Sad Day! Chuck and Melissa Left Today!

Ken and I were up at 7 and got ready to go to Church at Suncoast.  We had a light breakfast and then Ken "proofread" my blogs so they could be posted.  We could see Chuck outside getting ready for their departure this morning and it made us sad.  We opened our door and asked him what he thought he was doing.  He should stop right now and go back inside!  He was waiting for us to pull in our slides and for the "departure competition" to start.  Not today!  Ken and I will be here until Friday, but it will seem strange with them not beside us!

We got together at their RV and the hugs and good wishes for safe travels began, mixed with a few tears and some reminiscing.  We will look forward to seeing each other again at Pine Island in February.  We are all amazed at how much fun and how we continue to enjoy each other's company when we spend so much time together.  We are blessed!

We took a few pictures and then left while they were in the process of hooking up their CRV. 

They have moved out of their site and hooking up the CRV!

Melissa is expressing how I feel - a pout!!! 

Now it is Chuck's turn!

Ken and I really enjoyed the music and sermon at Suncoast Church today.  They were so meaningful!  

We were back to Waldo by noon and the site beside us was empty.  Looked very strange!  I went right to the laundry here at the CG with lots of clothes that needed washing.  Filled the washers and then back to Waldo to change do a little clean-up.  Then back to the laundry to put the clothes in the dryer.  During that process I left a message for Lanie and her family and talked to Noela.  She and Ernie are spending 9 days at Topsail on the Panhandle of Florida and having a great time.  We had a nice chat and will look forward to seeing them here in Florida in January.  Then I called my mother and she and my dad are doing so well.  She was also excited because Lanie and her family were coming to visit them around 1:30.  I really appreciate that they take the time to visit my parents and it is very meaningful for Mom and Dad.  I hung up quickly when they arrived!

I was back to Waldo at 1:45 with clean, folded clothes that Ken helped me put away.  Ken had made salads for us for tonight and tomorrow night and was working on the computer checking bills, etc.  After completing his computer work, he took a nap.  I recorded our expenses and then "cross checked them" with our credit card statements.  Then we both went outside and I made some jewelry while we watched some football.

Ken wanted to make supper while I continued making jewelry, so he grilled a salmon and turkey burger and grilled some onions and peppers he had sliced earlier.  What a great supper.

I did the dishes and he grilled some turkey sausage that we will enjoy for breakfast the next several days with the extra grilled peppers and onions.  Sounds like good omelets in our future!!!!!  

This was a day to accomplish some necessary "chores" and just stay at the CG. It was cloudy but warm with low humidity, so really not a beach day.  Tomorrow should be a good day for soaking up some rays and enjoying the sand and surf! No Pinochle, Skip-Bo, etc. tonight, for no one to play games with!  Where are you Chuck and Melissa!

Our Last Day with Chuck and Melissa for this Trip!!!

The 4 of us left the CG at 8 to go to the nearby park to play pickleball, but when we got there all 5 courts were full!  What was that about!  So Melissa searched on her phone and found another park only about 2 miles away, but again all of those  courts were full.  

So, we headed back to the CG to check out the one under the pavilion.  We were excited to find that court available.  It was a perfect morning for pickleball with the temperature in the mid 60's and no humidity.  We played for 1 1/2 hours and it was the best we have played since we got here.  The games were very close and there were long volleys with great winning shots - so much fun!

We went back to our RV sites so Chuck and Melissa could do a few things in preparation for their departure tomorrow morning, but by 11:15 we were walking to the office to get golf clubs and balls for playing the CG's mini golf (or putt putt as they call it in the South).  The men were victorious in both rounds.  From there we decided to stop and play some shuffleboard, something that all  of us really enjoy.  The men won the 1st 2 games and then the Hoslers beat the Gregorys.  

By then it was 2:45, so we headed back to our RV's again, changed clothes, and by 3:15 we were driving to Pop's Sunset Grill, about 3 miles from the CG, for an early dinner.  Ken and I had been there several times, but it was a 1st for Chuck and Melissa.  We were able to get a table on the deck overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Nokomis Beach.  What a setting and the food was so good.  The special drink, a Mango Breeze, wasn't bad either!  We discussed our plans to hopefully head out west again next April, but doing the North West this trip.  We will be doing a lot more talking to get those plans finalized!

A very tropical type setting!

What a view!

This young heron was so close to our table!

It was fun to watch the boats go by!

I am going to miss Melissa so much....

..... and Ken will miss his sidekick Chuck too!

We returned to the CG around 5:30 and started playing games at Chuck and Melissa's.  After all, this is our last evening of games until February.  The men won Up the River but we won Pinochle.  Then we took a short break and drove to a nearby McDonald's for hot fudge sundaes - yummy!

Then we played more games in Waldo including 5 Crowns, Sequence Dice, and Skip-Bo and the women won everyone.  Wow!  By then it was 9:30 and we decided to call it a day.  

