How can any breakdown be ‘lucky’?  Let’s see……………

 

Everyone left the rental house and went their separate ways – some staying on the island, others heading to Tampa and we made a short trip to Apalachicola to see their Farmer’s Market.

I really like both of their logos that are seen in their marketing.  This second one I thought was especially cute having seafood and flowers represented.

No photos of the actual market.  Growing produce in Florida’s summer is tough and (my opinion) not the absolute best time to visit a farmer’s market, but I wanted to see it anyway.  We saw one produce stand, one stand selling baked items, another with herbs and a few more tables selling various goods.  All of these were under cover in the pavilion.  A few vendors were selling their art wares nearby in the grass.  This was all happening near the dock for the local shrimp boats, so I had to get one photo, which is why I forgot to take a photo of the actual market.

There are several state parks in town, along with some historic houses, a botanical garden and this memorial.

I had some time to spare, so I walked through the memorial park and took some photos of their sculpture.

I had extra time because of this!

We just left the Farmer’s Market and was going to have lunch in town before heading home.  Nope, not going to happen.

After removing the wheel, it was decided we had a broken axel………on a trailer……..that was carrying a heavy boat…….280+ miles to home.

Now comes the lucky part – really.  We were within 100 yards of this place.

The gentleman (blue shirt) you see in the other photos was the owner.  It was his suggestion to (slowly) drive boat & trailer to the marina, off-load the boat, allowing us to get the trailer fixed minus the extra weight.  It probably wasn’t going to happen that day  since it was Saturday.  He jumped on the boat and got it off the trailer after Eric backed down their private ramp.

Yep, our boat is being stored in one of their slips until we return.  Think about it.  We’re paying for them to keep it AND we’re paying for covered space at home AND we have to pay to get the trailer fixed.  😦

They suggested a repair shop in Medart, FL (50 miles away).   Eric called the guy, said he was open until 1pm (uh ho) on Saturday.  His next statement reminded us we were (1)back in the south and (2) small town America.  “Don’t hurry and get any speedin’ tickets.  I’ll stay ’til you get here”.

After driving, safely and slowly, Eric was even more impressed as this gentleman has his own welding shop and fabricated axles on site.  This was a win.

 

Now what? Time for lunch!  Since we didn’t have the trailer & boat, options opened up for traveling and worry-free parking.  Spring Creek Restaurant in Wakulla county was the place of choice.

A few Wikipedia facts:

• opened in 1977 and passed down through family members of the Lovel family.
• they use their own boats and product from local fisherman to furnish the restaurant.
• serves only Wakulla-caught mullet, softshell crabs, shrimp and fish.

Apparently it was the restaurant of choice for this Corvette Club also.  We didn’t really see them much as they were in a private room and had already arrived by the time we got there.

The restaurant is noted for their garlic butter with crackers and/or rolls and homemade buttermilk ranch dressing (Eric loves it by the way) that accompanies all of their meals.  Eric ordered the fried grouper with cheese grits and mine was a grilled grouper sandwich.  Both were delicious.

 

We finally got home, later than expected, without our boat.

 

Why ‘lucky’?  I did some calculations:

~SGI to Apalach = 15 miles over 2 long bridges and a causeway

~Apalach to Panacea = 49 miles, some of which is nothing but pine trees and sketchy cell service

~Panacea to Perry = 60 miles of pine trees and more sketchy cell service

~Perry to Home = 180 miles of pine trees, lots of sketchy cell service and interstate miles

 

There’s a pattern.  We could have been stuck on a bridge or have to walk #@&! miles or stuck along the interstate with trucks rushing past us or any number of other undesirable possibilities.  This was truly a lucky spot to breakdown.  The rest of the silver lining...………………..this means we will be going back up there to retrieve boat and trailer, thus another trip to a favorite part of the state.

Stay tuned for that trip – its already being planned.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

Didn’t really want to write this post…………………because it meant our SGI vacation was over.  We still have the memories, but we can’t feel the gulf breeze or smell all of the ‘saltiness’ that comes with living near the beach.  Nor find interesting bits of nature along the sand.

Undoubtedly, we had a lot of fun with our friends.  We don’t see them nearly enough so we treasure these weeks we are together.  The kids have both grown so  much – in a multitude of ways. They were a big help on this trip, pulling crab & pinfish traps, prepping the boat and filleting the fish we caught to name just a few of the many tasks they helped with during the week.

We did make another trip into Apalachicola, eating at ‘Hole in The Wall’.  It’s just a fun place to be.  The owner/waitress, Barbara, is a hoot and really is part of the reason we keep coming back.  We started with smoked fish dip and it quickly disappeared.  She has as a nickname for Warner  “Dos Equis”.  He got it from a previous trip and the name has stuck.  Surprisingly, we all had grouper for our meal – except Audrey.  She ordered a cheeseburger – guess she had eaten enough seafood.

