It's not Florida!

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Our last day began in Rockford, Illinois. It was raining, again ... hard, and the ride to Madison, not far from the Illinois border, was a little scary. Water splashed up from the trucks and the usual contingent poor and/or inexperienced drivers was out there in full force.

The skies started to clear once we got into Wisconsin and by the time we stopped for a break, it was almost sunny.  OK: nice enough for me to figure I could drive without the fear of all hell breaking loose in yet another downpour. Turned out to be an unfounded fear.

We had to wait till Menomonie for a rest stop, so I ended up driving quite a long time, something of a redemption for me, because I did a good job, under conditions that weren't too demanding. By the time we got to the Minnesota border, spring was in the air and we were so happy to be home.

I love Minnesota!

Just the Driver

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A decade ago, Bob jokingly referred to himself as "just the driver", when I wanted to go somewhere he felt lukewarm about. His reference was the phrase "just a driver", in Eastern Promises, and since then, I've often thought that "just a driver" is a very good  thing indeed. Today was no exception.

The rain began during the night, and when we left Athens, Alabama, this morning, I thought the worst was over. I couldn't have been more wrong. The downpour was fairly steady between Athens and Nashville, but delays made the mid-morning drive through the city more challenging than it should have been.

I drove for about 100 miles at one point, when the rain seemed to have stopped, but I still got hit by buckets of water: fine time to discover I didn't know how to find the wipers in Bob's Traverse. Later on, I was planning to drive about 100 miles, leaving the last 100 to Bob. However, soon into my stint I couldn't see a thing and I had to turn into a rest stop, giving up my little turn at the wheel. I was shaking and teary.

Not surprisingly, Bob was in his element. The rain -- literally obscuring the highway and all visibility -- didn't seem to phase him. He plodded on "in a straight line" (!), not knowing if and when the road turned. Soon after we got out of the worst of it, we saw three vehicles in the ditch,. "A real blind-out", said my intrepid and cheerful husband, looking at the cars facing in different directions on both sides of the highway.

I was freaking out, unprepared to end my life on a messy Illinois roadway, but I guess today was not the day. We continued on our journey and checked into the Rockford Hampton Inn sometime after 6:30 p.m. Bob was fresh and ready to go out for dinner. We ate at the Tavern on Clark, and our meal (burger for Bob, chicken sandwich for me) was very good.

Home tomorrow.

See You Next Year, St. Pete Beach!

Yesterday we packed up and visited a couple of our favorite places before settling down for the evening. It was hot and the beach was very crowded, so packed that I thought to myself that it was definitely time to return to Minnesota. We had intended to stop on Pass-a-Grille for a beer, but there wasn't a parking space anywhere.

We had dinner at Oyster Shucker after 4:00 PM Mass. Bob thought we should sit indoors but I lobbied for one more outside meal ... and I have to say that he was right. The heat was sweltering and the glare from the setting sun left me wishing I had kept my mouth shut. Nevertheless, we had an excellent dinner (salmon for me, mahi-mahi for Bob) and then headed home to finish loading up the vehicle.

This morning we were on the road by 6:45. No problems around Tampa, but the drive to Alabama on Hwy 231 -- stop and go traffic and lots of it -- was time-consuming and exhausting. What am I talking about? I myself drove only about 70 miles, all in Florida. I cracked the whip to get to Athens, Alabama, this evening.

We're in a Holiday Inn Express under renovation. Everything is brand new and there are enough wall outlets for all our phones, laptop and iPad. The desk chair is modern and comfortable, and the desk lamp is a touch device. I also love the smell of new construction, so I really am perfectly happy.

On to Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois tomorrow. I booked a room at the Hampton Inn in Rockford for the night, so no worry about a dump for our last evening on the road.

AAA and Great Clips

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Yesterday a freeway fire on Atlanta I85 made us nervous about Sunday, the first day of our drive back to Minnesota. After much discussion, we decided that it would be wise to change our route and go through Alabama rather than Georgia. We know from experience that Atlanta's ability to withstand any challenge to traffic volumes is, at the best, tenuous. A simple fender bender once Sunday afternoon a few years ago set us back at least an hour.

