Harper Valley

Birthday Spa Trip

 
I've been hitting the spa on my birthday for about five years now.  But when I discovered the Ritz Carlton spa a few years back...my birthday celebrations skyrocketed to a whole new level.  I usually make the birthday spa journey by myself, but this year, my friend Gaybrielle joined me since her birthday is just 10 days after mine.  It was so much more fun to celebrate with a fellow Libra. 

The day was full of giggles.  We cut the fool from the moment we arrived.  Everything was just funny.  Everything!  Throughout the day, we thought of zany things we could do to shock our fellow spa-goers.  We wondered how people would react if we rolled up to the spa pool with some bright pink noodles, snorkels, and some flippers.  Then we tossed around the idea of bringing our own Lean Cuisine meals and asking the pool boy to heat them up for us.  Wouldn't that be a riot?  Wonder if they'd kick us out?

We used an insane amount of towels, which also struck our funny bone.  I think we used around 12 each over the course of seven hours.  But that's what the spa is for--indulgence.  We partook in every indulgence available - massage, sauna, snacks, hot tea, shower, pool, lunch, drinks, dessert, hot tub.  Gaybrielle kept saying throughout the day...I could really get used to this life...I'm meant for this! 

On the way home, we got a little depressed because the perfect day was nearing it's end.  Gayb had a great idea that a spa day should be a yearly requirement for every female alive.  I agreed and added that it should be part of our annual gyno exams:  Morning at the doctor...afternoon at the spa.  What do you think, ladies?

Here I am, anxiously awaiting my East Indian Lime Scalp & Body Massage.

Fellow birthday spa friend....

 One of the ladies lounge areas.

Moroccan bird cage in the upstairs lounge.

This is how many towels I used.  Literally.
 

The $14 margarita. 

Somebody got very sleeeeepy.
 
  

View of the Spa from the hot tub.  It's three stories, people!

 

 

Pinocchio's Marionette Theater

I spent last weekend with my two favorite chicas aka Avery & Meagan.  We spent most of our time at the pool because the hours fly and it's a very cost effective form of entertainment.  A cooler full o' Frescas and some dive rings make for lovely weekend mornings.

But we did find time to visit an old favorite of mine for the grand re-opening of Pinocchio's Marionette Theater.  I was a volunteer at Pinocchio's many, many moons ago, so there's a special place in my heart for the theater.  They had a great run for almost a decade, until they closed their doors 18 months ago.  Lucky for us, the puppets are dancing on stage again, as of August 1st!

The artists at Pinocchio's are true to their craft, paying the closest attentive to every detail.  The performances are professional, the scripts are witty and wise, the voices are interesting, the sets are creative and colorful, and the marionette construction is superb.  The Orlando Weekly even wrote a wonderful article on the theater's recent revival.

Each performance begins with an introduction to the mechanics of a marionette, followed by a mini lesson in theater etiquette.

Anxiously awaiting the show...

 

Jack & the Beanstalk shows through September 13th.  Here's Jack and his magic cow, Belle.  She produces chocolate milk and strawberry shakes.  I need this cow.

Check out Pinocchio's soon.  Support local live theater!  They even have birthday party rooms.

Polynesian Luau

 

Aloha!  My sister, Jill is visiting from Atlanta..and my other sister, Janet had a birthday this week.  So we celebrated island-style at Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.  Upon arrival at the Polynesian Resort, we made our way through the jungle back to Luau Cove.  We were seated immediately, and the F&B started flowin'.  We feasted on tropical salad, coconut bread, fresh pineapple, chicken, BBQ ribs, rice pilaf, steamed veggies and a chocolate dessert.  Our meal also included bottomless beer/wine, so we took full advantage of that. 

A few times throughout dinner, the actors performed a running skit about life on the island.  That part was a bit cheesy, but the bottomless beer/wine made it all better.  After dinner, they got down to business with the traditional Polynesian dances.  Each time the male dancers graced the stage, Avery looked back as us grown folks with a grin and a giggle.  She had a look on her face as if to say...Am I allowed to watch these half-nekkid men?

 

The fire dance was the most intense for obvious reasons.  This guy was super brave.

 

I think Meagan won the award for "Most Fun Had".  She laughed and clapped her hands all night.  She made up songs, and was just really joyful.  The chefs at Disney did a great job with her allergen-free meal too.  She gnawed on those ribs like a champ.  At the end of the show, she even ran out on the stage with the other kids.  They all bounced around together.  That's her in the blue shirt, ribbons flying.

