May 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
I drop my friend off at the Tampa airport. She is a supporter and long-time friend. We had a very nice week together. I stop on the causeway, Hwy 60 to rearrange my van. It is a beautiful day and I put a pole in the water and see the mullet jumping, but no bites. After a while I head out to scope Honeymoon Island. It is a state park and I wanted to see what it was like and get an early/late pass. The folks there are very busy and very nice as well. They state that this is the busiest park in the system. I believe it. I drive around and familiarize myself with this place. It is a nice park and I leave excited about tomorrow's jog.
I stop by a McDonald's, get a few things off the dollar menu and use the WiFI. While I am working an older lady comes in, tells me she is working and will use the only plug in the place, the plug I am using! The she demands to know what kind of computer I am using. I tell her. She tells me to write it down. I ask where she is from; She answers Chicago. (Gee, I would have thought New York!) Again she states that she is working and demands to plug her in. I tell her no, that I am working too, and that she is rude. She huffs and puffs a while, then leaves. Weird! But I think this whole place is like that. Half nice, regular folks, the other half odd, rude or both. I don't get it. She is not at all like most Chicago folks.
I then head out for Walmart. I could probably stay at the state park, but I am not sure and am tired. The Walmart Hilton north of me is very bad. Terrible reviews. The one south is excellent. South I go. I park, get some ice, re-park far away, put up my shades and have a nice sleep.
Monday, May 2, 2011
I am up shortly after six, but don't leave till about 6:45. I get to the island, have my devotions, prepare my hydro-pack with water, an orange and my regular stuff. Off I go at 8 am. There are people here already, either shelling or fishing. The beach is good, not great. Soon, it becomes either shells or stones. Bummer. I will have to really watch my step! About a mile and a half before the end, the beach becomes sandy again. At the point the sugar sand is the finest I have seen.
I take a break and sit down and relax a few minutes and stretch, using my yoga lower back and hips stuff. At 9:15 I start jogging back. It is a nice jog. My music is good and the sun is shining. Along the way I meet two joggers that amaze me. She has to be in her 70's and him too. They are jogging, she nearer the water and walking fast where there are stones, etc. They are well tanned and I know they do this all the time. Wow! And they are nice. Another older fellow with a few others go by. I wave and say hello. He doesn't even look. He gives one of those, weird waves without looking. This means, "Yeah, I know you are there, get away from me. I am so much better than you." If this were the only time it happened that would be okay, but it happens about 25% to 50% of the time. Ah, civilization has lost its civility.
I jog around the little jetty they have and then jog the curve onto the pet beach. They folks there are nice. And the pets are too. I finish at 10:15 and start walking back. I chat with a few other folks. Almost everyone is wrapped up into themselves, constantly directing the conversation back to them and how great they are. To them, the art of conversation means "listen to me!". If this continues, it will be a long jog down this coast. LOL Hope not!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
I get up and go out to the causeway towards Honeymoon Island. There are already many people on the beach at the causeway. This is a really cool place. I can cook, put my kayak in, lay out in the sun. I get my kayak out and it is nice and clean, no mold, etc. It pays to take care of it when done using it. After using my kayak, I always rinse everything off in fresh water and dry it inside and out, It takes just a few minutes to pump it up and get things ready. I again pack an orange in my kit. It is a beautiful morning with people laying out, sitting in lawn chairs or just walking around. No motorcraft are allowed to depart from the causeway so there a few catamarans, sails and kayaks. Perfect!
I hope the current favors my plan. At Cedar Key, the current was against us and it was not easy to reach that second island. I put the kayak in and take off. I think the current is with me. Good. Now I can relax and paddle, stop and rest, then paddle some more. I soon get to Caladesi Island. They told me I couldn't walk from Clearwater to this island, hence the kayak. Upon my arrival I meet two senior citizens, hubby and wifey, very nice folks who have been in Florida for well over 30 years. We have a pleasant conversation. He explains that kayaking is easy, fun and one doesn't need a boat license to paddle one. And his two kayaks are very nice. He says he has an extra water and offers me a bottle. I take it and thank him. Very nice folks.
I pulled up the kayak higher onto the beach and started stretching. Now the fun begins! I walked to the point to begin the jog. This point too was full of birds. Many terns or skimmers. Beautiful birds. Well, I was going to jog right where they were so they flew away as I approached. The view of so many beautiful birds flying away and/or around me makes me glad every time it happens and it happens a lot! I have learned some from these birds. Earlier I watched how that interacted and found that opening or slightly opening ones wings signals aggressiveness, while keeping ones wings closed and turning slightly away signals passiveness(?). So, sometimes when I see a flock of birds on the beach I "open my wings" and watch them fly. Sometimes I try to avoid this by tucking my arms close to my body and turning my head away, jogging not directly at them. It's kind of fun to see what happens.
The jog began and the weather was perfect as usual. The beach sand felt good under my shoes. This is a good shelling beach! Cool. Maybe I can pick one or two up. Usually I give them to tourists who are valiantly starting at the ground walking (not unlike some of the birds!) and finding shells most locals wouldn't take a second look at. They have grandkids who are expecting shells! So, I give them a shell.
The weather stayed nice, but the beach turned a little difficult. The sand wasn't so sandy and there were stones,etc. At the end o the state park area I started seeing more people coming my way. Huh? I thought this was an island. Google says it is. All those folks I asked said I had to kayak and couldn't walk to Caladeshi Island. Well, these people I saw walking here then must have been in awesome shape. Some just walking with a latte in their hands. Finally I got down to some building and started asking. Just ahead was Clearwater Beach. The guy I asked had his family there. They were lying on the beach getting a tan. He was on the phone texting some business I surmised. He was overweight, arrogant looking and very serious. After I got the information I asked him where he was from, expecting New York or New Jersey. Still concentrating on the phone, he immediately answered in a thick New York or New Jersey accent, "Toronto". Inside I cracked up. This fell was from New York or New Jersey. Probably a nefarious fellow at that. Life is so fun!
Two major bridges connect Clearwater with the rest of the world. Guess I didn't have to kayak after all. You know, you can only ask so many people before you have to take their word for it. Oh, well. The kayaking was fun. So, after a little more jogging down the beach I marked my spot to stop and turn around. Two wooden volley ball posts near that big building was my mark. When I get back here I will start on the north side of them.
I walked back the three and a half miles. The kayak was there and I hopped in and headed back. Again I was in luck! The current was with me! If you are a lightweight kayaker like I am, this is truly a blessing! After I got back I drifted in the water just offshore for a while. It felt good. Looks like bikini season is in full swing! Since it was past 1 PM I decided to spend the rest of the day there. I cleaned my kayak and rinsed everything and let it all dry in the sun. I then cooked some chow and rested.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Dance night! At the Gulfport Casino and Ballroom. All east-coast swing and the music of early swing permeates the air. I have been waiting for this for a while. This was a hangout of mine last year when I came down to Florida for five days and stayed the entire month of February. I have friends here and am eager to dance with them again. On the negative side, my hip muscle has been really bothering me so I have decided to take off the rest of the week to rest it. I guess I need to do more stretching.
I get to Gulfport and hit the beach, pop out my cooking stuff and get busy making dinner at the beach park there. The beach is small but very nice with sugar sand. There are people on the beach and one guy is practicing tossing around three liquor bottles and he is pretty good. One young man sitting about 20 meters away from my picnic table comes and sits at the table abutting mine. I am a little wary so I strike up a conversation by asking where he's from, etc. I keep my eye on him because he seems up to something. He says he just got off work and doesn't like it here but prefers Atlanta instead. Then this older fellow rides up on a bike joking about dinner for him as well. Looks like he has been drinking. I tell him he should have been here earlier. I can smell the alcohol on him and watch him as well. I am using a knife to cut up some stuff, which makes me feel better. The older fellow finally leaves. I ask the younger guy why he decided to sit there, but I can guess. I tell him that I am wary of him and will be watching him. Shortly after that the kid goes up and talks to the whiskey juggler and they both leave quickly in the same direction. The beach is a wonderful place but one has to be aware.
After chow I stop in at Peg's for a quick drink. Peg's is a wonderful restaurant that brews its own beer. The food is excellent as well. Try the shrimp burrito. A strange-sounding combiation, but that was the best cooked shrimp I have ever tasted! I step into the place and the two I most wanted to see are not there. One has left and the other isn't in today. Bummer. But I know too well that things do not stay the same. Life is always changing. Some things just need to be remembered.
The dance was excellent. I danced with many people and made some new friends north of the border. I left the dance and headed for the Rest Area at the Skyway Bridge. The Rest Area is well lit and protected by an armed guard. I slept well.
Thursday and Friday I spent some time with my new friends. It was a group of Canadians down for a month or two. Nice folks. And here I learned a lesson that I had been praying about for a few months now. It all started with Micah 6:8. " He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV) Now this verse is special to me as it is the only verse in the Bible where God tells us what is required of us. In the articles section you can read an article I wrote "Religion vs. Relationship" using this verse.
But I couldn't figure out how to love mercy. To show mercy, yes, I can do that. But to LOVE mercy? That's beyond this Christian. And I prayed a long time about this. And now I was about to see it. Vivian, (not her real name) had come with friends to relax but circumstances with these friends made her stay in the Sunshine State anything but relaxing. Bickering, and much, much more!. Finally she let them know to stop it. She was forceful and yet at the end she hugged them and told them she loved them. And she really meant it! I was amazed! Time, expenses, expectations all dashed to dust and she still loved them and forgave them. Now that is loving mercy. Ah, now I know how to do it. Not sure I always will, but I have someone who showed me the way. Thanks Vivian!
Saturday, May 7, 2001
I called my Aunt Betty who lives nearby. No answer so later I called again as she was probably in the pool. Still no answer so I went there just to make sure she was all right. Her car was in the driveway so I knocked on the door. She opened it up and we had a very nice time together. She allowed me to spend the night there. Cool! Thanks Aunt Betty. That evening I attended the Bayside Community Church in Bradenton. I always liked that church. The music ministry is the best I have seen and the preaching is always truth with love and pertinent to our daily lives. I enjoyed it
Sunday, May 8, 2011
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Since her kids weren't there and Aunt Betty wanted to get a computer similar to mine, a small netbook, we went shopping. The store opened at 10 am. It was 9:45 so we stopped in at Panera's to have a coffee and chat. I bought hers in honor of mother's day.I can't say her age, but she is amazingly computer savvy. We then go back and I hit the pool and relax. Lying in the sun sure feels good!
Monday, May 9, 2011
My hip is still bothering me a little so I decide to take the next two days off. I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I visit Siesta Key Beach and enjoy the folks there along with a beautiful sunset.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Back at it! I had already purchased a weekly pass for the PSTA buses that go from Tarpon Springs to the southern tip of the county. I can travel all over for $20.00! This will really save me time and money, not only for gas but parking as well. I get there at 7:15 and ask the lady in the booth how to get to Clearwater. Previously I check it out myself, but I wanted to make sure it was the best way. She gave me a better way. Take Bus 35 to 75th Street then take the Suncoast Trolley. The next bus leaves in just a few minutes and I hop on it.
The seats are comfortable and clean. I like it! There are several people going my way. These are the hospitality folks who live in St. Pete, but work at St. Pete Beach. I start a conversation with Charlie. He is 75 years old and very interesting. He has always loved his work. He was a printer for the newspapers. Now he volunteers for the St. Pete Beach Chamber of Commerce. If you meet Charlie on the bus you will have met a very good fellow. The drivers are all professional and friendly. I highly recommend the bus system here.
I get off at Clearwater near where I left off. I walk down to the big building and get to the beach. Yes! I find the volley ball posts and start a new, enhanced exercise and stretching regimen. Finally, I take off. It's 9:30. I am almost running as it feels so good. Now, on these beaches I run into several different types of people. There are many tourists from all over the US and beyond. There are local retired folks, other locals and a few probably too much time on their hands. Most folks are friendly, but some are dismissive, etc. But I have decided to be me, so I 'Hi!" to everyone who I meet, unless of course, it would be inappropriate to do so like when folks are arguing, etc.
I am happy. I stop after 20 minutes at a pier and stretch. After a five-minute breather, I am off again. I think I stopped once or twice after that. I come to the end of the beach. So soon? Bummer. I wait the the trolley and it stops and get me. I then realize that there is another beach to jog on this island. I saw it on the way over. I ask the driver about it and he says that there is a beach down there but doesn't know hot to access it. So, I get off at the next stop. I'll find a way. I walk down to the beach and see some hotels that have little walls of rocks going down to the beach, each area seemingly marked for that hotel. I go through a hotel and hit the beach. Luis from Costa Rica is a nice fellow and give me some info. After that he says, "Have a good day, my friend." Now, that's nice.
