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We arrived home tonight at about 9. Most of the stuff is unpacked and put away. The task of going through three weeks of mail lies before me....dread it. I'll post pics from the trip soon. I miss the beach.

Leaving Paradise

Glenn is feeling decent today but sadly we are leaving tomorrow. We spent the day at the beach then went to dinner. We hadn't made a trip to the fishing pier yet so we stopped there after dinner. It was gorgeous over there tonight with a stong wind blowing. When we came back, we went back out to the beach until dark and then did something we never EVER do....we jumped in the pool at night. Aren't we just wild and crazy? HA.

We have already loaded up the car a lot so we have less to do in the heat of the morning.

I'm sad to leave but anxious to see the kids. Toby called tonight and said he missed us.

We have a couple stops we will probably make so we will be home either Wed. or Thurs.

Where Have All the Nurses Gone???

It was our first day here completely alone and what happens? Glenn got really sick. He has been in bed all day long, no TV or anything. That tells you he is REALLY sick. He thinks he may have had a bad oyster last night. Where are all of our nurse friends when we need you????? It was a lousy Father's Day for him for sure. I spent the day alone on the beach, which was ok for a while. I got a LOT of reading done! But I sure missed my friends. It was incredibly hot today. I resorted to reading my book in the pool which was dangerous since it is a library book. I hope Glenn is better tomorrow. We got a couple extra days and he hasn't enjoyed it so far.

And Then There Were 2...

Goodbye, my friends.

Today we said goodbye to the last of our friends. The "nurses" and company all departed today leaving us with enough food and drink to last us a month.


Dwight, Mary, Mike, and Jon (and Dan, of course) were the last to go. The usual tears were shed but we hope to see them a few times before next June.


I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing my bocce ball skills, perfecting my game so that Mary and I will continue next year as the reigning champs. Beware JON and DAN!!!


We will probably be here until Tuesday. It definitely won't be the same, but maybe I'll spend some time reading the many books I drug down here and have neglected, preferring to spend time catching up with the gang. A little quiet time before returning home might be ok. No matter, I'm just never ready to leave this place.

From My Viewpoint...

Anabelle hugs "Papoo" goodbye

The way Mary and I saw it, we won the final games of bocce ball today. I'm pretty sure that the opposition didn't see it the same way. It's a shame they can't see eye to eye with us on things.

Goodbye today to Chris, Niki, and girls and Steve, Laurie, and boys. Saying goodbye is such a pain after such a super fun vacation. Tomorrow, the rest of our friends are leaving. We always get so sad to part after being so close for the last two weeks.

The good news is that our owner called today to tell us that the weather in Ohio stinks and suggested that we spend a couple extra days on the island! Oh YEAH, we are going to do it for sure. How can we pass up a few more glorious days on the beach?

The Winners!

I'm very proud to announce that Mary and I won the rematch in the bocce ball game today. It doesn't really matter that the other team failed to show and we won by a forfeit on their part. We'll take a win any way we can. Sorry Jon and Dan....tough luck for you.
Tonight was the shark hunting expedition. Chris, Mike, and Dan tried chumming for shark tonight. They had an eager group of spectators as the beach was as beautiful tonight as I've ever seen it....breezy, cool, perfect. The last I checked, no sharks had been pulled in. That didn't seem to dampen the excitement for the guys though.
Chris and Niki and the girls leave tomorrow as well as Laurie, Steve and their crew. No new arrivals expected so we are mostly saying goodbyes from here on our....with many promises of returning next year.

Sun, Sun, and more Sun

Lots of the guys ...and the girls from the "nurses group"...went on another fishing expedition today so Mary and I found another reason to go out for breakfast at the Island Cow followed by another short shopping trip. We were back in plenty of time to hear the many fish stories when the guys returned, Word has it that many sharks were pulled in on this trip.
We had to say goodbye to Megan and Wendy today but welcomed Jen to the island.
The pool was closed to repair the giant hole in the bottom that we were trying to keep a secret in order to avoid such closing. So we spent the day at the beach which turned out to be pretty much perfect. There was a rematch in the bocce ball game....Mary and I don't completely suck actually, but we sort of let Jon and Dan pull off another win on us. I'm liking that game a lot. Tomorrow we'll try again. Be prepared JON.
Just when we thought that there was no end to the sunshine on this island, a pretty nice storm popped up around dinner time. It didn't last long and resulted in a lovely rainbow and a spectacular lightening show tonight. Mary and I sat out and marveled at the beauty and chatted the night away over a glass or two of wine.
Tomorrow is Chris and Niki's last day here. We hate to see them go but Glenn and I are just so happy that all of the kids were able to be here. If I had to guess, they all had a great time and were happy that they were able to be here....even if it was a short time...as well.,

Fun Filled Day/Another Departure

Today was filled wtih sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. It started with breakfast at the Island Cow, one of my favorite places to eat on the island. Then there was rafting, shelling, floating, dolphin watching, and some wild activity in the pool. It was another perfect day on the island topped off with a great meal at Matzaluna, another one of my favorite eating establishments.

The day also ended with another departure. Todd left to go back to DC this evening. Everyone hated to see him leave, especially me. I am, however, just thankful that he could be here at all this year. A little time is better than no time and he was able to squeeze a lot of fun into a short time.

