Tampa Bay Tripping; Boards and Birds; Rabe Pizza????

My Lovely Daughter Elisabeth has wanted to go paddleboarding when she visits us down here in Florida, but the weather has not cooperated when she was able to get off work for a few days and visit from DC. So while we were in Tampa on our American Eagle Shakedown Cruise, we decided to rent a couple of paddleboards for two hours and try them out. Here is Corvette Chick showing me how it’s done.  

Now here are Bob and Jan taking their turns. Looks pretty easy, doesn’t it? (Don't let the apparently calm seas fool you... a catastrophe is about to happen!)

And here is Jan after the 12 foot freak wave hit her... or was it a 15 foot hammerhead shark? Anyway, Jan is explaining what happened to the young girls who came out to see if she was okay. (The kids belong to the guy throwing the cast net and his wife.) 

We saw many sea and shore birds yesterday. Here are just a few Black Skimmers (Rhynchops niger) goofing off and gossiping on the beach; Wikipedia even describes their behavior as “They spend much time loafing gregariously on sandbars...”  They are called skimmers because they fly just above the surface of the water with their lower mandibles skimming the surface, picking up small fish and crustaceans, mostly at night. They are also very noisy!   

These Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa) are very shy; I tried getting closer to them, but they kept moving away. (It might have been because I hadn’t showered yet...) 

There was a little girl running up and down the beach who scared the birds on several occasions, sparking more than one aerial display of formation flying. 

This was much appreciated, especially since the current administration has cancelled the Navy’s Blue Angels performances due to the sequestration nonsense. But I did miss the jet noise and smoke trails, just a bit... 

This example of tightly packed precision flying impressed Suzanne when we looked at it closely. It was a stunningly beautiful display, and there was not a single mid-air collision!

Here are our two American Eagles, side by side at the MacDill AFB Family Campground. Maybe we will try some tight formation flying on I-75 when we make our Mach 1.5 trip back to The Villages on Sunday... and maybe NOT!

Dinner out was at a pizza place, a chain that we had been very impressed by when we ate at their Fort Lauderdale restaurant. Unfortunately, the Tampa extension is still working out some kinks in their menu... such as, My Lovely Healthy Bride opted to share a pizza, with broccoli rabe and tofu toppings. (Okay, I’m kidding about the tofu, but really, “rabe”? NOBODY eats rabe on pizza!) The only thing that saved dinner were the chicken wings with carmelized onions and foccacia, which were spectacular. Oh, and we stopped later for a cookies and cream milkshake at Chick-fil-A; that sure salvaged my evening!  

Dinner with Songbirds; A Beautiful Concert; Bird Tracks; Parking Hall of Shame; Poop Patrol Award; Two Many Buses? A Mother Dove

The other night we had dinner with Lawyer Gail, and singer-songwriters Karen Taylor-Good and Stowe Shockey. Karen and Stowe were back in town while on tour in central/south Florida for a concert here in The Villages (more on that in the next paragraph). Gail was celebrating for having remained traffic citation-free for over a week now.  That’s not bad for a woman who is on the Marion County Motorcycle Cops’ List of Most Wanted Public Defenders. I think they may be picking on her... but hey, she’s a lawyer, so who is going to get upset about it other than the American Bar Association? 

On Thursday night we attended Karen and Stowe’s “Chix with Hitz” Concert at Church on the Square. They gave a terrific performance! Some of their songs were hits they had written for big country stars like Patty Lovelace. 

Others were written recently for this event. If you haven’t attended one of their concerts, you must put them on your “must do” list for the Fall season. While we are hoping that one day they both move to the Villages, Karen and Stowe currently both live in Nashville, Tennessee. My Lovely Bride and I will be visiting them on our upcoming 2013 Messages of Hope Summer Tour. You can get more information on their schedule, as well as CDs, at www.karentaylorgood.com. 

Stowe also has a new book out, Flying High, written with Calvin Lehew and with a foreword by Naomi Judd. It is a moving and motivational story about her successful fight against cancer. See  www.flyinghighbook.com for more info and to order Stowe’s book. 

Our Frosty Friend Terri from Minnesnowda sent us this cool picture of her deck, covered with snow tracked up by little birdies. Unfortunately, Terri did not actually see the little feathered creatures that left these tracks, but for sure they weren’t snowbirds... snowbirds have more sense than to be in Minneapolis before the 4^th of July. Smack... 

On a local note, our Parking Hall of Shame Award this week goes to the unidentified driver who parked his/her car across the driveway of our neighbors Bob and Jan. They had gone out to dinner, and when they returned, found this car blocking their driveway. They then had to maneuver their golf cart across their lawn to get back into their garage. C’mon, guys, was that really necessary?  

