January 13, 2014

Englewood, FL & a walk in the Manasota Scrub Preserve

What a difference a day makes!  Monte was still feeling miserable yesterday but today he told me he was able to breathe better than he has been able to in over a month.  Yeah.

We felt like getting a little exercise so we took a ride to the Manasota Scrub Preserve, located just a little more than a mile from where we are staying.

 

 

 

 

Manasota Scrub Preserve is located just off of SR776 at the intersection of Bridge Street and Manasota Beach Road.

 

 

 

 

 

There is a small parking area at the trailhead.

The 145-acre Manasota Scrub Preserve was purchased by Sarasota County through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program.

There are picnic benches and a bike rack located at the trailhead.

I picked up a park brochure before we started on the trail.

This sign describes what can be found in the wetlands but unfortunately currently there is no wetland.

Within a few feet on the trail we encountered this little guy.  He didn't appear to be too wary of us until we got too close and he "ran" off into the brush.

I had brought along a loaf of bread that was just starting to get stale. 

 I sprinkled crumbs as we walked.

THE BEAUTY THAT IS FLORIDA

 

 

Monte was glad he had  brought his binoculars with him when he spotted a few osprey.

Even though the entire trail is only about a mile long

 there are a few benches along the way to rest or just simply take a moment to soak up the natural surrounding beauty.

All too soon we had finished the short trail and found ourselves back at the parking lot.

 

Our cat, Annie, has a sweet tooth (just like her daddy).  Monte shares most of his sweets including ice cream with her-her favorite treat is tapioca pudding.  But it has to be a certain brand.  Once, wanting to save a few pennies, I bought a store brand and Annie wouldn’t eat it because it wasn’t Kozy Shack. 

When Monte began eating a piece of licorice,

 

 

 

 

 

Annie began swatting at his hand and then gently nipped him.  We are not sure why-the only reason we can think of it that she doesn’t like the smell.

 

 

 

 

Later on, when Monte was eating a lemon cookie, we discovered that Annie must like lemon because she licked the cookie until there was nothing but a small sticky, mushy lump remaining. 

January 12, 2014

Englewood, FL

Although the medicine Monte was taking for his sinus infection had started giving him some relief he still wasn’t feeling the greatest so we didn’t make any plans for today. 

We had two nice-sized pieces of prime rib left over from our dinner at the Elks Club last week so I decided to make Philly Cheese Steaks.

Sautéed onions.

Sautéed peppers.

Trimmed and sliced left over prime rib.

Assembled the steak, onions and peppers and topped off with provolone cheese.

Yes-it tasted as good as it looks.

 

 

 

January 11, 2014

Englewood, FL

Monte has been suffering sinus issues for over a month.  Popping Advil Cold and Sinus gave him temporary relief. BUT today nothing was working so at 4PM we looked on-line to see if there were any Walgreens or CVS walk-in clinics in the area.  The closest one is in Tampa!

We did find a clinic that was open in Port Charlotte.

There was a box of masks on the counter at check-in with a sign stating people who are suffering with a cold-related illness should put on a mask.  Monte put a mask on BUT he couldn't keep it on because his nose was running into the mask. 

It took us 30 minutes to drive there but luckily it took less than 40 minutes from the time we first walked into the clinic to the time we walked out with two prescriptions. 

Unfortunately the prescriptions the doctor wrote were not on the list of free meds available from Publics or the Walmart list of inexpensive meds so we ended up paying over $75 out of pocket. 

Hopefully, Monte will start feeling some relief tomorrow.

January 10, 2014

Englewood, FL (Dinner at the Elks-Deep Creek)

My parents invited us to attend the fish fry at the Elks Club. 

 

I reminded my Dad that I don’t eat fish and he assured me there would be other things on the menu that I could choose from.

The only thing on the menu (besides liver and onions-not going to happen) was prime rib so I that is what I ordered.  Monte ordered the same thing.  We could have shared one meal and still had left over.

Despite being STUFFED I got out on the dance floor.

And Monte and I danced a few times-It had been a very pleasant evening with my parents and some of their friends.

 

 

 

 

January 9, 2014

Englewood, FL

It rained most of the night so Monte went up on the roof in the morning and swept the rain off that had pooled on the slide toppers.

 

 

 

 

While he was doing that I spent time on the phone with Dish.  Our bill was incorrect last month.  When I called last month I thought the problem was solved but when I received this month's bill I saw that it was incorrect again. 

 I was going to do this rant about what I could have done with the 1 hour and 40 minutes of my life I will never get back because I spent the time being put on hold by people sitting in a cubicle some where outside of the USA, being disconnected so that I had to call back only to be put on hold again, but didn’t want to waste a minute more on the subject so I have decided to just move on.

It warmed up considerably in the afternoon so I suggested a bike ride.  We planned on doing the same route we rode last week but missed our turn and ended up going a couple of miles out of our way.  We didn’t mind too much because between the bad weather and family obligations we haven’t been getting much exercise lately.

 

I tried taking some pictures of us but kept misjudging where to hold the camera.

 

 

 

 

Too far to one side.

Too low.

Forgot to take the zoom off.

That's more like it!

Back home I sat outside reading for a while Monte gave Annie a much needed brushing. 

Isn't she pretty?

After dinner I continued with the project I had begun earlier in the week making some of the decorations for my Dad’s birthday party that will be held next week.

 

 

 

January 8, 2014

Englewood & North Port, FL

Monte braved the cold and walked the short distance to the club house for the monthly pancake breakfast. 

I worked on some party decorations for my Dad’s 80^th birthday party that will be held at the Elk’s Club next week.

I dragged out my Cricut machine 

and had craft things all over the rig.

In the early evening we drove the short distance to my brother’s house so we could car pool with them to Applebee’s where we met up with my parents for a birthday celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The birthday "boy" 

Mom and Dad 

Sister-in-law, Margaret and brother, Jon 

 

When the waitress brought Dad his birthday treat she apologized for being the only server to come to the table to sing Happy Birthday to him.

After dinner we were invited to Frank and Ruth’s house who are friends of my parents.  My father was pleasantly surprised to see that other friends had been invited as well.  Ruth baked my father his favorite German cake, bienenstich or bee sting cake. 

I had never tasted the cake before.  It has a sugary-almond crunchy crust and a vanilla pudding so I thought it was going to be very rich and sweet.  Still being very full from dinner, Monte and I shared one piece.  The cake was delicious and surprisingly was not too sweet or rich.

Following the cake, Frank treated us to a traditional German Christmas drink of Gluhwein, a mulled wine.

The process of making the wine is part of the overall experience.

Frank heated up red wine in a copper pot.  Then he placed a sugar cone on a utensil that resembles a garden spade with holes.  He poured rum over the sugar and lit it up-the holes in the spade allowed the sugar to melt into the pot.

It had been a very pleasant way to celebrate the birthday of an amazing person.  Happy Birthday Dad.