Friday, February 28, 2014

Anna Maria Tout est Fini

Helping the Old Lady up at the final sunset viewing. 

Or at least set tout fini for this year.  We have booked the same house for February 2015.  We haven't had any specific or unusual adventures in the past 2 weeks.  

I took a watercolor class that was the worst.  Half the class did not return for the second week.  Those that did return were complaining and taking charge of events before the teacher arrived.  I did not go for the final class.  The teacher gave no instruction, spent most of the class showing his work and rearranging a sickly coleus plant.  I did continue to experiment some at home.  

Wayne and I went to the Cortez Fishing Festival where there was far, far more Budwiser than fish.  The live music was nice and I bought a neat batik t-shit of a Great Blue.  We also play golf twice which reminded me of how much I love the game I abandoned 10 years ago.  

We went to some nice restaurants that are worth mentioning and remembering:  Euphemia Hay on Longboat Key, Island Creperie in Bradenton Beach, and the Crab and Fin on St. Armand's Circle.  Crab and Fin had wonderful octopus and wins the best dining award.  We watched a couple of sunsets from Anna Maria beach, and I spent about an hour on the Tampa Bay beach one afternoon.  Otherwise, the weather and our location discouraged daily beach visits.  

Mostly, we simply enjoyed the relaxed pace of life, the beautiful beaches and ability to walk most places.  Having a pool table (and a swimming pool) are nice additions to the house and provided hours of entertainment.  

Photos at flickr.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Fishing Trip

Wayne and Christy with Captain Brady
On the best day so far of our stay, we went fishing in the Gulf with Captain Brady.  It was a glorious day with temps in the 70s and calm as glass waters.  After picking up some bait at sea from the captain's friend, we headed out into the Gulf.  There was a rather large pod of dolphins jumping playfully.  We circled them laughing at the wonder of it.  The calmness hindered the fishing to a degree, but I had rather have beautiful weather and fewer fish than vice versa.  We caught a variety of fish.  Some of them were out of season (Gag Groupers) and some were under sized (Red Groupers).  Both John and Wayne caught red groupers that were 1/8 and 1/2" short of the 20" requirement.  The hogfish feeds off coral and rock and is almost exclusively speared rather than caught on a line. This captain instructs on catching with a line, which you lay on the bottom of the gulf (about 50') with a frozen shrimp.  Check out Wayne's t-shirt featuring the hogfish. At points during the day we saw a loggerhead turtle, several large jellyfish and many varieties of sea birds.  
The trip is best described in pictures at flickr.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Anna Maria Island Oasis

Lakeview Canal, Photo by Wayne LaGue
We've been here 3 weeks now and are still very happy with the area.  It is a beautiful little island key with only about 1200 people living in the one square mile Anna Maria.  We walk everywhere.  The weather has not been great. We keep waiting for more sunshine and hot days. But it is always warm enough to go out and sure beats what is going on in Wareham with subfreezing temps and snow.  It's so routine here that I can't see posting mundane activities everyday.
The two couples take turns cooking dinner and shopping.  We go out to eat every Friday night.  Tonight we are eating at the Sandbar Restaurant and seeing a local production of Delval Divas.  
I've been trying my hand at watercolors, even taking a class at the local Art League.  The teacher is a joke, but the other painters are nice, and it gives me a chance to work for 2 solid hours.  
Our days are pretty much like those at home:  exercise, painting, reading.  The house has a pool table we use every night to great delight.  The house sits directly on a canal where John fishes daily.  Wayne and I joined the local Community Center where there is a small gym with bikes, treadmills and a universal gym.  We've played golf once, been to the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, an art expo and and art opening of Clyde Butcher's photographs.  
Some pictures are at flickr.