 

Look at that happy chica!

 

Here's the birthday girl.  Luckily she was in the restroom when they made all the birthday peeps do an embarrassing hula dance.

 

After the show, we wandered around the property and pretended like we were on vacation.  We took lots of pictures too.  Here's the whole gang...

The resort includes a man-made beach, so we dipped our toes in the water for a bit.  The girls were a little hesitant because they were scared of sharks.  I told them there are no sharks at Disney. You can see the Grand Floridian Resort and Wedding Pavilion in the background. 

 

I allowed Avery and Meagan to throw several handfuls of sand in the water.  Their mama didn't like that idea too much.  Whoops!  heehee

 

After the beach, Gus and Jill hit the lounge while the rest of us went for a monorail ride and watched the sunset.

 

We wrapped up the evening with more pictures.  Just girls in this one.

 

Aloha until next time...

Watermelon 5K

 

I did something this morning that I haven't done in 10 years.  I walked a 5K race.  HOLLA!  For the past few months, I've been walking about three miles on a somewhat consistent basis, and felt it was time to challenge myself. So off I went to trackshack.com and signed up for their annual July 4th Watermelon 5K.  I thought it would be just like my normal walks around Lake Underhill, but it was much more difficult.  There were hills, brick roads, sun (I usually walk at night).  Anyhoo..I was huffin and puffin, and my face was beet red.  But I finished.  And with a decent time too - right around 52m/30s. 

It was encouraging to see such a diverse crowd participating.  I saw 5-year old kids, retirees, skinny minis, and people with a decent amount of weight to lose.  It was so inspiring to see 3000+ peeps in one place doing something healthy.  We rocked it! 

Some of my walking buddies - Karen and Doris.

 

Watermelon dude interviewing one of the younger participants.

 

Florida's Watermelon Queen at the Wounded Warrior Regiment booth.

 

Everyone feasts on fresh cold watermelon after the race.

This 5K re-energized me to continue my journey of health and physical well being.  If you live in Central Florida, check out some of Track Shack's races.  They have year-round events.  Maybe I'll see you there next time.  Happy Fourth of July!  

Beach Bums: Part II

 

While we loved chillaxin near the ocean, we also did a bit of floating in the pool.  The pool was grody, but it gave Hunter & Meagan a chance to swim around a little better.  And we actually met a real nice lady there, Miss Vicki.  She was very engaging so the girls latched on to her, literally.  They told her their middle names, last names, birthdays, cousin's name, hometown, teacher's names, favorite movies, etc. 

Meagan got real comfortable with our new friend.  So comfortable that she asked Miss Vicki....Have you ever seen The Farting Preacher?  It was hilarious, especially in her adorable, innocent, four-year-old voice.  Now I'm the first one to laugh uncontrollably and even snort-laugh at TFP, but it's a little awkward when the youngins mention it to strangers.  Janet and I quickly explained what it was and brushed it off, but I was dying with laughter on the inside.  I'm sure Miss Vicki looked it up on YouTube when she got home.  Meagan's our friendly little diva....

I had big dreams of building a giant sand castle on this trip.  But once I plopped down on the beach, I just didn't feel like thinking and digging and being creative.  Luckily, our fellow beach buddies did feel like it.  Check out their masterpieces...

 

 

I was pretty careless with my sunscreen application on Monday, so my shoulders and chest felt like fried chicken by Tuesday morning.  Therefore I spent most of that day wearing a t-shirt, sitting under the umbrella, guarding our beach toys, snapping shots of my feet, and shooing the birds away.  Not as exciting observing the crew, but I'll take a bad day at the beach over a good day at the office..any time.

 

 

 

After a few hours of umbrella hibernation, I came out of hiding and helped Avery gather more shells for her collection.  We found quite a few treasures. 

 

On our last night of the trip, we went to see the movie, UP.  Might seem like a weird thing to do at the beach, but the kids wanted to go <me too> ..and it was nice to sit in a clean, stench-free theater, a welcome departure from watching a 13-inch TV at the Bates.

I'll say this about going to the beach with little kids.  It's in no way relaxing, but it sure is fun.  The wee ones had their typical meltdowns, and I think that triggered a few meltdowns in me.  Guess I'm just not used to the additional yelping, jumping, crying, and whining that comes with children.  I told my sister...I can't believe you don't hit the bottle every night? 

Throughout the trip, Janet and I were reminded of Summer Rental, the 80s classic beach movie starring John Candy.  Our adventure mirrored many of the scenes in this hysterical film.  The trip was lots of work, but I laughed a ton, and now I have my own irreplaceable 'Summer Rental' memories. 

