ... had the traditional hot dogs / sausage and drinks, cheered for the Yankees, and had a ball.

 

For more baseball and family BBQ pictures click here.

We went to Fort DeSoto dog beach one more time for Harley.  I wish I could get him to go in the water, I know he'd like it!  I guess the time he fell in our pond when he was little kind of ruined the water for him lol.

My Mother Erma, My Aunt LaVerne & Grandma Harmon

Drove over to Apoppka one more time to visit my cousin Pat Rader and her husband Al.  We had a good time going over old family photos while Dick spent the day with Ed Hinchey at a "shoot" for Safariland Armor.                                  

Patt and I had a "sisters day out" - went shopping and had our toes done!

We topped off our winter with a family BBQ with Jo's famous ribs - ummm ummm good, can't you just taste them now!

Dick, Nan, Jeney & Ricky

Well now it's back to cleaning and packing and getting ready to hit the road.  We've accumulated some "stuff" over the last five months and now we need to figure out where to put it all lol ...

One final thing on my bucket list before we leave - We're going to see Jimmy Buffett in Tampa on Saturday, then we'll be heading out for home on Sunday morning.  I'll be switching to our travel blog at that time and hope that you will join us for our journey home.

We hope you've enjoyed our winter as snowbirds - it's been a lot of fun!

 

Happy Trails .... Dick, Jo & Harley

P. S.  The most important thing we learned in Florida:  "Never eat at a Sushi Bar that is located next door to a Bait shop!!"

Key Wasted

Photo taken from the 7-Mile Bridge, Marathon

 And it’s just the sweetest life he’s ever tasted,
A little laid back and key wasted.
He’s got his toes in the sand, he’s a tropical man
He’s happy as hell and it shows.
He’s just living in a drunken stupor,
Making some money on that old square grouper.
Never had any doubt and if it doesn’t work out,
Well, that’s just the way it goes.

..... Jim Morris, 1996

Even us "retired" folks have to go on vacation once in a while and where better to go than the Florida Keys.

What could be more relaxing than Key relaxed .... there is no other feeling like it on earth (except maybe Hawai'i).  Sun, surf, sand .... boats, bouys, babes ... piers, pontoons, pina coladas.  Sitting on your front porch, watching the ocean and hitting away on the keyboard - what could be better!

A VIEW FROM OUR FRONT PORCH

We took off on March 7th and headed for The Keys, our destination Marathon which is located about halfway between Key Largo and Key West and a resort called Rainbow Bend on Grassy Key.  We chose Marathon because it was in the middle and then we could go either way to do our exploring.

And exploring we did .... from one end of The Keys to the other, checking out all the little back roads and State Parks, touristy areas, as well as where the locals hang out.  The color of the water is absolutely stunning .... from emerald green to robin's egg blue (wish I could have captured it in pictures but the colors just don't show up right) ... from choppy and stormy looking to smooth as glass ... from dark and murky to seeing all the way to the bottom.

Canal off of Duck Key, high-end neighborhood

We made two trips to Key West; one with Harley and one without.  The first trip we encountered hordes of young adults - ut o - spring break is upon us.  It was so much fun to sit and watch their antics; lots of drunk kids doing truly stupid things.  They all seemed to come off of one of the cruise ships in the harbor.  I truly felt sorry for the crew on that ship!

On the second trip we went down later in the day so we could stay to watch the infamous Mallory Square sunset.  And spectacular it was!

 

Mallory Square at sunset is a not to miss item in Key West.  Everyone heads to the square to watch the sunset amid the carnival like atmosphere, food vendors, various artistic endeavors (think painted coconuts), and talented (or not so talented) entertainment from high wire walkers to men in kilts balancing their bagpipes on their foreheads while standing on a very tall stool (yep, for real - we can see you now Parker in your retirement lol).

 We ate grouper and shrimp and stone crab claws and blue crab and lobster and frog legs (no they don't taste like chicken) and key lime pie and ......... and .......... burp ... excuse me ...


We sat through a torrential downpour and endured the sweltering sun (I know you feel sorry for us - NOT), drank wine, cleaned sand out of our underwear and had a damn fine time.  

I’m growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead ... 

--- Jimmy Buffett 1980

For more photos of our Keys Vacation click here.

