Home from the Gulf

We made it across the fields of South Georgia and the rains of Central Florida, near Ocala, and the skies were partly cloudy in Seminole, when we arrived and found Cicely at home, on call, and hoping for some peace for a change. Bill arrived later, and we drove over to Clearwater and found a table beside the sand, where we could eat seafood sandwiches and drink a cold beer and enjoy the salt air and feel the sand at my feet. It was delightful.

On Saturday, we expected rain and found some along the archipelago, until we made our way past the Don Cesar and parked the car at the beach and placed a couple dollars worth of coinage in the parking meter and walked down the beach in the now bright sunshine.
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Clearly that day was to be our day to go to the beach, so we found a spot to eat lunch, sat under the whirr of the ceiling fans and ate lunch while the sun glinted on the water behind the restaurant. Once again, a delightful meal on the water, enjoying the setting and the food and the company. Glad that I am married to Cindy and the times when we could share these bits of living. Later, we walked across the street and went into a grocery store and bought smoked fish dip and crab dip and crackers, then headed back to Seminole to change into our bathing suits and return to the beach, this time at Redington Shores.

It was fun to swim in the salt water. To get our hair wet and enjoy the water and the air and the blue skies. It was delightful. That afternoon, we returned to Seminole and enjoyed a meal with Bill and Cicely and Ed and Val and Aunt Meg and Uncle David and Beth and her roommate, Jeff. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed each other's company.

On Sunday, we went back to the beach, after visiting the Clearwater Marine Rehab Facility and Aquarium. At the end of the day, we headed over to Ed and Val's and ate supper and listened tol live music played by a small band on their dock. It was fun. A lot of fun. The temperature was in the low 70s and the skies were clear. Later, we cold see lightening on the northeastern horizon.

Today, we left early, packing our dirty clothing in the car, stopping to shop at Macy's in Tampa. Later, I found my way to Ybor City and we were finally able to eat lunch at the Columbian Restaurant. Cindy, Kate and I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance, one years in the making, with the colonial spanish feel, the tiled pictures of Columbus landing in the New World. I ate ropa viella and Cindy and Kate ate gazpacho and shrimp and crab croquettes. The Cuban bread and the key lime pie. The amiability of the Cuban waiter, Raul. It was fun.

Unfortunately, we had to get back on the highway and head north to Georgia. Now we will sleep in our own beads, the air outside cooled by the rain now falling in Griffin.

Good to be home. Good to visit family. Good to enjoy the bounty of Florida, the beach and the sea.