May 2022 - Florida

beach rubbish (egg casings of whelk snail)!

31 May 2022 Tuesday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout at Boca Ciega Millennium Park where there were more mosquitoes than normal, yuck! Then stop at dentist to see if they could see me earlier than next Monday for tooth extraction but doctor is not in today...since this new practice bought out my mother's dental office, it has not been good.....need to find another dentist! Then visit with mum.

30 May 2022 Monday - Largo Florida
Happy Memorial Day! Morning walkabout at Eagle Lake Park where I saw heaps of birds including a beautiful pink spoonbill! Then shopping at Natures Food Patch hoping to find shredded carrots but still none to be had.

29 May 2022 Sunday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout then time at the pool.

28 May 2022 Saturday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout then spent time viewing videos that I had digitized from VHS format and copied them to thumbdrive to send to my sister and friends.

27 May 2022 Friday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout then visit to Florida Holocaust Museum in St Pete. One of our neighbors is featured there. The local library provides free tickets to selected museums using their checkout program.

26 May 2022 Thursday - Largo Florida
Beautiful morning walk on the beach with colorful sunrise and heaps of birds. Then visit to dentist to find I need a tooth removed!

22 May 2022 Sunday - Sarasota to Largo Florida
Returned from my short road trip and found no shredded carrots to be had in stores, they say that the universal shredder is broken!

21 May 2022 Saturday - Sarasota Florida
Morning drive on the Canopy Drive of Manasota Island then walkabout at Stump Pass State Park. Initially walked the trail but too many mosquitos and a very wet trail and a close encounter with a snake, so chose the walk via the beach instead where I could also walk in the water, look for shells and enjoy the breeze! Then visited Cedar Point Park and Don Pedro State Park before paying $6 toll to cross Boca Grande bridge to Gasparilla Island and enjoy the lighthouses at the State Park.

20 May 2022 Friday - Sarasota Florida
Morning walkabout at the Phillippi Estate Park on the shores of Phillippi Creek and around the Edson Keith Mansion. Then to the town of Venice where they had free parking and free clean toilets and free maps! Great grouper and homemade mousse lunch at the Crows Nest. Afternoon thunderstorm.

19 May 2022 Thursday - Largo to Sarasota Florida
Short roadtrip south with morning walkabout on the trails of Oscar Scherer State Park and visit to the nature center.

18 May 2022 Wednesday - Largo Florida
Walked to pharmacy for covid jab!

17 May 2022 Tuesday - Largo Florida
Neighbor went fishing near Bradenton and gave me some of his catch, mangrove snapper, delicious!

15 May 2022 Sunday - Largo Florida
Drive to Tampa Midtown for food shopping at Whole Foods and to return sahara pants to REI which I had purchased in NC. The design and quality of clothes has deteriorated so much, they were not worth keeping.

14 May 2022 Saturday - Largo Florida
Beautiful morning for walk on the beach then time at the pool, water is cooler today at 82 degrees. The beach was strewn with the egg casings (spiraled cluster of small disk-like pods) of the whelk sea snail.

13 May 2022 Friday - Largo Florida
Drove my neighbor to his doctor appointment then spent time organizing my APS film which I used late 1990's until mid 2000's. I have found local film processor who will digitize but it will be very expensive so need to be more selective.

12 May 2022 Thursday - Largo Florida
Spent all morning waiting for truck to fetch my van which I am donating to charity...too much trouble dealing with "the public"!

11 May 2022 Wednesday - Crystal River to Largo Florida (96 miles)
Returned via the toll road, a first for me since I always avoid the toll roads in my travels! I bought a transponder that works for most eastern states.

10 May 2022 Tuesday - Crystal River Florida
Early morning drive to Felburn Park and along the Withlacoochee Bay Trail/Cross Florida Barge Canal on a very dusty road, now my new car is very dirty! The Cross Florida Barge Canal was started in the 1960s and planned to cross the state of Florida but due to potential contamination of fresh water with salt water and the high costs, Nixon stopped the project in 1971. Short walk at the end with views of the Gulf where I chatted with some locals about the history (her grandfather was part of the project with his photo on the information display).  Named after the activist Marjorie Harris Carr responsible for the halt of the building of the canal, this greenway spans many miles with bicycle trail. Unfortunately there are also views of the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant, now closed!

Then drove the Follow That Dream Parkway through Yankeetown, named after the film done by Elvis here in the 1960s. Fresh grouper and homemade chocolate mousse at the Blackwater right on the Withlacoochee River...then visit to Bird Creek where the film was made. Wonderful walkabout at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve around the salt pond on the boardwalk and up the tower for views.

9 May 2022 Monday - Crystal River Florida
Morning walkabout at Three Sisters Springs. There is no onsite parking so you need to take the shuttle to the park, then I walked back via Hunter Springs Park and downtown Crystal River. More walks at Crystal River Preserve State Park and the Crystal River Archaeological State Park, a 61 acre pre-Columbian site with several burial mounds...interesting history.

8 May 2022 Sunday - Largo to Crystal River Florida (99 miles)
Short road trip to try out my new car.

7 May 2022 Saturday - Largo Florida
Suncoast Sandpiper Volkswalk exploring Largo Central Park and the downtown area then visit to the library. Home before afternoon thunderstorms.

6 May 2022 Friday - Largo Florida
Early mother's day for mum since I am travelling this weekend...we went to Sea Breeze for lunch then visit with her stepson then a new 'do' for mum at the hairdresser.

5 May 2022 Thursday - Largo Florida
Spent time on the telephone reviewing charity donation options for my vehicle.

4 May 2022 Wednesday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout then heavy rain storms.

3 May 2022 Tuesday - Largo Florida
Morning walk on the beach, gorgeous clouds and heaps of birds, then coffee at Gypsy Soul

2 May 2022 Monday - Largo Florida
Morning walkabout then time for swim at the pool, 83 degrees.

1 May 2022 Sunday - Largo Florida
Happy May Day!