On our way home we took Highway 41 rather than Alligator Alley (where we saw NO alligators) and stopped at Cooperstown for an air boat ride through The Everglades. While our guide was knowledgeable, he wasn't real talkative and I wish he would have stopped more for picture taking.  The scenery was breathtaking, the gators and birds plentiful, and Harley had a ball once he got used to the sound of the engine.  The short 40 minute ride whetted our appetite for more of the Glades and I know we'll return for a longer ride next time.  

We also stopped at a small park along Highway 41 to eat our lunch and were surprised to find it manned by a volunteer who pointed out more gators, birds and snakes for our enjoyment.

For air boat tour and gator photos click here. 

Well, it won't be long until we're headed back to Idaho.  I hope the snow is all gone!!!

Happy Trails,
Jo, Dick & Harley

LAS VEGAS 2011

The end of January found us in Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2011 SHOT Show.  What is a SHOT Show you ask? - me too!  The SHOT Show is an annual tradeshow for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry. It's the biggest event of this type in the world.  Now what in the world were we doing here you ask?


Well ... way back when,  February 3rd of 1976 to be exact, when Dick was working for the Colorado Springs Police Department he was shot while on a burglary call.  The vest he was wearing saved his life and was purchased from Safariland (makers of the vest).  Roll forward 35 years later ....

When we were in Florida in July of 2010, Dick was contacted by Ed Hinchey of Safariland asking if they could come to Idaho and interview him for a film they were making.  Dick was the FIRST SAVE with a Safariland vest and they wanted to honor him during the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

So, in October of 2010 our living room was turned into a small movie set, with our esteemed producer Ace Underhill and  Monte Moore, our director / graphic person, and, of course, our star - Mr. Dick Sheehan, along with technical adviser Ed Hinchey and minor starlets Ms. Jo Sheehan and Harley Davidson Dawg.

 

                                              Monte Moore & Dick

                                                 Ed Hinchey & Ace Underhill






Monte Moore & Dick

                                                                                                           




                                 Monte Moore









After setting up and shooting for a couple of hours, we headed off for lunch and then back for some more filming.  Ed took us out to dinner, to include Sean and his family.  We had a great time and learned a lot about the film business.  Ed presented Dick with the coveted Safariland SAVES Coin - the one you are always happy to receive cause that means you survived!

 It was a little embarrassing tho when someone else has to explain to your son why his father is receiving this coin.

We said goodby to Ed, Ace and Monte (p. s. Monte grew up in Nampa and now lives in Colorado Springs) not knowing what the finished film would look like but anxious to see it all the same.

Arrangements were made and in January we flew to Las Vegas, taking the good weather with us.  We arrived on Tuesday the 18th, got settled into our room, and headed for the SHOT Show to find Ed.  I felt like we had checked into a "high roller" room - it was beautiful, with the most wonderful view of the mountains, the strip and Trump tower.

Tuesday evening we had dinner with Neale Perkins.  In 1964, following his father's request for a custom holster, Neale Perkins launched a holster business from his garage in Sierra Madre, California. He named his new company after the African safaris he and his father enjoyed together. From these humble beginnings, Safariland quickly went from making a few hundred holsters to more than 5,000 within a few months.

Neale was Dick's original contact with Safariland way back in 1976.  Neale flew him out to Safariland headquarters in California at which time he made an 8mm home movie of Dick and Neale's dog in Neale's backyard.  Dick was the FIRST SAVE with one of Neale's vests.  It was a trip that Dick remembers to this day.

We had a ball at dinner with Neale - telling us stories and a few tall tales; Neale is truly a special man and we look forward to our continued friendship with him.

Wednesday Dick spent the morning at the SHOT Show and I went and did a little shopping, walked the strip, and came back and had my toes pampered.  We were meeting a friend of mine from high school for dinner and I was really excited.  Carol (Graves) and her husband Fred Beitler showed up around 7:00 and we headed to the Grand Lux Cafe in the Palazzo for dinner.  It was so much fun catching up that I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES!!  I can't believe it!

Thursday morning we met Ed and the rest of the SAVES Club members in the restaurant for breakfast.  Then it was on to the SHOT Show where the formal presentation was to take place at 2:00 PM.  There were three officers (including Dick) to be honored; the other two were Britt Sweeney from the Seattle WA PD and and Al Fong from the Saginaw MI PD.

