Hello my friends,
This is gonna be a long one folks! What a wonderful vacation! It's amazing how invigorating sunshine, good friends and family can be. Our friend Nicolle moved from Vermont to Florida about 5 years ago, and so we catch up with her every time we go down. The 3 of us spent Saturday on the boat, fishing and sunning ourselves and also went to lunch at a restaurant right on the water. You just pull the boat up, tie it off and head to the patio for a pitcher of beer and some great seafood. OK, so maybe we had 2 pitchers of beer, but we were on vacation after all! Anyway, it was wonderful to see Nicolle, and the good news is that she is planning to move back to Vermont in the next few months, so we will be able to spend a lot more time together.
On Sunday, Heidi, Steve, Ian and Shannon arrived at noon, and we bee lined it for the condo to change from winter clothes into swimming suits and shorts, and then off to the boat again. That first day together on the boat was absolutely amazing, as it seemed that the stars had all aligned themselves in such a way that the ocean and all if the creatures in it, had decided that Ian, Shannon and all of us would have the experience of a life time.
We weren't on the boat more than 15 minutes before the we started seeing entire schools of Dolphins. Now, Tony and I have always seen Dolphins, but this time several of them swam up right next to the boat; you could almost reach over the side and touch them! And if that's not enough we then saw them feeding in some of the more shallow areas, and believe it or not more than once they actually jumped right out of the water, and we even saw one do a flip! It was as if they were performing for the kids!
Well, Grandpa Tony also knows that where there are Dolphins, there are also other fish. We dropped an anchor and got the kids set up with their fishing poles and sure enough, we started catching fish right away. I no longer remember who caught the first fish, but the competition for who could catch the most and biggest fish quickly began. Both kids quickly became adept at baiting their own hooks with shrimp, and casting because they were so sure that they were going to catch the next big one. I really am not sure who ultimatley won the competition, but I know that both kids will tell you it was them!
Later in the week Heidi and I took Shannon shopping for her birthday, while Grandpa and Steve took Ian golfing. Ian drove the cart and aside from a couple of close calls, he didn't actually wipe out, so we figure he did a good job of it. The kids also got to go the Florida Museum, where they saw the oldest living Manatee at something like 62 years old. I guess that Manatee only live to be about 7 or 8 in their natural habitat, and man is their only predator. Kind of sad, isn't it?
In addition to the above, we spent an evening at the local roller skating rink. Although Grandpa Tony and Nana weren't the fastest or smoothest skaters, I think the kids were impressed with the fact that we at least got out there and gave it a try. We paid for it the next day though with sore hips, and stiff legs, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world.
The end of the week was again spent on the boat. The weather changed mid-week and became quite a bit cooler, so we didn't do as much swimming and playing in the water as we would have otherwise, but none the less were able to walk in the shallows, collecting shells for Shannon and discovering hermit crabs, sea urchins and the like. The fishing competition also continued, and both kids easily caught 20 or 30 fish each day, varying from Grouper, Red Fish and Pompano Jack, to a few Cat Fish and Lady Fish. All in all, we were six very greatful and contented people. Both kids even agreed that this vacation was better than their trip to Disney a couple of years ago. Just try to wipe the smiles off of Grandpa and Nana's face!
So now it is home again and preparation for my last chemo treatment and Ian's first deer hunt. My treatment is on Thursday, and although I have been very fortunate in that I have not had any terrible side effects, the treatments do have a cumulative effect on me, and I am definitely anxious to be done with them and start feeling like my old self again. Old perhaps being the operative word, but none the less more like myself.
The week ahead holds many things, but perhaps most importantly we head for Bradford on Friday in preparation for Vermont's Youth Day, which is the weekend before deer season actually opens. We are all so excited for Ian's first hunt, and Grandpa, Mom, Steve, Uncle Kenny and cousin Phil will all be there, ready to drive the deer to Ian in his ground stand. Grandpa will of course be by his side as he is not yet old enough to be in the woods with a gun by himself, but the bottom line is, there still has to be a deer within range, and Ian still has to be the one to shoot it. Fingers crossed, because it ain't that easy, and disappointment may be the outcome, but that's all part of being a sportsman.
Either way, we will all be there to give him the full experience, which includes opening morning breakfast at 5am, stories of years gone past and the comradrie of the wonderful Munn family. I must admit though, I hope he has his own story to tell the following weekend when the rest of the family heads out for their opening day. Wouldn't that be something?
So yet again, as I write this rather long winded posting, I find myself reminded of how very fortunate I am. The week just past was one I will remember for the rest of my life, as I can still see in my minds eye, Ian and Shannon next to Grandpa reeling in a big fish and the smiles on all of their faces, or the look on Ian's face as he drove the boat and learned about the channel markers from his Grandpa. I can still hear the shared laughter as we all danced to the music on the boat and simply enjoyed being a family. What more could a girl ask for?
Hugs and love to all.
Shannon
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