Happy Memorial Day Weekend 2017!

Hi Everyone -

Sorry it's been a while, but I've still managed to get a post in for May so I'm not a total loser.

Before I jump in to this weekend, I'll share a few pics from this past month.

First of all, I'm pretty sure you all have seen these already, but - if not - here is Stella on her first photoshoot on the Causeway.

She's really a beauty and fun to ride around in.

In other news, Safety Harbor has been making a number of capital improvements  - they recently extended their Bayshore bike path the whole way to the causeway, and have been improving the park in front of the Safety Harbor Spa. They put in a big green space and added a big new section of boardwalk which is really pretty.

Speaking of walking, we've still been pretty regularly getting in our morning weekday walks, and yes, we do in fact have a few sunrise pics you haven't seen yet.

So, at my office, there has been a lot of activity in the lake that is outside my window. It is alligator mating season so we get to see gators chasing each other a good bit. I took this pic out my window with my phone, which is why it's a bit blurry.

Also the next two pics are stolen from the internet, because I keep forgetting to take my superzoom to work. But, we definitely have a nest of anhinga chicks out there, that look just like this.

We also have gotten these really pretty ducks with bright orange bills and feet, which I have discovered are black-bellied whistling ducks.

You can't say this blog isn't educational.

So I guess that catches us up to this weekend. Saturday, we decided to change things up a bit and take our morning walk along Clearwater Beach. It was a beautiful morning, and we walked for 4 miles. Sorry, no pics, but you know - it was the beach. Lots of tourists.

Last night, we returned to Dolphins Landing to take a sunset sail, with the promise of fireworks on our way back in. Sadly, both the sunset and the fireworks were kinda duds, but we had a really nice time anyway and saw a lot of dolphins.

It's hard to get great shots of dolphins, but here you can see the women in front of us taking pics of two synchronized dolphins coming up in the distance.

This morning, we decided to go on a canoe trip at the nearby Mobbly Bayou Paddle Trail in Oldsmar.

Man, I look amazing.

It took us back through some pretty mangroves and we had the place completely to ourselves. Beautiful, although it was rifling hot.

The fish were jumping everywhere - one almost landed right in our boat. Anyway, we snuck up on this night heron.

I guess that's about it. We'll probably spend the rest of the day poolside and then watch the Pens game tonight. Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend. Love, Us.

Tigers and Leopards and Orchids, Oh My!

Hey everyone!

Can I do two back-to-back blogs?! Is it even possible?!

Well, Glenn and I had a rough week. He's been sick with a cold, and I had to have some injections in my knees (official diagnosis - old and busted). So between us, we've been a pathetic pair.

Still, we decided we better start doing some blog-worthy activities again, and today were feeling well enough to trek to the Big Cat Rescue over near Carrollwood.

This is a rescue for big cats who've been kept as exotic pets and had to be turned over, who've been bred for cub-petting places and then tossed aside when they get big, or who've been in circuses or illegal sanctuaries.

It's not a zoo, and you have to go on a tour and make reservations ahead of time. No kids under 10. And the animals all have hiding areas built into their areas, so they only come out and see people if they feel like it.

So that is all nice. The only annoying part is that they are all caged in so it's hard to get decent pics, but I did get a few, thanks to the superzoom. This is  very close up pic of a sleeping bobcat.

Mostly, there were tigers. Lots of tigers. And they were big and beautiful.

This one really liked me. She was my favorite.

They also had a couple lions. This one was a male, who was on a two-week vacation (they let them all vacation in a giant open yard for 2-weeks a year) with the love of his life who happens to be a white tiger that we did not see. He lost his mane, but they said he's okay with it. He was far away, and I was the only one who could see his little tongue sticking out.

Here's a lioness.

Sadly, the mountain lion was hiding, which brought us to the leopards, which were pretty awesome.

They say this guy loves to people-watch and pick out who in the crowd he would stalk and kill first. He was staring intently at the only child on the tour. This might be my favorite pic.

He was also kind of a ham.

There were some other leopard sisters hanging out in another vacation yard.

This is Jade.

