AVA Walk #6 Sanibel Island Lighthouse

Hello from Pine Island! So-let's see-on Tuesday I did my last AVA walk in this part of Florida. We leave the island this Monday so there's no way I'll get any more in before then - but the good news is there are AVA walks on the ocean side too! The Sanibel walk was very nice-actually, there are two walks on Sanibel-one is primarily on the beach and the second one is more along streets on the island, ending at the lighthouse on the far southern tip. I did that one because I wanted to take Brandi with me and I was pretty sure she wouldn't be allowed on the beach. I think I made the right decision because she did fine on the walk and there wasn't anyplace she couldn't go. But it is LOT of work to take her on a 6.2 mile walk, primarily because she wants to smell EVERYTHING and stop at EVERY little bush and tree (to pee), so I'm constantly having to "reel" her back in on her leash or pull her to keep going or whatever! But she seems to be having SO much fun that I actually didn't mind at all. And we had LOTS of chances for her to practice her "stop-sit-stay" routine because there were about a million bikes on the bike trail/sidewalk route and I always make her stop and sit when a bike passes us in either direction. But she got lots of "good dog!" comments and I got lots of "thank you"'s from the bicyclists so we both felt pretty special. The walk itself wasn't the most exciting one because it was primarily just walking along residential and resort-lined streets, without really any views of the water or the beach. At the end of the island there is a nice park with a beach and an old lighthouse-and then you turn around and pretty much come back the same way. But the causeway going over to the island is very pretty, with a beutiful view of the bay, and the parts of the island that I saw were very nice. I did take a minute and drive past the resort where my friends Cindi and Glennda are going to be staying when they come down in March, so that was another benefit of being on Sanibel. I'm SO excited because I'm going to drive down and spend a few days with them when they come-YAY! We'll be camped at Wekiva State Park, which is just a little north of Orlando. It's a nice park-we've been there before-and Dave likes it and will be fine on his own for a few days. It'll be great to see them and now that I've seen where they (....we!) will be staying it makes it even more fun to look forward to!

On Monday we did another "last time" thing-we went to the 4th of the FGCU (Florida Gulf Coast University) basketball games-all double-headers so eight games in total. I'm posting a couple pictures of their arena. Honestly, if I was a kid I'd look into this school because it is so gorgeous and new and pretty and in such a great area-what a wonderful place to attend college all winter. I don't even know what KIND of a college it is, but I don't care! We've had a LOT of fun coming to these games and are already looking forward to being down here next year and returning to the arena! Go Eagles!

Wednesday and Thursday were kind of quiet days for us-the weather was a TEENSY bit less wonderful. There was a very brief cold front and it got kind of windy, so we mostly just hung out on Wednesday. But there was an "Italian night" here in the park, so we went to that. These types of things are pretty hoaky and we kind of roll our eyes just a little, but it actually was kind of fun. We had an all-you-can-eat "Italian" dinner (OK-not GREAT, but it's the thought that counts!) and met a few more of our fellow RVers. That part was kind of fun because there were six of us together at a table and we all swapped RV mishap stories- kind of like war stories except that awnings figure predominantly in the plots. It's actually always fun to talk to other RVers because it helps remind you that EVERYONE who RV's deals with the same types of problems and emergencies and misadventures. Then on Thursday Dave put the kayak in and fished all afternoon, while I took Brandi up to the dog park in Punta Gorda. There were some slightly rougher dogs there and she did a lot of running, and then last night all of a sudden she started limping and not wanting to put any weight onto one of her hind legs. It's always scary when something happens to your pet while you're on the road, because you have NO idea how to find the best possible vet in the area. Thankfully, by this morning she was putting a teensy bit of weight onto her leg, and tonight she is ALMOST back to herself. Whew-dodged another bullet!

Today we went up to the American Legion and had lunch with Scott and Deb and-I don't know-five or so of their friends. I swear they are the MOST social people we've ever met! They just LOVE having people around them ALL the time. In fact, tomorrow (Saturday) they are having a party at their house-only 50 or 60 people expected! THAT should be interesting! We love them to death, but honestly I could NEVER live this way. For one thing, we eat and drink WAY more than we would normally, so even though I'm exercising a LOT I can't seem to lose an ounce. And Dave and I are just more "private" people-we like to socialize but could never do it like this-every single solitary day! I don't know HOW they do it. But they've been wonderful to us during our visit so, in our case we're glad they're so sociable. We've had a great time here on Pine Island and the next two days should be fun, but five weeks in one place is plenty long enough and I think Dave and I are both VERY ready to move on to our next destination. And that's the beauty of RVing-you just pick up and move on and you get a fresh new start and new things to see and do, over and over and over. So my next post will be from Jonathon Dickinson State Park over by West Palm!!

PS-a quick word on technology. I am LOVING having my I-phone on this trip. I've used the map feature about a million times, plus lots and lots of odds and ends like the Dog Park Finder, the Sam's Club app, the "Couch to 5-K" training schedule; I've put lots of music onto the I-pod app and am gradually building up a running playlist for my upcoming "5K Tooth Trot"! And best of all, I'm getting pictures and videos from home, which are absolutely wonderful. I'm also really enjoying having my Nook-I've downloaded lots of library books and am getting lots of the "Free Friday" selections from Barnes and Noble. And I think we FINALLY have the right TV solution-we got the Winegard Carryout Portable satellite dish. It's primarily earmarked for sale to RVers and tailgaters and other "outdoor" customers, but (knock on wood) it seems to be the perfect solution for us...FINALLY! It continues to amaze me how the technology available to those of us who spend so much time traveling has changed and improved over the 7 years we've been doing this. VERY cool stuff!