 

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When the grill was used this week, we took advantage and had supplies for smores.  They just taste better when you’re at the beach – just saying.  🙂

Fishing wasn’t the only activity going on this week.  The kids learned how to play cribbage and most nights ended in this manner.

There was also a puzzle purchased with the intent of leaving it at the house.  Towards the end of the week, the pressure was on to get it finished.

Late in the week, we had another family join us and it was good to see them.  Again – both of their kids have grown so much since we last saw them.  They were a little too young for our fishing adventures in the bay, but we motored around our canal and they got a chance to cast and be a part of the activities.

We headed out thinking the pop-up storms would take the normal path (going inward and east) however, this one did not.  The lightning strikes got too close.

It was heading straight for us and didn’t look like fun.  After one particularly high wave the boat jumped, we turned around and headed home.  Two seconds after the wave, I hightailed it to the backseat of the boat, instead of sitting on the front cooler.

Sorry Richard – you were on your own for the rest of the ride.

Eric caught this little guy while fishing off of our dock as we waited for the storms to pass.  He was safely returned to the canal.

We gathered our crab traps and was able to harvest enough crabs for that night’s dinner.

Mid-Afternoon we headed back onto the water for our last few hours of boat fishing.

Both Audrey and Warner had keeper fish brought on board.

All too soon it was time to take the boat out of the water and load it onto the trailer.  Richard and Lottie accompanied Eric on the trip across the bay as we used the boat ramp at Apalachicola.

We had one last sunset and it was a doozy.  We got a number of photos and then our friends quickly kayaked and saw the sunset while on the water.

About that puzzle…………………this greeted me Saturday morning – it was finished, and left for the next visitors to the house.

 

Ginny

 

While I planned on this being the last SGI post, we had something interesting happen after we checked out and that will be coming soon to the blog.  I’ve already got the title………’Lucky Breakdown’.  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

Scallop season just opened in St. Joe Bay – literally while we were up there.  For some in the group it  had been years since they scalloped and also be in Florida when the season was open.  Today was that day!  The weather radar was perfect.

We had to head further west of our current location for the section of St Joe Bay open to scallop.  One option was to drive the boat there, but that could be dicey with the weather.  Option 2 was to put the boat on the trailer and launch it in their state park.  We chose option 2.

I drove the trailer to the Apalachicola city boat ramp (it was  a VERY nice & wide ramp).  Audrey and Eric motored across the bay, loaded the boat and we met the rest of the group in the park.  I was able to take one photo of the St. Joe Beach.

There was some instruction that occurred as the kids got used to wearing the mask and snorkel to breathe.  You can see other boats in the background. Not too many, as compared to Crystal River.  Of course we were there in the middle of the week.  I’m sure it was much different on the weekend.

Eric made sure everyone was good, then he took off.  That’s him on the far right, swimming away.

His first bag was most bountiful, containing 18 scallops.

We picked up the anchor a few times, moving around to find better spots.  Ansley and the kids stuck with it all morning as seen below.  Man – see how clear the water was in the first photo!

Dennis (and myself) started fishing.

We ended the afternoon with one last group photo.  Everyone was holding one of our recently captured scallops.  🙂

Audrey got to drive the boat back to the ramp, a task she really enjoyed.  Boat Captains – beware!

Dennis fried up some chicken wings to tide us over until dinner.

Dinner was a grand affair.  The mullet had been smoked in the rental’s outside grill earlier in the day and turned into an absolutely delicious fish dip.

The fish dip was used as a filling with thin cucumber strips as the carrier.   The scallops  swimming earlier that day…………were now our dinner.  Everyone could top the scallops as they so desired.  My choice was soy sauce, a dot of siracha and a few sprinkles of cabbage finished my scallops.

Short post about scalloping.  Another post is coming for the last few days of our SGI trip.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What?  Does that make sense????  It does when you’re at SGI in August.

 

The whole group was again together that morning.  Audrey was a little bit grumpy since she couldn’t find her favorite “A” hat.  Being with her brother didn’t bring a smile either – not that you could tell with their buffs on.

We checked our pinfish traps first thing as they had been successful on an earlier trip in the week.  While we didn’t hit the lottery with pinfish, we did find this guy – an eel, along with a mud catfish and a decent sized crab.

Her demeanor changed once she was the first to bring this trout on board.

Then her mother added a keeper trout to the cooler.

Somewhere in between I added a trout to the cooler, but missed out on the photo.  As mentioned in an earlier post, a fish selfie just doesn’t work.  We were teasingly calling the morning ‘Girl Power Hour’.