And this is Armani. She is famous for being in some magazine ads, although they don't let her model anymore, because they don't want people wanting leopards for pets. She's laying under an awning, which is why she's in a greenish shadow.

They had a few other smaller types of cats there - some servals that I didn't really get great pics of, and a lynx that hid from us.

There was one more cat - a black leopard, the oldest cat in the place, and I thought this pic was particularly sad and haunting, even though they said he is a pretty happy guy.

Those eyes.

So that's it for the Big Cat Rescue.

Back here at home, all of the orchids are simultaneously in bloom, so here is your update.

And...drumroll, please. Here is Horatio!

Last night we STUPIDLY forgot it is still Spring Break for some folks and drove over to Clearwater Beach to sit in traffic. We ended up having a nice dinner at the marina, and then headed over to Jimmy's rooftop for a pre-sunset libation, and landed the best seat in the house.

Greetings from the beach!

Although you can't tell by looking at him, poor Glenn is still pretty sick and coughing up a storm. He started antibiotics today and has been taking it easy, so not much new to add to the blog today.

I did decide to put my knees to the test and take a walk this morning. It went pretty well, and I got to say good morning to Larry at Cooper's Hawk Bayou. (At least, I think it was Larry).

It's been heating up down here - I think we're going skip Spring and go straight into summer, which is fine with us.

Anyway, hope you all are doing well. Love you!

February and March Marches On

Hello good people!

Sorry it has been forever since I blogged. Glenn and I have both been unusually hard at work, Glenn doing multiple jobs as he slowly transitions to his new role as VP of Business Planning and Operations, and me doing multiple jobs as I've been helping out with Account Management at work until our new Account Manager starts.

Glenn has been gone for a full week, and last week was traveling as well. We really haven't been going on many noteworthy adventures, and have mostly been spending the weekends running errands, walking the dog and watching television.

So anyway, I'll try to quickly get everyone caught up.

Jumping back to February, I got my hair cut. (I know, exciting times).

For Valentine's Day, Glenn made me an amazing dinner, and had one of his morning sunrise photos made into a triptych for our dining room wall.

More recently, Glenn submitted that same photo to the local news and was featured one morning. They even spelled his name right and everything.

I took a sunrise pic on my walk the other morning, which was not as exciting, but you get to see it anyway.

Glenn didn't get a lot from me besides a card for Valentine's Day, because, you know, he's getting a Camaro.

He ordered it special (the color is Artic Blue), and he should be getting it in about 5 more weeks.

Feel free to talk to him all about it.

So anyway, those are the highlights of February.

In March, our friends Mark and Cathy came down for an evening and had a nice dinner with us, which was fun. Sadly, we didn't think to take any pics.

Last weekend, our friends Matty and Julie came down and spent the weekend with us. We took them to Weeki Watchee to kayak and see the manatees, which worked out really well. It ended up being a beautiful day on the water. (some of the following pics Julie took)

Here we go. Glenn and I got a two-person kayak.

These are strangers, but Glenn liked the expression on this girl's face.

Matty and manatee. It's just amazing how clear the water is here.

Julie getting some pics. She had never seen a manatee before.

Get ready for some group selfies! These are trickier on kayaks.

Anyway, you get the idea.

Otherwise, as I said, things have good, but relatively unexciting.

Deuce was made supervisor at work, but is not doing a great job.

A red-winged blackbird has come and hung out on my windowsill at work for 4 or 5 days in a row. We've named him Jim.

(Don't ask why I also have a walking T-Rex on my windowsill.)

I have planted a new herb garden that is so far doing well. I am an eternal optimist.

And, in other botanical news, our orchids are all starting to bloom.

Even Horatio, an orchid that had been thrown off a bridge in Del Ray Beach several years ago. He has never bloomed for us before, but is thinking about it now. Stay tuned.

So that's it, folks! We had some close encounters with a bald eagle, but were unable to capture a photo.

Hope you are all doing well and that winter is rolling into a pleasant Spring for you guys. Should be sunny and in the mid-80s all week here, so yay for that. Love you!