Where are the mermaids?

I think we are like herding cats.  It took us a while to come up with a plan for Saturday.  People wanted to go swimming at the beach and wanted to go to Weeki Watchee to see the mermaids.  So we were just ready to leave when someone called to find out the times of the mermaid show.  We had just missed the 10 am show.  The next one was at 1:30 pm.  So shift gears.  The swimmers headed off to go swimming and then they were going to meet the rest of us at Weeki Wachee for the 1:30 show.

Cheryl arrived!! She was coming just for the day.  So here is Jeanna, Cheryl and Vivian.

Those of us who did not want to swim we had other plans. We went to see Amanda and Shanta's lovely home, then we went grocery shopping for dinner stuff.  Home for lunch of left-overs.  Then we headed out to Weeki Watchee.  Argh.  no parking ... we did not let that stop us.  At the ticket office we found that the show was sold out!! Argh!! We payed to go in anyway because we could at least do the river boat cruise.  Thunder and lightening!! So they shut down the river boat cruise just before we could ride!!  But at least we got to see some peacocks.  Home again.  Found that the others of our group did not make it to the mermaids either.  After swimming one car gave up because there weren't any parking spaces.  The other car gave up because the show was sold out.  We had a fun time.

white peacock

pretty peacock

Jeanna, Elaine, Cheryl and Barbara with mermaid Vivian

Jeanna 

Barbara

We got home.  We relaxed a bit before we started dinner.  Tonight was Elaine's turn.  She was making fish curry, vegetable curry with fresh chapatti's (made by Shanta and crew), dahl, rice and raita.  Jeanna and I helped Elaine and Vivian helped Shanta.

While we were waiting for some things to cook we watched a Bollywood Youtube song and we tried to join in.

Barbara, Jeanna, Elaine, Vivian and Shanta

Chef Elaine putting on the final touches with Karl's help

Vivian

Singing after supper

Genie Trone (from class of 1971 joined us for dinner) and Vivian

Jeanna and Elaine led the sign along.  Jeanna's husband Dave joined us for dinner as well.  Jeanne and Dave left after dinner and sing along.  

Then we watched a Bollywood movie - The 3 Idiots.  Probably about the worst subtitling I have seen.  Whoever was doing the subtitling was lazy I think.  So it was hard to know what was going on in the movie.  But it still managed to be fun.

Vivian's luggage finally showed up after a multitude of calls all day long.  

Friday afternoon - July 4

After our lunch and some relaxation time we went on a walk of the neighborhood.

local wildlife

a mural

some gorgeous flowers in bloom

these trees with all the Spanish Moss hanging from them are called Live Oaks.  Not sure what this means about all the other oaks around ... are they dead??

How would you like to live here?

Ted, Alla, Jeanna and Elaine

some gorgeous old mansions

Howdy partner!

interesting mailbox

Paul H, Paul Z, Ted starting to get dinner prepared

We Skyped with Rebecca Trautmann in the afternoon.  We sang happy birthday to her (a day late).  It was a very clear connection.  Isn't modern technology great.

Vivian arrives

Dinner is served

Make sure you try the mango-yogurt salad!!

We had 15 for dinner.  Vivian had arrived and Barbara's husband, George and his sister, Dorothy joined us for dinner.  

After dinner we Skyped with both Rosalynde and Karen  in Australia.  The connections were not quite so good but it still was great to connect.  Karen invited us to have our 50th reunion at her place.... What do you all think??  Start thinking in 4 years where and when do you want to meet? 

the group - sans Vivian

Karl took this picture so he is not in it.  

left to right: Alla, Ted, Janet, Shanta, Elaine, Jeanna, Paul Z, Barbara, Amanda, Don, and Paul H.

we will take another group photo once Vivian arrives.

25 Birds!!

Amanda and Shanta are "birders"  so they took us out to look for local birds.  They recorded seeing 25 different birds species.  I think I saw a sea gull!! Well maybe a few more.  It was fun.  We stopped at a local shop "The Lake Lindsay Mall"  - what a quaint little place before going home.  Once we got safely home the clouds opened up with another summer down pour.  It was fine since we were indoors fixing lunch.  Another delicious meal of pilaf, left-over chicken, dahl and fruit salad.

a common egret or great white heron

Elaine, I guess there are no palm trees in Canada.

wild morning glory beside the road

No alligator today!! darn!

THE MALL

a little refreshment.  Jeanne and Elaine.  Note Elaine's leach bite.  She had to go to the hospital at 5:30 am this morning to get some better antibiotic for it.

Brooksville sculptures

Making a fruit salad - Jeanne, Elaine, Shanta, Paul H and me.

Getting ready to eat!!

The people who are fixing dinner have gone off to go grocery shopping and the rest of us are in various states of being comatose.  Too much good food.

Welcome class of 1968

George and I left Holiday and drove to the Tampa airport to meet Don's flight.  Then we drove to Brooksville to Shanta and Amanda's retreat house.  We had lunch right away.  .

Shanta and Amanda are gracious hosts.  This house is gorgeous.

We were the first to arrive.  George left after lunch.  Soon Paul H and his son, Karl arrived.  Then Jeanna and her sister-in-law, Erica arrived.  Erica left after dinner.  Paul Z and his wife Janet arrived bringing Elaine.

Erica (Daurnaur Pickard) and Shanta

Paul and Janet

Amanda and I made the run to the grocery store for the food for the weekend.  It started pouring (one of the many cloud bursts)  the power went off at the grocery store but that did not stop anyone.  The generator finally kicked in.  We continued our shopping.  

Ted and his wife, Alla arrived and they brought dinner.  WOW what a feast. 

Don and Elaine

Jeanne

Alla, Ted and Paul Z

Amanda and Paul H

Vivian will not arrive until Friday evening.  But for right now everyone is here and settled in their various rooms.  Jeanna, Elaine and I are sharing a room.

Tampa - July 2

George and I flew to Tampa yesterday.  It was a long flight with a 4 hour lay-over in Houston.  Joyce got us to the MAX station and we got to the airport in plenty of time.  We are going on this trip for 2 reasons.  I will be attending my 46th high school class reunion in Brooksville, FL and George is helping Dorothy and Ed with the final clean out of Jane's (their mom) condo so it can be sold.

We ate at Pappadeaux.  

George had the tilapia and I had a grilled chicken pita sandwich (boring, I know)

Some kids were playing basketball in the airport and the ball got stuck in the light fixture.  They were pretty creative in getting it down.

We got to Tampa around 11 pm.  Dorothy and Ed met us.  It was an hour drive to Jane's condo.  It is very hot and muggy here.