3-11-20

So we are home and I realize that we left things hanging a bit about the last days of our time in Florida.  We spent some time packing on the last afternoon and then went into town for grouper sandwiches for dinner as we didn't want any leftovers.  We came back and then walked to the beach to our nightly sunset watching.  It was a bit chilly and windy, but the sunset was glorious.  There also was almost a full moon so took a pic of that on the way back.  We played our usual game of hand and foot, but Cathie and I conceded after round #2 as it was quite obvious that the boys had a commanding lead and we couldn't possibly catch up.  So, the champions of the Siesta Key hand and foot competition for 2020 are Russ and Dave! 

Unfortunately, I had packed my camera for the trip home so couldn't take a photo of the wonderful sunrise Saturday morning.  We got to the airport early for Russ and Cathie's flight and sat with them at their gate until they were ready to board.  After hugs all around, we walked to our gate and had a long wait until our flight was called.  We spent the time reading and people watching - always interesting.  I finished a book and gave it away to the woman at the information booth.  I told her it was a bit steamy and she said, "The steamier, the better!".  We had a good laugh.  She also likes to people watch and said she never got bored as their was live entertainment around her all day.  We were surprised to see only three people with masks in the whole airport and none on our flights.  We also expected to have not full flights and that also was not the case.  In retrospect, I think we got out just before things got a bit crazy with the Coronavirus.  On our second flight, we were on the same plane with Joe St. Martin (Jody Capen's husband).  He had been down in the same area we were last year. 

We had a wonderful trip and even though the weather at home was warmer than expected while we were gone, we were happy to be in a place where shorts and tees are the norm and there are so many birding places to enjoy.  Russ said he would like to return to Siesta Key next year so we will see.

3/6/2020

Last night there was a thick deck of clouds when we walked over to the beach for our sunset viewing. 

 We played cards and the boys won so the score is now tied at 6 to 6.  Tonight is our last night here so we will play for the Siesta championship!

It was not a beach day today - highs in the low sixties and windynso we started the day with a sunrise walk on the beach

and then drove into Sarasota to the Art Ovations Hotel.  There is a huge art exhibit in the lobby/dining area of the hotel and different artists are featured on each floor in the elevator lobbies.

wall mural on the side of a building across from the hotel

my favorite painting

Russ trying out a chair on the roof pool deck

We drove down to the water area where the couples took turns re-enacting The Kiss.

We walked around the marina and noticed a party barge decked out with real palms on the top deck.  It was a bit brisk for a ride, but we did see people lining up a few minutes later - hope they had some warm clothes!

We walked over to a park and noticed that there were lots of school children there on a field trip.  The exhibit was called Embracing our Difference.  Over 16,000 art works and quotes on the theme were submitted from 127 countries and 50 states.  The art and quotes were each judged separately and then a panel matched each quote with an appropriate piece of art.  They were blown up to bill board size and distributed throughout the park.  It was a wonderful exhibit!  We watched a group of fifth graders and they chose two panels to replicate on paper and then write about what the artist was trying to portray and judge the appropriateness and meaning of the quotes.  What an awesome learning experience and talking point for these students!

Since we can't have any leftovers tonight, we have decided to do take out grouper sandwiches from The Cottage for dinner tonight.  We have to get up early tomorrow as Russ and Cathie have an early flight.  Dave and I will go in with them and talk, people watch, and read until it is time for our flight.  We will arrive in Providence at 6 and then drive home.  This has been a great time - lots of walks, sunshine, birding and relaxation.  We hope to do it again next year. 

3/5/2020

We drove into Tampa yesterday for a dinner at Bern's.  Traffic wasn't too bad until we neared the city and then it was pretty awful.  We got there early for our reservation so had a walk around the neighborhood - lots of old Florida houses, most of them were renovated and painted wonderful tropical or traditional colors.  Our dinner was fantastic!  None of us are avid steak lovers, but the steak at Bern's is done right - nicely aged and cooked well.  Russ and Dave had grilled shrimp appetizers, then all of us had onion soup and salad (included with each entree).  The steak was accompanied by a baked potato, fried onion strings, mustard greens with bok choy and julienne carrots.  All of the vegetables come from their own garden.  Cathie and Russ enjoyed everything about it.  We joined a tour of the kitchen and the wine cellar tour.  They have 125,000 bottles on hand and another 500,000 in the warehouse.  We then went upstairs to the dessert room.  Oh, my!  We have tons of leftovers for tonight's dinner so we will feast again.  We didn't get back until just after 9.

We revisited Myakka State Park this morning.  A very good place to see birds.  There was a juvenile bald eagle on the shoreline - too far away to catch with my camera, but someone had a scope and let us look at him close up.  The most birds were at the weir area - roseate spoonbills, white and glossy ibis, tri-colored herons, great blue herons, limpkins, stilts, blue-winged ducks, a snow goose, lots of black vultures, and a half dozen alligators.  We came back for lunch and I am doing a last load of laundry before heading to the pool. 

view of the drawbridge from our balcony

The stilts have impossibly long legs

Tri colored heron

Gator eyes

3/4/2020

The sunset was quite lovely last night.  We didn't end up watching NCIS due to the political analysis of Super Tuesday, which we had forgotten about.  We played cards with the TV turned down low.  The girls won again!  The score is now 6 to 5 in our favor!

