Birthday Dinner

Hi there!

Happy birthday to me!

My birthday was last Friday, and I took the day off work and have had a long*, lazy, quite lovely** weekend. 

*I don't get Monday off, so not an extra-long weekend.

**Given 2020 standards, anyway

Back in September, my mother asked what I'd like to do for my birthday dinner, and after a bit of pondering, I remembered a restaurant we went to once where they have outdoor dining, literally feet in the sand, along the beach, and it seemed to me that if we got lucky with the weather, watching the sun set as we ate would be fun.

Which it was!

And as you can see from the sky, we did get quite lucky with the weather. Because it rained most of our drive there, and sprinkled some on the way home, but not a drop fell on us at dinner. Amazing!

See? Feet in the sand!

(I don't know if I should blame the sand for the bug bites I came home with, 10 itchy spots on my feet and ankles, but although they are annoying, it was still worth it.)

This young man was net fishing as he went along.

I'm not sure he caught anything, but an egret was hanging around hopefully, in case he did, and wanted to share it. See? Just to his right.

It's pretty much a postcard view.

As the sun...

...sinks slowly...

...in the west...

The light on the water, mmm.

It was also a very fine meal, but the view seals the deal.

When it was time for dessert, they brought me a slice of key lime pie with a candle in it, which was really nice of them, but it's not actually my favorite dessert--too tart, even when beautifully done--so we also got my actual favorite, creme brulee, one to eat there and one to go. She hesitated when we asked for it to go, and I assured her it didn't have to be pretty, since I'm well aware that it isn't a dessert that to-go comes naturally to. They did an amazing job.

Both beautiful and delicious the next day.

More to come on birthday gifts, but this was the first thing I wanted to share.