winter is almost over

Winter is almost over and it is getting close to time to head home.
We are both anxious to get back to Iowa... we have a lot of space up there compared to here. Now back to what we have been up to...
Let me think back.................

We have been doing a lot of this..Ebay takes a lot of time

We spent a Sat doing this. having a garage sale...Not a lot of fun

Skyping with my little grandbabies!!

I bought a new laptop on craigslist from a girl in Miami. She said she just got it and only used it for 2 weeks. I checked out the model and it is new, so off we went down to Miami to get it. We got there
after some horrible traffic and numerous texts from her wondering if we were coming, she said she was inundated with inquires. I would assume so.. she was only asking 200 bucks and it retails for 700. After picking it up we went to check out this shopping area right in front of where she lived, as it looked really cool.




Walking through the Bal Harbour shops on Bay Harbor Island down in Miami

Very high end place...This window display had a fountain under the mannequins

The shopping place was very cool, but also very expensive. we headed towards home on a scenic route so we could check out stuff on the way home.

this is north Miami beach area

more north Miami Beach

stopped at this cool place on the inter coastal to eat diner on the way home

nice and healthy

and its gone in 60 seconds!

 

 

Today is Sunday the 10th and we have company coming for a week. Bonnie's grandson, Nick and his Buddie Josh are coming down for a week. We pick them up tomorrow night, so we just chilled out and went exploring today. we found this little park on the inter coastal, hung out there just watching the boats go by.

out and about today! found this neat little park not to far from home

Then on the way home we stopped at our beach and walked around. It was very busy as spring break had arrived and so did thousands of young people.

Deerfield beach... packed, its spring break time

Got to go to bed...its 12:30

Working out

I got on the scale and was shocked to find the scale did not work.
At least I was hoping it did not work. It said 210 Lbs..WHAT??
I know!! Thats what I was thinking. Oh the price I pay to quit smoking...so immediate action was required. We have taken up walking every day and revising our diet to a more healthy and lower calorie diet.

This is lighthouse point beach..walking to the light house and back

 

Rest time...

 



More walking ...less picture taking

 

 

We are walking different areas each day to make it interesting. I have made a startling discovery...as a person who never had to worry about weight most of my life...It is much harder to lose it than it is putting it on! LOL

cool little neighbor hood natural area we walked 3 times around

This is the same natural area.

walking in sunshine...no skin cancer for me!

We were walking on deerfield beach and had a discussion about the water temp...I was right..75 degrees

This is the boardwalk along deerfield beach..that platform is new

Picture taken from the platform



can't be walking all the time...gotta stop and smell the beer once in a while! (light beer in glass)

We had a coupon for The Deck, its a restaurant down in Ft Lauderdale on the ocean, across the street from Ft Lauderdale Beach. This beach is famous for spring break in March! So we decided to use it. Got to scour the menu for something relativly healthy.

 

 

Found a parking place and now walking to the restaurantt

 

There it is...and I am hungry!



Nice View!



Blackened Talapia Sandwich with cole slaw and a Yinling (pretty healthy)

We finaly got our inflatable kayak out today and took it out for the first time! I went and got a second paddle, a new pump and some watersocks for both of us.

 

 

Bonnie checking things out (I don't think she really wanted to do this)

We had some pressure issues and got some water in the kayak and you can tell Bonnie was not loving it as disclosed on the video. I guess the new pump cannot produce enough pressure to meet the requirements. Once we got to the Island I used some good old ingenuity (Blew the thing up with non smoking lung power) and resolved them. The ride back was much better and drier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats it for now!! Catch ya later.

Happy Birthday Deb

Its was my sister Debbie's birthday on the 16th of January so I wanted to give a shout out and say how much I love her!!!
It was the 33rd anniversary of her 21st birthday.


Debbie!



Well we decided to take a trip to Everglades National Park.

It is about an hour and a half from our condo and it would be free because Bonnie has a golden parks pass. We packed some sandwiches and water into our small cooler and headed out for an adventure. We arrived at the park around noon and went into the visitors center. The park is 1.5 million acres and is the only everglades on this planet. Cool!

A map of the everglades..very convenient

What?? they have Jaguars here??

After a half hour in the visitors center, and armed with valuable information, we decided to make the 38 mile trek to the other side...the Gulf of Mexico...all via a small 2 lane road through the Everglades. We drove about 15 miles and decided to pull over in this recreation area and saw these Chinese girls kayaking with a guide...so we watched as they came in.

