Cocoa Beach...I Miss You

Sigh.

I found this Cocoa Beach photo on my phone. The gremlin has been up to his animation tricks again.

I am just missing the WARMTH of an Atlantic Ocean beach, and the squawking seagulls, and the fishermen, and the pelicans, and the surfers...

...if you look real close and fast you might see a surfer off the end of the Cocoa Beach Pier.

The weatherman said this morning that it should get down to -17 tonight.

Stay warm everyone. We're in for yet another cold blast. Glad I bought flannel sheets a few weeks back!

Wedding Photos From Duck Key

Lindsey

The Bouquet

The Place

The Bridesmaids

Groom and Groomsmen

Steve and I

(Why I look like a secret service agent is beyond me!)

Dad giving daughter away

(Photo credit goes to Riley's GoPro Hidden Camera.

See the below white arrow.)

Sorry about the blue cast in this pic.

Al's hair really isn't blue.

(Sorry Al.)

The three photos above were also taken with Riley's GoPro Camera.

The following are random shots during the reception and at the resort.

Bride and Groom Dance

Father/Daughter Dance

Mother/Son Dance

Sniff.

Father of the Bride and Son-In-Law Dance

Rehearsal Dinner

Swimming with the Dolphins.

Lindsey and her sister, Kelly

Kathy, Kris, and Denny

Wonderful People!

Nikko, Riley and Paul at Sunset

The newlyweds have been sending me pictures of the wedding which is GREAT because I didn't take any. The only problem is I have no idea who to give photo credit to (except Riley).

 Thank you all! 

*************************************************************************

Venison Shoulder Pot Roast

Oh, and if you have a venison shoulder roast sitting, lying, buried in your freezer, try this Venison Shoulder Pot Roast recipe. Yum and oh so easy!

Wedding in the Keys

We are back and ALL UNPACKED from our trip to Florida. I apologize to those of you who faithfully follow this blog of mine and I appreciate each and everyone of you who take the time! I've heard it said that one shouldn't advertise when they are going to be away from home so I didn't give many of you a heads up that I'd be gone or why. But it wasn't at all a worry to be gone because we have THE BEST neighbors and friends who all look out for us and our two pooches when we travel.

But I'm home now, unpacked, and can let out a big WHEW and share with you the past 10 days!

We left bright and early from wintry Kinross airport where the temp was -15. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale, Wednesday, January 6, where we rented a car to drive down to Duck Key. It was 85 degrees in Ft. Lauderdale - a 100 degree difference!

And the reason we went to the Keys was for our son Riley's wedding which took place Friday, January 9.

To say the least we were thrilled when Alamo upgraded our rental car to a Mustang convertible! We drove the whole 2 1/2 hour trip with the top down, soaking up that Florida sunshine!

Steve and I rented a condo which was on the edge of Hawks Cay Resort. Riley and Lindsey got married on the beach across the street. 

When one rents a convertible one must travel, so the day before the wedding Steve and I headed to Key West!

Where the tourists and chickens and roosters roam free.

And of course when one has a convertible...

one must attempt a selfie!

On the day of the wedding, after afternoon pictures, we hung out on our porch until the wedding began at 5:00.

Riley's pretty Grandmothers.

Our condo overlooked Hawks Cay Marina.

The day after the wedding we all sat around the pool in the sunshine. Yes, I said SUNSHINE.

Sunshine. Warmth. In my bathing suit.

No gloves or stocking hat.

Riley's Best Man.

His crazy, um, handsome brother Steven.

On Sunday we all went our separate ways. Riley and Lindsey rented a sailboat for three nights in Key West.

And they did a bunch of fun things like take a biplane ride and snorkel.

Steve and I got into our convertible and drove to Cocoa Beach. (I love saying convertible.)

Can't get enough of them palm trees!

The Cocoa Beach Pier

AND another selfie.

After Cocoa Beach we drove to Orlando where we stayed a few days with Steve's parents.

(And turned in the convertible. Bummer.)

All the photos on this post were taken with my phone. I have Orlando on my other camera and will show those pics in a future post. We did a lot of fun things like visit New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic Ocean and another day at Mount Dora. I also went to Trader Joes for the first time ever!

Leaving LaGuardia Airport...somewhere over New York City at sunset this past Friday evening. Steve and I saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time ever from our airplane window when we came into LaGuardia.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

~Debi

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Most of you who visit my blog The Walking Stick have been experiencing a MUCH colder winter than usual. Even the sunniest days don't bring me joy when the thermometer reads 0 Fahrenheit - give or take a few degrees. I read online yesterday that a place near Newberry, Michigan, in the UP reached -41 degrees. Unbelievable. And that isn't wind chill. Don't even get me going on all the wind we've been experiencing... 

I was going through our week-long, visiting Steve's parents, Florida trip pictures this morning (while wrapped in a quilt, cup of coffee steaming on the end table) and reminisced of the two-day one-night WARM trip Steve and I took to Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic side of Florida during the first week of February. I know I promised in my last post to share with you photos of our trip to Mackinac Island via snowmobiles. I have that post all ready to go and will post it soon. But today I thought I would reach out and try to give you all some warmth, seeings how I can't give you all warm hugs or let you borrow my quilt or offer you a toasty mug of freshly brewed coffee or a steaming mug of hot cocoa topped with little marshmallows or whipped creme. You're choice. If you were here.

And as you scroll down thinking of warmer days to come (they WILL come), I may make you chuckle or gasp at one particular photo...

The Cocoa Beach Pier

There are a couple of restaurants on the right as you enter the pier. You can choose to sit somewhat indoors, or on a stool in the sun and watch all the beach goers. At the end of the pier is a tiki bar and lots of fishermen.

There are lots of pelicans hanging out at the end of the pier waiting for bait scraps.

They're kind of shy...

They don't want to get too close to you...ha.

Sometimes they'll break out into a little dance...

While strolling the beach (IN BARE FEET!!!), the rolling roaring waves made me think of Riley because...

...I know this is one of his many passions and I wished so much that he was there surfing the waves, too. He has been here in the past and is familiar with the beach.

On the beach there are pigeons and seagulls everywhere waiting for a free hand out.

Shoo, I say. Nothing here for you. 

And why are you looking at me like that with that iddy biddy red eye?

Is there something I should know?

Chuckle or gasp?

View from the room. Warm breezes caressing my face. Remember them?

The next morning the sky was overcast and threatened rain. But if you look closely there were many people walking the beach. I sat in a chair on the porch breathing in the fresh tropical air and drank my morning......coffee! 

You've got my morning ritual figured out.

As threatening as it looked, the clouds soon disappeared and we had a wonderful day.

However, we got a leeeetle too much sun.

A lone surfer waiting for that wave.

A quiet tiki hut yet a few fishermen.

Peace and warmth to you all.

Love,

Debi