Hot day - Pool time

Another hot August day and Ron is here so we jumped into the pool before a possible 3:00 storm came through.

 

 

Mom, Ron, and Peggy in pool.

 

 

Ron trying to get Peggy more wet by adjusting the fountain toward her.

 

 

Mom is swimming laps.  Get out of the way balls.

 

 

 

Swimming laps - great job Mom!

 

 

 

 

Wet doggy tracks around the pool.

 

 

Sage wants to get into the water but I afraid - and yes, she is a lab.  I don't get it either.

 

 

A little loving help from Ron.

 

 

Directing her towards the stairs.  She doesn't grasp that concept either.

 

 

Up and out.

 

 

Mom hears thunder and she is up and out.

 

 

 Peggy is trying to sink Ron.

 

 

The pool is so much fun, relaxation, and exercise.  Love the pool.  Tomorrow is Ron's last day and that is sad because it means the end of our summer family time.  Dave was here a month and then three days later Ron came in and has been here 8 days.  We probably won't see them again until Christmas and that is difficult.  But we talk to Ron every day, sometimes more, and talk to Dave at least once a week.  Some things we did with Ron so far:

• to the beach, beach, beach.
• pool time
• Destin and Fudpuckers and their alligators
• Dad and Ron installed gutters along back by pool
• shopping at Pensacola Beach Board Walk
• Flounders, Peg Leg Pete's, and Hemingways for lunch or dinner
• Port of Pensacola
• Historic Pensacola
• Fort Pickens
• We took both dogs to dog park.
• Just have had an incredibly wonderful time!
• So Ron, what is on the agenda for tomorrow?
• (We have a surprise for Ron tomorrow.  More later.)

Just Thoughts

 

Thoughts about summer here and there.  I am not complaining though,   just every now and again my thoughts go back to summer break on Schafer Lake with the boating, Jacuzzi, and Indiana Beach. (Above is a picture of Kacey on a boat ride.)   We have replaced that with the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola Beach, and our pool.   A pretty good trade off I would say.  Ron (my brother) is here this week and we have been in the pool everyday so far.   I know he is having fun and tired because he headed off to bed before 10:00 again.   He just can't take the beach life I guess.  

It is hot.   Yes, I know I live in Florida.  Yes, I knew it was going to be hot in July and August.  But it is HOT!  You learn to mow and do yard work in the morning - afternoon too hot and evening too many mosquitoes.  And humidity is the worst.  I am not big on the beach in July and August because of the heat.   By the time I carry everything to the water, I feel like I have heat stroke. 

Thought about prices - car radios in particular.  He and I ran to north Pensacola to a radio store to check out car stereos.  That was quite a surprise since the cheapest one they had was $700.00.   I don't think so!  He has one on line that he plans on purchasing instead  

I know summer band at HMS begins on Monday.  Again, several thoughts.   I feel a bit of sadness since this is the third one since I have been gone and I know Kelly is not a happy camper this week-end.   (The present band director.)   She loves her free time off with her family and finds it difficult to go back.  I also feel great about not having to go, deal with the stress, deal with the changes in education, and get up so early in the morning.

That brings me to thoughts about education.  Soon I will devote a whole blog on my thoughts - and my thoughts only.    But it is a mess.  I belong to a closed group on Facebook for teachers and I understand the pain and distress that the teachers feel.  I left at a good time but I haven't been gone long enough not to fully understand what these changes mean to students and educators.  More later.

Having a pool.  I love it!  I never miss a day without a swim.  I have swam in it on rainy days - what the heck?!  I am wet anyway.  It is a joy just to sit and look at - like a sitting by a fire at night and watching the flames.  I love to sit by the pool and watch the beach balls chase each other around and enjoy the color changes of the pool lights. 

I am fortunate to have great friends. I miss my northern friends and am so lucky to have southern friends here in Gulf Breeze and Tampa.  Friends help to stabilize your life and keep everything in perspective.  Thanks friends!   You know who you are!

 

In Between Family Visits

 

 Well, Dave had to go back to Indiana after a full month here.  We had some sort of rain 30 of the 31 days that month........or at least something like that.  But in between the rain there was plenty of sun, heat, and humidity.  So Dave flew back on Monday morning.  We have four days until my other brother, Ron comes in for a week.   He is driving down from Indiana with his dog, Sage. 

During these four days Dad has been working in the back yard.

Mom has been relaxing by the pool.  I have been in the pool at least once, if not twice a day.
I just got off the phone from talking to my friend Kathy Cox....she and Terry retired in Clearwater, right on the Gulf of Mexico!!   How is that for living!   They love their life down here just as we do.  They bought the year Florida pass for Disney World - which is great and funny because they actually weren't big Disney fans ( like yours truly)  but now they can go whenever they wish.   We are a 7 hour drive away compared to their 2 hour drive.  I wish we were closer.

The thought of visiting Mickey just perks up my day!

I talked to my friend Kelly, we talk almost every day when school is going on and less in the summer.   She is too busy with her vacations.  Two days before Ron so we will clean the house, pick up groceries, mow the lawn, and generally relax before he gets here.  Ron leaves early, early Saturday morning to drive down and I can't wait for him to see the pool.  He is doing most of his driving during daylight but it is a long drive by yourself with a black lab in the back seat.    Everyone sleep well and tomorrow "Have a magical day!"

