And the Rest of Florida

I've had a nice lazy being-home weekend, and now I'm trying to get a few things done before it's over...oh, weekends, why are you so short?

But back to Florida. As I mentioned Friday, I had a good time there! Especially on my vacation days, of course. Plenty of relaxing on the lanai, reading or talking or staring at the view, and/or knitting. Good meals, in and out. Mostly good weather, with the understanding that summer in Florida is going to be hot, and humid, and there will be thunderstorms just about every day.

And there were some doozies! More than once, we sat on the lanai and watched a light show, impressed. Then, driving home from something, I took these two pictures, five seconds apart, showing how the weather can be very different to the right and left. Beautiful day:

And not so much.

We took the boat ride at the conservancy, and though I had noticed this guy in the waiting area before:

I didn't remember seeing the sign about what he was.

There was also a nice sign about manatees. One of these days, I hope to see one live.

The ride itself was nice, as it always is. The guide said that he was newly certified, but he certainly knew his stuff. And we were the only ones on the ride, which was fun.

Part of the route looks like you're about to get stuck, but there's always a path when you get closer.

Mangroves doing their thing.

It looks a little like it's falling in, but they just grow that way.

And as they stop passing bits of leaves and sediment, they make new islands.

It's a messy business, really.

See the sunning turtles?

We tried a beach walk one day, at my request.

I love walking on the beach, and hoped it wouldn't be too hot.

It was so beautiful ... but it was too hot; the breeze came and went, but mostly went. We aborted, though not before seeing this little egret, hanging hopefully around the fishing.

Unfortunately for me, I managed to really blister my tender feet--it's a talent, I swear, that walking maybe a mile landed me with an actual blister, about the size of my thumbprint, on the sole of my foot. And blisters between my toes, from the flip flops that I had been wearing without incident for several days. I am a delicate flower. There was much hobbling. Ow.

But back to fun things. How about this ouch of a sign?

I wonder what the fan is?

How about a few mailboxes?

For my manatee-loving friend, I had to snap this fisheries and wildlife vehicle

With a bumper sticker that said "Slow Manatee":

Even better, a Truly Nolen truck:

And maybe one of you has an idea for the meaning of this license plate?

MONTHAR? Anyone? Ideas?

This one, I expect, could be "Island Auto," right? Anything else?

How about this bumper sticker, eh?

Heavy stuff.

I saved the best car for last; we went to lunch and found a 1933 Auburn in the parking lot. Naturally. It was gorgeous.

In mint condition, too.

I love the straps holding the spare tire on, with the side mirror attached.

Just lovely.

Anyway, that should wrap us up from Florida, I think. Unless I come up with more to say about it!

Some of the Florida Trip

So I'm home again, and I will say that if you have to return to reality after a vacation, only having to work a day and a half before the weekend starts isn't a bad way to do it. What I did, since I didn't want to use up all my vacation on this trip, was to work last Thursday and Friday from Florida (having taken Wednesday afternoon off for the actual traveling), then took vacation days Monday through Thursday noon. Since my flight got in late on Wednesday (wheels down at 10:30, home by 11:30, which is very quick actually, but a very late night for me), I knew that taking Thursday morning would help a lot, and it did.

So I had a leisurely morning yesterday, with lots of cat time, and started unpacking, even ran out for a few groceries (Carlos was Very Upset by my absence), then worked the afternoon, and went off to swimming to discover that the instructor decided to add some new things to the class. Frankly, given that I was already tired and sore from traveling, I could have done without that, but oh well. I did what I could, stopped when it hurt, and neither left early nor cried, so we'll call that a win. Or at least not a loss. Good enough.

Oh, but you wanted to hear about the trip? With photos? Well, I could do that!

It's fortunate that the first picture taken on a trip doesn't have to be an exciting one, because I found when I got to the airport that my gate was in the newly refurbished area of the terminal, and it's quite nice: lots of varied seating areas, many with plugs for people and their devices, a wall of interesting snippets of information about Massachusetts ... So what do I take a picture of? When I went to fill the empty water bottle I brought through security, I was tickled to see this.

It's the little things in life that bring pleasure, you know? And instead of tipping the bottle sideways to the regular drinking fountain, you hold it up to the bottle filler and it senses it's there, and fills it. The upper right has a display telling how many plastic bottles it's saved. Pretty darn cool.

Also cool, this airport directory, which turns out to be touchscreen.

Want to know about dining, or shopping? It can help you. Neat.

Anyway, on to the actual trip. I got to the airport way early, as I always do, and other than a slight delay getting through security, it all worked out. (Once I got to the part just before the conveyor belt, my line stopped for about ten minutes, for no reason I could tell. Kind of annoying. Though the man in front of me was pretty funny, when told he didn't have to take his belt off because he was over 75, and he couldn't figure out why that mattered.) I had plenty of time for wandering around, and read for a while, then settled by the gate as the time to board drew closer. And closer, And, wait, hang on, there is a "maintenance issue," we won't be boarding just yet...

Sigh. I think the delay ended up being about an hour, and funniest thing is that, once the plane was in the air and I was checking my email (we really do live in the future, don't we?), I found that JetBlue had sent me two emails advising me of the delays, but suggesting that I should "still arrive at the airport in time for your originally scheduled departure time". Oh really? Since the first message was sent at 3:12, and my original departure time was 3:25, do they actually not think I was already there? Perhaps they should have a different message for delays that are so close to scheduled departure. (The second email, sent at 4:09, said the same thing. Sigh.)

This wasn't my plane, it was at the next gate, but the funny thing is that I think I saw a TV piece on it being painted, on a previous flight. Unless there are other red ones in their fleet?

Typical in-the-air shots. With wing tip.

And without. Why not?

From the airport, Mum and I went to dinner at Outback, which was good as always, then headed for home. As I said, I worked Thursday, though it's a pleasant change of pace to work from there. Preceded by coffeecake and raspberries for breakfast, of course. And a lunch break to eat by the water, with the usual friends:

Friday was similar, except instead of lunch out, we did dinner, walking down to a place overlooking the beach; the food was good, and the view, well.

Interesting effects, right?

Mum said they look like black and white, but that's how they came out.

In contrast, later in the evening, the sunset was pretty colorful, and we went up on the roof to get the clear view.

The next night, it might even have been better.

I'm also fond of the daytime view from the lanai, even with the screen overlay.

And while we're on sky shots, how about this one?

Doesn't it look like there are two bunnies in the line to the left?

Anyway, I have more to tell, and more pictures to show, but this will do for a start. Happy weekending, everyone!

Guess What

My mama came home last night!

It was late and I was sleeping, but I woke up when I heard her, and I ran to tell her that she had been gone forever. I told her and told her.

(The other two-leggers came to take care of me when she was gone, and didn't seem to know that I wanted my mama, not them. They're okay, but they're not my mama.)

And also I told her that she is not allowed to leave ever again.

But I don't think she understood, because she left again this morning, for half forever*, and then again tonight!
*Under an hour...

On top of the vanishing, she keeps picking me up and flipping me to kiss my belly, which I do not like, it doesn't matter if I purr, I don't like being wrong way up. I don't. And otherwise, kissing my fur is good, but scritching my cheeks would be better, and I don't know why she says ow sometimes when I do it for her. If it hurt, I wouldn't do it, but it doesn't.

I have tried to get over this stress, but it's hard.

How can I relax?