December 27, 2005

Fresh oranges right from the source.
I hope you all enjoyed Christmas with your family and friends as I did. My family visit was a last minute idea and came about when my son called from Daytona where he and his family were visiting his inlaws. I explored several options for traveling across Florida but the best and least expensive way was to drive the 4 1/2 hrs. My next hurdle was to find a pet sitter for Bash. I found a couple in the yellow pages who were bonded. I called and immediately had a good feeling about them. They arrived at Bearfoot on their twin motorbikes dressed alike in yellow jackets. I liked them as did Sebastian. So early saturday morning I was on the road across FL. I enjoy driving and took Hwy 17 north to I 4 East. Going through the heartland of FL is a pleasant experience. Many orange groves and roadside stands selling strawberries as well as citrus fruit. Hundreds of cattle too. Actually, FL has more cattle than any other state in the US.
We had a great time driving around looking at the "tacky" lights in the area. It was a time of sharing and laughter with great food and drink. There were three grandmothers there (two grandma's and one great grandma), 2 children, my son, his wife and her parents. They have a large home on 3 acres on a cul de sac. Great place for the children to play and bike. We all attended a neighborhood party Saturday night and opened presents on Sunday morning. After a delicious brunch, my daughter-in-law made a fabulous roast beef dinner later in the day. Between stuffing ourselves, we went for long walks. I left monday morning and since it was still a holiday, the traffic was light. I was back at Bearfoot with Bash by 1 p.m. He was very happy to see me. I biked 18 miles this morning with the bike club. I needed to work off all that yummy food. Took down the Christmas decorations and defrosted the refrigerator today too.
We continue clear and sunny here. High 40's in the morning and 60 - 70 during the day. Looks like the temps will be back up in the 80's very soon though.