Best Life

 We chose the 7:30 am mass at St Jerome's this morning.  Strange to be parking and walking to church before the sun was even fully present.  Even stranger was having no music.  Either there is a noise ordinance (we were in a very residential setting) or the organist/vocalist overslept because of the time change.  But a pretty church with very a welcoming community. Today's adventure - Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood.  Over 1500 acres situated between the ICW and West Lake that includes walking trails, multiple fishing piers, exhibit hall, picnic areas and an observation tower.  And today included live music and lectures by guest speakers with topics from marine life, water management and pollution.  Well done and with an aquarium on the agenda for this summer - definitely somewhere I would revisit.                                     ...

 This morning we were out the door by 830am looking to experience something new.  Being a Saturday with beautiful weather predicted, we were aiming to avoid large crowds.  We headed north on A1A along the coast.   Our first stop was CVS but although the store itself was open, the pharmacy hours do not begin until 9am.  So we moved along.  As we headed north we came across another CVS and since it was after 9am, Paul attempted to grab his prescription eye medication again.  Nope.  This pharmacy hours start at 10am.  Talk about "banker's hours"! Our first real stop was Hillsboro Inlet.  A cute little park just south of the drawbridge was perfect for wandering.  Parking was only $2, bathrooms were clean, and the view was perfect.  We watched a few smaller boats navigate the treacherous waters until the dark clouds released fat drops.                        ...

 Hugh Taylor Birch State Park was our destination for this morning.  Arriving early we were able to explore the 180 acres with few people.  Nestled between the ICW and the Atlantic Ocean, the park had just about everything - hiking trails, benches and picnic tables scattered throughout, places to fish, camping for nonprofit groups, kayak and paddleboard rentals and a bar and grill  restaurant.   After exploring the park by car, we were able to park the car and crossover North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd to the beach.  Cheapest parking yet! We managed walking just over 2.5 miles through deep, soft sand.  A true workout!  Swimming was not an option due to the rough surf and the multitude of jellyfish.  A perfect way to spend the morning.  By noon the beach was getting crowded, the traffic increased and the temperature soared to 82.   The rest of the day was spent reading and relaxing after a brief (painfully crowded) stop at ...

  Today's adventure took us to Flamingo World in Davie, Florida - "just" down the street.  What began as a citrus grove in 1925 is now a botanical garden and wildlife refuge.  Beautifully done with plenty of winding paths and even a tram with a narrated tour for the back 35 acres.                                                                           Muscovy duck                                                       Ibis eating out of Paul's hand.  We had bought  flamingo                            ...