Great to see my old partner again!

One of my partners from the old days in the Detroit Police Department drove up from their home in Fort Myers today with his wife, Mary. What a wonderful day it was. Sat around a table an Italian restaurant in Fisherman's Village and swapped lies for a couple of hours and then came back to our Montana to continue to see who could tell the best one! I always knew he was a winner and it was proven out today when Sunshine put her "paw of approval" on both Roy and Mary. Tomorrow we are going to a Greyhound Meet and Greet in Punta Gorda and then to another dog park, close to the Gulf of Mexico. It has been wet and cloudy for two days, now, but the sun has told us that it will shine again, starting tomorrow. Sounds like a plan!

Punta Gorda at its best!

Yesterday, we were visited by friends from Brighton who stopped by for the day. Rick and Karen Rupp came up from their condo in Naples and we all went to Fishermen's Village, on the Gulf of Mexico. The temperature was in the mid 70s, it was sunny and there was a cooling breeze coming in off the Gulf. Fishermen's Village was once a fish dock/processing area that now has added shops and live entertainment to the mix. We wandered around there a while and then came back to the Montana for a late lunch/early dinner on the patio. Once again, Sunshine was the perfect hostess for our guests. Great friends, great conversation, great weather - I could get to really liking retirement!

Bird Brains!

Yesterday, we went for a drive and came onto a "dish" that the State of Florida places on top of power poles for Ospreys. Here, mama Osprey is keeping her chicks warm waiting for pop to return with some food. Here he is, looking like an Eagle up there soaring. Then, this morning, a small bird sat on the roof of a shed just behind our Montana looking at itself in the reflection of our rear picture window. It must have thought that it discovered its soulmate because it danced in the air looking at the reflection, perched on the sills and preened itself of the rear ladder. When it pecked at a window, I pecked back hoping to thwart its insistence on pecking on our window. It must have thought that it was being pecked back by the reflection because, instead of being shooed away, it got more excited - finally leaving after being unsuccessful in meeting the reflection "up close and personal!"

Saturday in Sunny Florida!

The big birds were plentyful around the park today, hunkering down preparing for the rain that was to arrive in the mid-afternoon. The temperature went up up the mid-70s and we took Sunshine to a do-it-yourself dog washing place called U-Dirty-Dog and gave her a bath. She is all soft and fluffy, now, and told us she wanted to show it off to someone/thing special so we took her to a Clermont Greyhound Meet and Greet. She immediately mingled, sniffed and was sniffed by about a dozen other Greys. She really believed that she was in heaven. She has slept pretty much ever since then. Carol and I went to the campground's weekly Ice Cream Social this evening and I really believe that I may never eat another drop of ice cream ever - I can't even write this with a straight face. IT WAS GREAT!!!! I sure am full, though. I will wait until at least tomorrow before indulging again, I promise!

It's Friday Already!

Since retirement, time doesn't mean the same thing that it did when I was younger and hustling and earning. I don't recall ever working a five day operation. When "coppin'," I worked a seven day schedule and when in business for ourselves, we could not have the pleasure of vacation days, comp days, personal days or sick days. When a client would call and ask for something, I would say "I can do that!" Then had to figure out how to shuffle time and projects around to answer the latest call. Now it seems like there are six Saturdays and one Sunday each week. This makes it great for traveling - don't have to rush somewhere so that we can enjoy it quickly and then rush back, thinking all the while about the project that was put on hold for a day or two and now we were up against a wall again. Loved it, though. It is now Friday here in Central Florida and we know that because tonight is the All-You-Can-Eat fish dinner at the on site restaurant on the campground. Tomorrow and Sunday is a huge art festival in Mt. Dora. Think we'll go and walk the town for a while and then to the beautiful Mt. Dora Dog Park and let Sunshine let off some steam. Then again we may either just go to one of the huge flea markets around here or just stay around here. See, it is tough decision time again!

I see we missed the big "Snowout!"

I rationalized for years how I loved all of the four seasons of Michigan while shoveling and later snowblowing the snow that amassed at our doorstep. That made it easier to cope with the stresses of long, slippery drives and piling the snow alongside the driveway and sidewalks. Rationalization made it easier to cope with. Now, I am really glad to listen to and watch the birds outside our Montana and walking Sunshine as we explore the woodsy/marshy area around the campground. We just missed seeing an Armadillo this morning. Some neighbors were all excited and running around with their cameras looking for it to return. Carol and I worked hard for many years and now are enjoying some of the rewards of doing so. We would much rather see reports of the "Blizzard of the Century" on television or in the newspaper (yes, I still read the newspaper) than have to deal with it directly. Think I'll go take a nap under the patio awning.

It just gets better!

Today, the sunny day got to almost 80 - quite the contrast to what our friends and family are facing back home. We went to Haines City and visited with MOC friends Steve and Patti Emell and Dennis, Sharon and Jennifer Maisen. Had a nice lunch at a little diner just down the road from their RV park and then back to the park for great conversation under the awning out of the directs sun. We are looking for a park to bring the Montana to next winter, from right after Thanksgiving through March or so. We really like 3 Flags in Wildwood, Wilderness in Silver Springs, The Bees in Clermont and the one we visited at today, Westview Ridge RV Resort. Sunshine is turning into a real lady when we travel. She stayed quietly in the truck while we ate, and then was the perfect guest at the Emmel's Montana.