We are back from our amazing trip across our beautiful country, and as I look out the windows of our condo in Florida, I realize that THIS is also part of this beautiful country!
We are blessed to have a condo on the river that leads right to the Gulf of Mexico – we watch boats go in and out, jet skis, paddle boards, kayaks, and also watch dolphins swimming and playing, manatees swimming, and EVEN an alligator a few summers ago!
That was a shock to say the least! I love looking out the windows in the bedroom and the sliding glass door on the porch – we can watch the sun set each night! But my FAVORITE part of being here is to watch thunderstorms come in, with the dark clouds, the lightning and the rain on the water!
I love to turn off the lights and watch the lightning light up the sky – Florida thunderstorms in the summer are spectacular!
And as I lay in bed at night, I can look right out of the sliding glass doors and see the horizon – with the lights of the shrimp boats out working through the night!
The view never gets old – there’s always something different going on out there!
We love to ride in the boat, ride on the jet skis, shark fish (YES, IT’S A BLAST!), float and swim out in the Gulf, anchor the boat and swim at the sandbar and island that’s nearby…and just be outside enjoying this beautiful place!
Since we got back here, we have been out in the boat, ridden our jet skis, and gone scalloping! It’s one of my FAVORITE things to do here in the water. The season for getting scallops is from the second week in July until the middle of August, and it’s so fun because we can literally just go down to the dock, get in the boat, make sure we have our masks, snorkels, fins and mesh bags to catch those scallops! We don’t have to go out very far to find them! We go when it’s low tide, so the water is only about 3-4 feet deep! It’s easy to see them that way, and also easy to “dive” down and get them when we spot them!
Scalloping is really easy – you get your mask on, snorkel and fins, and then just float around on the top of the water, looking down for those little buggers! Sometimes it’s SUPER easy to spot one – other times you really have to look because they like to hide in the grass! Once you get the hang of what you are looking for, it’s game on! Leonard and I went out on the first day of the season and we got SO many scallops!
It was a VERY successful day and we had such a great time!
At one point, Leonard had to tell me to stop because, not only do you catch them, but you have to CLEAN them – one by one! And with just the two of us, it takes a while! (HERE IS A LITTLE VIDEO OF THE CLEANING PROCESS!)
The other thing we LOVE to do down here is go to the Rainbow River – it is a spring fed river about two hours from here, and one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen! We got several times a year, and love to take friends who come to visit because it’s such an unusual and GORGEOUS place!
The river, because it’s spring fed, is VERY VERY COLD! The temperature of the water is about 74 degrees! I always tell people that, when they jump in, they have to remember to breathe when they come up! Haha… it’s so cold, but SO refreshing since it’s in the 90s here in the summer! We love to look around as we ride up the river to see the many turtles, fish, birds and even sometimes the river otters! They are our favorite!
Snorkeling in this river is so fun, because you just float on the river and look down to see the fish, turtles, etc! It’s also CRYSTAL CLEAR! And the best part – NO salt water! We feel so refreshed and clean when we are done and riding home…and the tradition that comes at the end on the ride home is…ICE CREAM! We always stop at Twistee Treat for ice cream on the way back – what a perfect ending to a great day!
Those are just a few of the fun things we do here – we also LOVE having company to show them all of this!
A few weeks left and we will be back in Pittsburgh – the great thing about that is that we also LOVE our home there and have a great life and great friends there too! It’s easy to go back!
Until next time…
My favorite place to be, if it isn’t at one of my kids homes, is Florida. The weather, the beauty, the water…. just can’t beat it.
Can’t wait to come down and see your heaven on earth!!
it’s a fun place for sure!
Our country is beautiful but FL is still my fav! Your pictures are beautiful! Can’t wait til you’re home💕
i do love it here! Miss yoU!
Wow! I see why you love it so much in Florida.
Such beautiful and amazing sunset photos!!! You are truly blessed 💖💖
we are blessed! love you!
Your photos did a great job of capturing the beauty of Florida on the gulf! Scalloping is challenging for some of us but is such great fun! Actually, anything in the water in a boat with amazing friends is a blast!!! You should submit some of your photos to the companies who create calendars and post cards…yours would be chosen for sure!
I love seeing all your pictures, but especially the ones on Rainbow River. I lived right on Rainbow River for many years. It is as pretty as I remember it. So good to see it again even just through pictures.
Travel safely and I’ll see you soon, yay!!!
you lived on RAINBOW RIVER!!!!!??? How did i not know that!
I really, really enjoyed all the amazing photos and the interesting commentary about food, history, etc. Glad you had a wonderful trip and glad your kids are so much closer now. Cochise Drive awaits your return! 🙂
and we are ready to come back to Cochise Drive!
Great pictures ! So blessed to be part of your Summer!
it was great wasn’t it!