August 1: Dolphin Watch, St. Petersburg

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Sylvia beaming in tonight as I listen to WRR Classical Radio, as the sounds of Prokofiev's "Cinderella" ballet surround me.  

It has been a good day.  Nancy went to get some blood tests done today, and when she returned, she, Jim, and I had breakfast together and then got numerous chores done before taking lunch at DQ, which is just around the corner from them.  For $5 each we enjoyed hamburgers, French fries and soft ice cream in cones--all scrumptious (anyone who knows me knows how much I treasure those vanilla ice cream cones!).  From there we drove towards the Corey Causeway in South Pasadena to buy tickets and get in line to board the Dolphin Racer speedboat.  The Dolphin Racer offers a "high-speed ride with dolphins," with a narrated cruise of the scenic waterways surrounding the Gulf beaches.  The boat creates a large wake in its path, inviting the bottlenose dolphins to jump and body surf alongside.  The yellow boat has an open deck for seating up to 120 passengers, and almost every seat was filled.  We were among the first to climb aboard and Nancy and I took places in the stern of the boat to watch the dolphins jump the wake.  Temperatures were very hot, with few breezes as we waited for everyone to board.  Once we got started, a breeze was generated and the temperatures were more reasonable.  However, I am very glad I wore a hat, had donned some suntan lotion on my forearms and hands, and had worn long sleeves and a pair of sunglasses.  We saw a few glistening dolphins jump the wake, but they were not out in force today.  The tour took about 2 1/2 hours, and afterwards we were ever so glad to get into an air-conditioned van and house.  Once at home, we all changed clothes.  While Nancy was attempting to find a suggested movie ("Ladies in Lavender") on Hulu, Vudu, and Netflix, and having no success, I read and enjoyed the down time thoroughly.  All three of us cooked a dinner of vermicelli and a cream sauce of shallots, parsley, and onions as well as shrimp, and paired it with a salad and ice-cold watermelon for dessert.  After dinner, I called Rusty, since he had telephoned, and now I am writing this blog.  

Tomorrow we are off to the Dali Museum and off to a play tomorrow night.  For today, a fond greeting and adieu.  Take care, and let me hear from you soon!  As ever, Sylvia