TV News this morning confirmed it! There was a Tornado touchdown (6 points - grin). Mother Nature wins again!
Also - NOAH (The Movie) is #1 at the box office - even the Pope is supposed to have enjoyed it! We will not be swayed by public opinion!
Today is Monday! In the world of Flea Markets in Florida that means Webster - West Side.
For more than 50 years, Webster Westside Flea Market has been a place to find everything imaginable! Many vendors have been in business there a long, long time.... some for more than 15 years.
You can find produce, flowers, bakery, jewelry,plants, boutiques, antiques, musical instruments, canopies, electronics, food, drinks and many other products and services!
This is the USA. This is Florida. That means there is a high percentage of booths with guns, ammo, knives, swords and other similar paraphernalia - always with a few interested folks checking out the items.
We spent an hour or so going up and down the aisle (inside and out).
Charlotte tried to negotiate a smaller size of "Boiled Peanuts" - No Luck! They only sold one size.
Today our purchases were a pair of hats (for me) for $5 and 4 packs of bags clips for $6 (I think these will be gifts). The hats are British Style driving hats that are made with a mesh rather than solid material.. Now my "Route 66" baseball cap is too hot in the sunshine. The mesh in these hats will let the air through - cool! (literally - another grin) The bag clips are not the flat ones usually seen for sale. These operate more like clothespins - great for closing bread bags! (They are popular back in Canada - haven't seen them there yet).
Our next destination was the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, FL. Charlotte and I haven't been here for years - since just after we were married (1969). I was first here when I was 12. We were visiting my Mom's Aunt Edith in nearby Ozona, FL at that time and came to visit the Sponge Docks. I am sure that many of the children visiting today with their family or grandparents will also remember their visit.
I remember eating at Louis Pappas Restaurant - I had hamburger steak cooked in olive oil with an onion sauce that was fantastic. Louis M. Pappamichalopoulos arrived in America in 1904 from Sparta, Greece. He shortened his name to Pappas to help simplify life in his new country. In WWI, as an army chef, he created his own version of a Greek salad by adding potato salad to help sustain the troops during hard times. At one point the Louis Pappas Riverside Restaurant (a landmark from 1975 until 2002) sat 1000 customers. They are now at a different location in Tarpon Springs.
Luck was with us! We got the last tickets available for the 4 p.m. Spongeorama Cruise.
Then we went for lunch at Yianni's Greek Cuisine @ the Sponge Docks. We ate on the sidewalk - literally. The railing is right at the roadside and the tourists pass between the tables and the restaurant - neat!
Kat (daughter) called from Canada as we were ordering. We told her where we were and she immediately recalled when she visited Tarpon Springs with us (years ago).
Kat also informed us that there was a fresh 6" of snow on the ground at home. Marty, our grandson was playing in a hockey tournament (Goalie) in Kingston, ON this weekend. They left to get home early as Nick runs a snow plowing business.
Charlotte and I shared a Greek Combination Plate (stuffed grape leaves, Mousaka and Pastisto and spinach pie). We also shared a Gyro (They pronounce it GeeRow) with the meat wrapped in pita bread with onions, tomatoes, and tzstsiki sauce. Yianni's is the only restaurant at the docks that makes its own Gyro meat - sooo tender and tasty. The Greek Salad (Pappas style w/potato salad, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, olives, peppers and feta cheese) was also excellent. The finale -Baklava! A great way to end a meal.
The food was excellent...portions large...price low..service good! All accompanied by live music from a local artist playing Greek, Caribbean and all-time favorite style tunes.
The Spongeorama Boat Tour include a half hour on Anclote Key in the Gulf of Mexico to allow folks to hunt for shells. Charlotte did not wear her sandals today as we were going to the Flea Market and areas of the grounds can be hard on unprotected feet. To allow searching in the surf we went shopping for flip-flops. We found a nice pair at the shop right across the street from the restaurant.
To fill time before the cruise we went to watch the free movie at the Sponge Factory. It was really informative and interesting. It combined facts about sponges (from harvesting to cleaning, preparing and curing, etc.), sponge divers and Tarpon Springs (History, etc.). Then, it was out the door and on the boat.
Neat view of the fishing trawlers on the way out to the gulf. Some "Shrimpers" out of Tarpon Springs are under contract to Red Lobster.
On the cruise out to Anclote Key we stopped to watch a pair of dolphins feeding on the shallow sandbanks.
A Paddle-Surfer could almost keep up to the ship when it was at idle speed in the "No Wake" area of the channel.
In the Gulf we passed a hapless boater being brought back to the harbour by TowBoatU.S. (sort of like an AAA of the Seas).
At the Key they "Beached" the boat.
"Shiver Me Timbers!" As soon as the "Gangplank" was lowered at the front of the boat everyone was off and "Shelling".
We had fun searching for shells.
Previous arrivals (boat tour and individuals on their own boats) pretty much harvested the best shells from the beach. Charlotte found nicer shells in the surf.
It was all over too soon. Everyone re-boarded and we headed back to port.
The "Captain" spotted more Bottlenose Dolphins (5) on the return trip. He turned the boat around and sped up trying to temp the dolphins to jump in the boat's wake. Success! Oohs and Aahs could be heard from the passengers as they kept up to the boats wake. Dolphins can reach 35 mph for short periods. The loudest gasps were when they jumped completely out of the water. Previously we had seen dozens of dolphins do this on a whale watch out of Provincetown, MA (off Cape Cod). It was just as much fun watching a few!
Man has created synthetic sponges; yet, nothing replicates the real thing. Sponges are animals. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them. A sponge's body is hollow and is held in shape by the jelly-like layer (meshyl) that is sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive, circulatory or excretory systems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. Most sponges are "Asexual". When sponges are harvested, a portion is left attached to the surface (rock, etc,.), so they can reproduce. Natural sponges can be rinsed completely (and easily) retaining nothing harmful.
Notes:
- Sponges have medicinal potential due to the presence in sponges themselves or their microbial symbionts of chemicals that may be used to control viruses, bacteria, tumors and fungi.
- Contrary to popular belief the "Luffa (Loofah) Sponge", commonly sold for use in the kitchen or the shower, is not a sponge - it is really the fibrous "skeleton" of a gourd.
Charlotte found a few "Silk" sponges (used for face washing, removing makeup, etc.) that she like. They become so soft when wet. Three came home with us.
Ooops! Major Miscue! Instead of I-75 I thought we could take a relaxing ride back on the local highway (US-19). My mistake. It has been a few decades since we had been in this area (other than on the Interstate). The State Route through the countryside that had once been a quite 2 lane highway is now 6 lanes wide with wall-to-wall commercial development and traffic. After 30 miles or more of 45-60 mph traffic - complete with stoplights we finally got back to quite roads (Note to Self: Don't take this route with the RV (towing or not)!
Rant: Legally they cannot change the "Caution Light" duration. (Apopka, FL tried - DOT disallowed it) Wouldn't it make sense to have the light's length proportionate to the speed limit? (The State makes too much money from Red Light Cameras?) Time to change the law!
Once we got on SR-50 (heading East) the final hour and a half of the trip was enjoyable - we keep the top off all the way back, Florida's roads are a pleasure at night. The reflectors and markings are great. All the roads back, once we got away from the 6 lanes of mayhem, were nearly perfect. Out of the city's "light pollution" the sky lit up with stars. Again, with the top off, we were treated to several instances of the heavenly scent of the orange blossoms - what a treat!
Once we got back Charlotte couldn't wait to clean and sort her shells (and toss the cracked ones). A pretty good haul!
Needless to say - I have a feeling tomorrow will be a day of rest in the RV!
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