The pop-up storms were becoming more prevalent and decisions needed to be made.  Which way to head to miss them?  Go west and run through an impending storm OR go east and see if they wear themselves out?  We chose west.

What a great decision!  We got to East End and then we found magic……….diving birds.

We ran across these on our last two SGI trips and each time had great fun.  Thus one of the trips this activity was named ‘Runnin’ & Gunnin’.

Seeing the diving birds, Eric drives up to the frenzy, puts the boat in neutral and then we all cast towards the action.  Initially we were only getting ladyfish and while fun to catch with their acrobatics they were not the desired species.  Only when Eric said to let our lures sink for several seconds did we begin to catch some mackerel.  Unfortunately, we also snagged one of the dive-bombing seagulls.  😦  OMG in a very bad way.  We couldn’t get close enough to the bird to untangle the bird but quickly decided to cut the line – close – to let the bird escape and the fishing line come loose.  It worked.

It all starts with the schools of glass minnows, attracting schools of fish, which attract diving birds which attracts us – the fishermen.  We coast into the frenzy, cast (and hopefully hook) before the minnows and fish go deeper down, calming the water.  We quietly survey the horizon, looking for the action to start all over again, then go running into the fray.  🙂  Kids absolutely love it (and so do the adults if we’re honest).

Eventually we got enough macks and  paid more attention to the weather.  We had been keeping an eye on it and it looked like the one storm was scooting along the shoreline instead of coming into the bay.  However………………………..

I had just enough time to grab a photo of East End before we headed back.  Love SGI – just saying.

W debated stopping at the youth camp in the state park for cover or going all the way back.  There seemed to be a possible break in the clouds and we went straight to the house.

Man – is that a nice fish haul or what?

Eric was able to convince Audrey to help him and the work was done much quicker.

Then there was this fellow – Devin.  I heard some noise around the seawall and this gentleman was using a cast net and floating a holder with him.  He’s showing me one of his mullet that he netted.

He was selling the fish to his customers and Eric told  him to come back if he had any leftover as we would be interested – and he did.

 

Sushi…………..now we come to the second part of the title.

We first attempted making our own sushi several years ago and it was a popular dinner choice.  Our last trip we made a poke bowl – just when those of us on the mainland was starting to hear about them.  That was the plan if we caught mackerel.

It was definitely a team effort.  Dennis cooked and prepped the sushi rice.  Others grated the carrots, seeded & sliced the cucumber, cooked & cleaned the shrimp before it was all put together.  Avocado and spicy mayo sauce completed the poke bowls.

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But it didn’t stop there.  Sushi rolls were also on the menu, some of which had the mackerel included.  Prepping and rolling the rolls while using the sharpest knife is key to their success.

What meal is complete with our dessert – homemade.  Dennis found a recipe for Atlantic Lemon Pie and that task was left to myself and Audrey.

It was VERY tasty and a nice end to a great day.

Sharing our combined meal that was eaten out on the screened porch as the sun was setting.

 

More SGI adventures are coming.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

What better way to start than on the water!  Over time, we have accumulated a multitude of traps:  pinfish traps (2), crab traps (2) and a minnow trap.  It only bears to reason that they must be stocked with ‘stinky’ fish or chum and then placed in the water.  Here we had the kids help place the crab traps.

 

Our first day, everyone was part of the trip.

We kept an eye on the radar and needed to watch out for a few pop-up showers, which hopefully would not develop into storms.

We had to wait out some rain before motoring to Marsh Island and the SGI bridge was a natural stopping place.

I thought surely, there must be some interesting info on the internet about the SGI bridge and I was right.

• The first bridge connecting the mainland to SGI was built in 1965, prior to that a ferry carried visitors across.
• Began in 2002 and completed in 2004, the new SGI bridge was built when the original was deemed unsafe due to old age.
• Bypassing the middle island, the new bridge became the 3rd longest bridge in Florida (4 miles).
• BTW – the official name is Bryant Patton Memorial Bridge.

So you know you’ve worked at Disney a long time when you see images around you that remind me of Disney characters.  Here I saw a Mickey Mouse cloud formation with a silhouette of Goofy on the right.

My first catch was a Gaft-top Sailcat, or also affectionately called ‘snot cat’ (which you can see along the line near the hook.).

All of those with a fishing license caught a trout but unfortunately none were of a legal size.  We did run into this fellow.  We assumed that (1) others fed him fish – which is illegal or (2) he was opportunistic, going after our fish we threw back into the water.  He was pretty darn close to the boat!

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After 3+ hours on the water, we cleaned up and headed into Apalachicola for a late lunch.  Several of our top choices were closed on sunday, so we ended up at ‘Up The Creek’ Raw Bar.

The group wanted to see our ‘land’ we purchased earlier this year.  Not much to look at right now.  We need to find someone to mow it and also need to get some of the debris cut and cleared before the brush and trees get too big and we will have to apply for a permit for removal.

