Pennsylvania or Florida the old pooch needs her early am walk. I really don’t mind because I am an early riser and it is pleasantly cool here in the mornings. I am bleary eyed but must remain a little more alert - for one there is an 8ft alligator in one of the nearby ponds and lots of little ones. The big one is quite spectacular. There are other critters about like bobcats, coyotes and snakes so I don’t want the old gal getting into any trouble.
The parade of exercisers start just after sun up and for a few before. Its an impressive thing: bikers regular and recumbent, joggers and walkers lots of walkers. Their routines are established long ago during the summer when exercise happens early or you go to some mall. The club house does have a well used gym that is busy in the mornings. (And a bunch of heated pools)
One morning at around 7AM the sky was light but the sun was not up yet we hadn’t cleared the driveway and a nice lady ‘walker’ said hello to Dusty. Most people here are like Dusty amazingly friendly.
The family home we are staying in is in a Sarasota gated community. Ive been here many times but never as a retired guy looking for a change. The the villas look the same to me more then ten years after they were built. Solid cement walls with hurricane blinds they were built to withstand hurricanes and termites.
The landscaping is impressive - tended to by an army of landscapers who regularly come mow, trim and blow. Maintenance is required -if your wall gets green mold you will be notified and if you don’t clean it they will. There are ponds galore with walkways and stately ornate bridges. I saw an osprey crash into the water a few feet away and come away with a tilapia. The gators fancy those tilapia too.
There are over 1000 homes in this community and many are winter homes. They stand empty during the heat of the summer. Since all the home are groomed and look similar theres no way to know which are empty. Walk the old gal at 9PM and there seems to be little life.
The first order of business after the groceries when we arrived was to get a fishing license and two plastic containers of night crawlers. I put them to good use, first dozen cast yielded 3 bass but the building breeze chased me away. I met a teenager who had caught a 8 pounder 2 days earlier. Verified by a picture on his phone. The ponds are just loaded with bass and gar. This place is a birders paradise blue heron, spoon bills, ospreys and you name it. Sitting here at the kitchen table I can hear them all. All that sun supports so much life.
Traffic is horrendous -my SIL says “onlys for 6 months a year.” There are a couple of new, much discussed, traffic circles which are supposed to be safer but the old people still manage to have accidents. DW reported there was another one yesterday.
Walking back from fishing last night I saw a reckless woman with 2 kids in a fast golf cart flying over the bridges to kids delight. Had someone been on the other side of the bridge...
The skyway bridge and saltwater fishing is on my agenda but being retired means there is no rush. The pace of life behind the walls here appeals to me. Ive exercised every day..its been great.
The parade of exercisers start just after sun up and for a few before. Its an impressive thing: bikers regular and recumbent, joggers and walkers lots of walkers. Their routines are established long ago during the summer when exercise happens early or you go to some mall. The club house does have a well used gym that is busy in the mornings. (And a bunch of heated pools)
One morning at around 7AM the sky was light but the sun was not up yet we hadn’t cleared the driveway and a nice lady ‘walker’ said hello to Dusty. Most people here are like Dusty amazingly friendly.
The family home we are staying in is in a Sarasota gated community. Ive been here many times but never as a retired guy looking for a change. The the villas look the same to me more then ten years after they were built. Solid cement walls with hurricane blinds they were built to withstand hurricanes and termites.
The landscaping is impressive - tended to by an army of landscapers who regularly come mow, trim and blow. Maintenance is required -if your wall gets green mold you will be notified and if you don’t clean it they will. There are ponds galore with walkways and stately ornate bridges. I saw an osprey crash into the water a few feet away and come away with a tilapia. The gators fancy those tilapia too.
There are over 1000 homes in this community and many are winter homes. They stand empty during the heat of the summer. Since all the home are groomed and look similar theres no way to know which are empty. Walk the old gal at 9PM and there seems to be little life.
The first order of business after the groceries when we arrived was to get a fishing license and two plastic containers of night crawlers. I put them to good use, first dozen cast yielded 3 bass but the building breeze chased me away. I met a teenager who had caught a 8 pounder 2 days earlier. Verified by a picture on his phone. The ponds are just loaded with bass and gar. This place is a birders paradise blue heron, spoon bills, ospreys and you name it. Sitting here at the kitchen table I can hear them all. All that sun supports so much life.
Traffic is horrendous -my SIL says “onlys for 6 months a year.” There are a couple of new, much discussed, traffic circles which are supposed to be safer but the old people still manage to have accidents. DW reported there was another one yesterday.
Walking back from fishing last night I saw a reckless woman with 2 kids in a fast golf cart flying over the bridges to kids delight. Had someone been on the other side of the bridge...
The skyway bridge and saltwater fishing is on my agenda but being retired means there is no rush. The pace of life behind the walls here appeals to me. Ive exercised every day..its been great.
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