Here is an excerpt from the presentation: 

A cold February night in 1976 marks the date that Richard (Dick) Sheehan’s life was saved by his Safariland vest. It was 11:52 p.m., and as a patrolman for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department, Dick observed two individuals behind a local business. When they started to run, Dick exited his patrol car and began pursuing them around the corner of the building, where he lost sight of the individuals. That’s when he was shot in the back twice by a .22 cal rifle. The Safariland vest that he was wearing saved his life that night.

Officer Britt Sweeney, Seattle Police Department, had been on the job just seven months when she and her Field Training Officer were ambushed by an assailant who was wanted for firebombing several police cars. It was Oct. 31, 2009 and as Officer Sweeney and her partner were pulled off the highway writing reports, the assailant pulled along side and opened fire with a .223 rifle. Sweeney’s partner was killed instantly, and Officer Sweeney was struck on her ABA Xtreme HP across the back/shoulder area. She was able to radio for help and exit the vehicle where she returned fire striking the vehicle of the assailant who was later taken into custody.

Officer Al Fong, Saginaw Michigan Police Department, was executing a narcotics raid on Oct. 30, 2010 with his tactical team when the suspect opened fire. Officer Fong was struck in his chest with two rounds. His PROTECH armor defeated the rounds and the team returned fire striking the suspect, who was then taken into custody without further incident.

“We are honored and extremely happy to bring together one of our very first Saves as well as two of our more recent Saves,” said Ed Hinchey, Safariland Saves Club liaison, and himself a member of the Saves program. “Nothing reflects the spirit of Safariland and its people more than the Safariland Saves Club and its long tradition of honoring those who protect us. With each product we make, we put emphasis on protecting the lives of those who use them.”

 It was a very emotional presentation for all officers and their families, as well as members of the audience.

     Al Fong ... Ed Hinchey ... Britt Sweeney ... Dick Sheehan

After all the excitement of the afternoon, we joined the Safariland team and the other SAVES members for dinner at the Dal Toro Ristorante.  Sitting next to Rich Shafer, VP of Marketing, and across from Scott O'Brien, President of Safariland, I got quite the lesson in ordering fine wines.  I did tell them I would settle for Annie Green Springs but they weren't too impressed lol.

Friday was a day to ourselves and another dinner with a high school friend and her hubby.  THIS TIME I TOOK PICTURES!  Terri and Tom Gasper arrived and we headed down to dinner.  I had not seen either of them since the early 70's and Terri's daughter Brandi is my God-daughter.  I have been very remiss! We had a good talk and lots of laughs and it was time to call it a night.

What a FUN FUN FUN week!  If you would like to see more photos, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  I tried to load the video but it was taking waaaayyyyy toooo lonnnnnggggg, so to see the STAR you'll have to come to the Sheehans for movie night!

WHAT - IT'S FEBRUARY ????

Well, I must say I've been remiss.  I can't believe that it is already February, actually almost March, and in my last blog I said I was going to update on a weekly basis .... well, I also said I was going to walk 30 minutes a day and ride my bike.  So much for going public with my new year resolutions!

We have been busy, I think.  My memory is not getting better, as I expected it would as I age, but rather I concentrate on what happened 10 minutes ago.  I'm sure some of you can commiserate with me on that one.

January brought weather, weather and more weather.  We went from below freezing to a high 70's in the swing of 24 hours.  Bright sunshine to rainy and windy.  I know, I know ... you're feeling sorry for us as you sit bundled in front of the fire, watching the snow pile up!  We've traveled to the south and to the north, to the beach and into space (well sort of), seen manatees and crazy people (our family) and had a ball doing it all.

Early in January we went to Muscle Car City in Punta Gorda. Muscle Car City is a 99,000 square foot museum with well over 200 vintage '50s to early '70s muscle cars.  Featuring classic cars and hot rods spanning 35 years of makes and models. The collection boasts GM Performance Cars from '67 - '70 Z-28 Camaros, '68 - '71 396 Camaros, '64 - '71 SS Chevelles, '65 – '71 SS El Caminos, '58 - '67 Big Block Impalas, '64 - '71 Pontiac GTOs, '64 - '72 Oldsmobile 442s and a huge assortment of Hot Rods and Antique Chevys and a collection of one or more Corvette of each year from 1954 - 1975 and several of each series from 1975 - 2006.   Quite a sight to see!  Lots of auto memorbilia on the walls and for sale in their store.  Also a 50's diner.