One other reason for going into Apalach was a stop at the grocery store – Piggly Wiggly.

I’m still amazed as some of their offerings.  They have an amazing selection of Community Coffee and this time we also found the local coffee from Tallahassee – Lucky Goat Coffee.

And really, have you seen this many options for cooking oil or Bob’s Red Mill?

Dinner was a light affair with fresh cooked shrimp and home-made romoulade and cocktail (thanks Warner) sauce.

Monday’s crew was 5 and luckily we remembered the fishing rods BEFORE leaving the dock, barely.

Ansley saw us off for today’s adventure – peace and quiet for her.

While Eric had gotten shrimp for fishing that morning, we were hoping for pinfish in our traps – score again!  Both of the kids were getting really good at grasping the floats and pulling up the traps.  🙂

I share this shot just to show everyone how calm the bay was Monday morning.

Eric was the first to have a keeper trout in the boat.

At one time, all of us had caught trout but only Eric and Dennis filled the cooler.  Dennis being the clear winner with his 22″ keeper.  Eventually myself and Warner added to the overall count of  8 trout.

We picked up the crab traps on the way in and today is a good day for our seafood catch.

Fourteen crabs were pulled out of the 2 traps.

These whelks were added as part of our ‘tower of seafood’.

You’ve got these fish with the next step being to filet them.  Eric thought it was time for the kids to learn the fine points of using a filet knife.  Both watched his demonstration but Audrey was the first to make the attempt.

Practice makes perfect and ultimately, she filleted 4 of the fish.  Pretty good for her first attempt.

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Our crab traps provided a bountiful supply of crabs……….and dinner.

What better way to finish, than with a SGI sunset.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of our favorite places in Florida……….St. George Island.  But before going, a few things still have to be done at home – like mowing.  Eric stayed with the ‘unspoken rule’ of waiting until 8am before starting.

We’re much better at packing than we used to, but this still seems like a lot, and that’s only the things that are going into the cab of the truck.  Back in the day………..we used to pack most of our food since there was little choice for groceries and ‘isolation inflation’ made things fairly expensive.  It’s not quite as bad now.

Naturally, part of any trip is the adventure of driving.  A good break for the trip included stopping at ‘Rocky’s’ in Perry.

In addition to being a gas station and soft drink stop, it has a variety of other things like these interesting items.

But then………………OMG!  We totally forgot there is a second Rocky’s and wow – it is deluxe.  They have designated gas pumps in the back of their store with one way access for trailers w/boats and RVs.  Pumps are on both side of the pull-through so the location of your fuel tank is unimportant.  Then when you go into the store, it’s a version of the other Rocky’s, but on steroids.

After eating an early breakfast before leaving home, we needed a bit more food before the evening.  We stopped at Angelo & Sons Tropical Trader in Panacea.  Oddly enough neither of us got shrimp and while nothing was wrong with the food, it was uninspiring.  In fact the photos I took, are already deleted – not truly photo worthy.

One of the towns we drive through is Carrabelle.  While it’s known for several things, this is one of those ‘oddities’ only in Florida.

Before too long, we finally made it over the bridge that connects SGI to the Mainland.

We rented an awesome house!  We saw this on a previous trip as we motored out through the canal and discovered it was a rental – score!  Two years later, we stayed.

This rental includes 2 buildings: the actual house and separate tiki bar/screened seating along with a small kitchen for cooking and entertaining – or just plain lounging.

Details say this house can sleep 11, but in my opinion, that would be kind of tight.  I guess that other building would become very useful for everyone to spread out and get their own space – just saying.  The living quarters are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.  We ended up in one of the bedrooms on the second floor with our friends and their kids being on the top floor.

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Usually our first dinner on the island is pasta and we stayed with that tradition this time.  Eric made stuffed pasta shells, broiling 2 heads of garlic for the filling.  locally-made bread was served on the side to complete our meal.

What other way could you end this first post, but with a photo of our first sunset, seen from our place along the bay.

Stay tuned for upcoming SGI posts.  Should be some photos with fish!!!!!!

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

Yeah! We were able to squeeze in one more trip to the Gulf coast to scallop before the season ends September 24, 2018.  I was trying to find away to make this post a bit different, and I think I got it.

• Bay Scallops although once plentiful, can be found from Port St. Joe along Florida’s northern Gulf coast to Tarpon Springs in isolated, inshore seagrass beds. 
• Each year the local population must produce enough offspring to replenish itself or receive offspring from neighboring populations to remain stable. 
• Florida bay scallops typically live one year.

 

Yep, I’m going to periodically insert some info facts about scallops to add a different perspective.  Skip over them if that’s not your thing.

 

We started the day, seeing the sun rise over Central Florida.