 

Beach Bums: Part I

 

I survived my first beach trip with three small children (and their mother/aka my sister).  Our trip was full of non-stop action, sandy toes, salty mouths, seafood, and sunburn.  With every millimeter of the minivan occupied, we ventured out for a three-day stay at Madeira Beach, on Florida's Gulf Coast. The drive is about two hours, but the kids were troopers and kept us in stitches with their excitement and amusing questions. I think Meagan's inquiries won first prize: Mama, did you pack my clothes? ...Mama, have I been to the beach before? (x4) ...Mama, are you gonna throw me out to the sharks in the ocean?

Our excitement bubble burst rather quickly when we rolled up to the Surf's Inn.  From the outside, we thought..it's not so bad.  Just a little old.  One of those good old fashioned Florida beach motels.  Wrong observation.  How can I put this nicely?  Hmmm..I can't.  The place was a dirt hole.   The 'large' studio was crammed with over-sized, uncomfortable, shabby furniture.  The air from the A/C unit smelled like vinegar, which only enhanced the stale, eternal smoke smell permeating from the walls.  The floors were so filthy that our feet turned black within minutes.  The bathtub was full of mold.  The sink had old crusty toothpaste in it.  The bathroom door lock was loose, so we accidentally locked ourselves out.  And as dumb luck would have it, Mr. Maintenance punched out 10 minutes prior to the incident, so we jimmied the lock with a bobby pin. 

The pool was also very interesting.  Seemed like most of our neighbors enjoyed staring at the pool for hours at a time while chain smoking.  I couldn't blame them for not wanting to wallow in hot, salty, moldy water.  I could go on with more gory details, but I shan't.  The only saving grace of this dank dive was its close proximity to the ocean.  Score 1 for the Surf's Inn.

 

After the shock of the room wore off, we got down to business....the BEACH.  The waves were calling our names and we answered.  There were only a few hours left in the day, so we wasted no more time complaining about the hotel.  Meagan and Hunter were a little apprehensive about the waves, so they spent more time on the shore, digging holes.  But Avery jumped right into the ocean like a little fish.   

 

The next day, we hit the beach bright and early, complete with four chairs, two umbrellas, a giant beach mat, a plethora of toys, and plenty of snacks.  After an hour of jumping and riding waves with Avery, she said...Aunt Lisa, what happens if you need to poop?  I've never run that fast through sand before.  Whew.  Score 2 for the Surf's Inn.

  

We worked up an appetite after our first full day in the sun, so in the evening, we cleaned up and cruised on over to John's Pass for shopping and seafood.  I couldn't resist purchasing the classic beach souvenir: Salt Water Taffy, made fresh in Clearwater.  Avery & Meagan went for another beach classic: the sea shell necklace.  Avery just couldn't get enough of that shark tooth.  I started to think it might have magic powers. 

 

With souvenirs in tow, we moved on to Sculley's for dinner.  Their Rum Runner {on the rocks} was killer.  It paired very nicely with our lump crab stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, and blackened Grouper.  After dinner, we enjoyed the birds and fish around the boardwalk.  Lots of pelicans everywhere.

   

 

Next on the agenda: Sunset.  You simply can't visit the West coast without watching at least one sunset.  And watching it go down over the ocean is even more breathtaking.  The kids loved it too.  Our sunset walk was one of the few times they seemed completely calm. 

 

 

Stay tuned for Part II of our beach adventure.........

Build a Better Sand Castle

Next week, I'm going on a mini beach vacation with my youngest sister and her cheerun.  I don't remember ever going to the beach with wee ones, so I'm pumped about having partners for sand castle making.  I'm such a craft nerd that I Googled "how to build a better sand castle" and actually found some really helpful info.  Check this out below...

Sand Castle Tools:

• Buckets to carry water and sand
• Plastic straw to blow away loose sand
• Water-filled spray bottle to keep sand moist
• Small soft-bristle paint brush to erase knife marks and brush away loose sand
• Shovels and trowels to help sculpt (For bigger castles, don't use plastic beach shovels)
• Plastic knives, butter knives, and putty knives to carve and shape your castle

Sand Castle Tips:

