LIFE IN THE SUNNY SOUTH

Here we are once again in Florida, soaking up the sun and running the @#$% out of the air conditioning.  It has been hotter than usual for this time of year but it does beat shoveling snow.  So far we have dodged hurricane Mathew and have enjoyed their 2 days of fall.  It is fun to watch the ladies boots come out along with many residents in hoodies, jackets and sweaters.  Even saw a few pair of gloves when it got down to near 50 degrees last week.  Fall is now over for awhile and we are back in the mid to upper 80's but no storms for us in the near future.




We have visited most of the old waterfront eating establishments and watering holes that we found last year but still have a few more on the bucket list.  In addition we have ran across a few news ones we have added to our list.  You just can't beat fresh seafood that has been caught the same day it is served.

This is the second year Vickie and I have spent our anniversary at the Crab Shack on the river front in New Port Richey.  We enjoyed the afternoon with a couple draft beers and a one pound bucket of fresh peel and eat shrimp.  It is one of those thatch roof dive bars that just keeps calling you back and every time has been as good as the last.

On Monday this week we spent most of the day at John's Pass on Madeira Beach.  For all you Colorado folks it is the Estes Park of the beach world with every kind of shop you can think of.  We headed about 8 miles away to Indian Head Beach to eat lunch at an old favorite of ours, Crabby Bills.  It has been at the same place and ran by the same family for over 30 years.  We had some great shrimp and fried clam strips.

We spent a restful afternoon last week at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs and Fred Howard County Park Beach just a short drive north.  Both beaches are full of palms, white sugar sand and beautiful blue ocean.  Neither beach was crowded but it was a week day, a great benefit of being retired.








Last Saturday we found a micro brewery and pub called Big Storm Brewing Co.  It was the first time down here we felt we had a connection to our favorite brew pubs in Colorado.  It was really good beer and they were having their Octoberfest with live bands and lots of people.  We had a great afternoon there with the locals.

We has dinner last night at Sam's Beach Bar in Hudson Beach with friends, Steve and Monica from Indiana who we met last year and enjoyed some great food.  The electricity went off right after we were served and all their computers were down.  We thought we could get out of there for free as they could not run our cards but the service was just to fast on the repairs.  I guess there really isn't such a thing as a free lunch.

Starting next Wednesday Vickie and I will be hosting a coffee hour for the park which we did last year as well and really enjoyed it.  It gives us a chance to met all the new and returning folks as the pour in from all over the U.S. and Canada.

We miss our friends back in Colorado and Indiana and of course the beautiful fall colors.  There was a Great White Egret that hung around Pike Lake in Warsaw, IN were we spent the summer.  I offered it a ride down south but he did not take me up on the offer.  I do think he did just fine without my services as I am sure I saw him fly over early this morning.

Until next time remember to unplug and check out the B-Side of life.