We dropped into AAA in St. Petersburg to discuss our proposed route. It was not our home AAA in Roseville, where the service is earnest but sometimes lacking. Agent Gail Walker is first rate: both knowledgeable and personable. She understood that Bob likes to support the GPS with a paper map. Gail printed and bound a TripTik on the spot and explained every page before sending us on our way with advice and AAA books for Alabama and Illinois. While we were at AAA, we even saw luggage that would meet our needs. AAA is really good resource for us in the St. Pete area.

After six weeks away from home, we both looked a little raggy around the face. We ducked into the Great Clips shop around the corner and had our hair trimmed. I feel so much better without the mop of curly hair on my head, most of it matted after a day in the wind.

We completed our errands at Publix and now it's time for a little dip in the pool.

Salt Rock Grill

IntraCoastal Waterway from the deck at Salt Rock Grill

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Linda and Gerard have a genius for good restaurants, and Salt Rock Grill. Linda had me at the promise of "dolphins swimming by the deck", and while the dolphins didn't make an appearance, the meal destination was an excellent choice.

We arrived some time before 4:00 p.m. and I felt somewhat alarmed by the sight of seniors milling about the lobby. Linda and Gerard had not yet arrived, so I got a pager, though I wondered if all of these hungry AARP types would ever get seated. I needn't have worried.

Soon after 4:00 o'clock, the herds were ushered in and we got our pager call soon after. We were seated in the far corner of the outside deck, where the only concern was a huge standalone fan blowing noisily across our table. I was almost surprised when the server agreed to turn it off, since it was a warm evening and there wasn't much natural air movement.

Turned out fine. Our dinner companions arrived soon, and we all ordered drinks: not-so-good red wine for Linda and me, a mojito for Gerard, and a highball scotch and soda for Bob. He usually has a lowball so the drink might have been a little too watered down for his taste.

Our meals were good -- seafood for three of us, filet mignon kabob for Bob. $14.90 each, including a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Best: the comfortable deck on the IntraCoastal Waterway, a great place to visit without having to shout or even raise one's voice. People walked along the boardwalk and the occasional large boat sailed by on a comfortably warm March evening.

It was our last visit with our friends and I felt a little nostalgic as we took our leave. I'm looking forward to next year already.

The End is Near

Sunset Beach

Hanging at Shells

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We've been enjoying our last week of summer -- till June or so. The weather has been gorgeous: low 80s, tolerable humidity. We spent several hours at the beach on Tuesday and again today. This afternoon, I threw caution to the wind after my first dip in the cool Gulf waters and didn't re-apply sunscreen, which I wear every day of the year. I'm a little red now, as I sit on the deck after a cool shower.

On Monday afternoon, we went back to O'Maddy's for a beer and an appetizer. Bob thinks the Plummer's Perfect Buffalo Wings were the best he ever tasted. On Tuesday, we had dinner at Leverock's (fish tacos for me, salmon for Bob; both good, not great).

Yesterday, we strolled on the boardwalk at Sunset Beach and stopped at Shells for happy hour. It was early, so we brought home an appetizer (peel & eat shrimp) and main course (shrimp 'n' scallop pasta). We had a late dinner on the deck, along with a bottle of wine, and then moved to the front deck overlooking Gulf Boulevard -- always good entertainment for people who like cars. Today, we're looking forward to a last meal with Linda and Gerard at Salt Rock Grill.

It's been a perfect week: doesn't get much better than this.

Time Warp

Cath, Lise, Karen, Linda

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I had been looking forward to a lunch organized by Linda O. for four of us Temiscaming alumnae. We met yesterday at Farmtable Kitchen, located on the second floor of Locale Market in St. Petersburg.

