It is a sensational Sunday in southwest Florida, 75 degrees, sunny, and with a slight breeze.  Anne drove Mom & Dad to the Estero Island Beach Club after church and breakfast this morning.  I (Chuck) remain at the condo to catch up and bake bread.  I'll go down at suppertime and support the retreat back tonight.

Rob, Mark, & Joe arrived yesterday.  Anne and I picked them up at the airport.  A  bit of excitement on the way; someone had lost sofa cushons and a comforter on the highway, and we hooked the comforter and dragged it to the airport.  Anne got out at a traffic signal, tugged on it, and gave up.  Lots of folks were honking and pointing.  We waved back.  I disentangled it at the airport when everyone boarded the vehicle.  We stopped at the orange juice stand on the way to the beach where Mom and Dad were already settled in.  Anne made a fine spaghetti dinner.

There may be some weather this week, but except for one or two days it should be much better than last week, which was rather cool for south Florida.  It is definately an El Nino winter.  Life has returned to the beach and the young women are wearing much less than the long pants, jackets, and hats that adorned them last week.  Praise be!  The traffic to and from the beach is, of course, horrible, but the sights, from pelicans to bikinis makes the crawl along the beach road more tolerable. 

At the beach each finds his own pleasures.  The visitors enjoy the warmth and a simple routine removed from the stress and storm at home.  Mom & Dad, moving more slowly than in the past, dip in the pool or hot tub, nap, dine, and join in conversations.  Anne and I walk the beach or visit the park with trails through the mangroves in the back of Estero Island to see the daily changes of spring.  This has been a year for Red Knots and we have seen them on multiple occasions.  On some years, we miss them entirely.

Mom insisted on stocking the time-share with food for the boys.  They may use most of it and appreciate the kindness.  Meal preparation begins in late afternoon, lubricated by mixed drinks or brew.  The Olympics are usually in the background and burst into the foreground when Americans compete or downhill skiers bolt down the mountain.

We leave the beach early as exhaustion sets in.  Anne and Dad usually stay up, if only to fall asleep, to see more Olympic action after we get home.  I catch the results in the paper in the morning.  Anne and I jog and begin another day.  That is except for Sunday, when we don't.  This morning was too fine to stay in, so we walked a few times around the circle when Mom & Dad went to church.  My back has been painful this month, and the motion helps that a bit.