A Unique & Special Christmas
*** Floridian Style ***
2009
For the holidays this year, we entertained two special guests ... Bobby and Brad.
(Yes, Brad without Lu=Yahoo !)
It was pretty much a guy's paradise - time, great weather,
no obligations and plenty of time for fun in the sun !
Let the fun begin !
Bobby could hardly contain himself !
Bobby & Brad immediately got in the boat and headed out to see what they could catch.
First up...a beautiful peacock bass !
Not to be outdone, Brad lands himself one as well.
Brad was just happy to have fish, fish of any kind.
This is a shiner, actually used for bait.
One gorgeous day, they took their adventure to the Everglades.
As dad looks on, Bobby gets ready to release a cichlid.
What we most loved about Christmas was the time & memories of being together. There were no gifts exchanged, no stockings stuffed, no turkey put in the oven. We hung a candy cane on the door at La Quinta and called it "good"!
And then we hit the beach !
Christmas morning.
Sanibel Island.
Dad & Bobby.
It was a serene setting for a beautiful day.
Blue skies, no crowds. Just two friends doing what they like best.
Here a brown pelican decided Brad was his chum.
The fishing was out of this world! One of Brad's catches was a beautiful Lady Fish.
The birds were our neighbors.
Bobby with a Jack Crevalle.
Rock fish !
The pelicans stayed very close all day, hoping to get a hand out.
It seemed with every cast came a fish! Brad with a Jack Crevalle.
This beautiful White Pelican was one of the first I had seen in the Sanibel area.
They are magnificent! They are enormous and very graceful in flight, with long powerful wing strokes. Their wingspan is 108 inches !
There is an island adjacent to Sanibel called Captiva.
We walked a few miles down the beach to find this beautiful spot to fish.
After basking in the sun, collecting shells, bird watching and watching & documenting the boy's many conquests, Bobby decided it was time for me to fish.
I needed to get used to the water, which was not 80 degrees,
and receive a little instruction.
It took two !
I believe on my very first cast I caught a fish !!!
Reeling it in was a trip !!!
Yep, I landed my very own Jack!
Bobby had to review with me on proper procedure to release it.
Then it was time to C*E*L*E*B*R*A*T*E !!!
The fishing went on all day! We just couldn't stop.
Dad landed his share of Lady Fish.
And Brad with a Jack.
And Bobby with a beauty ~ a Lady Fish.
Brad with a mackerel.
*Pay attention. There will be a fish identification test later :)
The fishing, the company, the scenery...it was all fabulous !
We made some more memories playing the marble game.
Check out who was victorious AGAIN ! Yep, the green gardener!
I wish these boys would step up their game & give me a little competition !
For Christmas dinner, we did not sit down at a perfectly set table with a
beautifully roasted turkey and all the trimmings.
The four of us were grateful to find a Denny's open on Christmas night with a cheerful waitress, so that 4 sun kissed, exhuberant, tired and starving friends could share a meal together and reminisce on what a perfect day it had been !
I wouldn't have changed a thing.
***
5 comments:
Looks like a lot of fun! All the birds are so beautiful. Great pictures! xo
Best time of my life!!! Just a boat load of great memories!
Looks like a perfect day together. Jill, Kim, and I have said how we'd love to visit Sanibel on one of our sisters weekends. You have us so intrigued.
It's so beautiful there Amy ! And so laid back. There isn't even a traffic light on the island. If you are not a bird watcher yet, you will be after you visit Sanibel. The birds are fabulous, there are dolphins jumping in the waves, an occasional manatee will swim along the shoreline, shells to collect, fish to catch ! We L*O*V*E
it there ! You three girls come...we'll show you a good time ! :)
fun!!! mmm, where's that cd of the correct pix?!
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