The weather is getting warm, low 90s during the afternoon, and somewhat controls our activities.
The past week was mostly spent visiting with friends, hiding from the afternoon heat and taking advantage of the recreational opportunities in the area. Few pictures were taken. The following is a quick look at how we spent the week, which was typical of our month-long stay in South Florida.
May 23: Morning workout followed by afternoon of reading at the coach. Dinner with Nick and Barbara followed by a cutthroat game of dominoes (Mexican Train). That evening we took a drive along A1A that included a walk along the Lantana pier. Finally, we enjoyed the key lime pie they brought as an early Happy Birthday for Jeanne.
May 24: After a haircut for Jeanne, we spent a lazy day at Gulfstream Beach. Afterwards, we went to see Luis’s condo and had a great dinner at a place in Deerfield Beach.
May 25: After a workout in the sizzling sun and boiling humidity, we settled in for a quiet day at the coach. Jeanne spent most of the day scheduling the next two months. Marty is thinking about some panic-shopping for Jeanne’s birthday.
May 26: Morning golf practice at the driving range followed by a stop at Jack’s house to return Billy’s fork and use the wireless connection. While fishing on Saturday, I discovered the settings on my digital camera had been changed and some short movies had been recorded. Jack’s high-speed connection was handy to download Quick Time so we could view them. The movie clips were a pleasant surprise and I left copies for Jack to view. In the afternoon Bob and Selene dropped by for a visit. Afterwards we met Sheila and Terry at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Following dinner, Sheila and Terry came by the coach for a short visit.
May 27: We got up early to get our workout done before the sun came up. The strategy somewhat worked. The sun wasn’t beating down on us but the air was heavy and still and we sweated like crazy anyway. After getting cleaned up we headed to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls. We hid out in the coach until evening when we took a romantic walk along the beach in Delray. Marty thinks he has a plan for Jeanne’s birthday.
May 28: Marty executed his plan for Jeanne’s birthday early in the day. After returning and hiding the evidence, we went to the Auto Club to pick up maps and the market for groceries. We met Nick in the afternoon for some golf followed by a lazy afternoon sitting around his pool drinking beers and solving the problems of the world. Luis came by the coach for dinner and Greg also stopped by. The food, drink and discussion lasted way into the night.
May 29: After sleeping late, Jeanne opened her birthday gifts. Anne and Richard stopped by and we ended up having brunch at Johnny G’s near the Lake Worth pier. Afterwards, we stayed at the coach and read, watched TV and tried to keep cool. At sundown we did our workout, which was a little easier with the evening breeze. The cooldown included a quick dip in the pool.
We’re very much aware that our time here in South Florida is growing short. Overall, we very much enjoyed visiting with friends and taking advantage of the recreational opportunities in the area. However, it will soon be time to move on and we’re looking forward to getting on the road again. There is no doubt we will be back within the next year or two.
Contemporary note: Traditionally, most snow-birds have left South Florida by the end of May. As the region settles into the summer weather pattern, the mornings are heavy with humidity and the afternoon sun will melt concrete. Just when the unbearable needle goes into the red zone, an afternoon thunderstorm cools things down and the cycle starts all over again. June will bring the start of the hurricane season and swarms of bugs. The snowbirds aren’t dumb and neither are we, it was time to get out of the state. As nice as it was to visit with friends, this short visit reinforced our belief that Florida was not a place for us to retire.