• It is difficult to impossible to build a castle from the bottom up. While molds are great for simple structures, or to stand alone, the sand you turned over out of the green bucket just isn't packed tightly enough to support the weight of another layer on top of it.
• Ninety percent of the building process is actually sculpting the structure down from a larger pile.
• Start by making a pile about a 12 to 18 inches high. How long and wide it is will depend on what you want the final structure to look like.
• Pack the pile down fairly hard, and smooth off the top so it is flat. If you want to use a mold to make the top of a tower, place it near one of the ends of the flat "base."
• Now use the edge of a shovel - or a ruler or playing card - to "carve" down the rest of the side of the tower, and to form the walls of your castle. By moving down the pile in staircase fashion, you can create multiple levels, position additional tower molds, and exercise your creativity.
• Build towers by forming and stacking sand patties about the size and shape of thick pancakes. Place larger patties on the bottom, and gently shake the patties from side to side as you pile them so that the sand settles. Seal your towers by gently pouring water over them.
• One benefit of working from the top down, is that you can decide to stop at almost any point, and what you have already done will appear as a complete structure, deliberately built atop the base formed by the remainder of the pile.
• Dig a moat around the castle to protect it from invaders, such as breaking waves and dogs.

These tips and tricks were unearthed from various online sources.  You wanna know the best tip I found?  Here it goes --- "Sand castles are very much like life. The joy comes from the process of living and building, and not in the act of completion." 

Note to self:  Must remember quote when compelled to yell at young sand castle helpers.

Happy Building!

Girls Rock!

I spent the last 24+ hours with my two favorite chicas, Avery & Meagan.  My little nieces are lots o' fun and all girl!  In the car ride on the way to my place, they chanted..."It's a girls weekend.  No boys allowed!  Girls rock!"  It starts young.

We began the weekend with pottery painting at All Fired Up in Winter Park.  The girls loved it.  Avery painted a big fish-shaped piggy bank, which looked lovely.  Meagan painted two smaller figurines that turned out very...abstract.  But hey, she's only four, so I was just happy she didn't break anything.  Their paints have fun names like Orange Crush and Cool Mint.  The favorite name at our table was Pumpkin Pie, which Meagan renamed Hunkin' Punkin'.  Meagan was seriously bummed that she had to leave her masterpieces there for firing.  She wanted to take them home so bad.  But Avery and I assured her that the pottery would come to life and look even better once it's glazed.  Avery said that firing is like..."lipstick for pottery."  Sounds like a great marketing tag line to me.  Here are the finished products:

Next on our schedule:  movie time.  We checked out the new Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.  I wouldn't give it two thumbs up, but the chicas sat very still and barely made a peep, so I guess they liked it?  I think the Sour Patch Kids put them in a trance.  On the way to the theater, they were bickering just a little bit.   Naturally, I nipped it in the bud and Avery said..."well now you know what it's like to have kids!"

We planned on swimming after that, but the weather was poopy, so we made a craft instead... Butterfly 3D Sun Catchers. I found this activity kit at JoAnn..it was easy, self-contained, and not horribly messy.  Their attention spans only lasted long enough to create one butterfly each, so now I have leftovers for the next visit.

To finish off the evening, we made cookies.  But these weren't just any old cookies.  These were special ones that Miss Mae Mae could eat.  She's allergic to almost every major allergan, so baked goods can be tough.  Luckily, I've been reading Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin book and discovered her tasty Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (will share them in a later post).  Meagan liked eating the allergan-free chocolate chips more than the cookies themselves.  But she liked the cookies too.  In fact, she said I was a "good maker." 

 

The girls are just crazy about my kitties.  Any time Jasper and Stella make an appearance, they quickly try to cajole the cats a little closer.  Meagan's still learning cat protocol, but Avery's got it down pat since she's a little older and gentler.  This morning, Jasper let Avery pet him for a good ten minutes while he purred and purred. Avery decided that he purrs so "all the girl cats will be addicted to him." 

 

We were up bright and early on day two.  The sun was shining for the first time in a week, so we took full advantage of the empty pool.  Here's Avery doing the back stroke and Meagan floating on her noodle.  On our walk down to the pool, the girls noticed I was wearing earrings, which they thought "looked like an old lady."  Ha!  What a hoot!

 

Our pool is lined with big, bountiful hibiscus bushes, so we picked our favorite flowers.

 

Always a fab time with my chicas.  Although, when our time is nearing its end, I look forward to peace, cleanliness, and bottle of wine.  Props to all the parents out there!  

Step Into Africa

 

This weekend, I had the privilege of experiencing a glimpse into the life of a young woman living in Africa..and living with AIDS.  I took the journey of Olivia, a young person directly affected by AIDS.  I listened to her story and "became" her by walking through her world.  

