Friday, November 29, 2013

A Day in Orange Grove Country

During our stay in Sebastian on the  Atlantic Coast of Florida we visited Hale Groves.

On this hot and humid day, we had a refreshing taste of the most delicious fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice.

We toured the facility and found many wonderful products ... some orange marmalade, lime jelly and a herb spice seasoning and lots of interesting kitchen items, souvenirs and household decor.

If you find yourself in this area... put this on your must visit list, you won't be disappointed.







Www.halegroves.com

A French Parcel

This week in our mailbox we found a small package postmarked from France.

Our Belgian Connection friends who live in France sent us a souvenir photo book filled with many pictures of our adventures and times spent together in France this year. 

What a wonderful surprise ... a thoughtful and treasured souvenir.

It now has pride of place on our coffee table in the living room.

Each photo tells a story and has a special memory.



Merci beaucoup Madame M and Monsieur Guy!

P.s. See my other blog "Postcards from the Lot" for many stories and photos about our encore trip to France earlier this year.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Winter Morning Walk

"Walking in the morning takes you to beautiful places where light and shade make love"... 
Prof. Mohamed Shareef


It was a brisk morning with temperatures recorded at -2 Celsius and with the wind chill factor the weather station stated it felt like -8 Celsius.

I only felt the cold when the wind was blowing directly in my face. 

My body was quite warm dressed in layers.

I have not taken the time yet to shop for the proper winter walking gear, so I borrowed pieces of Msr. Honey's clothing.

I wore his pair of red thermal long johns, sweat pants and his wind pants and paired them with my long sleeve t-shirt, my socks, my hooded red winter jacket, a toque, gloves and winter boots.
 
Oh my how attractive that sounds!

Today, I had the company of my walking buddy Susie Q.

The sidewalks and streets in our neighbourhood sparkled and glistened with ice, so we ventured into the nearby forest for today's walk.

It was pristine and quiet, you could hear the trees creeking when the wind blew.


There were many beautiful photographic opportunities but apparently my camera does not like the cold temperatures either and I didn't dress it in proper winter layers.

The shutter would open and close just as quickly without allowing me to take the pictures I wanted to capture.

 So use your imagination to visualize the trees the beavers had been busily chewing to make their dams, the fast flowing stream, and along the path leading back to the streets I saw something flicker and felt like someone was watching us ...there camouflaged amidst the browns and greys of the barren trees and shrubs was a deer waiting silently for us to leave.




My walking partner was lucky to get a shot in her phone of the deer...

   Can you see "Waldo" the deer?

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Road Home

With mixed feelings we are starting our journey home today.
The sun has been in hiding since yesterday, with heavy rain and thunderstorms most of our last day.

Msr. Honey took this photo late in the day, the flower is still wet from it's shower.


We headed out this morning in hot, humid conditions ...and then the heavens opened pouring buckets of water on us...almost like driving thru an automatic car wash for almost two hours.


The sun trying to come out...


Day two on the road... 


The shot tower...

A runaway truck ramp on I-77...

Our day ended with rain ... an overnight stay near Pittsburgh and our final leg of travel tomorrow.

The photos represent the ever changing landscape along the roads and highways as we travel.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Big Pond

This week you will find Pat and Monsieur Honey on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean! 

Are we in the Basque Country of France or on the Florida Coast in America?

   The Atlantic Ocean ... Orchid Island, Florida 
  
 


   The Atlantic Ocean ... Bidart, France 




Isn't it amazing to think this body of water is so large and that we were able to see and enjoy both sides of the Atlantic in the same year?

Friday, November 15, 2013

Peek-a-Boo


Playing "peek-a-boo" with the sun when you have travelled a long distance to escape the grey skies is no fun ...not at all like playing this childhood game with the grandchildren.


Today (Thursday) was a better day than yesterday. 


On Wednesday there was no pool time, the wind added an additional chill to the air ... so we went shopping at the large Premium Outlet Mall.



When we first arrived it was very quiet, yes ... perfect for some shopping with Monsieur Honey who he even found some "Joseph's Coat of Many Colours" socks!

These socks the louder and crazier in colour and pattern have become a must for his daily attire... almost like his own personal trademark.

But by the time I entered some specific shops ...the checkout lines were way too long for me to wait to pay for my purchases while Msr. Honey waited on the bench in the atrium.

Maybe some more shopping will be on the cards.

The sun kept teasing us today playing "hide and seek" behind the clouds.


You could hear the guests from their poolside lounge chairs pleaing with the sun "Come out, come out wherever you are"!

When it did come out it was bright filling the skies with glowing light and the air with a radiating heat.

All in all not a bad day poolside!


Checkmate!


And then there are days the sky is so clear and blue....

                     




Pool Reflections


There are times when peace and quiet are needed to help you reflect on your life. 

Just like looking in a mirror you can see the reflection of your true self.

These photos were all taken of water reflecting the surroundings!










Are reflections views of the past or just mirror images of the present in reverse?