Boat Tour with Capt. Christy

While Chris and Gary were visiting us we took a late afternoon narrated tour of the Indian River lagoon with Capt. Christy. Christy has been doing this for years and is a great guide.


We started at the Sebastian Marina and went across the lagoon to Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge. There were some White Pelicans...

and trees filling with Wood Storks settling in for the night (there are also some Roseate Spoonbills hiding in those trees).

Keeping a sharp eye for new sightings on our way to the Sebastian Inlet which connects the lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.

Capt. Christy tells us where to look.

White and Brown Pelicans -- note how much bigger the Whites are.

We came across several pods of bottlenose dolphins. Many are so familiar to Capt. Christy that she can identify individuals by the names she has given them.

More White Pelicans and a beautiful Great Blue Heron.

It was a great adventure on the centerpiece of Vero Beach -- the Indian River lagoon!

2600 Miles

My biking exercise program continues to go well and I greatly enjoy it. My goal is to complete the ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC this summer. This will need to be done in several segments with Nikki playing the key role of dropper-offer and picker-upper. Biking companions are always welcome!

Val's Gardenia Tree

Our friend and neighbor around the corner, Val, has a gardenia tree in her front yard. It is magnificent to look at and a delight to smell. In fact, its fragrance can be enjoyed at least 20 feet away. Nikki noted that where we come from gardenias are found in pots and usually dying! We think we will add a gardenia tree to our landscaping plan.

Dr. Suess in Vero Beach

The Dr. Suess exhibit has been at the McKee Botanical Gardens for several weeks and Nikki and I went on Friday to check it out. This is the welcoming garden and pond at the entrance.

Here is the Cat in the Hat...

Yertle the Turtle...


And the Grinch himself!

The gardens are beautiful, well maintained, and a great place for a stroll. But we were getting hungry.

Nikki couldn't believe how her BLT was presented

and how far away the rest rooms were!


Good advice from Dr. Suess.

Cool Cars

There were some cool cars in the parking lot next door the other day. The white Corvette and the '57 Chevy were show stoppers; the Benz, the Mini-Cooper convertible, and the T-Bird were pretty neat as well. Car envy?? Or mere appreciation??

Ft. Pierce, FL

While John and Jessie were here we drove down to Ft. Pierce to see manatees, and by golly a few were there. Always a special treat to see them!

A beautiful statue but no marker to tell us why it was there. We guessed it was to honor the sport fishing industry in Ft. Pierce, but why would we need to guess?

A Seminole family diorama in the history museum.

And here is our tour guide and chef for the gourmet picnic we all enjoyed.

Visit from the DePasquales

John and Jessie came for a visit in late January. During the visit John, with the power invested in him (by him)conferred upon me the status of honorary Italian, for which I am extremely proud and grateful. Sadly, the Italian grandmother or aunt who can really cook has not yet showed up here.

What, me worry???