Sound intersting?  If you'd like to learn more about AIDS in Africa, then I encourage you to participate in Step Into Africa, hosted by Discovery Church.  This interactive, walk-through experience is full of stories, photographs, music, narration, and a clear call to action.  It's free and it's open all week with great hours!  Be sure to reserve your free tickets by visiting World Vision.

Step Into Africa is not recommended for children under 12, but if you have younger ones who'd like to participate, then come anywhere from 3:00-6:30pm for Family Friendly Hours.  Your child can walk through the experience with a narrator who will give them an age appropriate message. Following the experience, they can participate in a voluntary brief activity.  

Event Hours:
Saturday, May 16 = 11:am-9:00pm
Sunday, May 17 = 8:30am-10:30pm
Monday, May 18 = 12:00pm-8:00pm
Tuesday, May 19 = 11:00am-9:00pm
Wednesday, May 20 = 11:00am-9:00pm
Thursday, May 21 = 11:00am-9:00pm
Friday, May 22 = 8:00am-5:00pm

  

 

  

Junkin' Journey, Part Two

 

Last night, my friend Tara e-mailed me about a Saturday junkin' trip to Mt. Dora's Renninger's Antique & Farmer's Market.    Do you know I've lived within a 40-mile radius of Renninger's for30+ years and never been???  So naturally, I jumped at the chance, being the junk lover I am. 

Renninger's has lots of stuff for everyone:  quality antiques, plants, fresh produce, funnel cakes, and true blue flea market trash.  It was a tad overwhelming, but I went with just a few needs in mind, so I stayed right on target. 

I almost didn't go because I wanted some "me time."  But I'm so glad I did!  I reconnected with Tara and got to know her a little better.  The weather was perfect.  The conversation was meaningful.  The purchases were affordable and purposeful.  And the pizza hit the spot.  Lovely day trip, indeed!

 

Junkin' Journey

Today I met up with my friend Christy and her sweet lil' girl, Ada for one of our favorite past times --- Junkin'.  Our junkin' journey was quite productive...we found a several gems for our ongoing artsy craftsy projects. 

Our most valued treasure was discovered at one of the most unlikely yard sales.  Christy and I can handle yard sale grime, but this house was even a little too dirty for us!  Luckily, the homeowners were selling a Spencerian Handwriting Book full of 19th century American ornamental penmanship.  The book included lots of thick glossy pages, perfect for collages, art projects, scrapbooks, etc.  Since we were both drooling over it, we decided to split the price and split up the book pages.  Quite the find for only 50 cents each! 

The owners of this home also had eight cats.  Eight!!!  So I was fortunate enough to sneak a quick snapshot of one of the felines.  I thought he looked so cute and cozy in his dirty desk.  Great bargain. Great photo opp.  Guess this house wasn't so bad after all.

Christy and I giggled with great satisfaction when Miss Ada got into junkin' like the big girls.  She found a few bargains herself and even scored a free purse from one kind lady.  We think she caught the bug! 

 

Deep Sea Fishing: A Valentine's First

 

This year, my Valentine's Day was full of firsts.  First time deep sea fishing.  First time catching a fish.  First time spending V-day with a bunch of dudes on a boat.  First time listening to country-rap music. Check out these shots of my fantastic day in the Gulf of Mexico!

Tarpon Springs is the official Sponge Capital of the World.

  

I wonder how old this anchor is?

   

Our fishing poles are lined up, waiting for their temporary owners.

 

I caught my first fish (ever) just a few minutes after I cast my line in the water!  Baiting the hook was no biggie, but prying the caught fishie off the hook was a different story.  It's really hard!  They flop around and they're covered in slime.  Plus, their fins cut your hands if you don't have the technique down pat.  So...Gus and Dad unhooked my catch all day.  Fishermen to the rescue!

 

Da boys.

A huge flock of birds followed us back to the dock.  Some of them were so close to the boat that we could almost touch them!  Our live bait died, so Mike threw it all out to the birds.  Can you spot the mini fish flying in the air??? 

 

Here's Gus and Dad with the loot.  We caught a whole mess of fish!  They were good eats with hush puppies and Mom's homemade coleslaw.

 

Lovely Day

   

Anyone enjoying this GORGEOUS Florida weekend?  I sure am.  My lovely day started with a trip to Clemon's Produce for a renewed supply of rabbit food.  Look at all this food I got for $16.00!  Such a deal.  I would have spend twice that much at the grocery store.  The big bonus was the strawberries...half a flat for $4.00.  What??  Talk about a good deal.  That's stupid good.  The cashier said they'll only be that cheap for a day or two because of this weekend's freeze.  They had to pick them or they'd be destroyed.  And to top that off...they had no way of shipping them North because of all the ice storms up there.  So that means lots of extra strawberries in Florida this weekend.  Works for me!

