Oct 8th through Oct 17th

Oct 8th - 11th

clean, clean, pack, pack…eat out with friends…cook what’s in the fridge… 

Oct 12

Visited for the first time the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  GO - if you have not!  The museum building is grande and the grounds are spectacular.  The art is old European Masters paintings…and huge - larger than life works.  Italian Renaissance, Dutch (a few Rembrandts), Flemish baroque - not quite my style but fascinating, the stories behind the paintings as well as how large they are.  

Oct 13 & 14

clean, clean, pack, pack…eat out with friends…cook what’s in the fridge…

Oct 15

Spent the entire day at the beach.  Woke up, put my suit on, had some java, looked at the paper, made a beach lunch, packed my bag and headed out.  The season down here has not started and so as things go, it is not very crowded.  When i arrived there were only a handful of people on the beach.  Decided to walk further up than i have ever done and did so slowly looking for treasure all along the way….2 things were determined….one, if you set your mind to it you will find treasures everywhere….I found a handful of heart shaped rocks/shells, i found an almost complete sand dollar, i found a perfect large spiral shell and three huge shells of magnificent color i’m taking to kids in KY.  I think i’ve spoken of this before but i try not to pick up something that i’m not going to keep because i truly feel bad that i would pick something up as wondrous as a shell and throw it back or dismiss it for  not being ‘pretty enough’ - yea, weird i know…it’s like i don’t want to hurt its feelings that its not good enough to keep.  

Okay, and the second thing i may have mentioned this before too, is that it seems that only women collect shells - is this a hunting and gathering layover?    

Only in the last few days after all the cleaning and packing have i realized how it may feel to be retired… sweet.

Oct 16

Pack for home, visit the girls in the office, and say bye to Don and hit the pool for one last dip....

Oct 17

Fly home to KY!  It’s time….i go first to take some time visiting with my Dad and family and Harry will follow in a week.  I will send pics along the way but you guys stay in touch and come see us in KY!  I mean it.