Fort DeSoto Park

Just some random shots from our day trip to Fort DeSoto Park,in Pinellas County.

America's Best Beach in 2005,and TripAdvisor's Best Beach 2009.......

One of the two fishing piers.......

Critters of all shapes and sizes................

What you can find if you go in the warmer months......

A Sand Dollar lover's Heaven.

You have to be very,very careful where you step when you are wading..............

For more of Watery Wednesday,click here..............

For more of Outdoor Wednesday,click here............

For more of Waterside Wednesday,click here.........

Life With My 90 Year Old Dad (contd.)

Saturday,9AM-ish-----
Phone rings.....
"My bowels haven't moved since Monday."

(He gets italics,just 'cause he deserves italics;I get regular font....)

"Oooooo-k,Dad."
"I took my Dulcolax at 5AM,but it isn't working."
"Are you drinking plenty of water,and walking around."
"It's too hot out to walk around.Of course,I'm drinking water."
"How much water are you drinking?"
"The same as always.2 glasses a day.How much should I be drinking?"

That noise you hear is me rolling my eyes,and hitting the floor.

"C (our cousin) bought you that pitcher so you could drink your gallon of water everyday.Use it!"
"Oooh,that's what that's for."
"Dad,you need to get up and walk more."
"It's too hot outside."
"Use the treadmills in the gym."
"I guess I could do that.We'll see."

"What should I do about my bowels?"

"Give the Dulcolax time to work,drink lots of water,and get up and move!"
"What if that doesn't work?"
"Then call me back and we'll deal with it then,ok?"
"I guess so...."

I hear nothing....................

Sunday,2-ish----
Phone rings.....
"You watching the Bucs?Isn't it terrible?"
"Yeah,we're watching-it's really bad."
"Where'd they get that quarterback?"
"They got him from Jacksonville."
"Well,he's awful.What happened to that Simms kid?"
"Dad,they got rid of Chris Simms last year."
"They did?And who's this new coach?Where'd they get him?"
"Dad,remember they fired Gruden and hired this idiot."
"This guy is terrible as a coach!!Why aren't they running Cadillac?Why do they always give up on the running game?!"

(he's really.really upset with the Bucs,by now,if you couldn't tell)

"Yeah-they suck big time.How are you feeling,today?"
"Fine,why do you ask?"
"I wondering after yesterday."
"I don't want to watch the Bucs anymore.What channel is NASCAR on?"


and people wonder why we partake in adult beverages....................

addendum-
When it was mentioned to his doctor about his major memory lapses,he(the doctor) replied."It could be the onset of Alzheimer's."
To which,Dad replied,"I'm 90 years old.I can lose my mind if I want to."

To which,I say,"Valid point."

Are People That Stoopid?

Do people really need to be told this................. I guess so...........................

Just sayin'....................

For more of This Way Thurs-Way,click here....................

Pass-A-Grille,Florida

After our little sojurn to Gulfport,Florida(which you can read about here and here),we drove on down to Pass-A-Grille.

Down to the end of Gulf Way.

Down by the rock jetty.

The last parking space before the road turns.

Put the money in the parking meter.

Walked out,in the drizzle and found this scene.....

and this.......

'til we came to this.......

and saw this.......

Enough of that!

Let's go to The Hurricane for happy hour!

What could be better than sitting in a bar,right on the beach,on a drizzly Saturday afternoon,havin' a cold brewski,watching Univ. of Tenn. get slapped around by USC(we are Gator fans,after all----ok,we're USF Bull-ChrisC's Alma Mater- fans first,but the Gators are a very close second-our money went there,with Erich,the Younger)?

And the only other people in the bar are you,the bartender,and the manager of the whole dang place.....

Could this be a better sight................ ? just askin' .......................

For more of Waterside Wednesday,click here.................

For more of Outdoor Wednesday,click here.................

For more of Watery Wednesday,click here...........

Word's To Live By..........

How true................ A sign in Harry A's Restaurant,St.George Island,Florida

For more of This Way Thurs-Way,click here..........................(go ahead,you know you want to).

