Happy Father's Day! (posted by Ann)

Dad - when I think about all the things I inherited or learned from you, it's a long list. I thought I'd put together a few of them in honor of Father's Day.

• My taste for cheap liquor. Now, my version of this is slightly different than yours, because I still haven't poured the cheap stuff in the good bottle, but still . . . I just can't stand to buy expensive wine. $10 a bottle makes me gasp like a goldfish, and I'll happily drink "Two Buck Chuck" from Trader Joes.
• My cholesterol reading. I mean, honestly, couldn't you have passed along an inch or two more height? More athletic ability? Anything other than that!
• I learned that a new pet will whisper their name in your ear after they've been around for a while, so no need to hurry up and name them. Sport Cat and Devil Dog are the classics, so no wonder I have Kitty Bad Girl.
• A no-whining policy, and contempt for those who don't know enough to keep their mouth shut about the little stuff. And sometimes the big stuff.
• Appreciation for a wise-ass comment. 'Nough said.
• A love for animals, and the ethical treatment of them. The surest way to earn Dad's disapproval was to mistreat an animal.
• The phrase "barely edible, Mary, barely edible". Only to be uttered after a to-die-for homecooked meal that leaves you stunned and immobile.
• Not to take myself so seriously. Delivered in a lot of ways, including the famous quote "But, baby, someone's got to come in last!"
• That thing for sports cars. They have to be old, and British, but they make me drool. I'll buy one of these again someday.
• Integrity. If I ever have trouble deciding the right thing to do, I ask myself what you would do and that is always the right thing.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

And now to catch up on other things - we returned home late last night, and I have a few more pictures to share. We did sit on the beach and try to see a turtle, but not only was there no turtle, Don drank most of the wine. Here's a shot of the turtle tracks and a nest that we saw the next morning.







And here are the pelicans on a bombing run. I love the way they line up and skim the dunes moving down the beach.

As we drove back to Orlando, we took the back roads and I saw a state park with a hiking trail, so we pulled over. Back in the woods there was no breeze, but the sun managed to get through so it was stifling. We didn't make it too far before we got back in the air conditioned car, but I did get this picture. I spent a lot of time riding my horse through trails and looking at just this view, so when I think of Florida this is what I see in my mind. I have it as the background on my PC. Isn't it pretty?