we were much more busy on friday.  i started the day with a 3 1/2 mile run!  i can’t tell you how great it was to run outside in the warm weather with all the green grass and so much vegetation blooming all over the place.

i stopped to take a picture of this bird.

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and then, these birds crossing the road.

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this is when wanda and i managed to take the cover off the pool without either of us falling in.  i took a little swim.

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as we were sitting out back we heard a loud woodpecker – wanda said it was a pileated woodpecker.  he was quite huge.

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we finally made it out of the house, heading down to 5th ave. south, where i’d read that all the fancy shops and restaurants were.  it was only about 15 minutes away, and easy to find parking, and there were, indeed, many fancy shops and places to eat.  we kept walking and walking, all the way out to the beach.  at this point i think we’d overdone it a little with the walking, so we walked back to the shops and stopped in at a cute little english tea room.  i’d have loved to have had a full tea, but it looked like too much food, so instead i got this delicious chicken salad.

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there were so many kind of tea on the menu, even my favorite lapsang souchong, but i felt too hot for any hot tea.  mom did get some iced tea with her shrimp quiche.  see the teddy bear in back of her?  some people came in after us, and the waitress put the bear in one of the chairs where they were seating.  maybe they’re regulars who really really like teddy bears.

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we drove past the other shopping area, 3rd street south, but didn’t get out.  none of us are very big shoppers.  instead, we stopped at the pier and walked down to the end.

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the beach wasn’t very crowded.

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finally, we stopped at one more shopping area called tin city.  it was a bunch of little indoor shops all under a tin roof.  more importantly, there was a bar where i enjoyed a glass of riesling.  i did feel a little crazed after all that running and walking and driving…

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here’s the view from where we sat enjoying our wine.

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we decided to stay home for dinner, and mom and wanda got out the many delicious snacks we’d bought.  a relaxing ending to our day.

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another warm and sunny day in paradise…

ok then,

mrs. h.