Wednesday

John stopped to take this beautiful picture on our way back from our causeway walk this morning. He stopped his bike because it was a rare gathering of four different birds: roseate spoonbill, wood stork, great white egret, and another one not pictured nor remembered.

We took Toby to Enterprise Dog Park for a quick 2-lap walk. 

The black collie was overzealous in his herding instincts. He breaks up any dog that is playing and having a good time. Then he likes to pin the "offending" dog in a show of dominance. 

We've run into this dog several times at the park. The owner just yells at him. It's not fair to Toby because he is so submissive. It makes the collie and the other dogs gang up on him. He doesn't understand; he pops up and still tries to play with them.

Anyway, he had a good time, even if we did make an early exit.

Morning coffee time

The  causeway was nice this morning.

 

Toby, after his bath.

 

We didn't make any headway on hanging the light fixture. Still mulling it over.  

Miles walked: 7.6

Miles biked: 5.04

 

Tuesday

We had a nice walk on the causeway this morning. It was 72 degrees. 

On our first neighborhood walk, Toby spotted his new friend Layla and got into the position to lure her to him.

 It worked. First the human.

Pat, pat. 

Then the dog. 

Sniff, sniff. 

Success!

He entertained us all with his moves.

 

 

We unboxed the new chandelier and decided to swap the office and the dining room. Before we hang it, we need to make sure we like this arrangement. If we use this room for a dining room, then the fixture will need to hang lower than if we use it as an office.

When we remodel the kitchen, we'll lower the bar to counter height and use these bar stools for quick meals. I think that'll make this a nice spot.

 

 We had mahi mahi, rice, and turnips for dinner.

We made a run to Ace Hardware and picked up another yard waste bin, dimmer for LED lights, wire strippers, and electrical tape.

The temperature got up to 84 degrees today.

 

Miles walked: 9.8

Miles biked: 0

Monday

We rode our bike to check things out at the Dunedin Community Center and picked up some brochures. 

 

You don’t have to be a member to use the facilities or attend classes, but if you are a member you get a discount on everything. You must be a resident to become a member, but the charges for classes and to use the gym are reasonable.

 

The exercise room is really nice. I think my parents will be more comfortable here in July than the outdoor gym. The equipment is much nicer and cleaner.

The branch library inside is closed because of Covid, but the main branch on Douglass is open.

Then we rode downtown.

 

The temperature got up to 81 with some sun and clouds.

It was 72 and foggy on our causeway walk this morning.

No visibility.

John said it was like walking in a cloud.

After an hour of walking, the fog lifted.

Salad and black bean soup for dinner. Our neighbors provided the soup. They are really good to us.

Our office chandelier finally came. I was beginning to think it was trapped in the Suez Canal on the Ever Given.

The obligatory Toby picture. He got to say hi to his friend Pickles and met a new friend. He laid down in the grass while we talked with neighbors on the walk. We met a new neighbor from Boston tonight because of Toby. She stopped us to tell us that Toby reminded her of Petey on "The Little Rascals." We've gotten that comment a lot. 

Today’s bike routes to the causeway, outdoor gym, community center, and downtown.

Miles walked: 10.2

Miles biked: 17.87

 

 

Sunday

We took Toby on an afternoon walk around Lake Saundra. It was 82 degrees, but very nice in the shade.

This morning it was 75 degrees, so we decided to ride our bikes out to the island and walk on the beach.

 

 

 

 

Today's bike route to Honeymoon Island

 

We spent more time at home than we usually do. It gave me a chance to rake leaves, vacuum, and mop. 

We got Chinese take out for dinner, and I made a little side salad to go with it.

 

Miles walked: 6

Miles biked: 11.71

 

Saturday

 

This morning we headed downtown on our bikes so that we could lock them up at the History Museum and walk along Edgewater Drive. The temperature was in the low 70s.

 

 

 Edgewater Park is in Clearwater, but the park connects seamlessly to Hubbard Park in Dunedin.

The air was clear. We could see Clearwater Beach high rises.

 

 

On the walk back to Dunedin, we went inland a few blocks and took the Pinellas Trail north.  These bougainvillea bushes on the trail are 12 feet tall.

 

 We locked our bikes here because there’s a convenient restroom for the beginning and ending of our walk.

On our way into town, we stopped at the outdoor gym for a workout. There were only three people there and they weren’t laughing and talking like the crowd yesterday. It was easy to maintain a safe distance.

After lunch we took Toby to Wall Springs Park for a walk. It was 88 degrees. Last time, our walk was aborted due to a runaway skate board that spooked him.

Today he did okay for about a half mile; then all the sudden he turned and wanted to go home. We’ve learned to listen to him and chalk it up to his normal development from puppy to adult dog.

Dee Dee used to jump on you when she wanted to turn around and go home. She never outgrew that. Dexter, on the other hand, would never turn around on a walk. It was full speed ahead. When he got old, he would lay down and rest, but he never wanted a walk to end.

The Coastal Trail at Wall Springs is still our favorite walk, whether he agrees or not.

After our Wall Springs walk, we took Toby home to his crate and headed to Highlander and Hammock Parks on our bikes. John wanted to check out the community center and library for my parents’ upcoming visit. The center was closed, so we will follow up.

So we headed to the newly created water retention and overflow pond in Hammock Park.

We found the water source. Cedar creek is beyond the bushes. It originates somewhere in the park and empties into the sound.

At high tide, the water will flow into the pond, but the berm will ensure water stays in the pond at low tide. 

The gap in the walkway will be restored when the project is complete. The walkway will make for good viewing. The Pinellas Trail is on the other side of the trees above.

 

On our last walk of the day, Toby got treats from our neighbor and introduced him to her niece. He did great. His people skills are getting better.

Today’s bike route downtown and to the parks.

We split a take out burrito from Juan’s for dinner.

Miles walked: 8.8

Miles biked: 12.3