January Thaw

I was lucky enough to get to go to Sarasota for a week of temperatures that did not chill my bones. I went down there on the day before New Years so I got to see the New Year in once again in Florida. I think this is about the 4th or 5th time I've done that. Doc and I both went down for three years in a row. He loved the beach and especially loved to be there on the beach when he knew how cold it was up north. He maintained a tan year around. He would sit on the front porch or the back deck here at home clad in his winter jacket and heavy gloves no matter what the temperature was because he loved the sun, but to go to Florida when it was warm and sunny was heavenly. Last year I went down alone because Doc was at Klondike and unable to travel. It was just as well because we had one warm day and then it turned so cold that it was so invigorating that I could hardly stand it.

The kids were not used to having cold weather and they do not have the clothing for it, I had the clothing for it but it was left in Louisville. Who knew? How could I come back to Louisville and admit that it had been freezing in Sarasota?

One day we decided to brave the elements and go to the beach weather or not! The kids piled on extra sweaters and searched drawers and closets for gloves and scarves and Ang and I did our best to bundle up also. I had my Jeans jacket, a sweater and my ever present gloves and my
jeans Ang also had a jacket, hat and jeans. We took the camera and headed out to Lido Beach. The car was nice and warm on the short trip out there.
Did I mention that the wind was blowing about 30 miles an hour and the sky looked very ominous and angry. A buttermilk sky?

We got out of the car and walked out onto the beach, not surprisingly, the beach was totally abandoned. There was not one single human being in sight. The sand was blowing furiously and the biting sting when it hit our unprotected faces was a thing to remember. Angela took pictures as the kids and I huddled tightly seeking any warmth we could generate. We laughed and shivered and shook and had lots of fun. I finally decided that I would pose for one picture that I could show my friends when I got home. It's January and I am in Florida , sunny beaches, sunshine and all that, right? I sat on an empty bench and relaxed back with my arm thrown over the back of the bench and smiled and did my best to look warm! Once the camera clicked I was up and stomping around and hanging on to the kids and went back to hearing my teeth chatter and hoping my toes and fingers would survive. I loved it! We spent about 10 minutes at the beach.

Whole different story this year. The night before we planned to go to the beach, we watched a video about how to build a sand castle. It was very detailed and entertaining. There were lots of items used in the film that were needed to make an elaborate castle. Angela and Conor knew exactly what was needed and got busy the next day and gathered up the utensils needed. Ang had to saw the bottom out of a five gallon bucket (plastic) and raided the kitchen drawers for utensils such as a melon ball er, various sized spatulas, and other tools that were featured on the video. We loaded them up in the back of the car along with beach towels, snacks, a sand chair and umbrella and off we went.

The weather was perfect. It was about 78 degrees, sunny, warm and the cerulean sky with white puffy clouds hanging over the ocean blue waters made it a picture perfect day. We set up our "camp" and I lounged under the umbrella and watched. Bridget was anxious to get into the water, Ang and Conor were chomping at the bit to get going on their project. They used their shovel to dig a site on which to build. Conor supplied the containers of water to firm up the sand in the open-ended bucket. Sand, water, pack, more sand, more water , more packing and tamping. Finally they were ready to dislodge the cylinder of sand and begin their sculpting. It began to take shape in a very short time. They pretty much followed the demo video instructions and put all of the sculpting tools to good use. The basic castle had a tower on top of it with gun sights, turrets, and steps leading up from the ground to the parapet, it had an arched bridge over the moat that surrounded the castle and the castle had windows, balconies and doors with elaborate lintels. It was truly a thing of beauty. People stopped to look and remark about the sand castle. I'm sure there will be many kids trying to achieve the same design but without the proper tools and instructions they will fall short.

As I sat there on the sand chair, under the umbrella I had so much to entertain me , it was like a three ring circus. Bridgetswimming and cavorting in the ocean waves, Conor and Ang constructing their castle and a boat on the horizon towing a para-sailor, actually it was a parachute with two people in chairs, being pulled by a fairly large boat. And as if that weren't enough, the pelicans, seagulls and terns were gathered about ten feet above the water and would dive into the water with big splashes and a lot of flapping and screeching and then they would fly back up and do it all over again. They were about ten or fifteen feet away from shore. They must have spotted food fish or something that interested them. They would fight with each other and make quite a racket. All together there were about 20 or 30 of them. They put on quite a show. Our time at the beach was fabulous!

I'm going back down to Sarasota next week to be with the twins while K. and A. go to D.C. to attend the inauguration. I don't know whether we'll get to the beach this time or not. Maybe Siesta Key if we do find time to go.