Ducks, kitchen renovation, and the quiet of off season

I do exist I promise.  Checking in and yes, I'm alive and well, if a little snowed under. We have gone from moving in the house  to now ripping up the kitchen to update. This part is no bowl of giggles that's for sure. The laundry room wash tub has become a hub with dishwashing and coffee making happening here. It will all be worth it and I promise to post a photo when it's done.

The other thing that's making me spin around like a top is we've decided to take the condo off the market and put it back into the seasonal renter pool. The market for the condos has gone soft so no offer has been forthcoming. The complication is seasonal renters require furnished places, so now I'm arranging to have the movers move back a fair amount of what they moved 2 months ago and more buying of furniture for the new house is happening. Wheeeee.

Ugly duck (Muscovy) the ducklings are cute though

All things have gone quiet here, with traffic back to reasonable and no issues getting into restaurants. The temperatures are starting to scoot into summer territory (90's) and shortly there will be no need for the pool heater. Star Mountain is calling but this year will be later than normal (late June) due to all this stuff going on (plus I'm babysitting Penny and Jules in early June while Tiffany and Chris go to Australia. Whoop whoop for them!)

I leave for Seattle tomorrow to visit Mom and Anne and family. Mom just turned 90 so have to go and do a little bit of celebrating. 'Tis a big deal.

And since I posted Heather and Brian's visit they have been busy as well. They got married! So happy for them. It's glorious.

Heather and Brian's great short visit

Gosh Heather and Brian's visit was quick! Blink and it's done. Great to have them down and it was Brian's first time in Naples. Wish they could have stayed longer. Next time. Hmmm, next time could be 3 not 2. Very exciting!

Pool time was good. I think it's safe to say Mark's desire to have a pool back was a good one. First time having a pool with an electric heater. A marvelous invention. It will not be needed in the summer however. That Florida heat turns the pool water into bath water all on it's own.

Did some eating out including a good authentic Mexican restaurant nearby, Salsa Brava. We were joined by a crowd coming in via this vehicle - drink and pedal your way around town. A novel approach. We were just finishing our lunch, I might add, good thing as this is a tiny place, and it was a large happy group.

It's that time of year around here. Baby ducklings everywhere. Very sweet.

Another young one. This time I heard a strange bird call over and over from a distance away. Got close enough to take one quick photo. This bird was all brown, which the camera didn't catch, and big. Turns out it was a juvenile sand hill crane sadly all by itself. Those giant exotic birds stay in this part of Florida only for winter and then move up north. I believe he got left behind.

All is going quiet here now. Season is almost over and the locals breathe a sigh of relief. I don't know where we count these days, local, snowbird, maybe resident. Ha who knows...

Spring break visit with the Walkers

Family visit with much fun. Tiffany, Chris, Penny, and Jules just left after a week of very concentrated water activities. Penny's spring break (she's first grade ya know).

The pool was  a giant success. In fact, we had to drag the girls out to eat lunch, then drag them out again for dinner. They have not started back with swimming lessons yet (too early there) but when they do go they'll likely be advancing in a big way. They became mermaids in the water here.

The rules being explained - serious business

Their visit coincided with Easter, so an Easter bunny visit and Easter egg hunt was on!

A brief moment of resting inside. Tablets were put aside in favor of outdoor activity- as it should be.

So sweet,you'd think Tiffany and Chris were all by themselves. Trick of the camera - masses of people everywhere.

xoxo

Just love, love, love these girls. So special that they were able to come down.

Yes, eyes do not deceive. Those are painkillers on the table

Last night was out to dinner at a longtime restaurant in old town Naples - Dock at Crayton Cove. Somehow we had never been but it was perfect for a family waterfront visit. Much fun and sad it's all over. More company on the way. Heather and Brian next weekend yippee!

Spring in Florida- gorgeous sunsets, white sand, and swaying palm trees

Calmer is the descriptive word of the day. That does not mean it's calmer in the city, whoa, between spring break and season still in full swing, traffic is major and restaurants difficult to get into. Now we don't get the really wild stuff- the college spring breakers, Naples is far too sedate for them. So calmer is really all about me and my state of mind at the moment. Funny how all things slow down and you can smell the roses, so to speak when intense deadlines have passed.

Our first guests at the house have come and gone. Brett and Maria, so lovely to have you over. The event was the golf men's member/guest but Maria and I had fun on our own, you know shopping, lunch out, what's not to like...

My first beach visit since the beginning of January. I can't believe it myself - waaay overdue. Great stuff with lots of activity happening. Fishing, boating, skidoo, and a volunteer staff member at the park speaking on unusual findings on the beach. A world all unto itself.

My art table has arrived. Ha - in many pieces. I don't know about you, but this is not my favorite activity. It's the leftover parts that are scary - wish me luck.

Excitement in our family. Some of you have already heard, but we're going to have another grandchild, Heather is pregnant!! I can't express how excited and thrilled we are. Baby fun coming up!👶👶👶👶👶👶👶👶🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🍼🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤

Annnd, we're moved in.

I'm back and hopefully on track now that we have actually moved in the house. What an endeavor for anyone moving. Doesn't seem to matter if it's a short distance or long, just a lot to handle.

We have company coming next week (Brett and Maria) and shortly thereafter Tiffany, Chris, and the girls are coming for a week (Penny's spring break - how funny that sounds but she is in 1st grade after all), followed by Heather and Brian for a short weekend trip down. It's a fabulous time of year here so thrilled we have so much company right away. The condo remains for sale with no buyer yet. Keeping fingers crossed it will happen soon. It's a cute place and all redone, we just wanted back in a house, and then there's the pool and grill thing...

A mass influx of tropical birds has been happening the last couple weeks. They gather at the different ponds hunting. I have given up the water view at the condo but happily my newly adjusted morning walk goes by 7 ponds. Gotta have that nature fix. We also have a small back yard past our pool that I can already tell is full of birds. Tis the kind of thing that makes me happy.