Click here for Car Museum photos.

One beautiful day we went to St. Petersburg Beach or St. Pete as the locals call it.  Are we locals yet???  We were headed for Fort DeSoto Park, the closest "dog friendly" beach to us (about 1-1/2 hour drive).  Harley loves to chase the birds on the beach!  Fort DeSoto is made up of five interconnected islands.  The original Fort DeSoto was used as a gunnery and bombing range during World War II.  Unfortunately it was under restoration when we were there so we did not get to tour the buildings.  Named nation's #1 beach in 2005, the sand is fine (called sugar sand) and we found some great shells here!

Click here for St. Pete Beach pictures.

And what is January without a visit to the Tampa Zoo?

Click here for Tampa Zoo pictures.

Another trek took us to Plant City driving past the Airstream Stonehenge -  from Parksdale Farm Market where they serve the biggest (I've ever seen) strawberry shortcakes, to the Keel & Curley Winery where they make the bestest (yes siree my definite opinion) blueberry wine ever!!!  We've been back to both places several times and every time it's a new adventure!

Parksdale Farms harvests over 3 million - that's 3 MILLION - pounds of strawberries every year and we brought home one of the best cantaloupe I've ever tasted (think Rocky Ford cantaloupe, yummmmm).  Bought a baby gator head for Dylan - he loved it and, of course, uses it to stalk his sister.

Click here for Strawberries & Wine pictures.

We again returned to Punta Gorda to visit Fisherman's Village located on Charlotte Bay - yay, shopping!!  Built out on a pier (of course) with lots of shops and dining (heaven), beautiful boats in the Bay, and lots of colorful characters.  And wouldn't you know it on the drive home through Port Charlotte we ran across the most wonderful BEAD SHOPPE!  Even Dick agreed.  The good part .... lots of new and different things to play with .... the bad part, Dick had me over a barrel because I left my purse at home!  But we compromised and he loaned me his credit card - big mistake lol ....

Click here for Fisherman's Village pictures.

Just what is Dick doing with these police officers?  Be sure to read the Las Vegas blog to hear all about it!

Back from Las Vegas we again headed for Lake Suzy which is just outside of Punta Gorda.  Sounds like this is becoming out favorite place huh!  This time the trip was made with about 20 other Cobras to a hang out called the Nav-A-Gator.  The Nav-A-Gator is a way cute little bar and grill that sits on the shores of the Old Desoto Marina.  We have been here a couple of times now.  They have a great weekend singer, Jim Morris, (no, not THE Jim Morris) who performs his own songs Jimmy Buffett style.  .... "Land of Key Wasted" and "Bar Stools and Beach Chairs."  To read about him and catch the lyrics check out:  http://www.jim-morris.com/home.htm.  Coming home from Lake Suzy we had some car trouble - too much gas (no not Dick, the Cobra) and it has been in the shop ever since.  Long story but the short version comes down to a computer - first, guy couldn't get the computer program to work properly, got a new version from the injection company, computer crashed .... still waiting.  To be continued ....

Click here for Nav-A-Gator pictures.

February took us to the Florida State Fair ... I have never seen so many FOOD VENDORS!!!  Fried green tomatoes ... fried bacon ... fried Milky Way .... fried BUTTER - I swear, they should call it the Florida State Food Fair!  319 acres and I'll bet 1/3 of it is covered by food vendors - 1/3 by carnival and the final third with displays.  Not too much on the agricultural side but to be honest we were there during the horse displays.  We did watch one mounted horse event with riot police and their horses.  I guess I never thought about all the training that goes into preparing the horses for the smoke, noise, people throwing things, etc.  It was pretty amazing to watch.  We did get to see a little of the Blue Brothers and some of the rides were fun to watch like the trapeze artists on the helicopter.

Click here for Florida State Fair pictures.

Harley had his first encounter with a very large turtle ....

Our next stop was Tarpon Springs, about an hours drive northwest of Tampa.  Tarpon Springs is home to the largest Greek-American community in the United States.  It's waterfront is a working seaport and shopping district.  Known for it's sponges and sponge diving, there are many restaurants serving traditional Greek cuisine and fresh seafood that dot the street as well as quaint boutiques that sell everything from real sponges to imported goods. The street is narrow and reminiscent of a seaside village in Greece, with delivery trucks parked in the right of way and locals that greet each other in Greek and stop to chat without regard to the traffic.  If you're ever down this way you have to visit J. J. Gandy's for their famous (and very delicious) Key Lime pie!