I walk to the beach, over each wall and get my tunes on. I start jogging these short beaches going past folks lying in the sun. I hop over the rocks and keep going. I wave a Luis as I jog by and he waves back. Finally I jog over a few metal rails and am below the overpass. The beach is beautiful,the day is sunny and I am having fun. I decide to jog the whole beach even though it doubles back. It is somewhat a private beach and very nice. I hit the end and walk back. I am out of water and I have jogged an hour and fifteen minutes. That is all I want for today. I stop by a realty place and get some info for a friend. The ladies there are friendly and helpful. And they have cold water! After three cups, I leave and decide to jog the bridge from Clearwater to Sand Park. It is hard to resist a bridge.
I only slow a little as I reach the crest of the bridge. After going down the other side I stop. Whew! I start toward the next beach and once I get near there I take a seat on the bench. Actually I lie down. After a while I get up. I really want to jog some more, but after looking at what I just jogged, I decide to stop for the day. It turns out to be five miles. I thought it was less than that. Cool!
I catch the bus back and stop at the YMCA for a shower, a visit to the pool and hot tub and feel great. Although I am a little stiff walking out of there. That night I go dancing again, but I am pretty tuckered out and don't dance quite as much.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Sand Key Beach is a County Park and the beach is fabulous with a beautiful, wide, white beach. I walk out to the jetty and do my exercises and stretching. These days I am trying to listen to by body and stretch where it feels needed. It is a slower process, but I think much better and just a routine. It take off about 10:30 and it is already getting hot and muggy. But it feels good. I jog for an hour, take a ten minutes break, and keep jogging. I stop at Beach Access 12 and decide to grab a light lunch (I hadn't eaten breakfast) and get some more water. I end up buying a deli ham and cheese and a gallon of water. Once I sit down to eat I realize that I shouldn't go jogging again today. And that is way I never like to sit on a break.
Again I stop at a realty and check out the rentals. Why not, since I am there? I catch the bus back and by now I have noticed the many regulars. It is a pleasant ride reminding me of my years of commuting in Seoul, Korea,not as crowded though! I get back and hit the beach at the northern Rest Area of theSkyway Bridge. After attempting to cast the bait net I bought in Port St. Joe, I finally ask a fellow to show me how to do it. Ronny really helps me. He and a buddy are using a 50' wide net to catch their bait. And they do catch a lot of bait. Thanks Ronny.
Tonight I get out my telescope and view Saturn for the first time in a few years. Beautiful as ever! A fellow comes up and we chat. He takes a seat on the sand. Now I didn't ask him to take a seat, so I am a little wary, not too much though. He has been doing computer work for years and has been out of a job for a while, but still collects enough money to squeak by. He wants to market to small business that don't have websites. I give him a few ideas. The conversation turns to life and I suggest he seek God to know if he really is there. I tell him I must go and start putting my stuff away. He leaves.
I pull out, going forward instead of backwards and promptly get stuck in the sand. No problem, I think. I will just rock this van and get out. No dice. I try and try. Finally I get out and look. It isn't too back and I do have an entrenching tool if need be. I get back in and try a few more times. No go. Finally, I pray, "Well, now what, Lord?" And I try again and immediately I back out of it. LOL Yes, God seems to have a cool sense of humor!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Today is the day I go for a long jog! I arrive at my starting point and take about 20 minutes to stretch, a little Tai Chi I picked up at the Y (very little,but fun), do my push ups and squats and turn on the music. The water is lapping at the shore, the sky is cloudy and I take off. It is 9:19 am. I start at a medium pace and jog for an hour. It feels good. I stop and take some time to stretch. Then I take off again. Since it is cloudy, I take my shirt off. Of course, the sun comes out right away and stays out. I keep jogging to the point, then take a break. After each break my pace slows. So I don't want to take another break. I keep jogging, sometimes past many people, sometimes almost alone. My MP3 player starts ;playing the Cupid Shuffle. I can't help it. Even though there are many people in their blue beach chairs, I do the Cupid Shuffle right there. It is fun! I don't look at the folks, whether they are looking at me oddly or what. I really don't care. It is good to be jogging.
I feel like I could jog all day. After the three hour mark I see a jetty ahead. I had promised myself to stop there at John's Pass, so I do. But another really cool tune comes on the player. So, I dance/walk along the cement walkway of the jetty of about 30 yards. I pass a couple of couples who are tourists (they stare at nothing in the water - just like me!) and they look at me and smile. I say, "Why walk through life when you can dance through it?" They laugh and agree. I get to the end of the jetty and hop down. A fellow in the parking lot, while stowing something in the back of his SUV says, without looking, "Get that out of your system, did you?" I crack up, pat him on the back and have a laugh. He is taking his wife and kids on vacation. They are from Benton, Arkansas. The home of Walmart. I give him congratulations and condolences at the same time. He laughs.
I cross Gulf Drive to jog the beach below Hooters. After that I jog the bridge. Then I am done for the day. I buy two quarts of Gatorade stuff and drink one immediately. The other one shortly thereafter. Later I find that I jogged 9 miles. And I have reached the Treasure Island City limits. Great. Hopefully I can jog the rest of the way next time. It's about 8 miles to Passe-a-Grille.
I catch the bus back and head out for some chow. I end up in Palmetto at Hungry Howie's. This is the place where my folks took us when my family came down on vacation. And each time we come to Florida we have almost always stopped here. So, I text my son to tell him where I am at.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
I get a haircut finally and get some cheese and ham for my bagel. Then I take the day off and head to the Skyway Bridge southern Rest Area. I park along the opposite side and read a few books. Time for some soul searching. I just completed a book on "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions" by Lazarus and Lazarus. This is an exceptional book. So, I think about things. It is good. A storm comes up. Wind, Rain, Hail. Wow. And I am right at the water. Cool! I close the side doors which are facing the water and keep reading. This time, Michener's book, "The Novel". The wind rocks the van. Then it stops. Shortly another one comes by, not quite as strong.
By this time, it is 5:45 and I decide to go to church tonight at the same church. Good service. Now, 11:11 pm, I am at Wendy's near US 41 and US 301. They are letting me stay inside late. Julie, the manager and Shelby are very nice and helpful. Plus the Wendy WiFi really works well. But it is time to go. I hope to jog past St. Pete Beach tomorrow.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I am up early. Actually I don't think I slept at all. I was parked by the water and the wind kept up all night. Just a'rockin'! I hope the weather isn't to windy for the jog. I get to Grand Central Bus Station and catch my bus. I am ready and jogging by 8:45. The wind is not too bad and at my back. Nice! It feels like a good day to jog. I start out at a slow pace and plan to keep it all the way. I start at Treasure Island city limits and keep going to Sunset Beach jetty. I have to stop and walk back and catch the bus to get around this little peninsula. It takes an hour! When I get to the start of St.Pete Beach I find there is dredging going on at the beach of the first hotel/condo. I find away around it and jog that too. Finally I can start jogging for a distance. This is my old stomping grounds. I was here often last year. The Gulf Plaza is a great place to stay. I jog past it and go past Don Cesar as well. It feels good. I get to Pass-a-Grille and come to a jetty. That's it for this stretch.
I go into the tourist shop and ask if they have a map. I can't really trust google maps it seems. They don't have one but one lady there assures me that Shell Island is the next beach south. I walk to the pier for the shuttle. They are charging $25 plus tax. It only about 600 yards away! Forget it. I catch a bus and get my van, come back and launch my kayak. The waves and swells are a little more than I am used to, but I make it over to the other side. I walk to where the jog should start and find that if I had been in another area the distance between land and the island was about 15 feet! (I got to start asking more questions!)
I start jogging and forget whether this is a mile jog or a 3.5 mile jog. Oh, well. Guess I will find out soon. Either way I have plenty of time for the jog, walk back and the kayak trip. This is a very nice beach and pretty much empty after about a mile. I keep jogging, round the turn and see boats beginning to pop up along the shore. Very nice! I jog past everyone and make another turn and reach the end. Whew. I think 3.5 is the correct number. I start walking back. I have a good pace and get there surprisingly quickly. Now for the kayak trip. The water is calmer. Good.
I ask a guy, Bryan, how the current is. He says he just tossed some weeds and the current is going out - fast! Hmmm.... We talk a little. He mentions that the way the boats are pointed the water is kind of swirling around the whole are. This means I should use the waves and head east, not north. I do that and it is working well. The swells are fun and no choppy water. About half way across I start aiming at another reference point. All is going well. Then the water becomes a little choppy and I concentrate on that. Not bad, really. I aim for the beach and make my turn toward it a little too early. The current moves me westerly more than I wanted. I have to paddle rather fast and land near where I wanted to. Not too bad, for me!
Monday, May 16, 2011
I get up early and intend to jog Ft. DeSoto today and if possible Egmont Island as well. A friend showed me a great little place to stay while in the St. Pete Beach area. Very nice. So, I slept well. After my devotions and crunchy raisin bran I drive out to Ft. DeSoto. I get there about 9:30. Nothing open yet so I don't know when the shuttle takes off for the island. So, I drive down to the north parking lot and pack ready, head out to the beach. Saturday's storm still affects the beaches. The tides are high and the wave are over two feet and coming in strong. Some of the beach is covered even too much for me to jog. But I get out to the end of the area and jog some, walk through water some or take a kind of trail. Then the beach ends. I walk to where the lifeguards are and ask them about the outcrop of land. The girl said I can take a road and stay to the right. The beaches are there at the outcrop. So, I take off. I am glad I brought my pack as I hadn't planned to at first. This is going to take longer than I thought! A trail veers to the right and I take it. After a while I come to a fence and a sign saying the area is off limits (or however civilians say it).
But there is a trail going around the fence so I take it, keeping out of the area. Finally the trail leads back to the beach and I see that I have to walk quite a ways back to start the jog. So, back I go, thinking that this day isn't going to turn out as planned. I jog and see some people on the beach. This beach is all joggable and I come to the point and reach the cement. I sit and take a break. I am not tired, but I need to just sit and think about things for a while, and pray. So, I do. It's funny, emotions can bring us down or lift us up. And some emotions do not come from within! I have studied emotions or some time, reading the book "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions" by Lazarus and Lazarus. I just finished it after about a year of reading. Very good, by the way. And I could not figure out this emotion I had nor how to get rid of it. Finally, I prayed and confessed some sins to God and, Viola!, the negative emotions that had been nagging me for a few days were immediately gone! (Can't dissect that in psychology class!)
I continue my jog and reach then end. A sign says, "Keep out, Burn area." But since I don't see any firemen nearby I jog a little further and reach the end of the beaches at Ft. DeSoto. I walk back through the little forest and see trees partially cut through. I guess when the fire department burns this areas these trees will fall. Interesting.
Now for the walk back. I had stage my bike at the snack bar, so I have to walk a few miles to the bike and then ride a few miles to the van. One the walk back I go to the pier and see the schedule for the shuttle. It leaves in the a.m.. and returns in the p.m. either once or twice a day depending on the number of people. So, even though it is just before 1 p.m., I am done for the day. At the pier they want $2.59 for a small bottled water. No thanks! I can wait. Besides just off the pier is a drinking fountain! I walk back to my bike and ride to the van.
Time for chow. I have some more crunch raisin bran. Good stuff! Then I get a chair and put my feet up at a picnic table and read a novel I have been enjoying. Later, I sure their facilities to shower and feel good. On the way out of Ft. DeSoto I call and make reservations for Wednesday to get to EgmontIsland. I have other plans for Tuesday.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
My plans for today have been cancelled so I take a rest, then go to the Palmetto Library. Very nice place. I get some work done. I have to call my clients and see how they are doing. Some have questions, but for most things are going well.
Wednesday, May, 18, 2011
Egmont Key - the island that marks the end of the Tampa/St. Pete area. I was at Ft. DeSoto Park and ready to go at 8:30 am. The boat didn't leave until ten, but it was a nice day and the fisherman were busy(?) at the pier. LOL Are fisherman ever busy? They were talking about the dolphins stealing their catch. Evidently it happens often. When new guys toss their line way out there, the dolphins are sure to take the catch. One guy had three fish stolen the other day. I suggested that the dolphins had good taste and probably enjoyed the cafeteria-like method of "fishing". Then I left. They were a good-natured group.
