Today it is sunny and warm. It's so warm that we took a little walk without wearing sweaters or hoodies for the first time since we arrived. It feels like spring.
I have enjoyed sitting on the front porch swing, reading a book that Cindy gave me. It's warm and light on the porch, even though it's still cold and dark in the house. While I was reading today, I noticed how noisy the neighborhood is. There are lawn mowers and cars, dogs and children, and birds, LOTS of birds. This old house is not insulated very well, so all of the noises carry inside easily.
In our Florida neighborhood, it's very quiet. Once a week the Proscape crew cuts and trims our yard, but it goes very quickly. Twice a week the sprinklers go off, but they run only a few minutes. Our house is so sound proof that we barely hear cars going down the road. There are no children and few dogs that bark. There are no chirping birds.
I had forgotten how noisy birds can be in the spring. They are chirping nonstop, all day. I actually like it. It's something I miss. We have birds. They honk and hoot occasionally, but we don't seem to have trees full of little chirping birds. We have no robins. I never realized we wouldn't have robins in Florida. I am enjoying watching them, with their big bright red breasts, hopping around the yard looking for worms and insects. We also have no rabbits in our yard. There are rabbits and squirrels in Florida, but not in our immediate neighborhood. Here, I'm watching the huge rabbits munch on the clover and grass in Cindy's yard. There are three or four at a time out there. The squirrels are busily running around and leaping from branch to branch in the trees. They are so cute to watch. At home, I don't see these things anymore. We also have no lightening bugs in Florida. It's not the time for them here yet, either, so I'm not watching them, but I'm thinking about them.
Soon there will be cicadas. That should be fun.
Up here they have no love bugs, but no one misses those. They have no lizards or alligators, and I do miss those. I really enjoy watching the little lizards skitter around. I guess they serve the same purpose as a robin, eating insects and worms.
I miss my family and kids when I'm in Florida. I love them all so much, so it's something I truly miss. While we are here, I am trying to make as many opportunities as possible to get together with them. When we actually lived here, we did not get together as often. Work and other obligations always got in the way. It's funny how different it is when you are retired and visiting. There are actually more chances to get together and hang out. These opportunities have to last for months and months until the next visit, so I store them up inside of myself.
Yesterday was one of those chances. We had wanted to see the Orioles play in Camden Yards, so Cindy got tickets for herself, Ken, and Mark and me. Then it rained all day. It rained on and off, so the game never got called. In fact, the Orioles won, but it was seriously POURING about the time we needed to make the decision to head downtown. We all decided it wasn't worth it, so we met up with Denise and Kip at a nearby Mexican restaurant called Zen West. We had never been there before, but it may now be my favorite restaurant in this area. Wow! We had a blast. Here are some pictures from last night.
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| We dressed for the Orioles' game, but we went to Zen West instead. |
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| The Western atmosphere was fantastic. |
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| We don't usually drink tequila, but here's Mark with his shot on the rocks and me with a "mamacita," a special margarita concoction. Delicious! |
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| Denise and I both had two mamacitas. |
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| Denise and Cindy |
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| Cindy and Kip |
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| Kip and Mark laughing at something. |
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| I have no idea what what they were studying so intently. |
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