I knew my cheap berries would go bad in a hurry if I didn't preserve them.  So I trimmed them up, froze them individually on a sheet tray, and after a few hours they were ready for Ziplocs.   Perfect for smoothies, snacks and desserts.  Look at those succulent ruby red gems!!!

 

After that, I purged my kitchen and threw out two trash bags of junk.  Then I walked down to Lake Underhill for some peace and highway.  For those of you who don't live here, SR 408 runs right over the lake, and while it's not exactly quiet, it's amazingly tranquil.  The constant swooshing of cars sounds like white noise...a concrete ocean, if you will.  I met a few friends along the way.  What a lovely day.  Hope you're soaking it all in too!

 

   

 

Citrus Bowl Parade

After living in Central Florida most of my life...I have never been to the Citrus Bowl Parade.  So I thought it was about time.  I think it's actually the Capital One Bowl now, but Citrus Bowl sounds better to me..and think the locals still call it that.  My youngest sister, Janet joined me along with Avery, Meagan and Hunter.  What a fantastic day for a parade!  The weather was beyond gorgeous and we found the perfect spot right on Orange Avenue in the shade...oh yeah!  The parade was full of talented bands, horses, pageant ladies, funny cars, floats, majorettes, flag corps, and mascots.  It was a full two hours of free entertainment!

Janet and I couldn't remember the last time we'd been to a parade.  We decided that it was probably when we were in our high school parades.  And that was several decades ago!  Long time.  If you didn't make it to the parade, hopefully these pics will make you feel like you were there too!

Michigan State University Band...they had a FIERCE war cry!   You can kind of tell in their facial expressions.

 

Here we are at our rock star parade spot.  Meagan said the bands were too loud, so her fingers stayed in her ears most of the time!

 

Silver Spurs Rodeo gals.

 

One of the many floats made from real citrus fruit.

The lovable Shriners had guys riding coolers turned into vehicles.  What a hoot!

 

Another Shriner...this is my favorite picture from the day.  

 

University of Georgia Band.  Go Dawgs!

 

Meagan had heard enough marching bands at this point, so she "hid" under a towel.

Universal Studios float...you can see Homer's tummy peeking out.  Marge was on the other side.  Lisa & Bart were in the car behind them.  

Universal Studios stilt walkers.

 

Me and Hunter checking out the sights.

 

Flag corps from a band up North.  There were lots of high school bands from Ohio, Iowa, New York...and even from down South - The Bahamas!

 

And of course, it wouldn't be a parade in Orlando without Mickey & Minnie.  They finished off the parade on a gorgeous drawn carriage pulled by six gigantic black stallions. 

Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

On Sunday this weekend, I jetted over to Titusville with some peeps from my Young Professionals group.  We were so excited for our Bioluminescent Kayak Tour!  I'd never heard of this phenomena until recently.  Apparently there are a few bodies of water in the world that host dinoflagellates, which are tiny plants that live in the sea and obtain energy from sunlight during the day.  In darkness, they emit bright blue light in response to movement within the water.

Sounds cool, right?  Well it would have been cool if the dinoflagellates hadn't died off for the season from our "cold snap" a few weeks ago.  Our guide told us this right before we hopped in our kayaks, and right after listening to lots of instructions in the pouring rain while darkness closed in around us.  Major bust. 

It was a rough start.  Me and my kayak partner had quite a few challenges (wailing into trees, inability to paddle straight, ya know..the basics).  Eventually we got the hang of it and caught up with the pack.  Kayaking is way harder than canoeing!  Since all the glowing dinos were gone, we pretty much just paddled around in the dark for over an hour.  In the rain.  With OFF dripping into our eyes.  And salt water splashing into our noses and mouths.  The best of times.

Then FINALLY at the end, we paddled into a school of mullet that went freakazoid when we shined our flashlights into the water.  Literally hundreds and hundreds of mullet were jumping in and out of the water at the same time all around us.  It was hilarious!  There were so many jumping that it sounded like a major thunderstorm.  I could not stop laughing.  And..several of the mullet became our new best friends when they jumped into the kayaks.  Oh  yeah, we're talkin' live fishies outa water here people.

It was pretty fun despite the conditions..and I got in my workout for the month.