The Enchanting Air Dances A Whispering Tune

  April In Florida

Traci (my 26 year old daughter) and I left home at 5:00 am,
on April 18th, to visit my sister Sharon and her hubby,
Tom, in Florida.  They live in Spring Hill which is about
50 miles north of Tampa.

This was my second trip to Florida.  I helped Sharon move
my mom to their new house last year, so I knew what I
was in for.  *smile*

We drove across the state (New Jersey) and arrived at
the Atlantic City International Airport in plenty of time to
indulge in a quick breakfast, an egg with cheese and
sausage on a roll with coffee.  We ate slowly, watching the
pink dawn rise behind our plane from our table by the
window.  Our plane took off at 7:25 am and landed close to
10:00 am.

Tom greeted us as we entered the Tampa airport.  We were
surprise to find the temperature at 50 degrees... very cool
for Tampa.  The first three days were beautiful with cool
nights but the heat returned on Thursday, climbing into the
80's for the remainder of our trip.

It was great seeing my sister!!  During the week we
were together, Sharon and I (and sometimes Tom),
had several long talks which helped us get through
some family issues.

Traci had her own agenda!  (laughing)   She found out
one of her favorite bands, The Arrogant Worms,
was touring in Florida this
particular week.  She rented a car on Monday and
traveled Monday through Thursday to Orlando each
evening to see their show.  The drive to Orlando was
two hours and two hours back to Spring Hill.  What a
gal!!  She probably would have named this article
"The Turnpike Trip" or
"How To Get The Most Out Of A Car Rental."
(laughing!)
Friday, Saturday and Sunday the same band
played in Tampa, so Traci drove one hour each way to
see them on those three nights!  I guess you could
say she "liked" them!  She had a great time which was
nice to see.

Traci's birthday was April 20th, Tuesday.   Since she
would not be home that night, we celebrated it the night
we arrived, Sunday, with a special dinner at a local
restaurant.  We secretly arranged to have the restaurant
sing "Happy Birthday" and joined their happy voices in a
festive night of birthday cheers!  Even though I got
"death stares" and her face turned a wonderful shade
of pink while everyone clapped and sang, she had a
good time!

Sharon took me to "Howard's Park," which is one of her
favorite places.  The park has a small island that sits out
in the gulf, surrounded by water.  It is accessible by only
one road that was built to connect it to the main park.
I was thrilled to sunbathe and try the beach here on my last
trip.  Rocks are piled along the north and south end of the
shallow sandy area and fishing is only permitted off the
rocky sides of the island.  The sunsets are marvelous at
this point, drawing most of the local residents with cameras
and pizza for a quick snack!  *smile*

We spent another day shopping and did the normal
site-seeing things.  Another night we watched three movies!
We went out to dinner two nights and the food was terrific.

While in Florida I decided to meet a dear friend I've
known for a year and a half through our mutual interest,
poetry. 

I called Cynthia in Orlando to set up ameeting for
lunch on Saturday.  Her site is "The Dove."  We wrote a
poem together that I have posted.  We decided, after two
phone calls, to meet at a restaurant, "The Castaways"
located right on the bay in Tampa.  Cynthia brought her
mom, Thelma and I brought Sharon.  We drove an hour
to Tampa and Cynthia's drive was a bit longer... an hour
and a half.  My sister suggested this restaurant which
was just perfect!  We asked for a table with a view
of the bay.  As it turned out, any table held a commanding
view of the whole bay.  The bay side of the restaurant was
all glass!  As we talked and ate, we watched the children
playing in the sand and water, several guys fishing, some
standing in the water and some did their casting from the
beach.  One fellow caught a small stingray, unhooked it and
tossed it back in the water.  Later we saw him catch a fish.
Shortly after that I saw a dolphin surge out of the water
and dive back into the beautiful blue bay.

For dinner, Cynthia and I tried the coconut shrimp
with a neat citrus sauce that consisted of oranges and
cilantro.  We each tried the excellent wild rice.  For the life
of me, I can't recall what Sharon had chosen but
Thelma had shrimp fried in a beer batter.  Instead of a
menu, each desert was placed on a large tray
and brought for our review.

The service and food were excellent!!!
I highly recommend this restaurant!! 

Cynthia and her mom were just delightful!!   We had a
great time exchanging pictures of our family and chatting.
After dinner we took a bunch of pictures... can't wait to see
them.  It took us a while to say "goodbye."  *smile*
We vowed to return again to the same restaurant on
my return visit.

On Sunday, Sharon drove us to a secluded beach area
called "Pine Island."  Wow!  What a wonderful place!
I think I found the perfect place to retire!  I loved it.
The homes sit quietly among the dense trees and
shrubbery while each one had a small, natural beach.
The homes faced west, in full view of the sunset and
the water was so clear, I could see the crabs scurrying
past my feet as I stood in the unusually warm water.
The natural surroundings, that were left intact, really
appealed to me, only the houses seemed out of place.
Who knows, maybe ten years from now when I retire...
Its something I've always wanted to do.  *smile*
It was very private, a secluded place and as close to
my dream of living by the ocean as I'll ever see!

What a week!  We arrived in Tampa and found 50 degree
weather, then left Tampa when the temperature hit 92!

Traci and I arrived home late Monday evening from Florida.
Of course, I had to be in work on Tuesday!

We are both looking forward to a return visit! 

love & hugs... Ginny

Dreamy's Backgrounds
Island/Moon Picture by:  Rattlesnake Graffiti
Trees by:  The Dove
Car graphic by: The Animation Factory
5 Islands/water graphic by:  Midnight Graphics
Island/Moon bar by:  Midnight Graphics