We certainly did a lot of different activities today, but each one had us laughing and having a "ball".  We are going to go through "withdrawal" when we part ways tomorrow.  These 70 days together have flown by.   Melissa figured it out and the 4 of us have been together 156 days this year and each one has been so special. Thanks, Melissa and Chuck for our time together, because we know that being with you has enhanced our adventures and made them more memorable!  

Another Great Day!

We were up at 6:45, had a great cooked breakfast and got ready to play pickleball again.  We all love playing the game.

We left at 8 and again we had to play on the lined tennis courts.  These people in Florida really love their pickleball!  It was less humid this morning and we had a lot of fun.

We left the courts around 9:45 and drove to a nearby Wal-Mart for needed groceries.  We were back to the CG at 10:45 and decided we would leave for Nokomis Beach around 11:30.  Till we got showers, put all the groceries away, and packed our lunches, it was time to leave again.  

Nokomis Beach was gorgeous today with lots of sunshine and not quite as hot as the last few days.  All of us took walks on the beach, ate lunch, and did some reading.  We left at 2:40 and went right back to the CG.

Showers were needed again.  Chuck and Ken left at 3:45 to play Bocce with the men in the CG.  Melissa and I got food ready to take to Barb and Ray's for a 5:00 Happy Hour with some other friends of theirs that are here in the CG.  We met Barb and Ray several years ago in this CG when we were parked beside each other and then visited them when we were in Maine.  It is so nice to reconnect and introduce Chuck and Melissa to them.

Barb is the lovely lady sitting next to me.  She always
has such a nice smile and great outlook on life!

Ray is holding their dog!

So glad Chuck and Melissa had the chance to meet
Barb and Ray!

Ray and Barb gave a "shot glass" of Moxie soda to anyone
who wanted to try it.  Ken and I had heard of it but never
had a taste.  It has the flavor of root beer, just a bit stronger

The 4 of us left there around 7 and walked back to Chuck and Melissa's RV to play games.  It was another very successful night for the men.  We finished around 9 because all of us were tired from a busy, but great day!

Another Full Day In Venice!

After a quick breakfast, the 4 of us left at 8 for the pickleball courts at the local park.  The 3 main courts were full, so we played on the tennis courts that are also lined for pickleball.

It was a very hot and humid morning and after about 1 1/4 hours of playing we were all hot and tired.  We had some great games and good points, but the heat really zapped our energy.

We headed back to the CG, changed, and the 4 of us were off again, but this time riding our bikes.  We are able to leave the CG riding and go about 1/2 mile to The Legacy Trail.  We rode the paved bike trail to downtown Venice because scones were calling our names!!!!!  So, we sat on the bench eating blueberry scones and Chuck chose a blueberry muffin.  Of course, we had to get the Devenshire cream to put on them.  Wow, what a treat.

It is a beautiful paved trail that goes from Caspersan Beach
to close to Sarasota!

It really is a gorgeous trail.....

... on the bridge over Dona Bay.....

.....can't believe they built these bridges just for the walkers
and bike riders!

This is the bridge over Roberts Bay

Several years ago they built this bridge over
Route 41/Tamaimi so you don't have to ride over the drawbridge
that goes into downtown Venice.  That was the way  we previously
had to travel to get to downtown Venice on a bike, and it was an
extremely busy highway!

You can see how busy that highway is, so the bridge over it
is much safer than trying to cross the traffic!

That is the drawbridge we used to ride over on our bikes!

Love this town....

,,,,and the Upper Crust Scones!

This is like a kid in a candy store, only Melissa is outside.
I think her mouth was watering for some of that caramel and fudge!

We were going to head right back to the CG, but Ken decided it would be better to ride down towards Caspersen Beach and cross over the Intracoastal Waterway on the second bridge instead of the one right in town.  As we rode (he thought it was just a short distance to the bridge, but wrong!!!) he thought maybe we should go the whole way to Casperson.  I voted that down quickly before he mentioned it to Chuck and Melissa.  We ended up riding about 10 miles when we arrived back at the CG, and it was still HOT!

This is leaving Venice and ending along the Intracoastal
Waterway, but in the opposite direction of the CG!

These murals depict different highlights for the city of Venice!
The middle one shows pictures of the Ringling Brothers
Barnum Bailey Circus that had their winter headquarters here!

We relaxed for about 1 1/2 hours and then at 3 drove to Nokomis Beach to walk a little, relax, and then watch the beautiful sunset. 

Another day is coming to a close!

The sun is about to vanish!

As it dropped, it created what looked like a city silhouette
or a mountain range!

It was breathtaking!

The colors were spectacular!

Looks like a peaceful way to enjoy the sunset!

We got back to the CG at 6:15, made dinner, cleaned-up, and then spent the evening at Gregory's RV playing Spades and Pinochle.  It was a winning night for the men.

We were in bed by 10:15, tired but happy!!!!

More Pickleball, Beach, Delicious Scones, and "Lupper" at Casey Key Fish House!

Ken and I were up by 7:15, got ready for pickleball, had a cooked breakfast, and cleaned up.  The 4 of us left at 8:30 to go to a nearby park to play Pickleball.  It is such a fun game and all of us enjoy it so much!

