A Mix of Serious and Fun

Monday December 22 & Tuesday December 23, 2014
Oscar Scherer State Park
Osprey, Florida

 

MONDAY

On Monday we make another trip to Tampa, this time to the Moffitt Cancer Center for 3 appointments David has.  We wait for him during the first one. . Carrie and I skip appointment #2 and go to nearby Lettuce Lake Park for a little hike and a picnic lunch. 

There is lots of wildlife to be seen along the more than a mile boardwalk at the park.

Lettuce Lake is an appropriate name since if you don’t look closely you might well miss the residents lurking in the cypress swamp waters.

 

 

Alligators really are amazing. 

 

 

 

Do you see this one beyond the turtle?

 

 

 

 

The park has a viewing tower.  From there we can see up and down the Hillsboro River.  We’ve kayaked on this river beginning in the state park named for it.

 

 

At one end of the boardwalk near the boat launch we find a nice shelter with picnic tables for our lunch.

 

 

Carrots anyone?

 

After our lunch we walk back along the boardwalk to the other end.  The cypress trees here just by the boat launch are in their winter garb.

 

On our way we spy a little blue heron fishing and further on, a white ibis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cypress trees turn orange in the fall.  They really help those of us who love the changing of seasons not to miss the color.

 

 

We’re walking along the boardwalk in the warm Florida temperatures enjoying the flowers that are probably some sort of invasive given their large numbers.

 

 

All of a sudden another little blue heron just sails in and lands on the railing.   We take dozens of pictures of him.  He seems happy to pose.  I love the green legs.

 

 

 

 

After we pass the little blue and come to a junction I look down and there is a black crowned night heron.  Carrie is really surprised and happy to see him.  We had seen a sign post on our way in with the various water birds common to the park but she was pretty sure we wouldn’t see the night heron.   Yet here he is.   Anyone walking too fast and not keeping a sharp eye out will miss him.

 

 

 

Our last sighting for the afternoon is this anhinga drying his wings.  The coloration and designs on his back never cease to give me joy at their beauty.   I couldn’t decide between these two nearly identical pictures so I just put them both.  Hope you don’t mind.

 

 

 

And now it’s time to drive the very short distance back to Moffitt to meet David for his appointment with Dr. Ken Shain his myeloma specialist.  This meeting is to discuss changing his treatment again. The most recent change to infusions isn’t working and they decide to go back to an oral regimen with a 3 drug cocktail.   Hopefully this can be arranged to begin next week between Christmas and New Years.  Myeloma is a cancer that requires individualized treatment plans.  We’re hoping this one will last at least as long as the first oral one they tried and much longer than the infusions which he’s done for 3 months.   Only time will tell.  For now, we’re enjoying the life we want to live for as long as we can.

 

 

TUESDAY

 

Up in the morning to get to Jim’s Small Batch Bakery just after it opens and pick up chocolate croissants, pecan rolls and other goodies for our holiday treats.

 

 

Then over to Millie’s for the best breakfast anywhere around here.  Her holiday decorations are fantastic!  If you are in or near Sarasota, don’t miss her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie only does breakfast and lunch.  Breakfast is our favorite meal to eat in or out.  These patrons look mighty happy with those plates.

 

 

Here’s what happened to mine.

 

 

 

 

 

Well fortified, our next stop is the beach at Nokomis.  Today is the perfect beach day although at the beginning it is a tad windy.  Seems the wind likes Carrie’s hat and keeps trying to take it from her even though it is tied under her neck.

 

 

How did it do that?    She grabs it just in time.

 

Nice waves. Beautiful blues in the sky and the water.

 

Great sun makes for tired, sleepy beach goers.    Or at least one sleepy beach goer.

 

 

Now there’s a happy beach bunny if I ever saw one.

 

 

 

All three of us consider going in, others are in the water, but only the youngster braves it and at first she seems not quite sure.

 

 

But then, she just dives right in.  Way to go Carrie that’s the ticket!  Get in and get it over with I holler from the sidelines.

 

 

Playing in the gulf on the 23rd of December. It’s in the 30’s in her hometown in Maryland.

 

 

She declares it a great time – invigorating to quote her.

 

 

 

Later in the afternoon the skim boarders gather until there are about a dozen of them standing and watching the waves.  Then in an instant one will take off sprinting toward the water and jump on his board.

 

 

 

 

We have a ring side seat for the show until about 4:30 when we decide the absence of the sun has made it too chilly and we are hungry and need to get back to fix dinner.   Wish we could have stayed for sunset but that’s another 75 minutes from now.

 

 

The boys play on as we leave.

 

After we finish dinner we sit down for a game of hearts.   Carrie tries 3 times and David tries twice to Shoot The Moon.  Only Carrie succeeds.  But in the end the conservative who had not one decent hand has the winning score.  ME!!

You can tell in this picture who just stuck her parents with 26 points!!    More fun tomorrow!!   Happy Holidays!!