The lady arrived for the ferry and started getting things ready. She was nice. Then the skipper came along and in about 15 minutes we got underway. The skipper made the ride fun with his humor. He picked on this guy with a Mohawk. We all had fun. One young man, Steve, was vacationing with his mother. They were from the Cleveland area. He had drunk too much tequila the night before and had a nasty hangover. Well, when you drink margaritas from a fishbowl, what else can you expect. I offered to take him jogging with me. He mom, seeing my Marine Corps cap, thought that was a good idea and so did he! Cool. We all and starting walking to our jogging point.
The waves were still high from Saturday's storms. The beach has lost some sand and the tide was higher than usual. We took off and it felt good. It was about 11 o'clock and the sun was out. Nice day! We rounded the bend and kept going. After a half mile we came to some rocks which used to be part of the power room. We skirted the rocks and kept going. Then came the trees on the beach and in the water. I jogged most of it, being used to this stuff by now. But Steve had on new, green tennis shoes and wanted to keep them dry. So, he took the path right above the beach. This went on for another half mile or so. We came to large sign on the beach that permanently marked that part of the island as off limits due to birds nesting. So, we stopped jogging and took the hiking trail to the bay side of the island. We came to that beach and starting jogging southward and came to another sign that prohibited us from jogging further. So we turned back. Seagulls were nesting, many right on the beach. Parent gulls were incubating the brown and black speckled eggs. This is the first I had seen of actual nesting and it filled me with wonder. So many birds. Steve enjoyed the scene as well.
We came to another sign and had to walk back to the center of the island, where we discovered a cobblestone road. Cool! There used to be a fort here and this was part of the remnants. It looked well maintained. It was pleasant with palm trees shading the path. We got to the beach again near where we had begun. I thanked Steve for jogging with me. It was nice to have someone to jog with for a change. Good luck, Steve. The best to you and your mom.
Now I just had to wait for the return journey at 2:30. I went to the lighthouse area and looked around. Not much here really, but going northward down the train I saw two turtles in the shade and then I saw a 2 foot black snake going along the path. Cool. I ended up at a gun-emplacement area. I saw down under a few palm trees and waited. A white bird with a very long beak came by pecking at the ground. When one is quite and unmoving the birds come closer. Cool. Then I went to the beach and in a while we boarded and returned.
While on Egmont Island we saw several fishing boats. It was tarpon time and everybody was out. No bites. All day. And you could see the fish! One boat did catch a good-sized shark that put up quite a fight. That was fun to watch. I spent that night at the Rod and Reel Pier parking lot because that was my starting point tomorrow! Anna Maria Island!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I slept well and had cereal for breakfast. I had a good stretch, did some push-ups and squats and off I went. It was early morning and the weather was as usual, perfect. I had to jog in water some and after I rounded the bend I was the rocks. I young kid (about 18) had told me he jogged the island and had to go back to the road to get around the rocks. I just went through the water. It was pretty short, no more than 30 feet.
Back on the beach. Anna Maria Island is one of my favorite spots in Florida and I felt happy to jog these beaches. People were out and more were coming to the beach. Jogging by the spots I used to walk and just sit set off wonderful emotions. The shade of the big oak tree right on the beach, dinner with a family I just met and the sunset afterwards while on my motorcycle trip, walking down the beach with a beautiful woman watching all the skimmer birds, etc.
I jogged past Holmes Beach and then hit Bradenton Beach, which I think is the most friendly beach in the area. Clearwater and St. Pete Beach have tourists, Bradenton has locals. A relaxing attitude and nice folks. The beach itself as well. The sugar sand is gone and now it is the tan sand. I get to the end at Coquina Beach and catch the bus back. On the bus are a few people, one couple is from England. They have been in Florida for about three weeks. Having spent two weeks on the Atlantic side they were in on the Gulf side. We had a good conversation. I mentioned that all the states are just like Florida. LOL They laughed, and so did I! They have been to all corners of America and probably know those areas much better than me! It is fun to have fun, isn't it... Nice folks.
Back to my van and, after getting cleaned up, I head out. Tonight I sleep at the other end of the island.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Longboat Key. Home of the rich and haughty taughty, at least that what it seemed like the scores of times I have driven through. I get started about 8:30 am. First obstacle. It looks like a little island so close, but I can't get there. I cross the bridge and take a look. While on the bridge a school of mullet come along. There is a boat with a man trying to catch them with a net.I spy a lady walking on the 'island' and ask her if I need a boat to get there. She says that I do. He asks me to wave so they go more towards him. I do. He misses anyway. I climb down the east side shore and it's a no-go there. The water is too deep to cross with my pack on. I go to the other side and am so close yet so far. I ask the guy on the boat if he could take me over. He can'tbecause he needs to catch fish for a charter coming up. (Kind of late to catch bait for a charter, isn't it?)
I get nosy and walk toward the houses on the gulf side. The island is actually part of the land mass of the key. I find a small beach access, I think, and head out. There are lovely trails to the 'island' through trees and along the beach. It is very nice here. There are surveyors taking readings. Two are on an embankment and one is chest deep in water holding the stick. LOL I crack up. "Tell him to keep going back!", I think. Actually I think I said it.
I get to the tip and spy a guy with binoculars and a clipboard. We chat. His job is to survey the birds. Where can I get a job like that? Of course, he likes it. Good for him! I stretch and start jogging. It is a ten-mile jog, just a little longer than I have gotten used to. These days I always wear my pack, with a bladder of water, my wallet, phone, keys, suntan lotion and a few other things. After getting around the trees, the beach becomes very beautiful. The water is all colors between turquoise and emerald green. Just gorgeous! The day is hot and my pace is comfortably slow. I stop at the 8-mile mark and take a little break. It is getting how and the last two miles will be slow going. Chafing is back too, so that's an added sore spot. (Actually, two of them, lol)
Finally make it to the end. There are umbrellas with beach lounge chairs. One guy, with his beautiful wife in the other chair, is watching the waitress come and serve them tropical drinks. It is a Kodak moment and I smile and give him two thumbs up. He smiles back, a very satisfied smile.
I jog to the jetty and ask a fellow fishing how to get to the bus stop. He says I have to go back about a mile and take the street to the main road. I thank him and take off, not toward the beach, but toward the condos. I am tired and don't intend to walk that far back, at least not yet. I sit in a chair for a minutes and get up to find my way out. I find the parking lot and also find a hose so I cool myself off and replenish my water bladder. I keep walking toward the main road and meet a fellow in a chef's jacket. I ask how to get to the bus stop and we walk together. He shows me the gate and says the stop is just across the street. Sometimes, it is good to get a second opinion. I have to wait almost an hour for the bus. Sarasota buses aren't quite like the nicebuses of Pinellas and Manatee Counties. Management. But another 10 miles done! Yeah!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Last night I spent at my second cousin's house. I just call him my nephew as it makes it so much easier. His name is Levi Powis, a very good fellow and a sincere Christian as well. I will stay there until Thursday. Ah, air conditioning, movies, a sofa, a real kitchen. Cool. And our fellowship is good, too.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Today, Levi and I attend the Harvest Tabernacle. It is a wonderful church. You can see the joy on so many faces. Plus my new friends, David and Melissa are to be there. The service is two and a half hours long with at least an hour of praise singing. I like it a lot. Afterwards, we meet David and Melissa. Levi is studying Hebrew and David is into that stuff as well, and they are both videographers. Cool. We have a good time of fellowship.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Lido Key. Next beach is Lido Beach. I have to bus drop me off just before Longboat Key and try to get to the beach. But it is all private. I end up walking back a mile then again walking that mile on the beach. Now I can start jogging. But first my stretching. Now stretching shouldn't be mechanical. We need to listen to the body, or to put it another way, feel where it is need and in what sequence. Once when the side of my thigh started hurting, I kind of felt that I should rub my hammy, though that wasn't hurting at all. But rubbing my hamstring relieved the pain on the side of my thigh. Anyway, now when I stretch, I take time to feel what needs what and how much. This methods seems to be working very well.
I start the jog. Basically I start in water and slowly jog out of it. This is so funny to me because when I first started jogging at Peridido Key I was very careful to not get my shoes and socks wet. LOL Well, that has changed! My footwear gets wet all the time. And it may dry out and get wet again! I love it.
I find several good but small conch shells. I give three away to a trio from Colorado. But I keep the best for myself. The jog is fun and is a little longer than I expected. And it is getting hot. I keep jogging past the beach proper. I come to beautiful and relaxing Lido South Park, or some such name. Finally I come to the end of the beach. I step into the water to cool off. Ah. Now that feels good. And since I am out of water I head back to the park to have a drink, a rest and find my way to a bus stop.
After my refreshment, I find that the bus stop is right around the corner. And I missed the bus by about 10 minutes, which means I much wait almost another hour for the next one. Oh, well. I sit down on the bench, take out my phone and call a friend. I hand up and the phone slips from my hand. It falls onto the pavement knocking the back off the phone. As I look, the phone starts to slide down into the drain. No grate to stop it. It falls into the water. Hmmm.... Well, no reason to get upset, I guess. Maybe I need a break from the phone.
I quickly get down on my knees and put my outstretched arm into the drain water. Nope, can't feel a thing. I think, well, didn't Elisha spit into the water or something to get the ax head to float. So, I prayed and spit into the water. Nope, that didn't work. I find a palm frond and break it to the length I think I need. I put it in the water and it touches the bottom. But I can't feel the phone. A few small rocks and that's about it. So, now I see the round lid. How to move it?
I pray that if I can move it I will get the phone and if not, c'est la vie. God knows about it. I find that I can lift the lid, so I remove it. I lay myself down and start fishing for the phone. The bus comes and I wave it on. It will be another hour before the next bus. Next, a lady yells to see if I am okay. I say yes. She comes over and I tell her what happened. Her hubby finds a big spoon for me to you. They are nice folks. A young house painter comes over to see if he can help. No,thanks. I will have to get in and get it myself. They move the concrete bench and I hop in. I have to crouch up to my waist. I use my hand and find a rock, a plastic bag, and a broken beer bottle. All the while I am hoping that there is no snake in here!
Finally, I feel my phone and bring it out. I yell that I got it and the lady and her hubby heading towards the beach access across the street turn and ask if I got it. Yep! I put the manhole cover back on, move the bench back and cross the street to the condo complex to find someway to hose off. I young man is in the maintenance room and tells me the hose is around the corner. I hose off. For about five minutes!
I doubt if the phone works, but maybe it will or at least I can get the contact information from it. I let it dry and to make a long story short, after a few days the phone works except to call. So, my contact information is saved. Good. In a few days I will get another phone.
I catch the bus back and get back to Levi's place. Tonight I make Korean food. Yummy!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It is another beautiful day. The next beach on the list is Siesta Key Beach, just voted the best beach in America. The beach is only three and a half miles long, so I take my van. I get to the north end of the beach and warm up. Many joggers, walkers and others are already there. The wide, white beach and the beautiful water look picturesque. I take off, happy to be jogging. I still wave and say hello to one and all. The responses are quite varied to looking straight ahead, a condescending wave, a big smile and hello. Sometimes, I miss the panhandle! The run is fun. All kinds of people are jogging. Some in groups of two to five and many just like me, jogging alone. One young person is really running well. Some joggers are smiling and some are focused and strained. To each his own, I guess. I reach the wall at the south end and decide not to climb up to go to the other side till tomorrow. The jog is over. I do something rare and take my shoes and socks off and walk back in the water. It really feels good. I usually leave my shoes on because a cut foot could put me out of action for quite a while.
When I reach the northern end I decided to spend a day at the beach, something I haven't done in quite a while. I get my umbrella, chair and stuff out of the van and hit the beach. I snooze, get in the water, get back, snooze some more and have a good day.
Wednesday, Mary 25, 2011
I get up and decide to get a phone before I jog the next leg of the journey. That is a mistake as it takes a long time to get the phone and the afternoon is shot. No jogging today. But on the bright side, I got a new phone and excellent help from Sunny at Walmart of SR 301 and 53rd St. She really knows how to help. Thanks, Sunny!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I was up bright and early and gone from Levi's apartment by 6:30. I caught the bus and transferred to the southern edge of Siesta Key. I had a good warm up. I waded into the water and climbed upon the wall. Then I walked around and climbed on the rocks to the beach on the other side. Now I could start jogging! I jogged less than half a mile and ran into some rocks. Having used google maps I knew I would. I started to climb the rocks and was what I thought halfway across when I saw a street.
