20 Light Years From Now

Friday morning the sky was clear and blue and while we hated to say goodbye to our daughter and Boston, it was time to head back south.  

On the Saturday before Christmas we toured  Newburyport, MA  with our daughter. 

There were so many incredible sights in St. Marys, Georgia it seemed a shame not to share more of what the town offers so this is part two.  

We lived in St. Marys, Ontario for 15 years, and still have connections there. So naturally, we had to stop in St. Marys, Georgia on our way north to Boston.

We're on our way to Boston to spend Christmas with our daughter and so far the drive has been entertaining. 

So, what have we been up to the past five days besides surfing the web? John's been walking, swimming, reading, napping, eating, and then walking, swimming, reading - well, you get the idea. It's been sheer drudgery, but someone has to do it!  

It's been an exceptionally warm week. Even the locals are talking about the temperatures that've ranged from the mid to high seventies.  

It may be the first of December, but it certainly doesn't feel like it.

John's morning walks usually end up in or near St. Andrews State Park where there are Blue Herons. This guy was literally standing only five feet from John. 

Two rainy days out of 27 isn't so bad, but it still happens.  

We're in paradise at Latitude 30 and W ingin' it -  both on land and at sea.  

Feeling the need for a Saturday outing, I suggested we tour  Pier Park .  

The American Thanksgiving marked our third week in paradise, and we're finally settling into a routine (of sorts). It begins pretty much as it does anywhere--with a piping hot cup of coffee as we ease into the day ahead.   

Shell Island is a barrier island located just east of St. Andrew's State Park and is only accessible by water.  

One of the joys of Panama City Beach is the sheer length and breadth of it.   

It's a new day with warmer temperatures.  

We haven't seen the sun in THREE whole days and as a result it's been chilly (as in the mid-fifties Fahrenheit range). Brrrr!  

To mark the end of another day at the beach, I decided to create a little sunset celebration. Nothing fancy, but a fun, tasty, and easy happy hour at the beach. On Sunday we had  guacamole, salsa and humus with roasted garlic/black bean chips.

Yesterday's cloudy skies did not deter young or old from having a great time. With temperatures in the mid-seventies everyone hit the beach.  

Sunsets are gorgeous here at the beach, and yesterday a young couple took full advantage of the sun, sand and surf to say "I do".   

Saturday mornings are synonymous with farmers markets and this morning we checked out the  St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers Market  that is in Panama City. First booth we hit was Sweet Betty's. If I'd known earlier, I'd have skipped breakfast because Betty Brown (below) makes incredible homemade delights.

Today through Saturday the beach is lined with cars. Emerald Coast Cruisin' is a custom car show, hot rod festival, auto auction, street rod event, and swap meet.  How could we not check it out?  

If you're a fan of author Janet Evanovich, you've read about the antics of one of her secondary characters, Ranger. He's a man of few words, always dresses in black, and is dangerous on so many levels. Yesterday, I snapped John's pic just before he headed out for his morning hike. I giggled and joked he was "my Ranger"!  With his water bottle, camera and goodness knows what else on his belt pac, he hit the beach.  A cloudless sky offered a perfect photo taken below the pier at the edge of St. Andrews State Park. This looks back toward our condo. It's hidden behind the tall brown building, and is about a 20-25 minute walk. (Based on my slower walking pace,  not  Ranger John's!) The lagoon separates Panama City (in the distance) from Panama City Beach. The park offers a completely different terrain from the beach. Next time Ranger John heads out for the park, I might just join him. * * *

I was surprised it took John five entire days to plunk his kayak in the Gulf, but yesterday was THE day.   

On Saturday the Florida Ironman Triathlon took place in Panama City Beach. The participants first did a 2.4-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

We arrived in the Florida Panhandle on Thursday afternoon and within the hour we hit the beach.   

On day three of our drive south we drove through 4 states (Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama). We also entered into the Central Time Zone and gained an hour. Wanting to use those extra 60 minutes wisely, we stopped at Kentucky's  Mammoth Cave National Park .

Shutting off the water Monday morning before we headed to the USA turned into a bit more of a deal than either of us ever imagined. 

The fall colours in northern Ontario this year were spectacular. But now the trees are bare. Temperatures have dropped, and twice this month rain turned to snow. Brrr...