New Looks

We are in a wave of beautiful weather. It has been warm and sunny with a nice breeze, perfect for being outdoors. Today the water was full of surfers and Gary got some pictures of them. We counted about a dozen in the water at one time. A wind surfer also was enjoying his day at Cocoa Beach.

Our days have become routine as we enjoy the wonderful days here. Spring is coming as the grass is getting green and the flowering shrubs are starting to blossom. Louise is taking to the beach and trying to get a little tan. Gary is painting steadily. Most days we venture to the gym and work out or use the pool. We received a surprise package today that included a beret for artist Gary. We include a picture of him wearing it. He is really starting to look the part of an artist!

And then there is Louise, finally getting a hair cut. The walks on the beach have wrecked her hair do, so today she got it done and we share this picture.

Next week the excitement will begin as Andy and Jessica will come to visit. Stay tuned for that story!

Summer's Day in February

We have had a week of wonderful weather. The days have been warm and sunny with a breeze and the feeling of summer pervades. We are told it is only Canadians and Northerners who frequent the beaches and think it is warm. Here Gary is walking in the waves and below Louise is getting her feet wet.

Gary has painted balloons all day, while Louise has been to Weight Watchers and sat on the beach reading a book. We can't wait to share this paradise with members of the family who will be coming to visit, we hope.

To add a bit of color to our environment, Gary has begun his planting. Here we have a pot of violas and lobelia.

And here we have a pot of herbs growing on the deck. Life is good.

The Wrap is Finished

Louise started knitting a wrap for herself on Christmas day. Today she finished it. Here are two preliminary pictures, before it was blocked and stretched. Some of the chilly nights will make this a welcome garment!

Manatees in warmer water

A cold snap last night has forced the manatees into the canal again to seek warm water. The Coles visited the canal in Satellite Beach and captured several pictures of these mammals.

 

We counted over forty of them in this one spot. Tonight will be cold again so they have taken up this spot where  the power company puts warm water into the canal to keep them alive.

It is another lovely day in Florida. Here you see the herb garden Gary has started on the sun porch. We went to the Farmer's Market again this morning where he bought another one. Gardening does seem to be part of the lifestyle!

Here we have a picture of Gary's studio in the sun light. It has been a pleasant day as we went to the pool and stopped to watch the wind surfers on the way home.

Lunch with Friends

Today the Coles spent the afternoon with two dear friends, Anna Bragg and Sam Canders. They traveled down to Cocoa Beach and we ventured out into the rain and tornado warnings to go to lunch at a Greek diner. A fine time was had by all, and it was wonderful to spend time with them.

 Anna and Sam

A rare picture of Gary and Louise together.

Sunday in Florida

Today we visited the Banana River and took a few pictures. You can see Cocoa Beach and the condos in the background. It was a lovely day, a little warmer than the past few days have been.
Here we have a wharf with some interesting light.

Louise is sitting on the wharf,  enjoying the outing.

Finally, by popular request, we are going to reveal the artwork that has been painted here in the past two weeks.

This is Mt. Katahdin from the scenic look out on Interstate 95.

This is a sailboat on Portage Lake from last summer.

We hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse of what we are doing. How about a few comments??

Life at the Beach

Today we have a few views of our life at the beach. We have been pretty quiet because Louise has been sick with a nasty cold and unable to go anywhere or do much. However, this morning she found a Weight Watcher's meeting to attend  in Satellite Beach. Gary is working on his second painting since he has been here. This one is of Portage Lake. It is another beautiful, sunny day in Florida, as the view of the beach shows. Notice the fisherman right in the water!

This is our living room.

This flower is just off the deck. There are lots of them out there.

This was Louise knitting on the deck yesterday. It was cooler and windy yesterday.

 Gary selected these roses a couple of days ago to cheer Louise up.

 And here is Gary in the studio he has established on the sun porch, facing the ocean.