So I scampered up the rocks and walked along the street a block or two. I finally found a way to the beach and a person to ask permission to go through the driveway to the back of this big, beautiful white house. He said he was a contractor, a nice guy, and that he couldn't give me permission, but maybe Jay could. Jay came out. He was working on remodeling the house which belonged to another person. He said that some folks around there were pretty touchy and he could give me permission either, but he would give me a ride on his new v-star motorcycle to the Turtle Beach about a mile away. I said sure, and thanked him.
Then they asked me how I got in there since this was a gated and guarded community. I told them. It was kind of funny. Then Jay and I took off on his bike. Jay mentioned that he hopes to live in Costa Rica or some place else someday. Better lifestyle. I think I know what he means now. He dropped me off at Turtle Beach and I started walking up the beach northward. I kept walking to the end of the beach and found that the beach began at the house just past that white house I wanted to cut through to the beach. Now that is ironically funny! The house next to it was one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Not opulent, but designed in the Korean or Chinese style, but on a bigger and more modern scale. I stared at that for a few long minutes just taking it in. When I mentioned it to someone later, they said that they thought it was in a magazine recently.
So, I started jogging. The sand was poor for jogging! I jogged about a mile in soft sand. Wow, at this rate I could only jog about 5 miles today. Fortunately, the sand became firmer the farther south I got. There were teams of two each doing turtle egg surveys. Neat. I kept jogging. The water and weather was beautiful as usual. The houses along the way were magnificent. After a couple of hours I saw the end. And I was beat too! Nokomis Beach was just a mile or so ahead! It was a slow go and I had to make myself focus only on that little part of beach that abutted the jetty. No bikinis, no sharks teeth, etc. Gotta focus. Up to about 50 yards to go it kept it a slow jog, then I kicked it in! It felt great to jump up to the jetty. Done. Next stop, Venice Beach! Now I am making some headway!
I had been here before with Pam and Frank and my son, Andrew. I got a cold one and took a break. Then I started looking for a ride back. I saw a Marine cap and said hello. It was the granddad of a Marine here with his wife and son and the son's wife. I wondered if they could give me a ride back to SR 41 when they were ready to go. They said yes, but their car was small and I went looking for another ride. This fellow came through, about my age with his girlfriend, and said "Semper Fi" He was a Marine too, but had no room. So, I sat down and decided to pray. So, I prayed and sat for a minutes. Cynthia, the girl behind the counter, came out and said she had a ride for me. She then asked if I were an ax murder. I wanted to say, "No, I use knives." , but resisted! Her friend Rusty gave me a ride to SR 41. Thanks to both of them.
While at the jetty, I noticed a little island with about 20 feet of beach between the jetties. Hmm...
Friday, May 27, 2011
I am taking it easy today. I drive out to the jetty about 1 pm and get my kayak out. I pump it up and kayak the 50 yards or so to the island, jog the beach and kayak back. It was fun. Then I had to go to the outside shower and rinse everything off and hang it out to dry. It was a nice lazy day. No longer at my nephew's place, I found a nice play to lay over. I must say that the folks on the jetty around the bar/snack bar are a mixed group. Some are really fine folks and others are lazy drinkers and redneck kids. This car pulls up next to my van. There is a rather obese lady inside and her kids are following suit. She is working on a huge, fast food sandwich. A short time later, working on another behemoth of a sandwich, she starts cussing out her kids for almost doing something. GD this, you blankety-blank that. What a pig of a person! Later she stared at me and I just ignore her. I did pray for her and her kids later. But, my, what a selfish, spoiled mother. God help those kids!
Later that evening about 8 pm I wanted to get online and was looking for a cafe. I asked a fellow and his wife. You would have thought I committed a fauxpas. He did answer, not that it seemed he wanted to. His wife never looked up from her texting. I did find a wine shop. Maybe they would have WiFi. No luck, so I decided to have a glass of wine. It was good. I mentioned to the lady working there their Venice seemed a little haughty taughty to me. She shook her head, no. This town isn't like Sarasota. Venice was unpretentious she said. One wouldn't know who had millions and who didn't. Well, I just sat there and about five minutes later this well-heeled local comes in and they start talking.
She thought she was on the A list. "No," he said. She was on the B list, and what about so and so. This went on for some time. And that one, of course, was on the E list and they both agreed. Hmm.... I should have brought up what she said earlier, but I was tired. That's probably why my sis and bro-in-law choose carefully where they go for wine in Venice. They are snowbirds and not really Venetians! Now I am sure there are many good people in these places I talk about. I am just writing the tone of the place as I see it. However, my judgements are almost always confirmed by others.
CORRECTION:
I didn't really feel good about having no confirmation about that conversation and even though others feels the same way about Venice I go back to the wine shop evening to check it out. The pace is busy with folks sitting outside and inside. I order a wine and watch. There is a table open so I take it. The folks are having a good time. I see the wine server who was talking about the A list stuff. I ask her about it. She laughs and says it was how a friend rates his dirty jokes so he knows who to send them too. Oh! Okay. She wasn't on the A list. But I must say, I feel positive that women can turn a man's ears red with their conversation. That's why I always try to confirm.
A little later a lady at a table with a group of friends as me what I am doing and invites me to sit with them. I do. She is an artist and the groups is quite fun. The conversations are enjoyable. One couple is from Germany and the husband of the other couple realizes we have met before. I can't place him until I remember a conversation at the Nokomis Beach Jetty. Oh, yeah! He was a little talkative, even for me! lol It was nice to be invited to the group. It breaks up and I go on my way. These folks are nice but there is a little pretentiousness there, but not too much. Be or act well-heeled and you will be fine. But isn't that like any wine shop?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
This is the day I get to jog Venice Beach! I am ready! I stage my bike at Manesota Beach and drive up to Venice Beach and park the van. I make sure I have water, etc. and dawn my pack. There is a lady next to me, her 30-something daughter and son-in-law left her to carry a bunch of stuff. Way to go kids! So, I help her with the gear. And I help her down the rocks as well. They are from Atlanta near friends of mine in Woodstock, GA. I then to my warm-up routine, making sure to do push-ups. It is about 11:30 am. I take off. It feels really good. The place is crowded and the waves run up on the sand gently. The sun is out and there is a breeze. I jog and start thinking. Most people on the Gulf side really have a slightly to clearly negative bent regarding other people. Now, that is not true for those born here. And for those who have been here more than 25 years. They are, on the whole, really nice folks.
But the new ones, twenty years or less, on the whole, are selfish, rude and just plain not friendly. There are exceptions, of course, but... This has been going on since Anclote Key. So, I decided to make sure to wave or say Hi to everyone and see how many recorded. At least half, looked away. Some stared, some gave a negative way and some were very nice. About 20 percent were very nice. I am being generous here. There was a group of Christian scuba divers offering free, cold water. And this was really cool, since I had just prayed for some cold water. (doesn't always happen that way, but this time I kind of doubted I would get it, so I did. - Ain't God cooly weird?) Or should I say weirdly cool? Anyway, they belonged to a Wesleyan church in the St. Pete area. And they were nice.
I had two bottles of water and that really refreshed me. I started out again, jogging under the pier at a pretty fast pace and I kept it up for a while as well. Then I cam upon South Venice Beach. Same reaction to the waving, etc. But on the way, I saw some beautiful, non-ostentatious homes. Really lovely. And as I jogged past a group of four couples just hanging out in the water, they suddenly cheered as I went by. Cool. Still makes me smile. I wave and gave them the thumbs up sign. About a mile or so down the beach I saw several people. This must be Manesota Beach. Almost done. Along the way I had picked up at least seven sharks teeth. They were big enough to keep and just laying there.
I arrived at Manesota Beach, got some water, got my bike and headed the two miles to the bus stop. The bus arrived 40 minutes later. I put the bike in its place and took it to the terminal in Venice then rode to the beach. Yes! Another beach done!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
No jogging today. I attended the Harvest Tabernacle in Sarasota. This is a wonderful church. They have been helping the the homeless for years, have many community awards and he pastors have truly kind hearts. This is my church of choice in Sarasota. When I walk in and see heavenly joy on many faces, I feel at home. Not that I show that joy, but that I enjoying being around these folks.
I didn't sleep too much last night. Probably too much coffee. I watched some episodes of Scrubs on my netflix at Denny's. That was relaxing. Had to go toWalmart to change phones and that took a long time. I waited for Sunny because I knew she would do an excellent job and I wasn't disappointed. Hopefully this phone and Net10 will be my friends for a long time. We'll see.
Today is my Dad's birthday. I called and wished him a happy birthday. What a wonderful dad! Also, one of my brothers hosted a cookout and all had a good time, including my son, Andrew, who can really eat!
Monday, May 30
I was going to jog today, but I decided to have a day of rest. I went to Lemon Bay, Dearborn St. And found a beautiful park with a hiking train, canoe launch, etc. I took my bike out of the van and rode around the neighborhood for a while. It was a perfect day, hot and sunny with a light breeze. This community is truly relaxing and friendly.
At night I meet David and Melissa at Denny's in Venice. They are very nice and very good Christians. We have a wonderful time of fellowship and I decided to sleep at Denny's. It was a nice night.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
I get up about 6:30 and get to Manesota Beach and then to Blind Pass Beach. There I have my devotions and prayers. Now I am ready to go. The folks here are nice. I meet Bob who is going back to the beach to collect more sharks teeth. He already has over 5000 teeth. We have a nice chat. I stage my bike at Blind Pass Beach and drive almost four miles to Manesota Beach. I do my stretching and some push ups (that Marine stuff in me) and take off. It feels good. The water doesn't really have waves, just light swells that lap upon the shore. People are already out there lying in the sun, fishing, etc.
It is really hot. About halfway down I stop under a shade tree. i see a boat with three fishermen. They are right at the shoreline. One has just caught a nice fish. I as what kind it is. A snook. Cool. I start jogging again and in a short time see the cluster of people and umbrellas at Blind Pass Beach. I arrive almost exactly 60 minutes after I started. I see Bob on the beach looking for sharks teeth. He has his shirt off now and there are two tubes stickingout of his chest. I ask about the port and he says dialysis. He then mentions that some people don't like to see the tubes sticking out. I mention something to the effect that who cares what they think. He is a nice fellow.
I head up the beach to the bike. On the way I meet an older couple and they start the chat. I tell them what I am doing and we have a very fine chat together. Another couple they know joins in. Ah, it's nice to be back to civilization. The first gentleman just retired in January and he and his wife are moving to Englewood in October. I think the other couple lives here already. He is retired Navy and we have fun with that.
Now I am at the Roaster Coffee Bar on Dearborn Street. By the way, for breakfast, the best place in town is Maria's. For the best coffee, gifts and healingtime it is the Roaster Coffee Bar run by Shelly. It seems to be a friendly community meeting place. And Dearborn Street with worth seeing. The website is http://www.dearborn-street.com/. Also check out http://villagegiftsandgallery.com/.
Afternoon jog started at 2:20 I think. I got my gear ready and did my stretching. It was hot and the beaches were beautiful. I started out from Blind Pass Beach and immediately found a sharks tooth. A nice one too! So I kept my eyes open. And found some more. So I stopped less than a half mile on my 5-mile jog, walked into the surf and found a few more. I am still looking for that BIG one. I spent at least 10 minutes in the surf. Enough of this. I have to focus on my jog! So I do. The beaches are nice. It is low tide so there is firm sand to run on. I can see places where erosion is evident. And I have to go around some rocks as well. But not enough to stop me from jogging. If the water is above my ankles I just go slow. In the morning I went fast and after that 30 meters or so I was tired and my pace slowed considerably. This time I was wiser.
After three miles I stopped and Englewood Beach, went into Circle K and Got two large cups of SoBe energy drink with ice! I put one in my hydration bladder, iced and all. Why didn't I think of this before? And I bought some peanuts as well. About 10 minutes later I took off for the last two miles. I soon reached the state park and finally the end of the beach.
I get a ride back to my bike which was staged at the state park. This park is very beautiful and the trails are wide and easy to walk. I very much recommend a day here. While there I heard there is a ferry to the next island for only $5. If that is true, I will go that route. The island is six or seven miles long and I would have to walk to the end and jog back, then walk to the ferry. Hmm... I've done it before! LOL It is an adventure! I have exciting plans tonight! I am going to take a phone back to Walmart and then do my laundry!
