The Old and the Restless

First day on the beach was windy I rented a bike for Joshua. The first place to ride was the trail from Osteen to Gemini Springs with the mandatory stop at Green Springs. The alligator cooperated by floating by. After lunch at Gemini Springs we walked by the stream. When Margot and Ella went to the pool, there was an uninvited guest. Margot and Ella visited Smyrna Dunes Park. A gopher tortoise obligingly posed for a photo On the way to Publix for some groceries we went through Indian River Lagoon Park. Margot took Joshua and Ella to Blue Springs. Because it was warm, I didn’t think they would see any manatee. They walked up to the boil where Megan and I once went scuba diving and there were two manatee with tracking devices on them. Normally manatee would not be there because there is no food at the boil. They must have been fed lettuce there.

Because we have been so tired in the evening after a ride we decided to do a shorter ride, 35 km, to Titusville and back. Accordingly we drove to the Aurantia Rd Trailhead which had parking (but no washroom). Because of the strong wind coming from the south, we had to stop frequently for water…and rest. Two people who passed us riding e-bikes asked if we were going to the launch. Thinking she said “lunch” I was going to ask her where, but then realized that we might be in time for a rocket launch which had been postponed the last two days. The Trailhead start is at the green arrow. We were riding on part of the Florida East Central Regional Rail Trail. Because it is quite open it can be quite hot. With a temperature of 25C and the strong winds, heat was not a problem. We rode to the park in Titusville near the bridge going to Merritt Island. We noticed that a lot of people were arriving by car (and using the one washroom that was open) So…after lunch in the pavilion we joined others wh...

   A ride to Blue Springs when the weather is cold (for Florida) means a visit to the manatee who are seeking warmer water. The excitement in this view was the ‘gator who, with his back to the audience, is beside the log on the opposite shore. The manatee are the white shapes in front. By afternoon, the manatee are heading out to the river in search of grass to eat. Because of a die-off of river grasses, they have been fed lettuce while in the Spring. In this photo you can see a baby with the adults. The baby moved into the middle as the adult raised its head.                                     This manatee had been badly injured by a boat. A fearless armadillo entertained our ride.

We had a pre-Christmas party on December 18 this year. Megan Paul and Tom came and brought hot apple cider which we had in the back yard. Because of the velocity of the omicron variant of COVID they did not stay for dinner. Ella in the kitchen. For dinner we had pulled pork with roasted plantain and various other dishes. Joshua with the Paris-Brest cake that Margot made for my birthday. This round, choux-pastry cake in the shape of a bicycle wheel was created in 1910 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race. Margot felt that the tire had gone flat. We thought it was delicious. Ella, after dinner. Time to leave. If Margot holds Molly, she stops barking. I guess she is reassured that she will not be left behind. DECEMBER 25- Christmas Day The Christmas Day celebration was at Mark and Margot's in Barrie. Before dinner we had a Christmas concert. Joshua wished us a Merry Christmas on the guitar. Grandma McCrossan's china looked beautiful on the table. Margot made a beautif...

It has been a cool, rainy spring. Usually the magnolias last a day or  two. Now they are out with the forsythia, daffodils and tulips. During COVID when it's too rainy to pull weeds or ride, a challenge can be to cook one of Margot's recipes. I tried her Lemon Lime Pie,  a two day effort. I think I lost count on the amount of whipping cream and used too much. The first slice flipped off the server. This week my sourdough was done as a loaf. On this I lost count of the amount of flour I was using. At the Loblaws cooking school we were told to measure everything first and put it in separate bowls. That way, if we get distracted, we might not lose track of what we were doing. The bread dough was wetter than I like but it baked up fine. Sourdough is a three day effort. At the same time as making bread and the pie, I was making soup with the sorrel from the garden. Perhaps it was too many things at once.

  Prepared to bike ride... However, wearing a mask while riding is difficult especially when going up a hill. The protocol became: wear the mask when going indoors to a washroom (if available) or  restaurant (if open) or when talking to other people.At this time washrooms were not open and restaurants were only drive-through. Alicia made a COVID cake Alicia, Apache and Tryskel Pets are popular during isolation. When you live in the country in Switzerland it's handy to have a dog and a horse (and another dog, and rabbits and love birds) Showing social distancing at Rosetta McClain Gardens Bike riding had to be put on hold for a while. I am now more careful and WALK through the styles that are on a walkway. The swallowtail butterfly on the mock orange in my garden was missing a tail. Front garden The lavender was beautiful this year. Echinacea prefers this spot to where it was before. Joshua chose to have a Bl...