2020 Life Logs, Day 20: Pool, Hot Tub, Beach, and Feast—Tough Life
Date: Monday, January 20, 2020
Weather: Cooler but Sunny; High 71 degrees, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home with Linda and Mike Stuart, Bonita Springs, FL

Overnight the temperature dropped, but not enough to keep Linda and I out of the pool for water aerobics. The water was warm and I didn’t really notice the chill in the air until I got out of the pool. So, Linda suggested we head to the hot tub to warm up and it did the trick. While we were in the pool, the sun burned through the cloud cover giving us another sunny day, perfect for our next foray which was to the beach. Linda and I spent the afternoon on Bonita Beach sunning and walking. I was in my bathing suit and I was plenty warm, but Linda had on her long-sleeved jacket and still felt a little chilly. I’ve always been told that’s how you tell the locals from the tourists in south Florida. When the temperature falls, only the crazy tourists are still out in bathing suits and in the water. That’s me. The couple of hours we spent on the beach were like magic. I love hearing the waves crashing on the shore and today they were doing just that. But all good things must come to an end. It was time to go buy food for dinner and get home to prepare it. Linda’s brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Mary Ellen, were coming over for dinner. Since Garrett and I were also visiting, Linda and Mike decided to get grass fed beef tenderloin steaks to celebrate the occasion. There is a farm store in Bonita that sells grass fed, grass finished beef, pork, lamb, and chicken straight from the farm that is about an hour away. The tenderloins were at least two inches thick and delicious, along with the scalloped potatoes, asparagus, and salad. We ate, drank, and talked away a lovely evening. It was late when Jack and Mary Ellen left, so I decided to head to bed. I’m writing this log on the plane ride back to Boston and will post it when I arrive.

Heather sent another ‘adventure’ photo from today. She took the boys and Shadow for a walk on the cranberry bogs that are close to their house and ventured to the huge hill of sand that the boys love to climb and slide down. Shadow was no different. He loved climbing up and running after the boys as they ran or slid down. His life is going to seem mighty boring when I get home, so I’ll make sure I arrange weekly playdates with the Goldpebbles so they can continue their adventures.