Day 18.006: Fishing, fish, fashion

At the risk of making it look like this week had been all fun and games, this afternoon’s activity was deep sea fishing. We had a good catch, ate some of them straight off the boat, and then got dressed for the final dinner. 

Day 18.005: Dueling

The dinner event today (after a day of meetings) was dueling pianos. They took a lot of requests - both classics and some surprises. It was a lot of fun. 

Day 18.004: Game night

We had a busy day of meetings but finished the day with a game night - pool, table tennis, corn hole, air hockey and some retro video games. 

Day 18.003: On Clearwater Beach

I am in Clearwater on Florida’s gulf coast. As last year, I had a window between arriving and my first appointment to take a walk along the beach. Unlike last year, I brought my camera, but not a way to transfer pictures from it, so they will have to wait. Here are a few that I took with my phone:

Horseshoe crab

About 65 sand cents

Giant mussel-like shells. I believe they are stiff pen shells

The beach

I had wondered about storm damage from last year’s storms that badly affected this area.  For the most part you wouldn’t know right here where the biggest tourism impact would be. There were, however, some indications.

Lots of building work at the marina where businesses were reassuring that they are open despite temporarily losing their waterfront

The pier is closed and an active work site

Day 18.002: Exile #2’s Sunday Column #508

Exile #2 writes...

We boldly ventured out yesterday in the cold and falling snow so that Exile #1 could test out his new birdwatching scope. The conditions were a little slippery, but we stayed local and layered up to the max, strode off in search of some subjects to watch.

The conditions weren’t ideal. We could barely even see the pole a little way off shore where the cormorants like to sit but we eventually found some ducks tucked in close to the rocks.

I suggested we walk on a little further to the other side of the outcrop of land. We often find birds bobbing about on what often seems like the sheltered side. Not so much this time! With a face full of snow and Exile #1 beginning to lose feeling in his fingers, we retreated back to where we realized, in hindsight, the ducks were finding the only bit of shelter there was to be found. A bracing trip but fun nevertheless.

Day 18.001: Eighteen years

Today marks the eighteenth birthday of our time in the US. Eighteen years ago today, we woke up in the US as a family of four having arrived on a one-way ticket. 

Here’s a picture of us around that time. 

It’s been a big adventure for sure. 

Day 17.366: 5 - #4 = 4

Exile #2 and I took Exile #4 to the airport in Boston for their flight to Thailand. They’ll be there for the next two months (one college term). We briefly met their classmate and travel buddy before they walked off together to go through security. 

Saying goodbye to the siblings at home

Saying goodbye to the parents at the airport