Special Honorable Mention to Kathy Vanderhoof, Honorary Poop Patrol Person, who aided Your Faithful Correspondent while walking his blonde girlfriend on Friday. Jingles the Lovely Golden Retriever had just found the perfect spot to, well, you know... and now I had a little bag to dispose of, and Kathy, who had been to Suzanne’s most recent talk, offered up a spot in her trash bag. I offered to immortalize Kathy with a photo in the blog, but she politely declined... something about not wanting to get a strange reputation.... Thanks anyway, Kathy!

This picture shows two huge motor coaches blocking most of Little River Path. Can you imagine anyone taking up that much space on the narrow streets of The Villages? Er, well, full disclosure: the silver one is ours and the gold one is Bob and Jan’s. We were about to depart on a weekend shakedown cruise to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. We are getting ready for our upcoming summer tour and the Blythes are just getting to know their American Eagle. They just happen to be the same model year, 2003. More in a day or two on how the trip went...

Lastly, since this is Spring, the season of rejuvenation and rebirth, here is a photo of a beautiful mother dove on her nest... which was carefully built in a decorative wall hanging at Laurene Peterson’s house (she is Jingles’ mom). Laurene is keeping a watchful eye out on her new ward and will hopefully update us when the babies hatch. 

Ruth Anne; Dachshund Security Patrol; A Shocking Joke; Peewee’s

Suzanne found out tonight that she has a new great niece and her mom Ruthie has a new great grand-daughter, named after her. At 8 lbs 6 oz, Ruth Anne Smeltzer has come into the world in Whitefish, Montana, with her mom Eleanor, dad Matthew, and older sister Olive (named for Suzanne’s dad, Oliver). Ruth Anne’s grandparents, Brent and Cheryl Smeltzer, live in The Villages, but will probably be making even more trips to beautiful northern Montana in the near future. Congratulations! 

Someone left this note card on our door recently with a clipping cut from a newspaper; it showed a sign reading “CAUTION; Area Patrolled by Dachshund Security Company”. 

Anyone who knows wiener dogs recognizes the fearless nature of these aggressive beasts, as proven by the look on the face of our own guard dog, Gretchen (AKA “Ten Pounds of Fighting Fury”) as she keeps an eye on the drain line at the back of our lanai (it is a "Gecko Highway"). An errant golf ball has landed under the shrubs, and should a golfer try to recover said ball, Gretchen is trained to growl and mutter, like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, “Get out of my yard!”

My Lovely Bride needed a couple of AA batteries today; she found the bag of batteries in the standard kitchen junk drawer, and said, “Okay, I’ve got them.” I countered with, “Not so fast, My Darling; let me meter them with my handy dandy digital volt meter to ensure that they are up to strength.” She rolled her eyes, a sure sign of lack of faith in Your Faithful Correspondent’s Wisdom; at least she didn’t mutter “Here we go again” under her breath. I got my meter ready, and as I applied the probes to the ends of the 1.5 volt battery, she jerked her hands and went “bzzzzz” as if she were being shocked. I was not amused. Most importantly, I was vindicated when the meter read 0.265 volts, showing a nearly dead battery. Two more of the eight batteries had to be discarded because of low charge. “So there, Miss Smarty Pants!”

You might have noticed in the last blog entry photos of the bright orange ball cap I wore on my less-than-successful fishing trip. In 1997, when Corvette Chick was a mere Lieutenant Commander, US Navy, and assigned to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, I worked in Washington, DC, an hour or so commute from Annapolis. I would often get stuck in Beltway traffic, and call her to say I’d be late getting home. Our joke was that I was really at Pee Wee’s, a local fine drinking establishment, mockingly called “a biker dive” by My Beloved, where I was “sucking down suds” instead of hurrying home to her loving arms and a delicious home-cooked dinner. I often told her about other Pee Wee’s patrons, and that I even had my own bar stool with a brass nameplate. She often asked me to take her there, but I demurred, saying that she would be too much of a surprise to the other patrons. Then she caught me off guard on my birthday with a Pee Wee’s Preferred Customer ball cap that I still have. (In reality, she had the ball cap specially made, because they don't sell clothing.  That's okay, because I had never even set foot in Pee Wee’s, but I’m not letting her know that.)

Bug ID; Fishing for Redfish; Dinner With a Professional Entomologist; Brit Cuisine?

Gloria Quigley correctly identified yesterday’s “April Bug” as a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia). The wings of this moth are bright white with a pattern of neat black blotches; the abdomen is dark blue with orange markings. The caterpillar is a “wooly bear” type, with a thick coat of black bristles and red or orange bands which become conspicuous when it rolls into a ball for defense. (Okay, but who would be dumb enough to want to eat that hairy critter?)

