August and September 2014

August 8^th we celebrated our 44^th wedding anniversary playing golf at Turtle Creek and a great dinner at Jetty’s. They have the best Grouper. When we got home we were treated to a beautiful sunset. You can tell from the picture how calm it was. There is hardly a ripple on the water. We enjoy our summertime peace and quiet.

We had a great visit from Stephanie and her family. They are real troopers to get in a car and make that drive. It was great to have them. We made it to the beach, the sandbar and we were able to do some tubing. The weather cooperated nicely. Sean did some fishing off the dock and was able to kayak.

After the kids left we took the boat in for service. I had been trying to get to 400 hours but was not able to get there because of the weather. So I took it in after 390 hours for a tune up and waxing. On the way home we stopped at Shrimper’s in Port Salerno for lunch and we made it all the way home without rain. It was a good day on the water.

The daily rain makes for a great tropical environment. Our flowers and plants have thrived. This is a sun orchid, which the Weber’s left for us in May. We also get some of the most beautiful cloud formations here during the day. The morning sky is usually cloudless and you question to forecast for rain. But then the sun does its magic and small white clouds start to form. As the day progresses the white clouds get taller and taller and the bottoms start to get grey. They don’t move or go anywhere. They just hang there. By late morning, early afternoon it starts to rumble. Quietly at first, as if in the far distance. But that gets louder and louder and then, as if like clockwork it rains. Sometimes it rains more than others. Sometimes it will rain in the front yard but not the back. It all moves ever so slowly. We welcome the rain and the clouds as it gives us relief from the brutal sunshine and the 95 degree temperature. The afternoon rain makes the weather more bearable. We have enjoyed our electric shutters as they provide protection from the sun. You can put them half way down or all the way down to keep the sun out. It helps keep our air conditioning more efficient. Our highest bill was only $130, which I am OK with since the a/c runs 24-7.

After Labor Day we had a nice visit from Jason and his family. They’re first request was to go to the beach. We got a full morning in playing in the surf and then enjoyed lunch at the Loggerhead café at Carlin Park. We sat outside under a canopy while it rained. It was fun and the food was awesome.

We were able to get out on the boat and do some tubing and visit the sandbar for a picnic. We went to DuBois Park for a swim in the lagoon. There is a lot to do. Jason and Amasa got some Kayaking in and some fishing off of our dock.

We made it to the Hogsnapper and to Jetty’s for some great meals.

It’s always great to have the family visit. We lucked out on the weather. According to the weather service we set a record in September for number of consecutive days with rain. It was in the 20’s. But that was after Jason left! Whew. The rest of the month we spent playing golf and eating great food at Turtle Creek.