I drop my friend off at the Tampa airport. She is a supporter and long-time friend. We had a very nice week together. I stop on the causeway, Hwy 60 to rearrange my van. It is a beautiful day and I put a pole in the water and see the mullet jumping, but no bites. After a while I head out to scope Honeymoon Island. It is a state park and I wanted to see what it was like and get an early/late pass. The folks there are very busy and very nice as well. They state that this is the busiest park in the system. I believe it. I drive around and familiarize myself with this place. It is a nice park and I leave excited about tomorrow's jog.
I stop by a McDonald's, get a few things off the dollar menu and use the WiFI. While I am working an older lady comes in, tells me she is working and will use the only plug in the place, the plug I am using! The she demands to know what kind of computer I am using. I tell her. She tells me to write it down. I ask where she is from; She answers Chicago. (Gee, I would have thought New York!) Again she states that she is working and demands to plug her in. I tell her no, that I am working too, and that she is rude. She huffs and puffs a while, then leaves. Weird! But I think this whole place is like that. Half nice, regular folks, the other half odd, rude or both. I don't get it. She is not at all like most Chicago folks.
I then head out for Walmart. I could probably stay at the state park, but I am not sure and am tired. The Walmart Hilton north of me is very bad. Terrible reviews. The one south is excellent. South I go. I park, get some ice, re-park far away, put up my shades and have a nice sleep.
Monday, May 2, 2011
I am up shortly after six, but don't leave till about 6:45. I get to the island, have my devotions, prepare my hydro-pack with water, an orange and my regular stuff. Off I go at 8 am. There are people here already, either shelling or fishing. The beach is good, not great. Soon, it becomes either shells or stones. Bummer. I will have to really watch my step! About a mile and a half before the end, the beach becomes sandy again. At the point the sugar sand is the finest I have seen.
I take a break and sit down and relax a few minutes and stretch, using my yoga lower back and hips stuff. At 9:15 I start jogging back. It is a nice jog. My music is good and the sun is shining. Along the way I meet two joggers that amaze me. She has to be in her 70's and him too. They are jogging, she nearer the water and walking fast where there are stones, etc. They are well tanned and I know they do this all the time. Wow! And they are nice. Another older fellow with a few others go by. I wave and say hello. He doesn't even look. He gives one of those, weird waves without looking. This means, "Yeah, I know you are there, get away from me. I am so much better than you." If this were the only time it happened that would be okay, but it happens about 25% to 50% of the time. Ah, civilization has lost its civility.
I jog around the little jetty they have and then jog the curve onto the pet beach. They folks there are nice. And the pets are too. I finish at 10:15 and start walking back. I chat with a few other folks. Almost everyone is wrapped up into themselves, constantly directing the conversation back to them and how great they are. To them, the art of conversation means "listen to me!". If this continues, it will be a long jog down this coast. LOL Hope not!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
I get up and go out to the causeway towards Honeymoon Island. There are already many people on the beach at the causeway. This is a really cool place. I can cook, put my kayak in, lay out in the sun. I get my kayak out and it is nice and clean, no mold, etc. It pays to take care of it when done using it. After using my kayak, I always rinse everything off in fresh water and dry it inside and out, It takes just a few minutes to pump it up and get things ready. I again pack an orange in my kit. It is a beautiful morning with people laying out, sitting in lawn chairs or just walking around. No motorcraft are allowed to depart from the causeway so there a few catamarans, sails and kayaks. Perfect!
I hope the current favors my plan. At Cedar Key, the current was against us and it was not easy to reach that second island. I put the kayak in and take off. I think the current is with me. Good. Now I can relax and paddle, stop and rest, then paddle some more. I soon get to Caladesi Island. They told me I couldn't walk from Clearwater to this island, hence the kayak. Upon my arrival I meet two senior citizens, hubby and wifey, very nice folks who have been in Florida for well over 30 years. We have a pleasant conversation. He explains that kayaking is easy, fun and one doesn't need a boat license to paddle one. And his two kayaks are very nice. He says he has an extra water and offers me a bottle. I take it and thank him. Very nice folks.
I pulled up the kayak higher onto the beach and started stretching. Now the fun begins! I walked to the point to begin the jog. This point too was full of birds. Many terns or skimmers. Beautiful birds. Well, I was going to jog right where they were so they flew away as I approached. The view of so many beautiful birds flying away and/or around me makes me glad every time it happens and it happens a lot! I have learned some from these birds. Earlier I watched how that interacted and found that opening or slightly opening ones wings signals aggressiveness, while keeping ones wings closed and turning slightly away signals passiveness(?). So, sometimes when I see a flock of birds on the beach I "open my wings" and watch them fly. Sometimes I try to avoid this by tucking my arms close to my body and turning my head away, jogging not directly at them. It's kind of fun to see what happens.
The jog began and the weather was perfect as usual. The beach sand felt good under my shoes. This is a good shelling beach! Cool. Maybe I can pick one or two up. Usually I give them to tourists who are valiantly starting at the ground walking (not unlike some of the birds!) and finding shells most locals wouldn't take a second look at. They have grandkids who are expecting shells! So, I give them a shell.
The weather stayed nice, but the beach turned a little difficult. The sand wasn't so sandy and there were stones,etc. At the end o the state park area I started seeing more people coming my way. Huh? I thought this was an island. Google says it is. All those folks I asked said I had to kayak and couldn't walk to Caladeshi Island. Well, these people I saw walking here then must have been in awesome shape. Some just walking with a latte in their hands. Finally I got down to some building and started asking. Just ahead was Clearwater Beach. The guy I asked had his family there. They were lying on the beach getting a tan. He was on the phone texting some business I surmised. He was overweight, arrogant looking and very serious. After I got the information I asked him where he was from, expecting New York or New Jersey. Still concentrating on the phone, he immediately answered in a thick New York or New Jersey accent, "Toronto". Inside I cracked up. This fell was from New York or New Jersey. Probably a nefarious fellow at that. Life is so fun!
Two major bridges connect Clearwater with the rest of the world. Guess I didn't have to kayak after all. You know, you can only ask so many people before you have to take their word for it. Oh, well. The kayaking was fun. So, after a little more jogging down the beach I marked my spot to stop and turn around. Two wooden volley ball posts near that big building was my mark. When I get back here I will start on the north side of them.
I walked back the three and a half miles. The kayak was there and I hopped in and headed back. Again I was in luck! The current was with me! If you are a lightweight kayaker like I am, this is truly a blessing! After I got back I drifted in the water just offshore for a while. It felt good. Looks like bikini season is in full swing! Since it was past 1 PM I decided to spend the rest of the day there. I cleaned my kayak and rinsed everything and let it all dry in the sun. I then cooked some chow and rested.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Dance night! At the Gulfport Casino and Ballroom. All east-coast swing and the music of early swing permeates the air. I have been waiting for this for a while. This was a hangout of mine last year when I came down to Florida for five days and stayed the entire month of February. I have friends here and am eager to dance with them again. On the negative side, my hip muscle has been really bothering me so I have decided to take off the rest of the week to rest it. I guess I need to do more stretching.
I get to Gulfport and hit the beach, pop out my cooking stuff and get busy making dinner at the beach park there. The beach is small but very nice with sugar sand. There are people on the beach and one guy is practicing tossing around three liquor bottles and he is pretty good. One young man sitting about 20 meters away from my picnic table comes and sits at the table abutting mine. I am a little wary so I strike up a conversation by asking where he's from, etc. I keep my eye on him because he seems up to something. He says he just got off work and doesn't like it here but prefers Atlanta instead. Then this older fellow rides up on a bike joking about dinner for him as well. Looks like he has been drinking. I tell him he should have been here earlier. I can smell the alcohol on him and watch him as well. I am using a knife to cut up some stuff, which makes me feel better. The older fellow finally leaves. I ask the younger guy why he decided to sit there, but I can guess. I tell him that I am wary of him and will be watching him. Shortly after that the kid goes up and talks to the whiskey juggler and they both leave quickly in the same direction. The beach is a wonderful place but one has to be aware.
After chow I stop in at Peg's for a quick drink. Peg's is a wonderful restaurant that brews its own beer. The food is excellent as well. Try the shrimp burrito. A strange-sounding combiation, but that was the best cooked shrimp I have ever tasted! I step into the place and the two I most wanted to see are not there. One has left and the other isn't in today. Bummer. But I know too well that things do not stay the same. Life is always changing. Some things just need to be remembered.
The dance was excellent. I danced with many people and made some new friends north of the border. I left the dance and headed for the Rest Area at the Skyway Bridge. The Rest Area is well lit and protected by an armed guard. I slept well.
Thursday and Friday I spent some time with my new friends. It was a group of Canadians down for a month or two. Nice folks. And here I learned a lesson that I had been praying about for a few months now. It all started with Micah 6:8. " He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV) Now this verse is special to me as it is the only verse in the Bible where God tells us what is required of us. In the articles section you can read an article I wrote "Religion vs. Relationship" using this verse.
But I couldn't figure out how to love mercy. To show mercy, yes, I can do that. But to LOVE mercy? That's beyond this Christian. And I prayed a long time about this. And now I was about to see it. Vivian, (not her real name) had come with friends to relax but circumstances with these friends made her stay in the Sunshine State anything but relaxing. Bickering, and much, much more!. Finally she let them know to stop it. She was forceful and yet at the end she hugged them and told them she loved them. And she really meant it! I was amazed! Time, expenses, expectations all dashed to dust and she still loved them and forgave them. Now that is loving mercy. Ah, now I know how to do it. Not sure I always will, but I have someone who showed me the way. Thanks Vivian!
Saturday, May 7, 2001
I called my Aunt Betty who lives nearby. No answer so later I called again as she was probably in the pool. Still no answer so I went there just to make sure she was all right. Her car was in the driveway so I knocked on the door. She opened it up and we had a very nice time together. She allowed me to spend the night there. Cool! Thanks Aunt Betty. That evening I attended the Bayside Community Church in Bradenton. I always liked that church. The music ministry is the best I have seen and the preaching is always truth with love and pertinent to our daily lives. I enjoyed it
Sunday, May 8, 2011
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Since her kids weren't there and Aunt Betty wanted to get a computer similar to mine, a small netbook, we went shopping. The store opened at 10 am. It was 9:45 so we stopped in at Panera's to have a coffee and chat. I bought hers in honor of mother's day.I can't say her age, but she is amazingly computer savvy. We then go back and I hit the pool and relax. Lying in the sun sure feels good!
Monday, May 9, 2011
My hip is still bothering me a little so I decide to take the next two days off. I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I visit Siesta Key Beach and enjoy the folks there along with a beautiful sunset.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Back at it! I had already purchased a weekly pass for the PSTA buses that go from Tarpon Springs to the southern tip of the county. I can travel all over for $20.00! This will really save me time and money, not only for gas but parking as well. I get there at 7:15 and ask the lady in the booth how to get to Clearwater. Previously I check it out myself, but I wanted to make sure it was the best way. She gave me a better way. Take Bus 35 to 75th Street then take the Suncoast Trolley. The next bus leaves in just a few minutes and I hop on it.
The seats are comfortable and clean. I like it! There are several people going my way. These are the hospitality folks who live in St. Pete, but work at St. Pete Beach. I start a conversation with Charlie. He is 75 years old and very interesting. He has always loved his work. He was a printer for the newspapers. Now he volunteers for the St. Pete Beach Chamber of Commerce. If you meet Charlie on the bus you will have met a very good fellow. The drivers are all professional and friendly. I highly recommend the bus system here.
I get off at Clearwater near where I left off. I walk down to the big building and get to the beach. Yes! I find the volley ball posts and start a new, enhanced exercise and stretching regimen. Finally, I take off. It's 9:30. I am almost running as it feels so good. Now, on these beaches I run into several different types of people. There are many tourists from all over the US and beyond. There are local retired folks, other locals and a few probably too much time on their hands. Most folks are friendly, but some are dismissive, etc. But I have decided to be me, so I 'Hi!" to everyone who I meet, unless of course, it would be inappropriate to do so like when folks are arguing, etc.
I am happy. I stop after 20 minutes at a pier and stretch. After a five-minute breather, I am off again. I think I stopped once or twice after that. I come to the end of the beach. So soon? Bummer. I wait the the trolley and it stops and get me. I then realize that there is another beach to jog on this island. I saw it on the way over. I ask the driver about it and he says that there is a beach down there but doesn't know hot to access it. So, I get off at the next stop. I'll find a way. I walk down to the beach and see some hotels that have little walls of rocks going down to the beach, each area seemingly marked for that hotel. I go through a hotel and hit the beach. Luis from Costa Rica is a nice fellow and give me some info. After that he says, "Have a good day, my friend." Now, that's nice.
