Back from the Sunshine State

to the Rain State. Don't get me wrong though...after last year, so far this rain is welcome. I do hope I can get Odie to go out before we go to bed though.

The trip was good, and flights went well. Phew! The night before we left, we entertained guests - Jud, Kara and their college friends Pat, Jeff and Pete. They were in town for a gathering of their buddies. So we didn't get to see them long. They had places to go, people to see and beer to drink! We had to get to bed for our 3 a.m. wake up!

Jud and Kara

Pete, Pat and Jeff







 

We got to Florida around 1 PM, picked up the rental car from Alamo (got a great deal booking from Costco), picked up some groceries and dropped them off at our condo in Marco Island.

The spread -wings, peel N eats, and oysters

Looking up at the Gulf View - our home for 10 days

Then we went back to pick up the Colorado kids - Cindy and Colby Lefebvre. They were right on time - yippy! We headed right to our fave place Crazy Flamingo for shrimp.


Great pic!
 

The next day - to the beach of course!

Two of my best friends on my fave beach

 

We celebrate Cindo's birthday April 9th at the Little Bar

 



The week was pretty uneventful - except for the shark Colby caught! Paul and he went fishing with a guide twice. They had a great time. The guide got the 8 foot nurse shark off the hook.

 



 

We walked every day on the beach - alternating north and south. North is less commercial - Tigertail Beach. South is built up and there are motels and jet skis and sailboats available.

 

We went to all our fave restaurants - and tried a new one on Colby's last night there. Dad never liked Snook Inn - so we had avoided it. But Colby talked us into trying it - and we liked it! The day we took Colby back we met up with Cindy's Drake University pal Mary Hall. She's from Chicago, but her fam has a place near Sarasota - so she drove down to see us. She hadn't seen my sis since she lost our beloved Bolder. It was fun to hear their college stories.

 

 

Paul, Cindo and I went to the movie 42, about Jackie Robinson. It was really good - even Cindy liked it, despite the fact that it's a baseball movie. We also enjoyed several lemondrop martinis. The pool was just what the doctor ordered. We hung out there reading most days - with occasional dips. I got a bit sunburned at the beach the day we sat by the Gulf - no shade to be found there.

 

I do think I could live on this island someday. And I love hanging with my fam! It's nice that Paul had Colby to do guy things with. Cindy and he have had such a rough winter dealing with life after Bolder. It's not easy - and nothing I can say or do can make it easier. I made Cindo lemondrops and we hung out.

 

Then we had to come home to a monsoon, but Lefebvres went home to 3 feet of snow. Vail Mountain is re-opening Friday for the weekend due to all the white stuff. At least we don't have that!