After picking up another couple it wasn’t long before we were backing the boat down the ramp at Pete’s Pier.

I have got to stop and talk about ‘Pete’s Pier’.  A recent post noted they have new owners and we could see improvements water-side.  This is the first time in several months we have parked here and seen the land-side.  What a difference!

Okay, so it’s just a parking lot. It’s a great looking parking lot!  Obviously some boat owners didn’t understand how far they should pull up their vehicle & trailer – leaving room for others to park.

We met our friends elsewhere because we said a car could get lost in the potholes of this parking lot – it was that bad, truly.  But not any longer.

 

And then there was this guy….

We’ve seen this booth for several years, but never anyone occupying it.  Today there was – love it.  Its way easier to pay him, instead of going into the store or using the kiosk and besides that, he was a big help, with the ramp and parking the trailer.

• The bay scallop is considered a bivalve, having 2 valves (shells) connected by a hinge.
• The upper shell is usually a dark, mottled color with the bottom shell being typically white-ish.
• In their 1 year lifespan, they can reach 3″ across, with this size occasionally found at the end of harvest season.

Luckily we were close by when we talked about the ‘required’ dive flag and no one could remember seeing one (thanks Adrienne) in the storage compartments on the boat.  It was back to Pete’s Pier for another purchase.  This also gave me time to scout out our next boat…….yes……maybe?

Well, probably not.  That is one giant boat.

Heading out we saw different sides of a rainbow.

Along with this osprey nest.

Emily and Max joined us for their first experience of scalloping.

Since the scallops move around (somewhat) the best way to see where they are at is (1) look for a group of boats OR (2) mark a spot on your GPS from a previous visit.  🙂

Eric was very excited to show off his first scallop of the morning.

Adrienne is getting quite proficient at this.  Next step is for her to get used to the fins.  There was a few times when she found more scallops than Eric did -sorry hon.   Just think what she could do wearing  the fins – just saying.

Emily and Max also posed with their first bag of scallops.

It’s not as easy as you would think.  I found this photo on-line and these guys can really blend in with their environment.  They are sitting on the sandy/grassy bottom, hiding out amongst the seagrass blades.

 

• Bay scallops feed by opening their shells and filtering algae and other organic material through their gills.
• They have many tiny blue eyes (see above) along the outer rim which helps detect movement and serve as a warning system when threatened.
• When threatened, the scallop can contract & relax their abductor muscle which thrusts out water, propelling them up and away from danger.

 

Eventually, the snorkeling became less fun and more work so it was time for the next part of the day – fishing.  But not before one ‘interesting’ photo.  It works, but I’m already thinking about the next time.

We headed to our ‘honey hole’ and my only fish caught was this puffer. 😦  Which by the way did not puff up.

While no action photos were shot, we found this board back on land and Max (along with Eric) posed with the fish he (Max) caught.

Yep, good thing Max was along, otherwise we wouldn’t have any fish.

• The bay scallop has the remarkable ability to develop female and male organs, thus producing  eggs and sperm.
• Fall’s water temps signal spawning, with 1 scallop capable of producing millions of eggs at once (only 1 out of 12 million eggs make it to adulthood.)
• These eggs turn into larvae, which attach itself to seagrass ,developing into juvenile scallops called spat.  One year later, we hunt them and eat these tasty morsels.

 

We had such a good time together, we ended our day at our favorite Crystal River restaurant Seafood Seller & Café.  We started with our top-ranked appetizer, fried green tomato ‘chips’, accompanied by a variety of sauces.

Grouper was the fish of choice – except for me.  The first 2 photos showcase grouper, either grilled or fried.  The 3rd photo is my catfish po-boy sandwich.

 

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While this isn’t a terribly long post, it was neat to bring along  other Floridians and share a unique seaside past-time only found in select areas of the Gulf.

 

Closing with a photo suggested by Eric.

Stay tuned – more ‘exciting’ fishing posts are coming, if that’s your interest.  🙂

Ginny 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So excited to hear that someone I worked closely with during my 6 months in Shanghai was coming to Walt Disney World for a business trip.

Jimmy was hired the month after I arrived and was definitely the HOH leader that spoke and understood the most English.  Hence, we worked together most of my time there, as he interpreted mandarin for me during meetings, classes  and training.  Yep, I have to throw in a shot of their beautiful castle from Shanghai Disney.

He had a full schedule working 13 days in a row, but we were able to carve out some time to show hm a different side of Florida most visitors never see when they come to the sunshine state.

It is a 7 mile drive (one way) through coastal Florida, offering a chance to see Florida wildlife on a dyke road that was originally created for mosquito control.

We stopped along the way for a few flower photos (thanks hon).

The drive was mostly deserted since the best time to enjoy this is during the winter and spring months when birds are migrating  and stop here.

