Florida's Sun Coast...

I've been very fortunate in my travels. My wife and I make it a point to go somewhere each year, to relax and unwind, to explore and to broaden our horizons. Even in lean years, we would manage a long weekend to drive to the coast or a quick getaway to see the drag boat races in the Texas Hill Country.

When we lived in the Dallas Metroplex, we learned how to be local tourists. There were so many things to do. From the art museums and galleries to the zoos, parks and arboretum, there was always something to explore. We enjoyed musicals at Fair Park and the holiday Pops with the Dallas Symphony. We learned to enjoy what we had around us.

And then we moved to the Sun Coast. The area south of Tampa from Bradenton through Sarasota and down to Venice is a great place to vacation, especially if you can do it year-round.

The most obvious draw is the beach. Siesta Key Beach has been named the number one beach in America, and deservedly so. The sand is soft and clean, the water is clear and mostly gentle, and the beach is big and well maintained. Even on crowded Summer weekends, the beach doesn't feel crowded. We love to walk along and look for sand dollars, although this isn't the best shelling beach around. Siesta Key Beach is the best, in my opinion, but by no means the only one around. Turtle Beach is nice and is less crowded.

Up the coast, in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island, there are nice beaches that are much quieter. And a trip down to Venice will lead you to Caspersen Beach, where with just a little luck you'll find million-year-old fossilized shark's teeth.

Sarasota has a knack for holding street festivals. We've been to three different art festivals in downtown Sarasota, including one dedicated to chalk art on the streets - the theme this year was the circus. In addition, the Ringling museum is renowned for world-class art. Add in the galleries around town and there is enough to keep any art lover busy.  The weekly farmer's markets in Sarasota and Bradenton feel like street parties.

Downtown, there is Main street. For several blocks from Washington to past Pineapple there are funky little shops and restaurants that are a lot of fun to look in. We enjoy claiming downtown Sarasota as our home town. That's how it felt the very first time we wandered downtown.

The weather here is beautiful. Year round, it's nice to drive around town with the windows down. It gets warm, but not unbearably hot. And the Winter is quite pleasant. Even when the Gulf is too cool for swimming, the beach is inviting. Or if that's not your thing, a walk in the park with your sweetie could be just the thing. I know it is for me.

Sure, there is a lot for Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete to offer. And Fort Myers, Sanibel and Naples are also beautiful. The entire Gulf Coast of Florida has something to offer everyone. But the Sun Coast has just the right mix of laid-back sophistication for me.

Want what you have, Part II

Way back when I started this blog, I wrote about the happiness that is there for free for folks who are able to be happy with what they have. That's a philosophy I've tried to follow ever since Jimmy Buffett made it a theme in Where's Joe Merchant (I highly recommend it - I think I've read it four times). I've even thought about working it into my next tattoo. But, for every rule, there's an exception.

Eleven years ago when we got married on Hillsboro Beach, just North of Fort Lauderdale, we decided that we wanted to move to Florida. We've had many happy years in Texas, and we didn't *have* to live in Florida to be happy. But in a classic case of wanting something other than what you have - I found a job, and we moved to the Sun Coast. We've been here six weeks now, and we've been to seven different beaches (no repeats, so far). Right now we live about 12 miles from one of them, and it's nice knowing we can go walk on the sand and watch the sun set after work.

I think that "want what you have" still applies, even when you change up what you have. Even considering that the New hasn't worn off yet, I am happy with my job. The work is interesting and challenging, and I work with good people. We found a very nice apartment near the water with some beautiful views. Everyone is still happy and healthy and fed and clothed. I'm excited for my kids and my folks to come visit, but aside from that, I think I have everything I need, right here.

There's still a lot to do. Even though we got here in time for Spring Training, with a new job it was just too difficult to enjoy much of it. We haven't been more than a hundred miles from our apartment yet, and even though we've kept busy, there are places we want to see across the state.

I know lots of people that wish they were somewhere other than where they were. Most of them will never get the chance to live where they want. Many of them won't even get to visit their dream place. I'm a lucky soul, and I know it.

Brushing off the cobwebs...

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted here. We are planning two trips at the moment - the first time we've ever had more than one working at a time. We were talking the other day about how much we love to go and explore, and how much I love to talk about it. So I have an obligation that will last me a couple more weeks, but then I'd really like to get back to wandering. See y'all in a couple of weeks.

Bring the Tropics Home...

I love the summer.

I love the heat and the colors and the sounds. I love going barefoot and shirtless. I love working outside and cooking outside and playing outside. Most of all, I love the smells.