On Sunday morning, My Lovely Bride and our two Adorable Dachshunds, Rudy and Gretchen, drove to Crystal River so that Your Faithful Correspondent could do some redfish fishing from a kayak. The drive was pleasant, but when we unloaded the kayak at Fort Island Beach, we found that the area was loaded with sand fleas and “no-see-ums”. I was able to launch the boat and paddle into the river away from these tiny insects with huge teeth, but Suzanne had to retreat to the air conditioned car for safety. She worked on her new book while I went searching for redfish, also known as red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). 

Unfortunately, there are approximately 800 square miles of water in the vicinity, and only 14 redfish and 23 sea trout living there. (That does not make for good odds for Ty’s fishing...) On the other hand, there were 287 boats with fishermen and 638 jet skis noisily disrupting My Fishing Spot. Skunked again.... Sigh.   On a more positive note, Suzanne finished another chapter.

Coincidentally, we had redfish dinner last night with Connie England and John Henry at Harry’s, a New Orleans-style restaurant in Ocala. John is a PhD entomologist and confirmed Gloria’s moth identification. Who would have thought that we would have three insect-related blog entries within 24 hours? Even better, we had a great time with Connie and John; Connie made us laugh with several great stories and jokes, and John, who is an avid fisherman, promised to help me out with some sorely-needed angling tips. John also noted that he is from northern Minnesota, but now lives in a much warmer area - North Dakota. He only has nine feet of snow in his yard today... 

We asked a couple sitting at an outdoor table to take our photo in front of Harry’s. Fred Cooper, a retired British Army sergeant with a great haircut, suggested that his dinner date, Denise, was far more sober than he. It was a good call; Denise was certainly steadier on her feet than Fred, who does have a great sense of humor. He also must cook pretty well, because he is a traveling chef who has cooked for Queen Elizabeth on several occasions. I have to make one comment about “English cuisine”... when I was stationed in the UK back in 1983-85, the joke was that there was no such thing, only “Brit pub grub”. That was then, and today there has been a Renaissance in English cuisine. We hope to make it back to the UK one day to try some new dishes, although I have to admit to an affinity for Beef Wellington and English Trifle. 

A Mayoral Family; An April Bug; SOARing; Sprinkler Buddies

While walking with my blonde girlfriend, I met a delightful family from Nova Scotia, Canada, who are spending a couple of months here in The Villages. Billy Joe MacLean is the Mayor of Port Hawkesbury, NS. His lovely wife Glenda and daughters Eileen and Trish seem to be enjoying the warm, sunny weather here in Central Florida. I did a weather check for Port Hawkesbury today, and the low tonight will be 21F, the high tomorrow a toasty 37F, with snow likely by Thursday. That may indicate very good judgment on the mayor's part, being here for his vacation and not skidding on snow and ice back home! (Note: the reference to my blonde girlfriend actually refers to Jingles, a friend's one year old Golden retriever who needs LOTS of exercise.)

Port Hawkesbury, like most of Nova Scotia, is known for its hospitality, great seafood and beautiful scenery; located on the Strait of Canso, it is also the deepest ice-free port in North America. Suzanne and I sailed there back in 2003 and again in 2004, but we had the foresight to visit in mid-summer when the nearby Bras D’or Lakes are not frozen.  No wonder Mayor MacLean and his ladies leave town when it’s dark and frozen. (Of note, the weather there isn’t nearly as brutal as in Minnesnowta). We hope to visit again in August of 2014 in The Bus, and meet Mayor MacLean on his own turf. For more information on this lovely part of the Canadian Maritimes, visit http://www.townofporthawkesbury.ca  

This photo of an unidentified but fascinating bug/moth/other insect was sent to us by Bev Garlipp and her daughter Amy. They spotted it the other day in Spanish Springs. Being a Navy guy and a life-long sailor, I am far less acquainted with insects than sea birds, fish and marine mammals. If anyone can identify this little fellow, please email me at ftgiesemann@aol.com or make a blog comment below.

My Lovely Bride held her last SOAR! Class of this season on Saturday at Unity of The Villages, with 30 attendees (28 women and 2 men) finishing the day-long class energized and better attuned.

While Suzanne SOARed, I spent the day in more earthly pursuits... I ran 5 miles, trimmed our oak tree, cemented some driveway pavers that had come loose, and installed seven Sprinkler Buddies. These are round rubber gizmos that should reduce the maintenance on sprinkler heads (keeping them clear of grass and weeds). I’ll let you know in the Fall how they worked over the summer, but they sure were easy to install, and I’m very optimistic about them. The highlight of the day came when Rudy and Gretchen got to chase and tree ten (10) squirrels in Spanish Springs... 

Shamed by Champagne; Corvette Chicks; Pink Noise? Pink Sky or Sleet?