 

We walked to a lookout to see the salt marsh.

One of our goals was for Jimmy to see an alligator in the wild.  We were successful!  Eric thought he saw the gator’s eyes above water in a culvert, so we parked along the canal and walked back to the spot.  We were both too impatient and walked around the roadway.  However, Jimmy stayed still and eventually the gator resurfaced once things quieted down.

Sorry Adrienne – Jimmy spotted another gator at another canal crossroad.  She’s going on 3 months since she moved here and nada, nothing,no gator sighting- but not for want or trying.

All this work (ha!) got our appetites going so we stopped at a local seafood restaurant that has character – Dixie Crossroads.

Yes, they specialize in shrimp, serving it a multitude of ways.  They start out with these fried corn fritters, sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Not sure that Jimmy enjoyed them – but he did try one.  Guess it is an acquired taste.

Loved my selection of rock shrimp, as did Eric’s choice of fried oysters and shrimp.

Interesting enough, Jimmy ordered a sirloin strip steak.  Hmmmm, hindsight says maybe we should have stopped at a steak-house for American beef – a novelty for him.

Before he left central Florida, another group off us got together with Jimmy.  We met at Disney Springs after all of his meetings that day.  We tried to capture the “springs” in our photo background

I arrived early and was parched.  This quenched my thirst.  I ordered the amber at the outside bar.

 

Ultimately we ended up eating here at The Polite Pig.  However, we moved to the inside bar.  It’s just plain, miserably hot and we finally needed air conditioning.  🙂

This place is all about BBQ and they’re very good at it.  I had the pulled pork sandwich along with a pretzel.

Thinking back, everyone in the group had the pulled pork, either as sandwich or a platter.

Before departing, Jimmy game me a gift from Shanghai…….a pin commemorating their most recent land that opened in the Park:  Toy Storyland.

While I really like the pin, the book mark he gave me was very special and something I will treasure.  He told me before he left home, he tried to find some ‘unique and authentic’ Chinese gifts to bring, and this definitely was all of that.

 

 

I’m going to close with some of my favorite shots from my Shanghai experience.  I was able to get some new photos from the Park, but sorry for those that may have already seen the others I included while I lived and worked in Shanghai. 🙂  For anyone new, check out ginnyinshanghai.wordpress.com.  Both Eric and I go back to read those postings occasionally, remembering that time in 2016.

The Walt & Mickey statue before opening day:

The Great Wall:

My Goodbye dinner with those I worked closely with.

(left – right: Hannah, Louise, Vivian, Myself, Denny and Jimmy)

It still boggles my mind that I spent 6 months in China.  It had its ups and downs, but definitely was one of the highlights of my life.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a small group converging at the Darden household to head out for a few days of scalloping and possibly fishing.  They were rushing me in the morning so my photo starting our journey was not one of my best.

We all made reservations at The Plantation at Crystal River and knowing they were sold out the previous night, we didn’t even try for an early check-in. But……we can use their private boat ramp in the morning since we will be hotel guests today-yeah!

It’s so nice having others that can help launch the boat.  This boat ramp is so skinny, I refuse to back the boat. Eric backed up and Rich got the boat off the trailer.  I don’t know why……….but I’ve never actually driven the boat off the trailer – that needs to happen.

 

Connor was being ‘Joe Cool’ and watched the whole operation from a nearby chair.

When we arrived we had good weather and no storms on the radar.

Everyone that was scalloping jumped in and Connor was the first to find one this season.

Two hours after being on the water, the radar changed (see below) and this was in our future.  Time to head in before being caught in the rain, or worse.  We were able to dodge a few pop-up showers, but this storm was always on the horizon and we had to head back up the river in between bouts of rain.

Ultimately, we found a decent amount  of scallops for our first day – about 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket.

Dinner was at Seafood Seller & Cafe, a fan favorite from our last trip to Crystal River.  We knew this place would stay on our radar and we would be returning on any future trips to this area.

We started with several shared appetizers (clock-wise):  hush puppies, chowder, gator bites and fried tomatoes.  Can I talk about those fried tomatoes – absolutely delicious.  I think they should be called ‘fried tomato chips’.  A typical fried tomato is cut longitudinally, before being breaded & fried.  These are quartered after being cut.  They are just darn good!

We each ordered seafood entrees including blackened flounder, grilled grouper and a fried seafood platter.  These were accompanied by French fries or a Cajun side dish.

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Monday dawned bright and clear and we were back on the water.  Buffs are definitely a new thing for us and Connor is well protected from the sun with his.

We needed to make a brief stop at Pete’s Pier and noticed some changes.

I noticed a few things as soon as we approached the pier.  Small things like dock boards had been replaced and new mooring ropes swapped out.  Not a big deal but these small improvements can truly make a difference.  Apparently this bird also thought so, ha!

