Found Out & A Home At Last

My front door

Down comes the Christmas decoration, out goes the furniture for repairs, and up goes a photo from my sis. Turns out life size me is losing her British accent and the "usual debate" about her nationality has played out; she has been discovered as an American by her colleagues. Not that she hides this -- people just make assumptions. Hum, soon will be time for a trip to the UK to 'top up' her speech patterns.

Meanwhile the dolphin cruise boat is in search of its prey, right outside my window,

And the neighbours are catching dinner on our beach whilst mini me tries out her Christmas present from the Quirkies (a rubber ducky inter-tube!) with her new friend Swimmy, the turtle, standing by; she is thrilled to get her own taste of the pool! (Note:  turtle on wall is Sandy in honor of Grandpa!)

Drum fish for dinner
but after quick consultation
with wife via mobile he is thrown back

Our friend Jan is busy painting the church dolphin for the Dolphin Trail; looking beautiful Jan!

While others try to pretend it is Christmas up North; walking the beach we found this "sandman" impersonating a snowman - can you see him through the sand induced haze taking a picture at night - kind-of looks like a snowstorm!?!

Mini me and life size me are busy setting up their sewing room and hubby is making a headboard out of the leftovers from the bathroom tub paneling.

One thing I noticed in our renovation journey, is that US builders don't expect and don't accept any builders' tea or coffee offers!

Have you seen the advert showing in the UK for Clearwater-St Petersburg?  That's us!

So finally life-size me has gotten back to a few UFOs.  Progress is slow, but being made . . .

Trial & Error; done in a day!

Dahlia 1/2 done!

Learning crochet

Brit pillow ready for blocking

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We're off to get ready for our New Year's Eve Party.

Christmas Florida Style

Our Florida climate is subtropical, shuffling through the sand is a bit like walking in powder snow. The locals here celebrate with decorated boat parades or festivals of lights (but no panto).  There are 6 within a short drive from us.  It is a chilly wait (gloves were worn and home heating went on yesterday!), and then . . .

Santa and Fire Boat

First comes the sheriff in his boat with blue flashing lights clearing the way, then the fire boat spewing water, followed by Santa.  At this St Pete parade there were 17 boats in all, 18 if you count a live Santa arriving at the dock by skiff.  Mad Beach had 19 boats, including one with Elvis (go figure).

Mini me's favorite with local
flavour - dolphin!

Penguins join this tree

Next weekend at Treasure Island there are supposed to be 50+ boats.  Each one singing out 'Merry Christmas'.

Although gray and chilly now (50sF/10C), it is forecast to be sunny and 80F(26F) for Christmas!  I picture Christmas morning starting with a beach walk!!

Glory be, with mini me's help, we have made good progress on our Christmas letters and life size me might finish before the holidays which would be a recent first!




And here's the glow in the sun Christmas bag - only works on sunny days so this from a few days ago!

Merry Christmas Blog Readers!!

Colourful sun impact

Before without colour

Waiting on .... & BUUUUGS!

Waiting on repairs and Christmas - a lesson in patience!  Today's post a bit of a mishmash of beach life observations.

Today another sit and wait day as the furniture is finally off for repair.  Mini me a bit nervous about anything being moved out over her new floor! It looked like we wouldn't have our main sofa or sofa bed for Christmas.

But upon arrival of the furniture repairer we mutually decided to postpone and agreed he will take furniture just after Christmas as he is swamped with 'pre-Christmas' repair orders. This with a promise to return all by mid January in time for our UK visitors -- meaning he has actually booked us into his schedule this time (hey ho this is Florida and it just is how it is)!! Although another short delay and no furniture for New Year's (so that idea of a New Year's eve party has just flown out the window), we are glad that furniture is finally to be fixed.

Sea foam in foreground

It's been chilly and a bit stormy stirring up the sea grasses and creating sea foam.  And yes a few intrepid swimmers are still out there.  Actually seems strange to see people wearing coats and I too am looking for my winter gear.  Now we know why we packed those sweaters and gloves.