I walk to the beach, over each wall and get my tunes on. I start jogging these short beaches going past folks lying in the sun. I hop over the rocks and keep going. I wave a Luis as I jog by and he waves back. Finally I jog over a few metal rails and am below the overpass. The beach is beautiful,the day is sunny and I am having fun. I decide to jog the whole beach even though it doubles back. It is somewhat a private beach and very nice. I hit the end and walk back. I am out of water and I have jogged an hour and fifteen minutes. That is all I want for today. I stop by a realty place and get some info for a friend. The ladies there are friendly and helpful. And they have cold water! After three cups, I leave and decide to jog the bridge from Clearwater to Sand Park. It is hard to resist a bridge.
I only slow a little as I reach the crest of the bridge. After going down the other side I stop. Whew! I start toward the next beach and once I get near there I take a seat on the bench. Actually I lie down. After a while I get up. I really want to jog some more, but after looking at what I just jogged, I decide to stop for the day. It turns out to be five miles. I thought it was less than that. Cool!
I catch the bus back and stop at the YMCA for a shower, a visit to the pool and hot tub and feel great. Although I am a little stiff walking out of there. That night I go dancing again, but I am pretty tuckered out and don't dance quite as much.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Sand Key Beach is a County Park and the beach is fabulous with a beautiful, wide, white beach. I walk out to the jetty and do my exercises and stretching. These days I am trying to listen to by body and stretch where it feels needed. It is a slower process, but I think much better and just a routine. It take off about 10:30 and it is already getting hot and muggy. But it feels good. I jog for an hour, take a ten minutes break, and keep jogging. I stop at Beach Access 12 and decide to grab a light lunch (I hadn't eaten breakfast) and get some more water. I end up buying a deli ham and cheese and a gallon of water. Once I sit down to eat I realize that I shouldn't go jogging again today. And that is way I never like to sit on a break.
Again I stop at a realty and check out the rentals. Why not, since I am there? I catch the bus back and by now I have noticed the many regulars. It is a pleasant ride reminding me of my years of commuting in Seoul, Korea,not as crowded though! I get back and hit the beach at the northern Rest Area of theSkyway Bridge. After attempting to cast the bait net I bought in Port St. Joe, I finally ask a fellow to show me how to do it. Ronny really helps me. He and a buddy are using a 50' wide net to catch their bait. And they do catch a lot of bait. Thanks Ronny.
Tonight I get out my telescope and view Saturn for the first time in a few years. Beautiful as ever! A fellow comes up and we chat. He takes a seat on the sand. Now I didn't ask him to take a seat, so I am a little wary, not too much though. He has been doing computer work for years and has been out of a job for a while, but still collects enough money to squeak by. He wants to market to small business that don't have websites. I give him a few ideas. The conversation turns to life and I suggest he seek God to know if he really is there. I tell him I must go and start putting my stuff away. He leaves.
I pull out, going forward instead of backwards and promptly get stuck in the sand. No problem, I think. I will just rock this van and get out. No dice. I try and try. Finally I get out and look. It isn't too back and I do have an entrenching tool if need be. I get back in and try a few more times. No go. Finally, I pray, "Well, now what, Lord?" And I try again and immediately I back out of it. LOL Yes, God seems to have a cool sense of humor!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Today is the day I go for a long jog! I arrive at my starting point and take about 20 minutes to stretch, a little Tai Chi I picked up at the Y (very little,but fun), do my push ups and squats and turn on the music. The water is lapping at the shore, the sky is cloudy and I take off. It is 9:19 am. I start at a medium pace and jog for an hour. It feels good. I stop and take some time to stretch. Then I take off again. Since it is cloudy, I take my shirt off. Of course, the sun comes out right away and stays out. I keep jogging to the point, then take a break. After each break my pace slows. So I don't want to take another break. I keep jogging, sometimes past many people, sometimes almost alone. My MP3 player starts ;playing the Cupid Shuffle. I can't help it. Even though there are many people in their blue beach chairs, I do the Cupid Shuffle right there. It is fun! I don't look at the folks, whether they are looking at me oddly or what. I really don't care. It is good to be jogging.
I feel like I could jog all day. After the three hour mark I see a jetty ahead. I had promised myself to stop there at John's Pass, so I do. But another really cool tune comes on the player. So, I dance/walk along the cement walkway of the jetty of about 30 yards. I pass a couple of couples who are tourists (they stare at nothing in the water - just like me!) and they look at me and smile. I say, "Why walk through life when you can dance through it?" They laugh and agree. I get to the end of the jetty and hop down. A fellow in the parking lot, while stowing something in the back of his SUV says, without looking, "Get that out of your system, did you?" I crack up, pat him on the back and have a laugh. He is taking his wife and kids on vacation. They are from Benton, Arkansas. The home of Walmart. I give him congratulations and condolences at the same time. He laughs.
I cross Gulf Drive to jog the beach below Hooters. After that I jog the bridge. Then I am done for the day. I buy two quarts of Gatorade stuff and drink one immediately. The other one shortly thereafter. Later I find that I jogged 9 miles. And I have reached the Treasure Island City limits. Great. Hopefully I can jog the rest of the way next time. It's about 8 miles to Passe-a-Grille.
I catch the bus back and head out for some chow. I end up in Palmetto at Hungry Howie's. This is the place where my folks took us when my family came down on vacation. And each time we come to Florida we have almost always stopped here. So, I text my son to tell him where I am at.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
I get a haircut finally and get some cheese and ham for my bagel. Then I take the day off and head to the Skyway Bridge southern Rest Area. I park along the opposite side and read a few books. Time for some soul searching. I just completed a book on "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions" by Lazarus and Lazarus. This is an exceptional book. So, I think about things. It is good. A storm comes up. Wind, Rain, Hail. Wow. And I am right at the water. Cool! I close the side doors which are facing the water and keep reading. This time, Michener's book, "The Novel". The wind rocks the van. Then it stops. Shortly another one comes by, not quite as strong.
By this time, it is 5:45 and I decide to go to church tonight at the same church. Good service. Now, 11:11 pm, I am at Wendy's near US 41 and US 301. They are letting me stay inside late. Julie, the manager and Shelby are very nice and helpful. Plus the Wendy WiFi really works well. But it is time to go. I hope to jog past St. Pete Beach tomorrow.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I am up early. Actually I don't think I slept at all. I was parked by the water and the wind kept up all night. Just a'rockin'! I hope the weather isn't to windy for the jog. I get to Grand Central Bus Station and catch my bus. I am ready and jogging by 8:45. The wind is not too bad and at my back. Nice! It feels like a good day to jog. I start out at a slow pace and plan to keep it all the way. I start at Treasure Island city limits and keep going to Sunset Beach jetty. I have to stop and walk back and catch the bus to get around this little peninsula. It takes an hour! When I get to the start of St.Pete Beach I find there is dredging going on at the beach of the first hotel/condo. I find away around it and jog that too. Finally I can start jogging for a distance. This is my old stomping grounds. I was here often last year. The Gulf Plaza is a great place to stay. I jog past it and go past Don Cesar as well. It feels good. I get to Pass-a-Grille and come to a jetty. That's it for this stretch.
I go into the tourist shop and ask if they have a map. I can't really trust google maps it seems. They don't have one but one lady there assures me that Shell Island is the next beach south. I walk to the pier for the shuttle. They are charging $25 plus tax. It only about 600 yards away! Forget it. I catch a bus and get my van, come back and launch my kayak. The waves and swells are a little more than I am used to, but I make it over to the other side. I walk to where the jog should start and find that if I had been in another area the distance between land and the island was about 15 feet! (I got to start asking more questions!)
I start jogging and forget whether this is a mile jog or a 3.5 mile jog. Oh, well. Guess I will find out soon. Either way I have plenty of time for the jog, walk back and the kayak trip. This is a very nice beach and pretty much empty after about a mile. I keep jogging, round the turn and see boats beginning to pop up along the shore. Very nice! I jog past everyone and make another turn and reach the end. Whew. I think 3.5 is the correct number. I start walking back. I have a good pace and get there surprisingly quickly. Now for the kayak trip. The water is calmer. Good.
I ask a guy, Bryan, how the current is. He says he just tossed some weeds and the current is going out - fast! Hmmm.... We talk a little. He mentions that the way the boats are pointed the water is kind of swirling around the whole are. This means I should use the waves and head east, not north. I do that and it is working well. The swells are fun and no choppy water. About half way across I start aiming at another reference point. All is going well. Then the water becomes a little choppy and I concentrate on that. Not bad, really. I aim for the beach and make my turn toward it a little too early. The current moves me westerly more than I wanted. I have to paddle rather fast and land near where I wanted to. Not too bad, for me!
Monday, May 16, 2011
I get up early and intend to jog Ft. DeSoto today and if possible Egmont Island as well. A friend showed me a great little place to stay while in the St. Pete Beach area. Very nice. So, I slept well. After my devotions and crunchy raisin bran I drive out to Ft. DeSoto. I get there about 9:30. Nothing open yet so I don't know when the shuttle takes off for the island. So, I drive down to the north parking lot and pack ready, head out to the beach. Saturday's storm still affects the beaches. The tides are high and the wave are over two feet and coming in strong. Some of the beach is covered even too much for me to jog. But I get out to the end of the area and jog some, walk through water some or take a kind of trail. Then the beach ends. I walk to where the lifeguards are and ask them about the outcrop of land. The girl said I can take a road and stay to the right. The beaches are there at the outcrop. So, I take off. I am glad I brought my pack as I hadn't planned to at first. This is going to take longer than I thought! A trail veers to the right and I take it. After a while I come to a fence and a sign saying the area is off limits (or however civilians say it).
But there is a trail going around the fence so I take it, keeping out of the area. Finally the trail leads back to the beach and I see that I have to walk quite a ways back to start the jog. So, back I go, thinking that this day isn't going to turn out as planned. I jog and see some people on the beach. This beach is all joggable and I come to the point and reach the cement. I sit and take a break. I am not tired, but I need to just sit and think about things for a while, and pray. So, I do. It's funny, emotions can bring us down or lift us up. And some emotions do not come from within! I have studied emotions or some time, reading the book "Passion and Reason - making sense of our emotions" by Lazarus and Lazarus. I just finished it after about a year of reading. Very good, by the way. And I could not figure out this emotion I had nor how to get rid of it. Finally, I prayed and confessed some sins to God and, Viola!, the negative emotions that had been nagging me for a few days were immediately gone! (Can't dissect that in psychology class!)
I continue my jog and reach then end. A sign says, "Keep out, Burn area." But since I don't see any firemen nearby I jog a little further and reach the end of the beaches at Ft. DeSoto. I walk back through the little forest and see trees partially cut through. I guess when the fire department burns this areas these trees will fall. Interesting.
Now for the walk back. I had stage my bike at the snack bar, so I have to walk a few miles to the bike and then ride a few miles to the van. One the walk back I go to the pier and see the schedule for the shuttle. It leaves in the a.m.. and returns in the p.m. either once or twice a day depending on the number of people. So, even though it is just before 1 p.m., I am done for the day. At the pier they want $2.59 for a small bottled water. No thanks! I can wait. Besides just off the pier is a drinking fountain! I walk back to my bike and ride to the van.
Time for chow. I have some more crunch raisin bran. Good stuff! Then I get a chair and put my feet up at a picnic table and read a novel I have been enjoying. Later, I sure their facilities to shower and feel good. On the way out of Ft. DeSoto I call and make reservations for Wednesday to get to EgmontIsland. I have other plans for Tuesday.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
My plans for today have been cancelled so I take a rest, then go to the Palmetto Library. Very nice place. I get some work done. I have to call my clients and see how they are doing. Some have questions, but for most things are going well.
Wednesday, May, 18, 2011
Egmont Key - the island that marks the end of the Tampa/St. Pete area. I was at Ft. DeSoto Park and ready to go at 8:30 am. The boat didn't leave until ten, but it was a nice day and the fisherman were busy(?) at the pier. LOL Are fisherman ever busy? They were talking about the dolphins stealing their catch. Evidently it happens often. When new guys toss their line way out there, the dolphins are sure to take the catch. One guy had three fish stolen the other day. I suggested that the dolphins had good taste and probably enjoyed the cafeteria-like method of "fishing". Then I left. They were a good-natured group.
