PIRATES! Arrrrgh..........

Today we worked at home unpacking.  Unbelievable how much unpacking there is to take care of......still boxes and boxes and it is a little scary - where is it all going.  Today, an organization similar to Goodwill stopped by and picked up lots of stuff.   How nice that they come and get it all.  So tonight we were ready for a bit of fun.

The pirates landed on Pensacola Beach.   I couldn't miss that so we ate a sandwich at one of the beach restaurants and then went on down to the Pirate Paddle Boarding races.   Young and old raced on their paddle boards in pirate outfits.  It was fun and finally a bit cooler - mid 80's so you could enjoy being outside.

Quite a few people showed up considering it is a school night.  The water is very warm......just they way you like it!   Paddle boarding looks like so much fun but has to use muscles you never knew you had.  So I will just watch and enjoy.

Speaking of pirates, one of our favorite (and I think everyone's favorite) is Peg Leg Petes.   Just the way you want a seafood restaurant to be - lots of sand, boats behind in the channels, the food is excellent, especially the tuna dip.  (You can tell I am a band director, I just typed tuba dip by accident.)  The cars outside at Peg Leg's and lined up all the way down the beach and people are more than willing to wait.  Now that is a successful restaurant!

We got home just before dark and sat out on the porch.  It is the only place in the house that is just about finished.  We were lucky, between Mom and Dad's furniture and my porch furniture we ended up with a nice outdoor patio area. All we needed to get were some indoor-outdoor carpets from Lowes and we were set.  I had a small fountain in my screen room in Portage and that works out just great on the patio. 

 So we can sit out there relaxing........and looking for PIRATES!   No pirates yet, but we have been told there is a bear or two.  I'd rather have the pirates!

Colors......

Indiana is known for its colors......pure, white snow and vivid fall leaves.  The beach also shows off its colors with tall palms against the blue sky.  All these palm trees have different names but to me, they are just palm trees.  I'll learn the "official"  names later.

I took time off runing errands to stop by PB and have lunch at Castaways.  What a view while enjoying my sandwhich and ice tea.  And the sand is really this white!  

Even floatie toys add their colors to the beach.

 Right now we have boxes, and boxes, and boxes to unpack.  WHERE WILL IT ALL GO?  We had a garage sale Saturday to get rid of some of the doubles that we had - 2 coffee pots, 2 mixers, and more.  When Dave was here we had no furniture..... now we have lots of everything.   Remember that my household and Mom and Dad's household items all came together in one house.  But we have lots of time to do this, even though Betty has made it clear that it is to be done by fall break when she and Kirk come down for four days!  We will try, Betty! 
I miss school, I miss my friends, and my brothers.  But I love living in paradise! 

It's A Family Dream......

Who can we blame for this move to Florida?  Well, you could blame Dad.   He loves the Florida weather and served in the Navy at Pensacola in the 50's.  Or blame Mom......she loves the evening drives on the beach and down to Fort Pickens.  Oh, ok.....you could blame me.   I have visited Pensacola Beach many, many times during my teaching career on stressful days.  You know, when your thoughts take you to "a happy place".  But maybe we could blame my brothers, Dave and Ron.  Ron has always loved the water but Dave came to PB with Ron and I once spring break after an extremely stressful medical scare.   He had a blast.  Loved the beach, the waves, the restaurants.  And he does not even like fish!

One thing for sure, Kacey loves it here!

If you like eating seafood, this is the place to live.   We went to THE OAR HOUSE for lunch -on the water- and the fish and hushpuppies were fantastic.  Probably 3/4 of the food I have eaten in the last month is seafood.   Flounder, grouper, and shrimp is so good here on the gulf. 

I don't think this seagull agrees with the sign. 

Where to start?

Why start a blog?  I love reading other people's blogs....where they are, where they have been, their talents, family stories, and so much more.  I have always wanted to do a blog so now maybe I have time.   I retired from teaching last June.   The most difficult decision I have ever made.  I love teaching, love teaching where I taught, had great students, and incredible friends.  But my family had a dream to live by Pensacola Beach.  We have vacationed there for years but never thought we would be able to make the move but....my parents.....what can I say about my parents?  (The picture above are my parents.) They love life, are energetic, are not afraid of totally leaving the life they know and love and try something else.  So at first it was talk, just talk.  Oh, you know.  The "I wish we could live there" sort of talk but not do anything about it.   Last September the talk got more serious and by January we were downright serious about Mom and Dad moving to Florida and I would come down when I retired.  I decided three weeks, THREE WEEKS before school was out to retire. The reasons will come in later posts.   People here call the Gulf Coast paradise.  I believe it is a good description of the beauty of the sugar white beaches, palm trees, dolphins skimming the blue/green waters, and pelicans coasting along above your head.  Can't wait to see all I want to see....after all, I am in paradise!

Just a small part of my retirement celebration put on by my wonderful friends.  Miss them all everyday!

We do have people ask why we left the beautiful lake Mom and Dad lived on in Monticello.   Many wonderful years and memories happened on Schafer Lake.