A wonderful friend

Before we left the house, Terry made me my own box lunch.  There was smoked salmon, capers, cheese, a variety of crackers, all wrapped in their own plastic wrap.  When I got into Pearson Airport in Toronto, I was hungry so this was my dinner.  Every morsel was so good and the love packed into each bite was beautiful.  Thank you, my life-long friend.  What a wonderful way to end a fabulous vacation.  Till we meet again, soon!!!!  HUGS and lots of Love, Lee

One last walk on the Beach

One last walk on the beach on the way to the Tampa Airport.  Terry and I walked for a fair bit on the beach, close to the water, examining the sand and shells as we went.  These birds greeted us as we walked, keeping us company, guiding our way.  It was wonderful to watch and to hear them chattering away, bobbing up and down as they did. 

In the background is the bridge to go to Sarasota.

Just a few more steps and I will have to get back into the car and leave this piece of paradise behind.  The sand was so hot that we had to run from the beach to the car and jump in.  Our feet were burning by time we got there.  Of course, we were carrying our sandals and we could have put them on but the challenge of hot-footing it across the burning sand was too great.  We made it but our feet were covered with fine white sand.  Oh well, a quick wipe off and we are good to go..

This picture is looking out over the bay towards the bridge.

And we are off to the airport and our bye-for-now hugs...................

Meanderings of the last week

Now this is a rain barrel.  It is in the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.  I think all rain barrels should be as colourful!!!

What a tranquil place to sit and just let the busy day fall off of you.  This is in one corner of Terry's yard.  I am standing on the patio she built with a simple but pleasing border around it.....

I love the added touch of pebbles in between the stones...  Ahhh, just the place to enjoy...


Temperature:  98 F  Clear


Today we went to a flea market (but did not buy any fleas!!!) and just browsed around the stalls.  It was fun, hot and tiring all at once.  Found some little sun dresses for around the house that I have been looking for.  Cotton, light and cool.


Mostly it was a day of just doing little things and then relaxing before driving into St. Petersburg for dinner and a play - Frankie and Johnnie at the Clare de Lune .  Dinner was sushi.  Dernell, Terry's boyfriend, ordered us a boat of sushi for two and the three of us almost could not finish the last piece of tuna.  Sure was good.  The play hit so many spots of a relationship with lows and the highs and the intense feelings of the two people involved.  And, no one got killed....


Quiet day mostly.  I wonder what will happen tomorrow (my last full day in Clearwater Florida).

ORCHIDS and much more

Isn't this just a beautiful orchid???  Today Terry and I went on a road trip to Sarasota to the beautiful Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.  I cannot believe all the gorgeous orchids I saw today.  Every size and colour imaginable...The gardens were donated to the City of Sarasota by Marie Selby.

"The Gardens currently is home to approximately 20,000 colorful and exotic plants in over 9 acres and seven greenhouses, many of these collected from the field on more than 150 worldwide scientific expeditions to tropical rain forests by Selby Gardens research staff."

What a wonderful way to spend a day, with a great friend in a beautiful setting...  I wonder what will happen tomorrow?

This WAS a hot tub??

Can you believe this was a hot tub in its former life?  Today it is a fish pond and fountain in the middle of Terry & Dernell's back yard.  So cute.....

Not a large yard but just perfect.  Notice the beautiful Dalia standing under the triangular shade sails, a rescue who is quite at home with me.  She is my girl for at least part of the day...

And here she is again...  Such a beauty....

Kiss a Frog

Today Terry and I went shopping for shorts for me.  Not very successful but we did have fun and then went for lunch at Jack Willies - great nachos and the best margaritas !!!!!  I WANT MORE!

We abandoned shopping after lunch (I wonder why?) and went back to Terry's place and she decided that it was time to do something with her poor, bedraggled, sun-faded frogs.  Our afternoon was spent creating new paint jobs for these fun pottery critters.  I will post the finished results later.  They still need a coat of paint and some sealer and then they will be done....

Not much else today - a bit cooler than yesterday.  Relaxing.....

CALADESI ISLAND (Clearwater Florida)

 Slow to rise, had a leisurely breakfast and then my girlfriend, Terry, and I decided it looked like a great day for a walk on the beach.  The sun was shining through filtering clouds.  The temperature was 94 F with a breeze.

Terry drove us to Honeymoon State Park where we took a little walk-on ferry to Caladesi Island State Park.  This is one of the little barrier islands along the west coast.  Undisturbed pine flatwoods such as the one on Caladesi are rare on Florida's barrier islands.  On the eastern shore of the island, red, black and white mangroves, along with buttonwood, comprise the mangrove forest.  These trees provide shoreline protection and nursery habitat for many fish and invertebrates. 

The beach here has been named the number one beach in America twice, a record!  It has nearly four miles of beach of the finest white sand I have ever walked on.  It is on the Great Florida Birding Trail and one is likely to see shorebirds, loggerhead and green sea turtles, egrets and porpoise swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

Today we saw two adults and a baby porpoise swimming in the shallow waters between Caladesi Island and the mainland, while we were on the ferry.  Cute little porpoise.  Later,  as Terry and I were sitting on the beach, just looking out and chatting away, we saw another porpoise breaching and playing in the waves.

Pic above is of Terry walking along the beach, before she got a sunburn!!!   She is a little pink this evening.  I am dark but not burned...

I wonder what will happen tomorrow!!!!

Where have I been for the last six months????

Well, right now I am in Clearwater Florida visiting a good friend whom I went to high school with and we have remained good friends since.  Now, how many years ago was that??  Too many to mention.

The flight was a long journey but it was fabulous.  I stopped in Calgary for about 7 hours and rented a car and had brunch with my son, Tony.  It was just so wonderful to see him.  He does come home every other weekend but he is there to see the kids and his wife.  Great brunch at a little place along 12th Avenue called Lumiere (I think) - absolutely delicious.

Next leg was to get to Toronto and I stayed the night in Delta Airport Hotel - NOT!!! This is the only hotel in the whole airport row that does not send a regular bus to pick up customers.  We found out after standing at C22 pole for over 30 minutes that we had to phone to get a ride back to the hotel.  Not impressed.  There were 6 people waiting and none of us knew this.  Hmm.....Guess the hotel will not get my vote.

Next stop Tampa Florida and then over to Clearwater, where my girl friend lives.  After getting refreshed, my girlfriend, her boyfriend and I went to a great little place on the water for appies and a drink (2 for 1).  Margaritas!!!!  Ya! Ya!

Today Terry and I went to the Chilhuly Collection and then to the Chilhuly Hot Shop.  Beautiful work and learned at the Hot Shop.  More tomorrow.

In the meantime, I am off to bed - it is 12:30 am here and tomorrow we are off to hike around a little Island not too far from here.  I will have my trusty camera along for the ride and send some pics in the next blog....

April, I miss you