Janet and Tom's and Key Largo

In Frederick, Janet and Tom were our friends and neighbors, fellow volleyball players and church members, their girls babysat Holm, and we've visited daughter Erin and family in Amsterdam. They've lived in Coral Gables, FL for 14 years, and tell us we hold the record for being their most frequent visitors (not reeeeal sure that's a good thing). Anyway, they keep inviting us back and have a separate guest cottage, so we come visit when we can.

Their home looks fairly modest from the street...

.......but the backyard is where the living takes place.

Tom designed the pool they added. 

The Love Shack

One of the joys of this visit is a mama cardinal in that green bush right along this path. We peek in on her every time we go by, she almost never leaves, but today I got a photo of the nest while she was away.

I wanted to spend a night in the Keys, so our friends recommended a place right at the entrance to Key Largo. Hurricane Irma damage is still very apparent throughout the Keys, we've been told, and we noticed some leftover damage, large dumpsters full of debris, and brand-new everything at our resort. They must have had to do our room over from scratch, it was that pristine.

Which came first, this shipwreck or Irma?

Drove over to Key Largo proper for happy hour.

And back to our resort for sunset. The folks on the beach with us actually applauded after the sun set, very sweet.

Outside our room

Tempting the fates

Obligatory yes, we-were-there-together selfie.

 Our Gilbert's Resort from the Lake Surprise bridge.

For going back to Coral Gables, we did what we've done before. As soon as we get back to Homestead we head west and zigzag north through the south Florida growing areas. Papaya and avocado orchards, nurseries with all manner of plants one can buy at Costco or Home Depot, giant palm tree nurseries, acres of roses, eggplants, yellow squash and zucchini, there's just so much to see!

And today is our friend Janet's birthday. Tom's suggestion for our birthday gift for her was an orchid, and wow, did we luck out somewhere north of Redland when we found a place that sells nothing but orchids and manzanillas. What beauty!

These are the ones we chose for Janet. The darker one smells like heaven!!

Respects and Tears

Our Deerfield Beach stay in Florida was quite close to Parkland, so we made a pilgrimage to pay our respects to those beloved children slain at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.  

Schools were closed this week for spring break; the only people there were guards allowing vendors in and out of gated areas, and others paying their respects like us.

There were banners of sympathy and encouragement hanging on long stretches of fences around parking lots.

The berm around the school has been visited by so many that the grass was long gone, as were floral tributes. Note the sheriff's portable observation post. There was also a police porta-office alongside the road.

It was easy to cry.

Our dear friends in Coral Gables live right off Calle Oche, the road over which the pedestrian bridge collapsed a few weeks ago. We went through the area on our way to the Keys. The #FIU Strong refers to the bridge being a part of the Florida International University campus.

This is all that's left of this tragic story.

Hello, Florida: Mini-reunions, vitriole, and Wakodahatchee

We flew from PWM to FLL via BWI, and since we had a three-hour layover in Baltimore, I called Judy, my college roommate, who was able to come meet me at the airport. First time we've seen each other in seven(?) years, a sweet mini-reunion. Judy's written a book and brought me a copy (although I already bought one). All proceeds go to a local animal shelter.

We first stayed with Allen's childhood friend, Tom Monson, and his wife of two years, Rosemarie, at their Deerfield Beach condo, right on a waterway near the ocean.

There's a marina adjacent to them, lots of BIG boats coming and going.

They have two adorable 7-m.o. Persians.

Allen, Tom, and their friend Keith Holtan were best friends and stars of the Forest City High School Class of 1967. Keith and wife Jacalyn spend winters in Ft. Myers Beach, and drove over for our first full day here, a nice reunion. Here's Jac admiring the view.

We spent the day touring the immediate neighborhood and hitting the pier on Deerfield Beach.  Tom, me, Rosemarie, Allen, Keith.

Sunday of Easter Week, packed beaches, great people-watching.

Jac and I took a great walk along this section of beach; sand too hot for bare feet, quite the change from Maine!

Someone caught a beautiful "reef fish," not a keeper because they're protected.

L-R Keith, Rosemarie, Tom

The three "greats," Tom, Allen, Keith, as one of their classmates calls them.

Me and Jac.

About a minute after the Holtans departed, the reality show began as it became rapidly clear our hosts' marriage was in serious trouble. They poked and jabbed at each other constantly; no opportunity to have at the other was overlooked. Rosemarie spent most of the rest of our visit telling me about how awful Tom was to her, her jealousy over his relationship with his former girlfriend (also our friend), and their money problems, and it was difficult to steer any conversation away from these topics. Tom likewise broached some of this with Allen, although perhaps not 24/7, and asked us both not to mention that we're seeing the ex and her family later in the week. I ended up pretty exhausted and upset by it all. Thank goodness turning on American Idol in the evening put an end to conversation for the day. I feel sorry for the cats.

No photos of the two of them smiling, surprise.

Conversely, they took us ("Why haven't you ever brought me here?" "I've asked you many, many times.") to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, probably the closest and most exciting bird-watching experience I've ever had. And considering this is a man-made area created only in 1996, it's a raging success.

The county make it easy accessible to enjoy the one-mile walk.

Wood storks by the hundreds were nesting, with babes anywhere from eggs to teenagers.

They were joined by a number of other types of birds nesting layer-like in the rookeries, all manner of ducks and other waterfowl, anhingas, turtles, alligators, etc.

The storks were so tame that they literally flew right over our heads as they searched for nest materials and fish, and we were less than five feet from some of the nests. So thrilling!