It was supposed to be cloudy till around 11 but the sun decided to surprise us and come our around 9:15.  It was hot, but not as humid as some of the other days when we played.  Again, we had some great games with good volleys and strategic shots!  Wow!

We were all winners today!!!!

We left the courts around 10, because more people had come and were waiting for courts.  I don't think we were really ready to stop playing but we had decided last evening that after pickleball, we would drive into downtown Venice and go to the Upper Crust for one of their famous scones!  It makes me salivate just to talk about them.  When we arrived, they only had a few remaining and it would be another 40 minutes before additional ones would be out of their ovens.  No worry!  We were able to get one and they were still warm.  But, Devanshire Cream is a must to get the full "effect" of the scone.  Chuck and Melissa had an orange cranberry while Ken and I enjoyed an apricot one.  

You have to just love the main street of downtown Venice!
So picturesque!

So many beautiful palm trees!

I really want a scone, but all of the other goodies are so
tempting - choc. cheesecake brownies, coconut macaroons,
Key Lime bars, etc.

Oh no!  There are only a few left and my mouth
is watering!!!

I need to hurry to a bench to start eating!

Oh man!  This is so delicious!!!

Oh, this is heavenly!!!!

Chuck!!!! Don't eat the whole thing at once!!!!

Melissa really enjoyed the Devenshire Cream and had to lick the container until it was gone.  No, she didn't have a milk moustache, but a cream chin!!!!!

This is one happy "scone" gal!!!

When we returned to the CG we stopped at the shuffleboard courts for some more men vs. the women competition. Again, we all enjoy playing and the competition can get "fierce", but the men won both games.  I am not sure what Melissa and I have to do to beat them - maybe score more points!!!!!

We were back to Waldo by 11:45 and the men loaded the bikes and we got things ready to go to Nokomis Beach at 1:30.  I was busy working on the blog, but the other 3 took naps.  

We left the CG at 1:45 and as soon as we got to Nokomis Beach, we unloaded the bikes and off we went for a 4 1/2 mile ride along Casey Key Road.  We do this ride every time we are in this area and we never grow tired of it.  The homes, landscaping, and view of the Gulf and the Intracoastal Waterway are incredible.  They are always building new homes too which makes the ride interesting.  

The landscaping along Casey Key Road is
incredible!

Their gardeners do a great job of trimming
and maintaining!

After passing the huge homes, you get to ride
along the Gulf.  Notice the bath house on the left
side of the road across from the large homes.
So, you own property on both side of the road!
Not bad!!!

Just a common, ordinary home along Casey
Key Road!

You can't see the front of this "mansion"
but it is huge and now they are adding
to it on both sides.  Amazing!

This is one they were building last fall when we
took this ride.  A very modern home compared to
most of the ones along this road!

After 4 1/2 miles of riding, we arrived at the Casey Key Fish House, a favorite of Ken's for grouper!  We ate outside and Ken loved his salad with blackened grouper.  The 3 of us had delicious hamburgers. 

Okay, you have seen us in front of this sign many times and
it is one of Ken's favorite places to get Grouper!

This is our view while enjoying our lunch!  Not bad!!!

Anticipating our great lunch!

A good looking piece of Grouper if you are a fish lover!

This may not be nearly as healthy, but it sure looked better to
this gal!!!

Then we walked to the Tiki Hut at the other side of Casey Key Fish House's parking lot where we sat on Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the quiet view of the Intracoastal Waterway. How relaxing!!!!

Our view of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Adirondack
chairs.  Peaceful and relaxing!

Just fun to sit and "take it all in"!

I think the dog was enjoying his boat ride!

Then we walked across the street to see the scull boats and to talk to the high school students who row them.  The one we checked out was for 8 rowers and it was so long, narrow, and weighed about 150 to 200 lbs. 

Wow, these sculls are so skinny!

There are so many of them behind this gated areas!

Back on our bikes for the 4 1/2 mile ride back to Nokomis Beach, enjoying all the views again. 

It looks like a princess should live here!

Looks like an arch that you ride through!

We sat on the beach enjoying being part of the drum circle and watching the fantastic sunset.  It was a perfect beach night - warm, calm, and relaxing.

Arriving in time to enjoy the drum circle!

We could not believe how many people were there and it
is the "off" season.  Also, they have one on  Nokomis Beach every
Wed. and Sat. and this many people still come!

This is the Joker!

Belly dancers joined in the fun!

She looked like a hippie from the 60's!

The sun is starting to set and the drums are beating and the
people are getting excited!

There were a few clouds at sea level, but still a gorgeous sky!

As we are leaving the beach I love the dark silouettes of the
palm trees against the pink/orange sky.

We returned to the CG at 6:30, showered, and got ready for an evening of card playing.  What a night for the ladies winning 5 Crowns, Skip-Bo and Pinochle.  It was a fun busy day and by 10 we were all tired.  Another great day in Paradise!