Arrivals and Departures

What a great day...our whole family was on the island together for almost 24 hours. Todd arrived late last night and we were all really happy to see him, especially the kids. "Uncle Todd, watch this!" "Uncle T.Todd, catch me!" He was one busy uncle today.

Sadly, Jodi and fam left for home after dinner tonight. Normally, saying goodbye is not that tough when we'll see them in a week, but Toby sobbed when he hugged "Mimi" and "Poopa" goodbye and that broke a lot of hearts, ours especially.

Our nurse friends arrived today, Ryan leaves tomorrow. Arrivals and departures.... Because of the strong bonds that have formed with the people we have met here, saying goodbye is always hard. But we look forward to meeting next year, same time, same place.

The Day of the Speedo

Never a dull moment....not with this group of people! Today, three of the more adventurous-0r possibly more inebriated- guys in the group purchased bright yellow Speedos and entertained the crowd at the pool with their antics. It was ugly, my friends. Not only did they prance around the pool, they also ventured into an open house at a condo in the complex in their matching, barely there, suits. Needless to say, our group got lots of attention from the other people at the pool. A few were probably appalled, but I'd venture to say that most wished that they were part of our fun crowd.

When we turn in for the night, we all wonder what fun activities the next day will bring to our island.

Cheeburger! Cheeburger!

Last night was the annual visit to the restaurant on the island that serves the best burger in the country and, quite possibly, the best fries in the entire world. The restaurant-Cheeburger! Cheeburger!- offers on the menu a variety of burger sizes. Anyone that can consume an entire pounder is entitled to have their photo taken and posted on the wall for all to view for years to come. We were proud to boast THREE such big eaters in our group this year. NO, I was NOT one of them! Chris, John, and Mike earn the bragging rights this year.

Tomorrow is the annual fishing trip on Miss Paradise. The guys...and any little girls that are joining them...are being picked up by the trolley at 8:15. Let the fish tales begin.

Let the Party Begin

While relaxing alone was awesome, relaxing with family and friends is the best. Today was a big arrival day. Our whole family is here with the exception of Todd and he'll be here in a few days. Many of our friends arrived today as well. It was a day of hugs and welcomes.
Having made this wonderful island our vacation spot in June for the past 33 years, we have formed some amazing relastionships with people who have also come at this time for many years. Our kids have grown up together for a few weeks in June every year for most of their lives. Now some of them have children that are fast becoming friends. As each group shows up, there is a huge hugging session. Eventually, everyone ends up on the beach at some point and we pick up as though no time had lapsed. Where did the year go?
The next couple weeks will be spent recounting incidents from years past. There are always the favorite stories that come up year after year. And each year, there is always something new that pops up that will be rehashed in future years. There will be much laughter, lots of eating, maybe a TEENSY bit of drinking, some card playing, the usual competitive game of basketball, some rowdy activity in the pool, plenty of shell hunting, lizard catching, and relaxing at night under the bright stars on the beach. It's pretty much the same thing every year...but there is no way to improve it....it's the best that it could possibly be.
Most of these people we see only once a year, some twice if we are very lucky, but they are as much a part of our lives as if we saw them every day. Sanibel is the tie that binds us all together. May the tide continue to pull us back.

Unwelcome Visitor!

What a perfect evening on the beach. We took our drinks and headed to our chairs to relax in the breeze. We called our friends who are heading down Saturday and as I was chatting, I saw a little head pop up from the water. Glenn said he thought it was a sea otter. I questioned that, but waited for it to show up again. After a few sightings, we discovered that it was NOT a sea otter, but an alligator in the gulf. He continued to pop up for about an hour. While he wasn't very big...perhaps 4 feet long...he was large enough that I don't care to swim with him tomorrow. I'm hoping that after we got tired of watching him swim and went inside, HE got tired of swimming and decided to go back to the habitat that he is supposed to live in.

AHHHHH....We're Here

Arriving on Sanibel always gives us a feeling of returning "home". It takes about five minutes on the beach to feel stress melt away. The weather today was perfect...hot, but a great breeze blowing. We lathered on the #30 sunscreen and spent the whole day outside in our new beach chairs. Dinner was at one of our favorite, unhealthy places- Cheeburger! Cheeburger! Tomorrow it starts all over again. How lucky can you get to be able to wake up every morning, day after beautiful day, on an island so perfect as this?

Ready to Roll!

The laundry is done, the clothes are packed, the car is loaded, the kitchen floor is washed, the bathrooms are SORT of clean, the dog is delivered to the dog sitter, the mail is held, the flower watering assignments are made, emails have been answered, inside flowers are watered, bills are paid up, fridge is cleaned out, car lunch is packed with all leftovers from fridge cleaning, phone is charged, ....ok, I think that's it. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
All that's left is a quick night's sleep, set the security alarm, and off we go. The beach is calling my name. By Saturday, Chris and Niki, Jodi and John, and all the grandkids will be there. I can't wait to see those four little cuties in their swimsuits running on the beach. Then a few days later, Todd will join the group. Most of our friends will be there by Saturday as well. Glenn and I can't wait to see everyone and let the relaxation begin. There is just nothing like the constant rolling of the tide to wash away the stress.