Monday

 

Our first bird of paradise bloom of the season

We started our summer schedule today: exercise in the morning before it gets too hot. 

A little after 8:00, I rode my bike south on the Pinellas Trail to Coachman park to stretch. It was about 70 degrees.

It's a 7-mile ride each way, almost all of it on the trail.

I rode around the park first.

Taking in the scenes. There were a handful of people walking around while I was there. At times, I was the only person that I could see in the park.

Due to the early hour, I found a new spot shaded by a palm tree.

I stopped at Weaver park on the way home for some strength training.

After lunch, we had a visitor. For the second time in the last month, we had a snake come into the sunroom through openings around the wall air conditioner. The first time, it was a green snake; today it was a black snake.

John got him and took him outside.

Imagine, sitting down to do work at your computer and seeing this fellow looking at you. Our long-term plan is to remove the wall A/C, block up the hole, and install a mini split unit.

After lunch, I rode my bike to my annual physical appointment with my primary care physician. Her new office is 5 miles north on the Pinellas Trail.

This opening in the trees marks the path to take off of the trail and into a neighborhood to get to the doctor's office through the back streets.

The "off ramp" from the neighborhood perspective. I never had to get on any busy roads once I got on the trail in our neighborhood. This bicycle connectivity is what I dreamed about for our retirement. We can visit the dentist, dermatologist, physician, and hospital via bicycle, not to mention the grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, downtown events, and Honeymoon Island.

My bike ride on the peninsula today.

Close up: I started at the red dot, rode south to Clearwater, then home for lunch, and then north to Palm Harbor for my doctor's appointment: 26.22 miles total. I spent over 2 hours on my bike today. 

Monday's dinner: turkey burgers, salad, baked broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and squash

Friday

 

We got an early start this morning.

Around 9:30, we took a long walk to the first tidal bridge on Causeway Boulevard.

The Pinellas Trail was busy.

After lunch, I biked south on the Pinellas Trail to Coachman park in Clearwater. I found this palm tree on the lawn to block the sun while I stretched. This is my view from the ground, looking up into the sky.

And this was my view looking out onto the lawn.

The lake and fountain on the southwest edge of the park.

The high temperature today was 82 degrees but the humidity was low and the breezes were strong, so it felt just great.

The tiered reflecting pools on the east side of the park. The city workers were getting ready for weekend concerts, but on Friday afternoon, it was pretty sparse.

We jogged and walked a little before dinner. Dinner was a salad, salmon patties from TJ's, and roasted veggies. 

For the day, I biked over 14 miles and walked/jogged over 11. And I stopped at Weaver park to do strength training. A great day.

Toby's new leash arrived after dinner--two handled for better control in close quarters.

 

Thursday

 

The workers arrived first thing this morning, ready to demolish the back bathroom.

Last view of the old bathroom

3 1/2 hours later

They finished the demolition before lunch, removing the tile from the walls and the door casings (because the tile messed them up).

Towel rack and tile wall

Ceiling fan

tub and tile surround

floor tile, toilet, vanity and mirror

We had wanted to take out the soffit above the tub to raise the shower ceiling to match the rest of the bathroom, but we needed to keep the costs down. So, it stays. 

The next step is to wait for the plumber. He will install the tub first. Then our workers can install the wallboard. I think all of the electrical work in the bathroom is on the surface, no new lines.

Less than a year ago, John asked a mayoral candidate (she won) at a meet-n-greet at one of our neighbors' houses about the city replacing the dead trees in the median of Palm Boulevard, which the city owns and maintains. She won the race last November and must have remembered his question because today, two flat bed trucks pulled up at Stirling park with palm trees ready to be planted.

The city planted dozens of new trees in the 3/4 mile median to replace those that had fallen during the hurricane or died over the years. We were impressed, especially with all the other storm related needs.

We took the golf cart downtown after lunch and treated Toby to some ice cream. He sampled a few flavors and chose Beef Stew.

On the way to the ice cream counter, Toby grabbed a pail of cookies and spilled them all over the floor, managing to scarf down one. I apologized and told the clerk to add it to our tab.

On the way out, Toby grabbed a pancake-size treat that we later found out was dried rabbit meat. He tried to swallow it whole. John grabbed part of it out of his mouth and asked the clerk to "add it to our tab." We thought later, what a display scheme! All open containers of irresistible treats on display on the bottom shelf where dogs' noses are. It didn't help that our two-handled leash broke just before we left for downtown. We had to resort to our old leash with only one handle at the end. Our preferred leash has a handle integrated into the leash that's about two feet from the dog, so when you need to keep him close, you can. I ordered a new one when we got home.

On the way downtown, we took the shell path through Highlander park. Just as I was taking this picture, Toby jumped up and tilted the camera.

This is the shot I was going for. He knows when we make a left at the ball field that that choice leads to downtown fun and sometimes ice cream. From that moment on, he can't sit still. He's up and down, up and down, like a tightly coiled spring going off every three seconds.

Last walk of the afternoon at Stirling park. We will all sleep well tonight. Toby never got a nap. It was the best day ever for him.

For dinner, we prepared a mix of peppers and onions (Thanks, Trader Joe's), some fire roasted corn (TJ's), black beans, and garlic. We topped a tortilla with the mix and a slice of havarti with another tortilla on top. We grilled them on the griddle. They were very messy, but delicious.

Wednesday

 

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny and warm day. The high was 77 degrees; the breeze was moderate. We started the day with a trip to Trader Joe's, then a long walk on the Pinellas Trail before lunch. After lunch, I rode my bike to Coachman park in Clearwater.

I did my stretching exercises. I counted six people and one dog in the park.

It's a great place to be. Nice breeze, a little bit of shade, beautiful view. Peaceful.

Cars and trucks pass by overhead on the way to Clearwater Beach. There's a constant hum and thump as they cross the expansion joint between the mainland and the first span.

The bridge has overlooks which allow walkers to look over into the park. When we're on the bridge, we're always on the other side which is wider for the bike trail, also with overlooks but with a view of the sound.

I stopped at Weaver park in Dunedin on the way home to exercise some more, strength training. There was a miniature schnauzer at the gym watching me and barking whenever my feet left the concrete. I thought of Maggie. I hope everyone has a peaceful night.

I used my bonus points on my charge card to order a new pair of shoes. I kept going to my back up, back up, back up shoes to find a suitable pair. We're averaging 9.5 miles of walking per day this month, including a little bit of jogging. Shoes wear out fast at that pace.

We pulled out leftover veggies and added beets and a turkey burger topped with smoked gouda cheese for dinner.

We found out late this afternoon, that our construction crew will be coming to demo the back bathroom tomorrow morning. We are ready, so the short notice is not a problem. I cleaned it this evening. (Yes, it was so dirty that we had to clean it before demolishing it.) We're just glad they are getting started. Our job is a small one, so they told us they would fit us in whenever they have a lull in their big projects. They are stuck waiting on subcontractors on their other projects. Last look at the pink and beige bathroom!