Dave at Dinner

Guess what?!  It is raining, again!   Yep.   Hard to believe.  In Indiana this would be a flooding problem but since we live on a peninsula of sand, the water just drains into the ground.  Tonight we ran over to Hemingway's Island Grill on Pensacola Beach for dinner.   Dave only has a few days left before he leaves for Indiana and we had not been to Hemingway's yet.   They have great food and give you more than you can eat.   What even makes it better is that they have a $10 menu - ten items for $10.  so you don't need to spend the big bucks.   I got the bbq island sandwich and Dave got an island chicken sandwich.   Mom and Dad ALWAYS get the shrimp.

Today we all cleaned the patio.   It really needed it from the pool construction. So we took all the furniture off and cleaned the rugs and the furniture and replaced it. 
I meant to take pictures of it and forgot so I was just out there taking pictures in the dark.   I think they will work.

This is part of the lanai off of the living room. 

Pool at night.

Fountain on patio.   Whoops!  Forgot to put the wetvac away.

Side shot of the pool.

Kacey has learned where to walk so that she does not fall into the pool.  Here she is out on her last trip of the evening before bed.  (Excuse her backside.)

Any idea what this is?   A homemade towel and bathing suit holder made out of pvc pipe for under $20.  Then I bought a $1. noodle at the Dollar store, cut it in small pieces and down the middle.   It makes great clips to hold the towels and suits on the pipes.   Ingenious, right?

Plants at the curve of the pool sidewalk.

Dad doing battle with a spider that makes a web every night.   So far the spider is winning and still alive. 

I have bought several pots in the last two years from The Pottery Shop down the road.  This is just the coolest place to shop.   The lady that owns it gets a semi truck and driver to go down into Mexico but not where the tourist go.  She buys beautiful pottery for great prices - items that you just don't see anywhere else.  Anybody that comes to visit and likes to shop I take them to this shop.

Of course we have to have golf statues in appease the golfer in our family.
Dad, Dave and I also went to the flea market down the road looking for a trellis but did not good.   I hoped to find one cheaper than they sell them for at Lowes.    That is all for today - who knows what tomorrow will bring.   Maybe sunshine!
One last thing.....my friend Kris has had a terrible week moving her Mom into a home.  I wish I could be more support than just calling on the phone.  My thoughts have been with you Kris all day long knowing the turmoil you are going through and how your beautiful Mom must also be feeling.  Know you are doing the best for her you can - and she knows that.   God Bless Kris!  

Typical July Day in Panhandle

July in the panhandle is hot.   Hot and humid.   And that it was today!  In July and August, you adjust what you are doing to the time of day because of the heat.   Off  Dave and I went to the zoo this morning before the heat got to be too much and the animals were surprisingly moving around quite a bit in the heat.

I love this guy.  He welcomes you as you walk into the zoo.  Hmmm....not a good hair day, I see.

He can be a bully sometimes - the llamas are not thrilled about being close to him.

Here is one llama.  There were two in the front but one of them was spitting on people all the time (how rude) and moved into the large yard area toward the side.

Beautiful, aren't they.  There are three giraffes and they love to be fed.

These guys are SO loud.  So loud that it hurts your ears.  In the jungle, I am sure that they can be heard all over.

The lion was giving a box to shred.  Maybe there was something for her to eat in it originally.

This is Patrick.  He can wave good-bye, point to his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, wrist for time to eat, throw kisses, and do peak-a-boo.  Quite a character.

Sitting above Patrick is Zachary.  He also can do all the above but often chooses not to do so.

No, this little guy was not at the zoo.   He is our adorable next door neighbor Ethan.  Ethan lost another tooth.  It makes for a great spot to put his straw in his mouth, don't you think?  He is hoping for a special visitor tonight.

Ethan's Mom Karol put together this yummy strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight.    She is a great baker.   
Besides the zoo, I went in the pool, picked up some groceries, gave Ethan a piano lesson, and relaxed after having hamburgers on the grill.  Like I say, a pretty good July day.

Frog Search

We have in the evening little green frogs that love to sit on the glass or somewhere on the patio.  They are cute but loud little frogs and when you open the patio doors to take Kacey out the back, they try to jump in the house.  Tonight one made it by Dad and the hunt began.  Out came Dave with a big smile on his face saying "This is going to be fun!"  I was curious to see who was smarter - the frog or Dad and Dave.   Well,   Dave did catch it with Dad's back-up and out the door the frog went. They are our brave heroes.   Here are the pictures.   Yes, I grabbed the camera and started shooting (and laughing).

The frog hunters were very proud of their catch and release program.  'Ribbit"
AND YES, it rained a bit again today and here comes the thunder leading the way for another storm.   I believe that is 31 straight days of some sort of rain fall.   Enough is enough!  I guess frogs like it though, huh?

USS ALABAMA

This is a picture of the USS ALABAMA in Mobile, Alabama.  That is about 45 minutes away from our house so off we went to tour this ship.   Of  course, another hot day.  What an interesting day it was...... I learned:

• living conditions were not comfortable.
• food was probably not too bad.
• the ship was smaller than I thought.
• there was lots of movement from waves when out at sea so any sailor that was prone to seasickness was in trouble.
• the guns were so amazingly powerful.  And they had to be so loud!
• the stairways were steep.  Very steep.
• men in my family LOVE to tour ships and airplanes.  
• women in my family find it interesting.
• such pride you feel for the men that served on this ship.   They gave so much to their country.

So here are some pictures that I or Dave took - mostly Dave.  

 

 

Thank you to all the men that served on the USS Alabama!