The lady arrived for the ferry and started getting things ready. She was nice. Then the skipper came along and in about 15 minutes we got underway. The skipper made the ride fun with his humor. He picked on this guy with a Mohawk. We all had fun. One young man, Steve, was vacationing with his mother. They were from the Cleveland area. He had drunk too much tequila the night before and had a nasty hangover. Well, when you drink margaritas from a fishbowl, what else can you expect. I offered to take him jogging with me. He mom, seeing my Marine Corps cap, thought that was a good idea and so did he! Cool. We all and starting walking to our jogging point.
The waves were still high from Saturday's storms. The beach has lost some sand and the tide was higher than usual. We took off and it felt good. It was about 11 o'clock and the sun was out. Nice day! We rounded the bend and kept going. After a half mile we came to some rocks which used to be part of the power room. We skirted the rocks and kept going. Then came the trees on the beach and in the water. I jogged most of it, being used to this stuff by now. But Steve had on new, green tennis shoes and wanted to keep them dry. So, he took the path right above the beach. This went on for another half mile or so. We came to large sign on the beach that permanently marked that part of the island as off limits due to birds nesting. So, we stopped jogging and took the hiking trail to the bay side of the island. We came to that beach and starting jogging southward and came to another sign that prohibited us from jogging further. So we turned back. Seagulls were nesting, many right on the beach. Parent gulls were incubating the brown and black speckled eggs. This is the first I had seen of actual nesting and it filled me with wonder. So many birds. Steve enjoyed the scene as well.
We came to another sign and had to walk back to the center of the island, where we discovered a cobblestone road. Cool! There used to be a fort here and this was part of the remnants. It looked well maintained. It was pleasant with palm trees shading the path. We got to the beach again near where we had begun. I thanked Steve for jogging with me. It was nice to have someone to jog with for a change. Good luck, Steve. The best to you and your mom.
Now I just had to wait for the return journey at 2:30. I went to the lighthouse area and looked around. Not much here really, but going northward down the train I saw two turtles in the shade and then I saw a 2 foot black snake going along the path. Cool. I ended up at a gun-emplacement area. I saw down under a few palm trees and waited. A white bird with a very long beak came by pecking at the ground. When one is quite and unmoving the birds come closer. Cool. Then I went to the beach and in a while we boarded and returned.
While on Egmont Island we saw several fishing boats. It was tarpon time and everybody was out. No bites. All day. And you could see the fish! One boat did catch a good-sized shark that put up quite a fight. That was fun to watch. I spent that night at the Rod and Reel Pier parking lot because that was my starting point tomorrow! Anna Maria Island!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I slept well and had cereal for breakfast. I had a good stretch, did some push-ups and squats and off I went. It was early morning and the weather was as usual, perfect. I had to jog in water some and after I rounded the bend I was the rocks. I young kid (about 18) had told me he jogged the island and had to go back to the road to get around the rocks. I just went through the water. It was pretty short, no more than 30 feet.
Back on the beach. Anna Maria Island is one of my favorite spots in Florida and I felt happy to jog these beaches. People were out and more were coming to the beach. Jogging by the spots I used to walk and just sit set off wonderful emotions. The shade of the big oak tree right on the beach, dinner with a family I just met and the sunset afterwards while on my motorcycle trip, walking down the beach with a beautiful woman watching all the skimmer birds, etc.
I jogged past Holmes Beach and then hit Bradenton Beach, which I think is the most friendly beach in the area. Clearwater and St. Pete Beach have tourists, Bradenton has locals. A relaxing attitude and nice folks. The beach itself as well. The sugar sand is gone and now it is the tan sand. I get to the end at Coquina Beach and catch the bus back. On the bus are a few people, one couple is from England. They have been in Florida for about three weeks. Having spent two weeks on the Atlantic side they were in on the Gulf side. We had a good conversation. I mentioned that all the states are just like Florida. LOL They laughed, and so did I! They have been to all corners of America and probably know those areas much better than me! It is fun to have fun, isn't it... Nice folks.
Back to my van and, after getting cleaned up, I head out. Tonight I sleep at the other end of the island.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Longboat Key. Home of the rich and haughty taughty, at least that what it seemed like the scores of times I have driven through. I get started about 8:30 am. First obstacle. It looks like a little island so close, but I can't get there. I cross the bridge and take a look. While on the bridge a school of mullet come along. There is a boat with a man trying to catch them with a net.I spy a lady walking on the 'island' and ask her if I need a boat to get there. She says that I do. He asks me to wave so they go more towards him. I do. He misses anyway. I climb down the east side shore and it's a no-go there. The water is too deep to cross with my pack on. I go to the other side and am so close yet so far. I ask the guy on the boat if he could take me over. He can'tbecause he needs to catch fish for a charter coming up. (Kind of late to catch bait for a charter, isn't it?)
I get nosy and walk toward the houses on the gulf side. The island is actually part of the land mass of the key. I find a small beach access, I think, and head out. There are lovely trails to the 'island' through trees and along the beach. It is very nice here. There are surveyors taking readings. Two are on an embankment and one is chest deep in water holding the stick. LOL I crack up. "Tell him to keep going back!", I think. Actually I think I said it.
I get to the tip and spy a guy with binoculars and a clipboard. We chat. His job is to survey the birds. Where can I get a job like that? Of course, he likes it. Good for him! I stretch and start jogging. It is a ten-mile jog, just a little longer than I have gotten used to. These days I always wear my pack, with a bladder of water, my wallet, phone, keys, suntan lotion and a few other things. After getting around the trees, the beach becomes very beautiful. The water is all colors between turquoise and emerald green. Just gorgeous! The day is hot and my pace is comfortably slow. I stop at the 8-mile mark and take a little break. It is getting how and the last two miles will be slow going. Chafing is back too, so that's an added sore spot. (Actually, two of them, lol)
Finally make it to the end. There are umbrellas with beach lounge chairs. One guy, with his beautiful wife in the other chair, is watching the waitress come and serve them tropical drinks. It is a Kodak moment and I smile and give him two thumbs up. He smiles back, a very satisfied smile.
I jog to the jetty and ask a fellow fishing how to get to the bus stop. He says I have to go back about a mile and take the street to the main road. I thank him and take off, not toward the beach, but toward the condos. I am tired and don't intend to walk that far back, at least not yet. I sit in a chair for a minutes and get up to find my way out. I find the parking lot and also find a hose so I cool myself off and replenish my water bladder. I keep walking toward the main road and meet a fellow in a chef's jacket. I ask how to get to the bus stop and we walk together. He shows me the gate and says the stop is just across the street. Sometimes, it is good to get a second opinion. I have to wait almost an hour for the bus. Sarasota buses aren't quite like the nicebuses of Pinellas and Manatee Counties. Management. But another 10 miles done! Yeah!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Last night I spent at my second cousin's house. I just call him my nephew as it makes it so much easier. His name is Levi Powis, a very good fellow and a sincere Christian as well. I will stay there until Thursday. Ah, air conditioning, movies, a sofa, a real kitchen. Cool. And our fellowship is good, too.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Today, Levi and I attend the Harvest Tabernacle. It is a wonderful church. You can see the joy on so many faces. Plus my new friends, David and Melissa are to be there. The service is two and a half hours long with at least an hour of praise singing. I like it a lot. Afterwards, we meet David and Melissa. Levi is studying Hebrew and David is into that stuff as well, and they are both videographers. Cool. We have a good time of fellowship.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Lido Key. Next beach is Lido Beach. I have to bus drop me off just before Longboat Key and try to get to the beach. But it is all private. I end up walking back a mile then again walking that mile on the beach. Now I can start jogging. But first my stretching. Now stretching shouldn't be mechanical. We need to listen to the body, or to put it another way, feel where it is need and in what sequence. Once when the side of my thigh started hurting, I kind of felt that I should rub my hammy, though that wasn't hurting at all. But rubbing my hamstring relieved the pain on the side of my thigh. Anyway, now when I stretch, I take time to feel what needs what and how much. This methods seems to be working very well.
I start the jog. Basically I start in water and slowly jog out of it. This is so funny to me because when I first started jogging at Peridido Key I was very careful to not get my shoes and socks wet. LOL Well, that has changed! My footwear gets wet all the time. And it may dry out and get wet again! I love it.
I find several good but small conch shells. I give three away to a trio from Colorado. But I keep the best for myself. The jog is fun and is a little longer than I expected. And it is getting hot. I keep jogging past the beach proper. I come to beautiful and relaxing Lido South Park, or some such name. Finally I come to the end of the beach. I step into the water to cool off. Ah. Now that feels good. And since I am out of water I head back to the park to have a drink, a rest and find my way to a bus stop.
After my refreshment, I find that the bus stop is right around the corner. And I missed the bus by about 10 minutes, which means I much wait almost another hour for the next one. Oh, well. I sit down on the bench, take out my phone and call a friend. I hand up and the phone slips from my hand. It falls onto the pavement knocking the back off the phone. As I look, the phone starts to slide down into the drain. No grate to stop it. It falls into the water. Hmmm.... Well, no reason to get upset, I guess. Maybe I need a break from the phone.
I quickly get down on my knees and put my outstretched arm into the drain water. Nope, can't feel a thing. I think, well, didn't Elisha spit into the water or something to get the ax head to float. So, I prayed and spit into the water. Nope, that didn't work. I find a palm frond and break it to the length I think I need. I put it in the water and it touches the bottom. But I can't feel the phone. A few small rocks and that's about it. So, now I see the round lid. How to move it?
I pray that if I can move it I will get the phone and if not, c'est la vie. God knows about it. I find that I can lift the lid, so I remove it. I lay myself down and start fishing for the phone. The bus comes and I wave it on. It will be another hour before the next bus. Next, a lady yells to see if I am okay. I say yes. She comes over and I tell her what happened. Her hubby finds a big spoon for me to you. They are nice folks. A young house painter comes over to see if he can help. No,thanks. I will have to get in and get it myself. They move the concrete bench and I hop in. I have to crouch up to my waist. I use my hand and find a rock, a plastic bag, and a broken beer bottle. All the while I am hoping that there is no snake in here!
Finally, I feel my phone and bring it out. I yell that I got it and the lady and her hubby heading towards the beach access across the street turn and ask if I got it. Yep! I put the manhole cover back on, move the bench back and cross the street to the condo complex to find someway to hose off. I young man is in the maintenance room and tells me the hose is around the corner. I hose off. For about five minutes!
I doubt if the phone works, but maybe it will or at least I can get the contact information from it. I let it dry and to make a long story short, after a few days the phone works except to call. So, my contact information is saved. Good. In a few days I will get another phone.
I catch the bus back and get back to Levi's place. Tonight I make Korean food. Yummy!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It is another beautiful day. The next beach on the list is Siesta Key Beach, just voted the best beach in America. The beach is only three and a half miles long, so I take my van. I get to the north end of the beach and warm up. Many joggers, walkers and others are already there. The wide, white beach and the beautiful water look picturesque. I take off, happy to be jogging. I still wave and say hello to one and all. The responses are quite varied to looking straight ahead, a condescending wave, a big smile and hello. Sometimes, I miss the panhandle! The run is fun. All kinds of people are jogging. Some in groups of two to five and many just like me, jogging alone. One young person is really running well. Some joggers are smiling and some are focused and strained. To each his own, I guess. I reach the wall at the south end and decide not to climb up to go to the other side till tomorrow. The jog is over. I do something rare and take my shoes and socks off and walk back in the water. It really feels good. I usually leave my shoes on because a cut foot could put me out of action for quite a while.
When I reach the northern end I decided to spend a day at the beach, something I haven't done in quite a while. I get my umbrella, chair and stuff out of the van and hit the beach. I snooze, get in the water, get back, snooze some more and have a good day.
Wednesday, Mary 25, 2011
I get up and decide to get a phone before I jog the next leg of the journey. That is a mistake as it takes a long time to get the phone and the afternoon is shot. No jogging today. But on the bright side, I got a new phone and excellent help from Sunny at Walmart of SR 301 and 53rd St. She really knows how to help. Thanks, Sunny!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I was up bright and early and gone from Levi's apartment by 6:30. I caught the bus and transferred to the southern edge of Siesta Key. I had a good warm up. I waded into the water and climbed upon the wall. Then I walked around and climbed on the rocks to the beach on the other side. Now I could start jogging! I jogged less than half a mile and ran into some rocks. Having used google maps I knew I would. I started to climb the rocks and was what I thought halfway across when I saw a street.