Scalloping is a total new thing for Adrienne, but she jumped feet first into this adventure.  Eric shared a few scalloping tips from his prior snorkeling experiences.   Things like (1) what exactly to look for (2) understanding the scallop’s actions underwater (yes they move, sometimes quickly) and (3) their preferred habitat.  Sometimes these little buggers are hard to find,  even when you know they’re down there.    It’s also helpful if they’re found in 4′ or less of water – but that was not to be on this trip.

After getting used to the mask and snorkel, she explored on her own and pretty down quick (!) she found her first scallop.

Everyone did well and was quick to show off their filled scallop bags – not like anyone was counting or anything, yeah sure.

Eventually, I got into the water, sans snorkeling gear.

These little guys (scallops) are kind of interesting.  They move around quicker than you would think in the water, sometimes escaping from your grasp.  Also, when we’re putting them in the boat’s livewell, they get excited and start opening their shell.  You’ve got to be quick or they will pinch your fingers.

Might be hard to see, but they have blue eyes around the rim of the shell.

We got chased off the water again but the timing was right since Rich and Connor had to drive home this evening.   Before heading out to dinner, the guys dropped off the scallops and had someone else clean them on site at the hotel.  It’s a pretty sweet deal but it doesn’t come cheap.

It’s become a tradition to eat at Peck’s Old Port Cove Seafood Restaurant & Blue Crab Farm in Ozello, Florida.  It’s at the end of a county road, mile marker 9.5.  Another half of a mile and you’re in the Gulf.

We started with onion straws which we wolfed down – pronto.

My meal was fried shrimp, which were delicious.  Eric ordered steamed (12) crabs and it was an operation – just saying.  They come covered with a bowl and then you have the ‘reveal’.  He had plenty of crabs to share with Adrienne and Rich.

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Since everyone else was finishing up Eric’s steamed crabs, Connor and I went exploring and found their crab farm on the backside of the restaurant.  There were reports of a baby gator that slithered into the bushes, literally moments before Adrienne joined us.  She has yet to see a gator while in Florida.  We’re going on 3 months since she moved here.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye.  We adjourned to the outside pool bar to pass the rest of the evening.  Glasses of red sangria were mighty tasty.

We had a great sunset – or at least the sky was an unusual shade of lavender.  The color was captivating, even if I didn’t get a dynamic photo.

Breakfast is always an adventure.  Several mornings we ate at The Olive Tree Restaurant and definitely upset the norm.  Since we arrived when it first opened,  and were the first customers, we sat at the counter.  One older gentleman arrived, looked at us and then took a seat at the counter at the end.  A second gentleman arrived and then it became obvious we had messed with their morning routine and were sitting in their ‘seats’.  When the third gentleman arrived, it started to get comical.  Regardless………..the food was good and filling.  I’ve ordered their breakfast special of cinnamon raisin French toast several times.  The second day I had their waffle – OMG x 3.  It was the best waffle ever.  Our waitress told us the cook had his own secret recipe.

Tuesday morning we went out for scalloping and it was brutal, just brutal.  The wind was blowing 20+ knots and the current was ripping.  Between the two of them they found 14 scallops and they decided to call it a day.  It was even too windy for fishing so we headed back in to pull out the boat and head home.

Parking the boat trailer is always tricky this time of the year with so many people going scalloping.  The Resort has an adjoining empty grass lot for this purpose.  Eric wanted to be sure our trailer didn’t go anywhere while being out of sight – really, really.

This gave us a chance to eat at Seller’s Seafood & Café one more time before heading home.  We all stayed with seafood for our meals, but added beignets for dessert (yummy chocolate and raspberry sauce came with them – delicious).

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Heading back home was bittersweet since it means we have to go back to work the next day.  Adrienne stayed for dinner and we ate our scallops in a variety of ways, both raw and cooked.  I personally favor them raw and we tried them with (1) soy sauce & sriachi and (2) soy sauce & wasabi.  Both were topped with angel-hair cabbage (for the crunch).  Love them!

Another option was to eat them broiled with a red jalapeno pepper (from our garden) and cheddar cheese.

And lastly, we added them to a spicy cream sauce served over pasta.

While we enjoyed the beignets at Seafood Sellers, Eric’s were better.  He proved it when we topped off our meal with beignets at home.

It’s always fun on the water and scalloping is a unique Florida sport.  Bringing in a ‘newbie’ adds more fun for the group and inducts another person into the club.

Hope we can make it one more time before the season closes!

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road again..……………..

This time we’re hitting some of the breweries in downtown, historic Sanford, Fl.  The plans are to stop at #16 and #18.  A and C are breweries that were not open when the map was printed.

