Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Year's Eve Thoughts

Even Santa's picking up shells at the beach, relaxing after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Hey! This doesn't look like the beach. Oh, yeah, no more cookies on Santa's plate so we're back at the supermarket. Yes, you've read the sign correctly - it's strawberry season here in Flaland.


Living near the deep blue brings more than shells. Colossal sea scallops, fresh Florida grape tomatoes, and basil from my window sill - how good can life get? And y'all thought I didn't even know where the kitchen was.


Somehow this boat went bottom-up in the Caloosahatchee today. Its plight seems eerily symbolic of 2008 where some of us were swamped by circumstances and events. I guess life doesn't always follow the script, meet our expectations, or deliver on its promise.



So.........here's hoping for a happy, prosperous new year, and that the sheriff and the coast guard always come to the rescue whenever our ship sinks.




Monday, December 29, 2008

Shiny Shells



If only the shells on the bracelet were as beautiful as the ones on the beach..................or as plentiful.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Before and After

Shopping for food the day before Christmas is obviously not one of my favorite activities. Truthfully, shopping for food is almost never one of my favorite activities so on this trip I had to cheer myself up with the orchid. I used to cruise the aisles sipping an iced mochaccino, but, as luck would have it, the Starbucks closed down. One day, there was just a note on the door saying buh-bye so that was the end of that. Now it's a glum business filling the grocery cart.

The day after Christmas was my first time playing the post-holiday shopping game, and I must not be very good at it because the skirt in the bag and a battery-operated pepper mill (you know how taxing twisting one of those suckers can be) were my only purchases and neither was a bargain. Note, however, that I am at the Saks end of the mall; but, regretfully, those highly touted sale prices were nowhere to be seen. Believe me - I looked.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Three Ships









I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Gettin' Ready

We've got the tree and the candles. Well, maybe the tree is a little puny and non-traditional, but we are in Florida, after all. Somehow, a big Fraser Fir just doesn't seem right. It would be like Jack Frost nipping at your nose. So we have tossed some ornaments on a Norfolk Island Pine for our friends in New Zealand.

Our Christmas cactus is blooming its little heart out.

Santa loves to sip champagne while he's wrapping gifts. Trust me, I know.


Exhausted from all the preparations - gotta put our feet up at sunset while we admire the loopy twinkle lights on the back deck. The ones on the lanai are taped to the screen. Festivity sometimes requires creativity. We're ready.



Monday, December 22, 2008

@ the Mall

Doesn't that jingle bell song begin with dashing through the snow? Well, if one can't have snow, there are still jingle bells and palm trees.

Christmas shopping can be more fun when you're not all bundled up, sloshing through the snow and slush in your hip boots. However, I did not shop until I dropped. In fact, I didn't even make it down to the Saks end of the mall. I keep hearing about their huge discounts, but...............

Middle of the mall - no big crowds although now we are moving closer to Saks.


Oops! Distracted by the grouper salad with fresh berries. It's the beginning of strawberry season here. Who knew that Santa and strawberries were a twosome?



Sunday, December 21, 2008

Beach Baubles

A row of crab cages washed up on the beach.

Gifts from the sea. Unfortunately, this one had to be returned since the contents were still alive.

You know, in some countries Santa Claus leaves gifts in your shoes. Looks as though he has made an early visit here.



Unfortunately, this guy did not make it out of the cage and back to the gulf alive. Most days we're accustomed to seeing that big stone crab claw on a plate accompanied by a nice glass of sauvignon blanc.


Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Here Comes Santa












Nothing incongruous here.
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!



Monday, December 15, 2008

Joy to the World



Tis the season.........

Watching the waves jump up on the sand is much more pleasant than shoveling snow. Admit it - wouldn't you rather be here? Would you rather build an igloo or a sandcastle?

11pm: 70 degrees in SWF. -8 in Minneapolis.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Red Sails in the Sunset







It is so hard to get in the mood for the holidays what with the beautiful weather and all. Shouldn't it be gray and gloomy and snowing - or, at least, sleeting? I don't think that any number of renditions of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is going to bring that about. However, even here the sun sets at 5:30 which makes the days way too short.

Meanwhile, the DH keeps hoping that Santa will bring him a sailboat. (Maybe one that fits in his stocking!) The one with the red sail sure is a beauty. If you can look beyond the stone crab claws on my plate, those white sails are a group of teenagers participating in a sailing class on the river - and our abode is right on the other side. From our windows twenty-one floors up, they look like a group of moths flitting over the water.


'Twas an especially good day.........an eagle flew by our window (the first time we saw him, he was carrying a fish in his talons), and out on the island we saw our first wood stork (no, he was not carrying a baby). Life is full of special moments - even if you don't own a sailboat.



Saturday, December 6, 2008

More Stars


Has he escaped from SpongeBob SquarePants? He isn't pink, but doesn't he have personality? Doesn't it almost seem like he's going to start walking and talking? Well.........OK........maybe I have been out in the sun too long.


Is holding hands with a star the same as wishing on one?


The sea is full of stars although some had to be rescued after the tide had marooned them on the beach, and thoughtless tourists had stomped them into the ground.



This guy is a star too, but he's a conch. The live ones scare me because they are so aggressive and relentlessly try to attack you with their ugly slimy foot. Yuck. Nevertheless, their shells sure are pretty.



Lots of mussels were left high and dry also. However, the seagulls had already dined on their yummy interiors. Fortunately for us, we discover that Doc Ford's serves them up with a tasty tomato-garlic-basil- wine sauce.
Slurp!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Bonne Etoile

'Twas a very low tide on a very cool day, but the water was warm and clear - and all of us sea critters were soaking up some sunshine.

The horseshoe crab is a rare sight although they used to be all over the beach. I saw in a documentary that scientists catch them and bleed them for some kind of research and release them back into the sea.

Twinkle......twinkle......this is the largest sea star I have ever found. I wanted to take him home, but he had places to go, things to do, and people to see.



Upside down. Notice he has an injured arm - leg - tentacle (I really must look that up when I have time), but remember..........they regenerate. In fact, not only can they grow a new appendage, but they can grow a complete new star from the severed limb.


Adieu, ma petite etoile de mer.


Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thanksgiving

It's Turkey Day and we're counting our blessings at the beach. In fact, this is our second beach visit of the day because the DH indulged his fantasy of stopping on the causeway and picnicking with the fishermen. No tourists here. My take - any beach is a good beach. At any rate, it's very easy to find things to be thankful for by the sea.



I forgot that we travel with our beach chairs in the trunk of the car - always. However, who needs expensive luxury items when you've already got it all?


Hmmmm......there was a turkey dinner with all the trimmings on the menu, but, as long as we were dining on the water, the ubiquitous grouper sandwich seemed like the logical choice.



It's not pumpkin pie, but we did dine at Gramma's on Thanksgiving Day.



Tuesday, November 25, 2008

No Turkeys Here








How can Thanksgiving be right around the corner, and not a turkey in sight?