So I scampered up the rocks and walked along the street a block or two. I finally found a way to the beach and a person to ask permission to go through the driveway to the back of this big, beautiful white house. He said he was a contractor, a nice guy, and that he couldn't give me permission, but maybe Jay could. Jay came out. He was working on remodeling the house which belonged to another person. He said that some folks around there were pretty touchy and he could give me permission either, but he would give me a ride on his new v-star motorcycle to the Turtle Beach about a mile away. I said sure, and thanked him.
Then they asked me how I got in there since this was a gated and guarded community. I told them. It was kind of funny. Then Jay and I took off on his bike. Jay mentioned that he hopes to live in Costa Rica or some place else someday. Better lifestyle. I think I know what he means now. He dropped me off at Turtle Beach and I started walking up the beach northward. I kept walking to the end of the beach and found that the beach began at the house just past that white house I wanted to cut through to the beach. Now that is ironically funny! The house next to it was one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Not opulent, but designed in the Korean or Chinese style, but on a bigger and more modern scale. I stared at that for a few long minutes just taking it in. When I mentioned it to someone later, they said that they thought it was in a magazine recently.
So, I started jogging. The sand was poor for jogging! I jogged about a mile in soft sand. Wow, at this rate I could only jog about 5 miles today. Fortunately, the sand became firmer the farther south I got. There were teams of two each doing turtle egg surveys. Neat. I kept jogging. The water and weather was beautiful as usual. The houses along the way were magnificent. After a couple of hours I saw the end. And I was beat too! Nokomis Beach was just a mile or so ahead! It was a slow go and I had to make myself focus only on that little part of beach that abutted the jetty. No bikinis, no sharks teeth, etc. Gotta focus. Up to about 50 yards to go it kept it a slow jog, then I kicked it in! It felt great to jump up to the jetty. Done. Next stop, Venice Beach! Now I am making some headway!
I had been here before with Pam and Frank and my son, Andrew. I got a cold one and took a break. Then I started looking for a ride back. I saw a Marine cap and said hello. It was the granddad of a Marine here with his wife and son and the son's wife. I wondered if they could give me a ride back to SR 41 when they were ready to go. They said yes, but their car was small and I went looking for another ride. This fellow came through, about my age with his girlfriend, and said "Semper Fi" He was a Marine too, but had no room. So, I sat down and decided to pray. So, I prayed and sat for a minutes. Cynthia, the girl behind the counter, came out and said she had a ride for me. She then asked if I were an ax murder. I wanted to say, "No, I use knives." , but resisted! Her friend Rusty gave me a ride to SR 41. Thanks to both of them.
While at the jetty, I noticed a little island with about 20 feet of beach between the jetties. Hmm...
Friday, May 27, 2011
I am taking it easy today. I drive out to the jetty about 1 pm and get my kayak out. I pump it up and kayak the 50 yards or so to the island, jog the beach and kayak back. It was fun. Then I had to go to the outside shower and rinse everything off and hang it out to dry. It was a nice lazy day. No longer at my nephew's place, I found a nice play to lay over. I must say that the folks on the jetty around the bar/snack bar are a mixed group. Some are really fine folks and others are lazy drinkers and redneck kids. This car pulls up next to my van. There is a rather obese lady inside and her kids are following suit. She is working on a huge, fast food sandwich. A short time later, working on another behemoth of a sandwich, she starts cussing out her kids for almost doing something. GD this, you blankety-blank that. What a pig of a person! Later she stared at me and I just ignore her. I did pray for her and her kids later. But, my, what a selfish, spoiled mother. God help those kids!
Later that evening about 8 pm I wanted to get online and was looking for a cafe. I asked a fellow and his wife. You would have thought I committed a fauxpas. He did answer, not that it seemed he wanted to. His wife never looked up from her texting. I did find a wine shop. Maybe they would have WiFi. No luck, so I decided to have a glass of wine. It was good. I mentioned to the lady working there their Venice seemed a little haughty taughty to me. She shook her head, no. This town isn't like Sarasota. Venice was unpretentious she said. One wouldn't know who had millions and who didn't. Well, I just sat there and about five minutes later this well-heeled local comes in and they start talking.
She thought she was on the A list. "No," he said. She was on the B list, and what about so and so. This went on for some time. And that one, of course, was on the E list and they both agreed. Hmm.... I should have brought up what she said earlier, but I was tired. That's probably why my sis and bro-in-law choose carefully where they go for wine in Venice. They are snowbirds and not really Venetians! Now I am sure there are many good people in these places I talk about. I am just writing the tone of the place as I see it. However, my judgements are almost always confirmed by others.
CORRECTION:
I didn't really feel good about having no confirmation about that conversation and even though others feels the same way about Venice I go back to the wine shop evening to check it out. The pace is busy with folks sitting outside and inside. I order a wine and watch. There is a table open so I take it. The folks are having a good time. I see the wine server who was talking about the A list stuff. I ask her about it. She laughs and says it was how a friend rates his dirty jokes so he knows who to send them too. Oh! Okay. She wasn't on the A list. But I must say, I feel positive that women can turn a man's ears red with their conversation. That's why I always try to confirm.
A little later a lady at a table with a group of friends as me what I am doing and invites me to sit with them. I do. She is an artist and the groups is quite fun. The conversations are enjoyable. One couple is from Germany and the husband of the other couple realizes we have met before. I can't place him until I remember a conversation at the Nokomis Beach Jetty. Oh, yeah! He was a little talkative, even for me! lol It was nice to be invited to the group. It breaks up and I go on my way. These folks are nice but there is a little pretentiousness there, but not too much. Be or act well-heeled and you will be fine. But isn't that like any wine shop?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
This is the day I get to jog Venice Beach! I am ready! I stage my bike at Manesota Beach and drive up to Venice Beach and park the van. I make sure I have water, etc. and dawn my pack. There is a lady next to me, her 30-something daughter and son-in-law left her to carry a bunch of stuff. Way to go kids! So, I help her with the gear. And I help her down the rocks as well. They are from Atlanta near friends of mine in Woodstock, GA. I then to my warm-up routine, making sure to do push-ups. It is about 11:30 am. I take off. It feels really good. The place is crowded and the waves run up on the sand gently. The sun is out and there is a breeze. I jog and start thinking. Most people on the Gulf side really have a slightly to clearly negative bent regarding other people. Now, that is not true for those born here. And for those who have been here more than 25 years. They are, on the whole, really nice folks.
But the new ones, twenty years or less, on the whole, are selfish, rude and just plain not friendly. There are exceptions, of course, but... This has been going on since Anclote Key. So, I decided to make sure to wave or say Hi to everyone and see how many recorded. At least half, looked away. Some stared, some gave a negative way and some were very nice. About 20 percent were very nice. I am being generous here. There was a group of Christian scuba divers offering free, cold water. And this was really cool, since I had just prayed for some cold water. (doesn't always happen that way, but this time I kind of doubted I would get it, so I did. - Ain't God cooly weird?) Or should I say weirdly cool? Anyway, they belonged to a Wesleyan church in the St. Pete area. And they were nice.
I had two bottles of water and that really refreshed me. I started out again, jogging under the pier at a pretty fast pace and I kept it up for a while as well. Then I cam upon South Venice Beach. Same reaction to the waving, etc. But on the way, I saw some beautiful, non-ostentatious homes. Really lovely. And as I jogged past a group of four couples just hanging out in the water, they suddenly cheered as I went by. Cool. Still makes me smile. I wave and gave them the thumbs up sign. About a mile or so down the beach I saw several people. This must be Manesota Beach. Almost done. Along the way I had picked up at least seven sharks teeth. They were big enough to keep and just laying there.
I arrived at Manesota Beach, got some water, got my bike and headed the two miles to the bus stop. The bus arrived 40 minutes later. I put the bike in its place and took it to the terminal in Venice then rode to the beach. Yes! Another beach done!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
No jogging today. I attended the Harvest Tabernacle in Sarasota. This is a wonderful church. They have been helping the the homeless for years, have many community awards and he pastors have truly kind hearts. This is my church of choice in Sarasota. When I walk in and see heavenly joy on many faces, I feel at home. Not that I show that joy, but that I enjoying being around these folks.
I didn't sleep too much last night. Probably too much coffee. I watched some episodes of Scrubs on my netflix at Denny's. That was relaxing. Had to go toWalmart to change phones and that took a long time. I waited for Sunny because I knew she would do an excellent job and I wasn't disappointed. Hopefully this phone and Net10 will be my friends for a long time. We'll see.
Today is my Dad's birthday. I called and wished him a happy birthday. What a wonderful dad! Also, one of my brothers hosted a cookout and all had a good time, including my son, Andrew, who can really eat!
Monday, May 30
I was going to jog today, but I decided to have a day of rest. I went to Lemon Bay, Dearborn St. And found a beautiful park with a hiking train, canoe launch, etc. I took my bike out of the van and rode around the neighborhood for a while. It was a perfect day, hot and sunny with a light breeze. This community is truly relaxing and friendly.
At night I meet David and Melissa at Denny's in Venice. They are very nice and very good Christians. We have a wonderful time of fellowship and I decided to sleep at Denny's. It was a nice night.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
I get up about 6:30 and get to Manesota Beach and then to Blind Pass Beach. There I have my devotions and prayers. Now I am ready to go. The folks here are nice. I meet Bob who is going back to the beach to collect more sharks teeth. He already has over 5000 teeth. We have a nice chat. I stage my bike at Blind Pass Beach and drive almost four miles to Manesota Beach. I do my stretching and some push ups (that Marine stuff in me) and take off. It feels good. The water doesn't really have waves, just light swells that lap upon the shore. People are already out there lying in the sun, fishing, etc.
It is really hot. About halfway down I stop under a shade tree. i see a boat with three fishermen. They are right at the shoreline. One has just caught a nice fish. I as what kind it is. A snook. Cool. I start jogging again and in a short time see the cluster of people and umbrellas at Blind Pass Beach. I arrive almost exactly 60 minutes after I started. I see Bob on the beach looking for sharks teeth. He has his shirt off now and there are two tubes stickingout of his chest. I ask about the port and he says dialysis. He then mentions that some people don't like to see the tubes sticking out. I mention something to the effect that who cares what they think. He is a nice fellow.
I head up the beach to the bike. On the way I meet an older couple and they start the chat. I tell them what I am doing and we have a very fine chat together. Another couple they know joins in. Ah, it's nice to be back to civilization. The first gentleman just retired in January and he and his wife are moving to Englewood in October. I think the other couple lives here already. He is retired Navy and we have fun with that.
Now I am at the Roaster Coffee Bar on Dearborn Street. By the way, for breakfast, the best place in town is Maria's. For the best coffee, gifts and healingtime it is the Roaster Coffee Bar run by Shelly. It seems to be a friendly community meeting place. And Dearborn Street with worth seeing. The website is http://www.dearborn-street.com/. Also check out http://villagegiftsandgallery.com/.
Afternoon jog started at 2:20 I think. I got my gear ready and did my stretching. It was hot and the beaches were beautiful. I started out from Blind Pass Beach and immediately found a sharks tooth. A nice one too! So I kept my eyes open. And found some more. So I stopped less than a half mile on my 5-mile jog, walked into the surf and found a few more. I am still looking for that BIG one. I spent at least 10 minutes in the surf. Enough of this. I have to focus on my jog! So I do. The beaches are nice. It is low tide so there is firm sand to run on. I can see places where erosion is evident. And I have to go around some rocks as well. But not enough to stop me from jogging. If the water is above my ankles I just go slow. In the morning I went fast and after that 30 meters or so I was tired and my pace slowed considerably. This time I was wiser.
After three miles I stopped and Englewood Beach, went into Circle K and Got two large cups of SoBe energy drink with ice! I put one in my hydration bladder, iced and all. Why didn't I think of this before? And I bought some peanuts as well. About 10 minutes later I took off for the last two miles. I soon reached the state park and finally the end of the beach.
I get a ride back to my bike which was staged at the state park. This park is very beautiful and the trails are wide and easy to walk. I very much recommend a day here. While there I heard there is a ferry to the next island for only $5. If that is true, I will go that route. The island is six or seven miles long and I would have to walk to the end and jog back, then walk to the ferry. Hmm... I've done it before! LOL It is an adventure! I have exciting plans tonight! I am going to take a phone back to Walmart and then do my laundry!