Linda, Karen and I were in the same class in high school; Lise is a few years younger. Linda and Karen have maintained their close friendship over the decades and I've loved a renewed friendship with Linda and her husband, from shared meals in Florida and hometown reunions in Gatineau. Lise and I are kindred spirits with many interests in common, shared on Facebook and occasional face-to-face meetings.

Yesterday's special treat was visiting with Karen, whom I haven't seen since I walked out of De La Salle High School 50 years ago. I was very fond of Karen's dad, Canadian ski champion Ole Bakkelund, who taught many of us young skiers the basics and coached the older ones for competition, especially in jumping. I found some old clippings here.

The four of us talked non-stop for several hours yesterday and marveled at the strong connections forged during those long ago years of childhood and adolescence. Anyone who grew up during the 50s and 60s in Temiscaming, a Canadian International Paper Company "company town", probably has memories that revolve mostly around outdoor activities like hockey, skating at the arena, swimming at the waterfront, skiing -- and many other sports, mostly financed through profits from the company-owned beer store.

Tantalizing but not explored, touched on briefly at the very end of our time together: we had all heard vague allusions to swinging in Temiscaming in the years before any of us were born. We knew a few names; Karen and I remembered our mothers opening up a little, but not enough to embarrass the living or speak ill of the dead.

We all have memories of one another's extended families and the many "characters" in our community: that's what small towns are like. When I left home at 17, I vowed I would never again live in a place where everyone knew where I was going the instant I turned one way or another coming out of my front door. It's ironic that so many years later, I remember with fondness the very situations I longed to escape.

Gerard, Neil and Bob talked happily about sports, politics and business at the end of the table. We all enjoyed a really good meal and promised to do it again.

Our visit was a highlight of this Florida vacation.

John's Pass Boat Ride

Pelicans in a tree

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Egrets

We usually go for at least one boat ride each visit and yesterday seemed like a good day. Sunny but not too hot. Breezy but not knock-you-off-your-feet windy. I left my jacket in the vehicle -- not quite a first for me, but I don't usually go on the water without a windbreaker. Gettin' wild and crazy, I guess.

I wasn't particularly careful about picking a boat. Hubbard's Marina looked good enough to me and we got to John's Pass just in time to buy tickets for a 90-minute ride, total $37 with the senior discount.

We saw dolphins almost as soon as we got out of the boardwalk area. There were at least five, but I really couldn't get a good photo so I gave up and simply enjoyed the ride. Almost every picture I took was really bad, mostly because large expanses of water made for boring photos. Others have done a better job with photos and videos than I: see Hubbard Marina FB page.

The major, magnificent exception was the Audubon island near John's Pass. The trees were full of egrets and herons of every kind and size and lots of pelicans. The pelicans seemed to keep to themselves. All the birds seemed very content but they really looked odd perched so high, when I'm used to seeing them on the beach or in the shallows. The narrator said there are even more birds at the end of the day, when they roost for the night.

They looked like decorations in a Christmas tree. It was the most extraordinary bird sighting I've ever experienced. I felt the way I did when I first saw sea lions on the rocky islands near Monterey Bay in California.

Gulfport Marina and Clam Bayou

Osprey chicks high in a nest

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Last March we drove all over Gulfport one hot afternoon , looking for Clam Bayou Nature Park (Where in the Heck is Clam Bayou?). I couldn't find it on the GPS (maybe cause it seems to have various names including or xcluding the words "shell", "park", "preserve" etc.), so we settled on viewing it from behind a fence across the water.

Yesterday we tried again, and got there -- not difficult at all, really, and close to the Gulfport Pier that we enjoy so much. I was happy to find the Gulfport Marina right next to the park. The pelicans were lounging around on the water's edge and one couple set out for a late afternoon sail, while a green-shirted guy rowed out to a sailboat anchored in the bay.

We went for a little walk through the park, crunching the shells on the path. A young fisherman and his girlfriend were throwing a net out for bait on one of the docks jutting out from the shore. They told us a dolphin had been jumping "a few minutes ago", but it didn't show up for us. Instead, we watched a great blue heron fish in the shallow water.