I thought I was kinda-sorta a jock, since I run or bike almost every day. But I met a guy today that put me to shame. The pups and I were strolling around Market Square, and I saw a golf cart with a 26.2 sticker. That immediately identifies the owner as a marathoner to other runners. I’ve run a few marathons, but none since 1993. I spoke to Bob Champagne, who also lives in the Village of Mallory Square. Bob is 71 years young, and runs between 60 and 100 miles per week! Now even in my prime, I was only running 60-65 miles a week max, and that was when I was 35. Bob will be running the Boston Marathon on Monday April 15th, and is shooting for a 3h 20m finish, which is a 7 min 38 sec pace per mile, truly impressive. Good luck, Bob, we’ll be rooting for you at Boston!  

We went out to dinner last night with Lynn and Bailey Spence, and Lynn put in a special request chit (that’s a Navy term) to ride in My Lovely Bride’s red Vette. Here are the two Corvette Chicks, rarin’ to go. Bailey and I took the somewhat more sedate silver Spider, and we only arrived one light year after “Laverne and Shirley”.  

No speeding tickets were earned last night, although the grapevine has it that a warning for excessive noise (in this case Pink, reportedly emanating from a red blur on Hwy. 466) was being mailed to our address....  (Note: for the uninitiated, the photo at left is the pop singer Pink; it is not Suzanne in a previous lifetime.)

Speaking of pink, here’s what last night’s sky looked like at sunset. Let’s see, it’s snowing and sleeting in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where Lynn and Bailey lived prior to moving to The Villages... and here it’s warm enough to drive with the top down at sunset... let’s see, sleet or top down? Which would you choose? Not topless, I should emphasize. Well, not for Corvette Chick, anyway.

Suzanne’s New Book; Gail’s Easter Bonnet; Amish What?

Well, it’s official. My Lovely Bride has started writing a new book. “Making the Connection” will include much of the stunning evidence she has amassed of the existence of Higher Consciousness, and will help readers attune to guidance from that consciousness.... As seen in this photo, Suzanne has enlisted special assistance in writing this book, to wit, a highly experienced reviewer and motivational expert, Rudy the Sailing Wiener Dog. Suzanne wrote much of The Priest and The Medium and her other books with Rudy in this same position.  Rudy’s Fearless Assistant, Gretchen, AKA 10 Pounds of Fighting Fury, will provide personal security. More to follow as this effort continues over our 2013 Messages of Hope Summer Tour. (Fashionistas: take a look at Suzanne’s cool dachshund socks!)    

Okay, speaking of fashions, Sunday was Easter, and back to our lawyer friend Gail. Gail doesn’t do anything in a small way. For example, she decided to enter an Easter Bonnet competition at her church. Rather than simply buying a bonnet, she decided to make one.  (Can you see this coming?) Okay, after several trips to various stores and craft shops, and one speeding ticket in the same county in which she serves as a public defender (that’s another complicated story), she had collected all of the necessary bits and pieces. When she started to try to attach the aforementioned bits and pieces to the bonnet itself, she discovered that they were not adhering. Being a resourceful lawyer, she decided to subpoena some “craft-savvy” friends as expert witnesses/advisers. She was then directed to Michael’s to buy a glue gun. Fortunately, a second speeding ticket was averted, at least temporarily. After an extensive Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Background Check, which, remarkably, she passed, Gail had acquired her first glue gun. The results of Gail’s efforts are shown here. She even won the Best Woman’s Bonnet Award! Congratulations, Gail! (Philippe Treacy must be green with envy...)  

Last night our neighbors Jan and Bob invited us over to watch an episode of Amish Mafia. They thought it would be appropriate since My Lovely Bride is from Pennsylvania and went to school near Lancaster, PA, where the show is filmed. Since we don’t watch television, we had never even heard of the show. Having known many Amish and Mennonite people, Suzanne was more than a bit skeptical of the premise of a show that linked that group with organized crime. The plot (if you can call it that) convinced us of the accuracy of her initial impression. 

However, we stayed for about 45 minutes, (1) hoping that something would justify this investment in TV watching, and (2) taking advantage of Jan and Bob’s warm hospitality and culinary appreciation... they had dessert waiting for us, a fantastic almond apricot cake with vanilla ice cream on the side. As many of you know, My Lovely Bride is known for her abstinence when luscious, creamy, decadent desserts are offered. I, however, have rarely met a dessert I didn't love on first sight. The cake and ice cream were well worth the show...

I know Jan and Bob won’t mind me telling this story, for two reasons: (1) they are very nice, kind people, and (2) I owe Bob a cheap shot (or three) for his having made smart-aleck cracks about my fishing prowess (or lack thereof) on this very blog. Hey, at least I didn’t stuff a mackerel in his mailbox on Saturday afternoon before a long weekend!