Chinese tourist  kayakers

After they were all in the guide started putting the kayaks back on the trailer, as soon as he drug the last one away, we noticed another observer.

catching a tan

can you believe that??

After the alligator experience (that was pretty cool) we resumed our trek towards the other side. an hour later, and a couple of stops, we arrived at the end of the road.

Ahoy capitan..Water ho

We noticed a tower with a nest at the top, so I utilized my 12 X optical and 24 X digital zoom and got this picture. We believe it is an Osprey. There were 2 adults in the nest when we arrived, but one flew off, I can only surmise it went for Chinese take out.

We hung out for an hour or so then started back, with a few stops for photo opps along the way...

Birds of the everglades

Laying in wait..

This guy was on the road..so I pulled over to say hi...

different gang of birds..I wonder if they are rivals of the other bunch???

miniature white cypress trees

Alligator bait

The park is pretty neat place to experience native wild life and plant life of Florida. On the way I saw a couple of signs that were cool to see for a native Iowa boy....

Pull over and get the snow chains on..



Once again I ask...They have Jaguars here??

 After that trip, we hadn't been doing to much, aside from enjoying the constant beautiful weather. Until today...the art fair was happening down on the beach, so we jumped in the car and headed over. We had to park across the inter coastal and walk because there were so many people sown there.

Walking to the art festival

Once we got over there the art was fascinating and expensive, so we did not buy any, but we did get lunch at Island Noodles food cart.
It was very good!

lots of people like art

sand sculpture

We wanted to get our walk time in so we walked the length of our beach (about a mile) and then back to the art fair.

these guys don't give a crap about art..they like sunshine

As we were walking back to our car..the traffic was horrible, we were crossing the street when to our horror, this kid (about 15) came flying around the corner on his bike right in front of a moving car! WACK!  CRASH! BANG! The car hits the bike, Kid goes flying (at which time I could not imagine the car avoiding running over the kid) the driver does some crash derby to avoid the kid, hitting two other cars, but narrowly avoids the tumbling kid!
We were only a few feet from this entire scenario, so Bonnie ran over to the young man to try to keep him from moving. but he got up, grabbed his crushed bike, and threw it angrily onto the sidewalk. then collapsed onto the street. There was a cop car a few places back, so he was there before I could dial 911. Traffic was stopped dead, and people were honking like mad, as they had no idea what we had just witnessed. The Ocean rescue is just across the street on the beach, so the ambulance was there in minutes.
We had to stay to give the officer our account of what happened.
Once that was done, we checked to see how the kid was, and he was sitting up in the ambulance. (Its a good thing he was young, cause if that car hit me, I would have been in big trouble...)
Then it was homeward bound..too much excitement for one day..
I gotta go to bed...........

Brother Dan

Well I talked to my Blogging brother Dan, and he told me to be more diligent in my postings, especially since I am not working now. I thought about it, and he is right.

We really have not been doing alot, since I am not allowed to work (Dr's orders) we had been trying not to spend alot of money...as a matter of fact I have been doing alot of ebaying to make a little side change.

Business is good.

Basically, we have been doing some walking, and exploring some previously uncharted areas of town. Also doing alot of thrift store shopping for treasures to sell on ebay. (We have always loved thrift store shopping anyways, so its a bonus!)
We eat out a little bit. We get coupons from south Florida dines.
Its a website that offers half price coupons from participating restaurants to drive tourists into their place. It is a sweet deal!

eating at the boardwalk.

 

while we were eating...this guy pulls up. I think it makes my car look food!

 

We walk along the beach quite abit as I had gained 30 pounds from quitting smoking, which raises the question....die from smoking, or die from obesity?? Just kidding....I am gonna lose the weight. (I hope)
The weather has been spectacular ever since we arrived...It has been in the low or middle 80's every day. The only problem is our pool is getting revamped.

Bummer

Its a mess. How long till its done??

this is what is supposed to look like. (LY photo)

Bonnie thinks I have been afraid of the sun ever since I had the skin issues, I think she is right. I have avoided hanging out at the beach.
We decided to head down a couple of days ago, so I smothered myself in spf 80 and went with her down there...

Gripped with fear..but smothered in sun screen.

I have bought a hat and umbrella...so the next pic of us on the beach will be with me in my hat under an umbrella. LOL (no..seriously)

Here are a couple of parting shots from our walks...enjoy

Beach in January

nice day

Bonnie, wanting to get a tan.

 

see ya next time...