Click here for Tarpon Springs pictures.

Our last trip for February took us over to Altamonte Springs, which is just above Orlando.  No, we didn't go to see Mickey and Minnie but to visit my Cousin Pat Rader and her husband Al who live in Apopka, just west of Altamonte Springs.  The last time I had seen Pat I was about 5 years old and we have had no contact over the years.

We got into town around Noon on Tuesday.  We were a little concerned because we had not heard from Pat since an email a couple of weeks previous.  I had left phone messages and emailed but .... Come to find out they had gone to their condo in Sebastian, FL which is about a two hour drive south of Orlando.  We decided to drive down and visit with them on Wednesday and I'm so glad we did - what neat people (for relatives lol).  We all had a lot in common and spent the time eating, drinking and talking about what we'd been doing for the last 50 years LOL.  They have a beautiful condo just across the street from the water on the inlet side.  Around 8:30 or so we headed back to Altamonte Springs because we wanted to catch the final Discovery shuttle launch on Thursday.

What a beautiful day for the Shuttle launch.  We decided against heading toward Cape Canaveral after listening to radio reports of traffic situations, so we packed up the car and our sun tan lotion and headed for Daytona Beach.  Speaking of traffic - we hit the interstate at Exit 92 and it took us over an hours to go six miles due to a traffic accident!  Joke was on us!  We landed at Ponce de Leon state park on the southern end of Daytona Beach.  There were a few people so we picked our spot on the water and settled in.  About an hour before launch time, the beach was crowded, with everyone vying for a good spot to view the launch.  I must say our spot was just perfect, we saw the launch, watched the separation, and then it just disappeared.  As fast as the park filled up, it emptied out and we headed back to Altamonte Springs.  What a perfect day.

Click here for Relatives & Blast Off pictures.

Well, that's it for now .... I'm sure I left out something .... I promise not to take so long between blogs next time.  Be sure to check out the Las Vegas blog in the next day or two.

Happy Trails,
Jo, Dick & Harley

New Years Day 2011

Well, I can honestly say that I never expected to spend New Years Day sitting outside soaking up my Vitamin D!  I can also say, no we did not stay up until Midnight and did not welcome in the New Year with drink and merriment.  There were, however, lots and lots of fireworks - starting at about Noon and finally letting up around 3 AM.

We've spent the week since Christmas just chillin'.  Dick BBQ'd burgers one evening, we went to visit my nephew Rob and his wife Sandy, cooked crab and lobster, read a book, make four necklaces and cleaned the car out.

Rob and Sandy live a little south of Riverview, wayback in the puckerbrush.  You definitely would not want to go wandering around there after dark!  They live on about 12 acres which is mostly in fish ponds.  At one time they raised aquarium fish for wholesalers but now the ponds are filled with catfish and the occasional alligator.  No, really.  Rob has relocated (to his freezer) several gators over the years. Sandy loves to take photos, so we have something in common.  She has captured on film some amazing critters such as the one you see below, along with an armadillo and a very large rattlesnake.

Got the Cobra out yesterday and drove down to visit the Manatees but there were so many cars we opted to keep on going and stop to visit Patt.  

And .... ended up helping her give Sassy girl a bath.  When she was clean, she immediately headed for the couch and her blankie!

 

Had a special visitor ....

 or two ....

 and Harley and Patt wish you a very Happy New Year!

Nope, I'm NOT moving - I was here first!!!

So, today I'm trying a first and I hope I don't screw it up!   I bought a prime rib roast and it's in the oven as we speak, with two very large Idaho potatoes.  Way to start off the New Year!

I always have the "gonna lose weight" resolution but this year I decided to forgo that resolution, since it never seems to work, and have opted for another ....  I'm going to walk Harley at least 30 minutes each day and ride my bike every other day.  Not going to worry a lot about what I eat cause that's just what I like to do!

I wish for all of you - a WONDERFUL 2011.  May you, my friends and family, find HAPPINESS, LOVE AND GOOD HEALTH!

Happy Trails,

Jo, Dick & Harley