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Gulf & Main Magazine

SWFL Journal (September/October 2021)

Wednesday 

Summer is winding down, and it has been a highly unusual one, beginning with no off-season. The beaches are full, the roads are full, the restaurants are full—is this the new normal? 

 

Saturday 

And I forgot to mention—the water is full, too. Boats are everywhere on this Labor Day weekend. They seem to be bow to stern around Lighthouse Point. 

 

Tuesday 

Ahhh, time to relax after an active weekend of beaching, boating and barbecue. There’s enough leftover pulled pork and baked beans for dinner. Easy-peasy. Not to mention mango sorbet. 

 

Friday 

Packing up the SUV today for a day-long drive to the mountains. Looking forward to a breath of fresh air and hopefully a few chilly evenings.  

 

Saturday 

Off we go, northbound on I-75. Everybody needs a change of scenery now and then, though it’s hard to beat the Gulf of Mexico as a scenic backdrop.   

 

Friday 

The mountain air was refreshing, the hikes were invigorating—but there’s nothing like coming home across the causeway. 

 

Sunday 

Yesterday was a day of recovery at home. Today it’s time to get reacquainted with the beach and stick my toes in the saltwater.  

 

Tuesday 

C called about tennis this week. Wow, I haven’t been on the court for a while. Let’s see if I still know how to hold a racquet and make contact with that fuzzy yellow ball. 

 

Thursday 

Well, I got the fuzzy yellow ball to move. Now R and B want to know if we can try to hit the little white dimpled ball. It looks easy enough... 

 

Saturday 

No, forget about the little white ball. The walk around the course was beautiful, but that silly ball found every single body of water along the way. 

 

Wednesday 

M and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive up to Boca Grande. What a picturesque getaway under clear blue skies! And the island’s banyan trees make a good background for a selfie. 

 

Saturday 

The jack-o-lanterns are starting to glow around town. I guess it’s getting to be that spooky time of year again. Let’s hope it cools down for those teensy tykes in their cutesy costumes. 

 

Monday 

Our neighborhood has a natural clock. A raccoon crosses our street every morning at about 11:00 and back every afternoon around 5:00. He’s a punctual critter. 

 

Wednesday 

Pickleball has made a reappearance on my schedule. Many of the snowbird fanatics have returned and are raring to pound those Wiffle balls. 

 

Sunday 

Some sweaty little goblins came knocking tonight. And for future reference? Hershey bars do melt when accidentally left on the lanai.