Most people aren’t aware that Sanford was at one time the top-producing area for celery, starting in 1896 – 1974.  This was when the Agriculture industry dominated the area.  Not so much any more.  Sanford sits on the southern shore of Lake Monroe and their downtown has had a renaissance and is truly a happening place to be with breweries, restaurants and shops popping up all within easy walking distance.

It was one of those places we began our day – Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café.

They specialize in German food and quite frankly, it is THE place to be during the World Cup.  They opened in 2001 when the Sanford downtown area was just beginning to grow and thrive, starting with 7 employees and now have 90+.  Our lunch began with the pretzel appetizer and I can’t believe it…………….I didn’t take a photo!  😦  One pretzel was definitely enough to stave off any hunger pains before our meal arrived.  Two guesses who is drinking the coke.

Unfortunately Germany was already out of contention before our visit, but there was still quite a large presence for the final game between France and Croatia.

Eric was rooting for France and when the team made their first goal, anyone supporting France was invited to drink from ‘the boot’.  Needless to say, Eric joined the group.  I don’t have any great photos, but the left photo is Eric getting the boot to drink from and the right photo he’s  handing off to the person next to him.  They did several rounds before the boot was finally emptied.

We all stuck with German selections for our meal.  I ordered the Nuremburg sausages with cucumber dill salad and sauerkraut while Eric got the Jaeger schnitzer with cucumber salad and red cabbage.  Everything was delicious but the pretzel left little room for me to enjoy my selection – maybe next time.

We left with France ahead, walking to our first brewery of the day – #16 Sanford Brewing Company.  The first thing you see on their website is “Old Florida in a new way”.  I like it.  The 100-seat taproom has a craftsman or mission-style feel to it, a nod to what was found in a lot of houses in Sanford.

We enjoyed our beers and they have a 5 oz pour (yeah!) but there was no level of World Cup excitement and when France won the World Cup, no one noticed, except us.

Interesting view of their taps, but LOVE their growler!  What an interesting shape.  Yes, Adrienne got one to add to her growing growler collection and so did we.  🙂

Seven hours later (yes, can you believe that – 7) we ultimately had dinner here before driving home.  We all really enjoyed their fish dip.

The rest of their food was ho-hum.  Nothing really wrong with my burger or their wings, but we wouldn’t do a repeat.

Down the block, across the street is #18 Wop’s Hops Brewing Company.

As the window states…….this was the first microbrewery in Sanford, opening in October 2014.  It’s located in a building that formerly housed the Stokes Fish Market.  Love that the side of the building still has this mural.

The building was constructed in 1916 and is haunted by 5 spirits – check it out by googling it.  They specialize in English-style ales, American IPAs, German lager & ales and seasonal experimental fruit & spice ales.

They have a full kitchen offering appetizers (pretzel nuggets), salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, wings and more.  THIS is where we should have eaten.

Since we were in Sanford, it was recommended we stop at Deviant Wolfe Brewing Company (A)- even though I don’t need a stamp.

They don’t serve food but you can order from surrounding restaurants and eat-in.  Their beer is brewed with fresh ingredients, rotate seasonally, specialize in sour beers (yuck) and have guest taps for cider and offer wine.  Yep, Adrienne added another growler to her collection.  This brewery is the result of 4 friends that met at University of Florida.  I wasn’t too impressed when we walked inside, but their website was intriguing.  Their vision is ‘Promote balance in the lives of others.’  They chose a campfire for their logo since a campfire is a place to gather, share stories, immerse in nature and find balance – now that’s a story.

 

Our last brewery to visit was Inner Compass Brewing Company (C).  They need help with a website – just saying.  This is another location that is not part of my 18 breweries to visit since they were not open at the time my map was created.

This place used to be an abandoned gas station in Sanford, but I had to really dig to find that nugget of information.  They opened in February 2018 and don’t serve any food but encourage you to bring some and eat in.  I think I have to agree with Eric, their milk stout was possibly my favorite of the day.  That’s saying something since usually halfway through our brewery stops, all of the flavors blend together – at least for me.  And really, who could refuse a beer that is called “Meh?”

This brewery was recommended by a couple we kept running into, while doing the Sanford ale trail.  While the building is well done, they didn’t appear to be open – which was exactly what the couple said.   There’s nothing outside or easily seen inside to draw you in on a whim.  I would guess that quite a few people walk right past.  Another growler for Adrienne.

I did see one thing that is the prize for stopping at all of these breweries……….Central Florida Ale Trail growler!

Forgive the funky lighting.  I tried to get the photo between light changes from their back-lighting, but no luck.  After getting a stamp at all 18 of the breweries on my Central Florida Ale Trail map, I get the growler, filled with my choice of beer.  Now that’s a prize worth drinking for.  🙂

 

Ginny