The real prize of the day was an osprey nest (high on a telephone-like pole, well into the park. I took a couple of pictures, hoping that my zoom would catch what my eye couldn't see. I didn't realize until yesterday evening that a pair adult ospreys were caring for two chicks. The little creatures look prehistoric and demanding. It's not easy being an osprey parent.

We ended the afternoon with a beer at Manatees on the Bay. Facebook page, no website. Vince the bartender is professional and friendly. The patrons were noisy but they were having a good time, as were we.

Mazzaro's Italian Market

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Scenes of Italy on the outside walls

We've been hearing about Mazzaro's for several years, but we didn't actually get the name and location right until yesterday. I thought it was some kind of tourist attraction (which it is), but I was happy to discover it is also a real Italian market. The smells remind me of Montreal's famous Jean-Talon Market and the little Italian storefront markets I used to visit in the north end when I lived in Montreal.

Mazzaro's is well stocked

We were directed to the market next door. What a place! It 's stocked with meat, cheese, seafood, dried and prepared pasta, Italian biscuits, crackers and desserts, and wines from all over. We settled on a pasta dish, cooked jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, and garlic bread. We sautéed the scallops, reheated the pasta in the microwave (not too satisfactory - I used the "dinner plate" function and the pasta was overdone), and oven warmed the bread. Tonight we have no shrimp left, but there is enough of everything else for another good meal.
We parked in the lot closest to the gift shop, packed full of somewhat gaudy Italian imports, kitchen ware, and various items one finds all over the country in similar shops. The place smelled of too many candle scents, reminiscent for me of Cracker Barrel Country Store and a long ago battle with a 10-year-old who refused to eat in the restaurant.


Now I know why Mazzaro's is a required stop in St. Petersburg.

Skyway Bridge

Skyway Bridge from the fishing pier

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I've written about the Skyway Bridge before. The weather was a little cooler this year, and there weren't very many fishermen/women on the pier. Bob saw a couple of dolphins fishing  but I missed them. Not much fishing action either. After missing an amberjack, one volatile fisherman swore loudly using many creative and entertaining versions of the f-word. We laughed, but I was glad we didn't have kids with us.

The bird in the middle is a big squawker

Beside our vehicle, an older guy was fishing for bait. He attracted a couple of egrets but did not share his catch with the birds. He kept to himself, despite Bob's attempts to catch his eye and engage in conversation.

As always, the bridge was lovely and gold. The birds on the other side of the pier fished in the shallow water. More perfect spring weather.

Spring

Sunset on March 20

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I always think of March 21 as the first day of spring, but apparently it was yesterday, March 20. Suddenly -- and this is probably my imagination -- sunset seems much later. This evening it's at 7:42 p.m.., 17 minutes later that it is at home on this day.

Yesterday was a transition day, partly spent lounging around the pool with Sonia and Jim. They left the condo shortly after 3:00 p.m. and the space suddenly seemed quiet and very empty. We had a lovely visit, with lots of interesting conversation and good meals.

This morning Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are both calm and spring break traffic seems very light. It's 69F shortly after 11 a.m. We won't hit 80F until later in the week.

Corey Avenue Sunday Market

Fresh Florida fruit

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and I went to the Corey Avenue Sunday Market yesterday morning. We were fairly early so the street was still cool and the wonderful Florida produce was fresh and colorful. Street vendors are similar everywhere, but here the jewelry is a little different and fabrics are bright and airy. Felt a little like South Beach, with somewhat less of a Latin feel.

Brian Neale

I was tempted to get Bob some nut (peanut, cashew, almond) butter but it was very sweet and too expensive ($18 for a 16-oz jar) to buy on a whim. He's very fussy about his peanut butter and I've never really figured out what makes peanut butter good (texture? sweetness? taste? all of these?). So I didn't buy it.

Best for me: the entertainment. There's a sameness in street entertainment that I often find tedious, so I was pleasantly surprised at Brian Neale's voice, guitar, repertoire and simple sound system. I think I'll download some of his music.