Gulfport,Florida-Part II

Behind the old Gulfport Casino,you will find a pier.........
Stroll down............... Because the weather was a little on the nasty side,this little fellow was hunkered down........

At the end of the pier you see this scene...............

For more of Watery Wednesday,click here................

For more of Outdoor Wednesday,click here.................

For more of Waterside Wednesday,click here...............

and to see,Part I of our Gulfport,Florida series,click here.........

Gulfport,Florida-Part 1,of MANY parts

Sometimes plans go awry.

Probably for a reason.

Our original plan for this weekend was to go just go and hang out at the beach.

Like we were teenagers.(No laughing allowed....)

But it rained on our parade.

I mean,it really,really rained.

4" in one day!

So,it was back to the drawing board....What were we to do with the weekend?

"Hey!I know!I have this article I saved from the paper!"

Just of the beaten path...

In between the condos,resorts,and other high-rise,beachy-type developments......

Overlooked by many......

Is.........

.......... Gulfport,Florida........ I swear everywhere we go they welcome us.Everyone must really,really love the VanillaLife style.......Welcome signs everywhere we go!

Up until a few years ago,Gulfport acted as a back road entrance to the beaches of St.Petersburg Beach,Treasure Island,Indian Rocks Beach,etc.

Just an exit ramp of the Interstate.....

A Casino that was known for for it's senior citizen dances.......and nothing more.......

But during the latest real estate boom,it bacame known as one of the most affordable places to buy a bungalow near the water.It helps that there are no parking meters to fill,like on St.Pete Beach.

(Yep--free parking!Right on the water!---I said FREE!!And ON the water!!!)

One bus stop.....

No streetlights,unless you count the Christmas Tree lights,in the trees that line the streets........

.........or the Halloween lights that decorate the restaurants......But,now,it's a quirky little town.......

filled with artists,and boutiques........
and restaurants!!!!

................all kinds and flavors of restaurants!................

Italian,French,Pizzerias,English,Sport Bars,a haunted B & B......

all in a four block area........

right on the water!

We chose to eat at Village Pub,just because JonJ had a hankerin' for Shephard's Pie.

with a pint of Guiness......

I chose to have the Cod Fish and Chips(drenched with malt vinegar,and by the way,straight from the Britush Isles))......

We brought home a dinner of the Steak and Ale Pie,but,alas,there are no photos of that.It didn't last long enough to have it's picture taken......

So,sometimes,Mother Nature may rain on your parade,but not really.....

She's just leading you on a different path..........

So enjoy the ride!

Village Pub is located at:

5519 Shore Blvd S.,Gulfport,Florida;(727-329-8825)

Some People Just Don't Get It

"Hey,lady!!See those white lines?

"You're supposed to park between them.""Just like that red Tacoma is parked."

"Get my point?"

Everybody Wanna Go To Heaven......

This is what happens when you take a look at a boat show.............


Not this one..........but it would do........

......in a pinch,

maybe......

Definitely not this one........

This one!!!!!!

I wonder if it has a toilet...................yep,a boat like that would have to.

Okay.........

We'll take one of each!!!!

Never,ever go to a boat show...........

but we can dream,can't we?

Who do you ROCK for?

The Vanilla People are gonna get out and about.

Hard to believe,I know......

But every once in a while something comes along that just makes us get up off of our collective asses and do SOMETHING.

To try and make this screwed up planet

a better place.

So....,if one of us can convince the other one of us to venture out to Ybor City,this is what we hope to do, September 12th.

We ROCK for:

Nicole,my bestest friend in the whole-wide world(she'd wipe my ass in the nursing home,that's what a good friend she is),a breast cancer survivor

Erin,my second bestest friend in the whole-wide world(the best person to talk to on the phone,while you're doing something you don't like to do-like empty the dishwasher),a breast cancer survivor

Becky,our friend Tootie's daughter,who is fighting the good fight,right now.

Alan,and ChrisC's mother-who both lost their fight with Colon Cancer (another scourge of this planet)

So..................................

who do you ROCK for?