The smells of summer seem to reach deep into my brain. I smell jasmine and I remember summertime, 1970. Songs come floating on the wind, from almost four decades ago. I can see the fort in the backyard and the kids from down the street.

When I smell plumeria, I'm back in the airport on Maui. I'll never forget my wife's reaction when we walked through the open-air airport and smelled the flowers - the smell is everywhere, and every time I smell it I go back.

When I smell Coppertone suntan lotion, I go back to the beach. When I smell watermelon, it's the Fourth of July again. Other seasons have their smells: There's cut-grass and wildflowers in the spring. Winter has evergreens and apple-cinnamon. Autumn is damp leaves and pumpkin pie. But, for me, none of these reach as deep as the smells of summer.

This is why I pick up plants every chance I get. My porch is full with tropical plants. Just last week I bought a miniature yellow hibiscus to go with the two pink ones sitting out there. The jasmine is blooming and I can smell it whenever I go out. I love the greens and pinks and yellows and whites. My plants bring the tropics to my porch, which is where I love to be.

Summer has sounds, also, especially music. They aren't as strong as the smells, but they are close. I hear Seals & Crofts, The Eagles, CSN and Three Dog Night. Songs from these artists take me back to when summer was freedom - out of school, too young to work...just a couple of chores and hours at the pool.

Honestly, I'm happy year-round. I have a loving family who I enjoy spending time with. I have a great job and I have interests to occupy me. We are clothed and fed and reasonably comfortable. Every season has its beauty. But if I had to choose, I'd say I'm a summer-kindof guy.

The end of a journey...

Life is all about journeys. Some of them are long and arduous, some are brief, some are focused and some are some are meandering. We've been told and told, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." There is a lot of truth to this, though there is a lot to be said for the destination as well. The destination is where we sit and look back on the trip, pick through the memories and catalog our souvenirs. The destination can mark the end of a long path. It can also mark the beginning of a new one.

But the journey is what is most memorable. It is during the journey that we grow and learn. During the journey we have many choices in which way to go, how to get where we are headed (I started to say "where we are going", but they aren't always the same thing). Often we are not afforded the chance to undo or redo parts of the journey - that's okay. It's the journey that makes us who we are.

Enough philosophizing...Today is something of a destination for me. Yesterday I completed the requirements for my Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering. It was quite a journey. It was almost solid - nearly every day for 2 years. I'm glad to be at the destination, but I'm especially thankful for the journey. I met some very smart people who pushed me at times, and dragged me along at others. I've come out of it with potential life-long friends. I had instructors that challenged me and others that encouraged me greatly. In the end, it was a good experience for me.

I'm thankful to my family for putting up with me - all my late nights and daily work. My stress over projects that weren't going well. My school commitments that forced them to be flexible in my family time. I couldn't have done it without all their love and support.

So now it's on to a new journey. I'm not sure where it will lead; not even sure what it will look like. But I know for certain that we'll enjoy the trip.

Springtime...

Okay, so it's not quite here yet. But it's coming. It was in the mid-eighties today. It's a little early to smell the grass, and there aren't any wild flowers out yet. But the trees in the neighborhood have started coming back. Soon it will be time to start thinking about a garden and what I want to do with the flowerbeds. It's going to get cold again, in the next week or so they say. But Spring is close.

We are planning to clean this weekend. My wife is ready to clean out, and I'm kindof looking forward to it myself. We do this periodically throughout the year (major cleaning, I mean - we do normal cleaning fairly regularly). But we seem to be better at it in the Spring. Or maybe it's just not such a drag in the Spring. I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem to be so bad when the weather turns nicer.

Spring training is getting underway also. It won't be long before the kids start getting ready for little league baseball. I wonder if little league is like it was when I was a kid. I remember having tryouts. It wasn't actually a tryout. It was more an attempt at leveling the teams. Then practice would start. I hated practice. Lots of running. My five minutes' worth of batting practice. Then shagging fly balls in the outfield. But then came Opening Day, and it was all worth it. Clean uniforms, anticipation, and the pure promise of a new season. On opening day, the season was born - a rebirth that is like many things in Spring.

I can't wait for April showers. And I love the May Flowers that come with it. I love the smell of the grass and the beautiful 75 degree days. I'm ready to go for a walk by the lake with my wife.

Spring has always been my favorite time of year. I love the warmth of summer, and I can get into a good winter storm - once per year or so, thank you. Fall is a nice break from the hot summers (I like them, but they get old sometimes). But Spring is always full of promise. This year, just like every other, I'm ready to enjoy it...right after I finish cleaning.

For my darling wife...

It's not exactly the one you asked for, but it's a close as I could get.

Love you..