Water

I love being around the water! Sometimes the water in our pool calls to me; it just looks so inviting. In my younger days (I'm now 72), I enjoyed scuba diving. I no longer dive. Living in Florida, we are near the coast, but seldom go to the beach. Although I baked myself in the sun in the past, I know better now. One of my favorite places to visit in my younger years was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Have you been there? The sound of the waves is soooo soothing.

For a number of years, we took two-week vacations to Saint Marten. It is a half-French, half-Dutch island we became familiar with as a port we visited on a cruise. So many water sports, especially on the French side. Our room almost touched - guess what? - the water. At the time, this island was not developed, but that has changed now. It used to actually have only one stoplight for the main area. Also, the area of Grand Case has a plethora of amazing restaurants to enjoy. We never got around to dining at all of them. Maybe we will return one day.

I actually visited the area I now live in back in the '80s and went swimming with the manatees. That is quite an adventure. I have not tried scalloping yet, but it looks like fun. The prettiest beaches are south of us. Clearwater is nice, as is Anna Maria Island. Perhaps a camping trip will take us there.

In the past, cruising was something we enjoyed doing. Close to the water, right? We have been on 12 cruises, but nothing recent. After the pandemic reared its head, we stopped booking trips. For about five years, I booked cruises for others. That kept me totally immersed in planning travel. Many trips we took happened after becoming interested while researching them for clients. Three trips to Italy, a Mediterranean cruise, a wine cruise, and the list goes on.

I am sorry to say that I am bored with my retirement. I never thought I would say that. After looking forward to not having to work anymore, I find that I do not have enough to fill my days. I tried going back to work a couple of days per week, but it just was not worth it. I previously ran a home-based legal transcription business. I had several excellent clients who kept me very busy. But I would have to basically start all over again. Camping has been our only form of recreation after retirement, preferably near the water.

We camped in the Florida Keys recently, staying at the beautiful Bahia Honda State Park in Big Pine Key. Unfortunately, the wind was so fierce, we had to leave a day early.

We soon learned that our little Chihuahua did not like being left alone in the camper. Our rescue dog(s) have been a bright spot in our retirement. A dog can make even the worst days better. They both have emotional problems from their past life. But then again, so do we!

The solution to leaving the doggies alone on the Keys trip? Find pet-friendly restaurants. We found two of them. The best was the Cracked Conch. It had an entire area for customers with pets. We had a nice seafood meal there, but were unable to see the sunset. How disappointing! We just did not feel that we could leave a pet unattended in a campground if they are barking non-stop. The dog is tiny, but the bark is NOT.

Maybe next time we will board our furbabies since we now have two. Hopefully, they won't both bark. We noticed that most campers bring their pets with them. Unfortunately, most beaches do not allow pets on them. Meaning they can't be near the water like I enjoy.

Yes, I love the water!