This morning we drove up to Longboat Key - tons of traffic waiting to turn onto the bridge to the key.  I don't know how the locals deal with it.  We passed the famous kiss sculpture from Times Square fame just before the bridge Apparently a WWII vet bought the sculpture and donated it to the city.  We dropped Cathie off at St. Armand's Circle so she could get her nails done and the rest of us went to Quick Point Nature Preserve on the key to look for birds.  There were some fishermen on the boardwalk and some great blues and snowy egrets just watching to see if they could get some leftovers.  At one point, an Amish man was chasing off a snowy that was getting too close while a blue was sneaking up behind him trying to get into the container that held the fish - very funny.  Along the path, we saw a shell tree - instant art, a baby osprey in a nest, and a new species of bird (check out the photo below).  We are back at the condo and will travel into Tampa tonight to have dinner at Bern's.  Russ and Cathie have never been so I am looking forward to sharing the experience with them.

The Kiss celebrating V-J day

Great blue heron

snowy egret (note the yellow slippers)

brown pelican

paddle boarding pooch

shell tree

anole

new species: a "mail" flamingo

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March 2/3. 2020

After our dinner of leftovers last night, we walked down to the beach across from our condo to watch the beautiful sunset.  Apparently this is THE event of the evening.  There were lots of people on the beach watching the sun go down.  At the moment that it disappeared, someone in one of the beach front condos played taps on a loudspeaker and then someone let out a blast from an air horn.  It felt like a modern pagan ritual for the sun god.  Cathie and I won at cards again - we are on a streak!

This morning was a beach day.  Dave stayed (he is so not a beach person) and walked around our little neighborhood, checked out a few shops and walked on the shore.  The rest of us went to Siesta Key beach with its talcum powder sand.  It was breezy on the shore, but that was a good thing because without the wind, we would have been hot.  Cathie and I took a long walk and then when we got back, Cathie and Russ went for one in the other direction.  Cathie got hungry so she took half of her sandwich out of the food bag and as she was chewing and holding the rest in her hand, a gull swooped down and snatched it!  The gulls here are very brazen.  When I got around to my sandwich, I kept it in the bag and ducked my head down to take a bite - I felt like I was doing something illegal, ducking my head into the bag to take each bite.  We read and people watched - lots of Amish people here walking the beach - women with their long dresses and men in their black pants with suspenders, both with bare feet.

Turn(or tern)ing into the wind

sandpiper

one of the many life guard stands

yoga on the beach

After showering, we went to Owen's Fish Camp.  Russ and Dave saved our places in line (at 3:30) while Cathie and I checked out an art/jewelry store and an antique store nearby.  We got seated just after 4, which was really early for dinner, but by the time we read the menu, etc. we ended up being served the main meal at 5 which wasn't too bad.  We have plenty of leftovers for tonight.  We stored the leftovers in the fridge and walked over for the sunset again.  It was not quite as brilliant as the one last night, but nice just the same.  Cards - we are definitely on a winning streak.  The score is now 5 to 5!

Dave keeping the old dude company at Owen's

For my vegetarian friends

We headed back to The Celery Fields today and added Northern Harrier (marsh hawk) and a red shouldered hawk.  We also saw a banded water snake, a red-eared slider turtle and two tilapia.  There were no painted buntings today.  We then drove into Sarasota to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to visit The Souk - a collection of artisans from the area with their wares - jewelry, clothing, yard goods at very hefty prices.  I saw a lovely blue quilted jacket for only $1200 - needless to say, I left empty handed.  We came back to the condo for lunch.  Russ spent some time at the beach, Cathie did some computer work, Dave took a nap and I read at the pool for a short while.  We will have our leftovers for dinner tonight and go down to the beach to watch the sunset.  We may or may not play cards tonight as NCIS is on.  We have not watched TV since we got here.

purple martin

American egret

banded water snake (look in lower center of pic)

red-eared slider

tilapia

osprey

Someone's lucky number?

mottled duck

3-1-20

We ate dinner last night at Carrabba's Italian Grill.  We had lots of leftovers for tonight as we had two appetizers for half price, soup or salad, and an entree.  I had chicken parmesan with asparagus, Cathie had lobster ravioli, Dave had scallop and shrimp with pasta and sauce and Russ had fettuccine with scallops and shrimp.  It was a great meal and I was happy to have something other than fish.  We had another game of cards and the girls won again - hope we are on a streak - 5 to 3 now so there is hope.

After breakfast this morning we headed to Myakka State Park.  This is a lovely park and huge (37,000 acres) with a big lake and several small ponds and marsh areas.  We went to the birding area first and saw some shore birds - most of which we have seen before on this trip, but added a white pelican and an adult and juvenile bald eagle to our list.  A volunteer there had an awesome scope as most of the birds were quite far away.  We then went to the weir area where there were lots of birds just hanging out - roseate spoonbills, anhingas, limpkins, glossy ibis,  and black stilts.  Unfortunately, my camera battery died and I didn't have my backup with me.  Dave has some better shots of the stilts if we have the correct connecting cord with us.  We also saw a deer, a gator, and a feral pig. 

juvenile bald eagle

white pelican

great blue heron

roseate spoonbills

I wonder if they eat them or what?

ibis and limpdin

stilts

So far there are two parks I would return to: this one and The Celery Fields.  We stopped on the way out to do the canopy walk and then headed back to the condo for a small bite.  We have to save our appetites for tonight so we can get through our leftovers.  Dave took a nap while I did a load of laundry.  Russ, Cathie, and I sat near the pool for an hour and read until the sun became too hot for me - I came in to fold the clothes and blog.

I was able to connect. So here are a few from Dave's camera.

purple gallinule

Stilts - look at how delicate their legs are

Russ and Cathie on the canopy walk