Chilly means it is time to get those Christmas cookies made - in this case in the shape of turtles and pelicans. Then looked up from the baking and saw this out my window . . . there are some wonderful bits about living in Mad Beach.

Christmas prep also means making paper flowers & decorations at the church crafting group. Folding was easy, gluing took more patience.  Here's 3 people's efforts after 2 hours!  Mini me's efforts on the right.

Ever wondered about bugs in Florida?  We don't seem to have too many in our condo (whew!) but recently saw this beach front hotel being exterminated.  Two whole buildings under total wrap complete with 'deadly poison' warning signs (well I guess it would be deadly) -- and it was all over in 24 hours.

Fumigation Tents - yup two whole buildings under there

And more local news:  our beach sanitation worker & truck ends up in the sea just out of sight of our balcony!

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/2014/12/11/good-samaritans-rescue-driver-in-gulf/20258823/

Anhinga, Roseate & More

I've got big feet & an itch

Went bird watching with sis.  Saw the Anhinga and sis' much sought after Roseate -- pretty prehistoric looking we think.

Like my spoonbill?  I'm a Roseate

I'm the Anhinga
I spear my fish underwater with my pointed bill

Great Blue Heron just hang'in out

Next we found some greedy pelicans eagerly awaiting the fillet as the fishing boats came in at John's Pass . . . some appeared to take on more than they could swallow!

A nice tasty fish - see his tail hanging out of my mouth?
Should go down head first

Yum,, now just let me get it down

Whoops, stuck in my gullet (pink marks on bird to left)!

I am a brown pelican and one of only two pelican species to feed by diving for my food; I nest in trees.  My cousins, the white pelican, just arrived -- strange habits to fish by swishing the beak side to side and nesting on the ground!  No accounting for cousins!

A pair of black loons appeared diving for breakfast from the sea surface just before sis departed; a nice 'so long' for sis from our beach friends.

Finished the day tasting testing orange blossom and sea grape honey -- the latter very light and tasty.

Escargot: Super Snail Escape!

Lovely Patterns in the Sand

The Wrack or High Tide Line

Beach finds:  A morning walk (no it wasn't early Sunday, mini me needed her sleep) uncovered a number of finds - no words needed except to say at mini me's insistence we didn't photograph the dead pelican (eweeee) and we did throw back the snail which was playing dead until we got back inside (you will see below).

Coral

Crab

Horseshoe Crab

Mangrove Seed & Pen Shell

A fine specimen on the beach

Whoops, Sis heard a funny noise and behold he's alive!!

PS  If you missed the manatees, keep reading below.  Manatees less active than the snail!!

Manatee Mania

Closest we go to the gator
Good enough for mini me!

Saturday was a day for exploring.  First off to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve to explore the last bits of native habitat. We had a guided tour in an oversize golf cart looking for raccoon (heard/saw two), extremely endangered gopher tortoises, pileated woodpecker (well we saw the hole he made in a palm tree for his house) and sis hoped for alligators.

Facts to keep in mind . . .

Then it was off to Apollo Beach, to the Manatee Viewing Center (free) at the Teco/Tampa Electric coal-fired power plant.  These wild gentle giants, or sea cows (manatees), are attracted to the warm water outflows from the plant.  As we had two cold fronts this month, the manatees came in to bathe in the inlet.  There must have been 75 or more with a number of babies and we had a grand time in the afternoon sun. The manatees are fairly sedentary, but come up every few minutes for air, nuzzle one another and occasionally roll over on their backs or give a tail or flipper flip.  There were also many fish in the clear water, including some who lept and spun out of the water.

As many people as manatees
Weird sight at a power plant!

Sort of strange to go to a coal-fired plant to view wildlife, but there you have it.

The 'lumps' are the manatees
resting just below the surface
in the water outflow water of the coal plant

Rolling over to catch the sun on his belly