Moving House
The day we were supposed to leave Zephyrhills, we were surrounded by a moat.The rain had pored solid for several hours through the night. It sounded like golf balls on the aluminum skin of our trailer. And when we woke up, a giant puddle emerged where the drop zone once stood. It just wasn’t our time to depart … all things for a reason. Kismet. fate, whatever you want to call it. And on this day, we learned that our dear friend Minna had to leave her comfy warm trailer, enduring the rest of her stay in a tent. Tomorrow. I was shocked by the suddenness and the reasoning why hardly no notice was given? Breathe, move beyond what the possibility for change and look at what I can do.
The answer lay in the weather. We postponed our trip to Sarasota by a day, unable to really move our trailer through the sandy muck, for fear of getting stuck. Another reason for extending our stay by a day? It was imperative to be here for Minna … to help our friend in need to move her belongings or do anything that we were capable of in making her life simpler and less stressful. We needed to set up her new home, and in the interim, do a rain dance so as to keep the rain away for the duration of her 3 week stay).
The day we left our Zhills winter home, the sun shone brightly, the puddles had evaporated, making it easier for Minna to maneuver her wheelchair without getting stuck in the quagmire. She had an abundance of belongings and I truly couldn’t imagine her moving all of this on her own. Minna has achieved such feats on her own, many a time before, but I am thankful we could be here for her. The burden of stuff is powerful, especially when life may slow you down when you least expect it. I was certainly going to miss Minna. She was a huge part of my adventure and journey whilst camping at Zhills.
Our next destination, Sarasota, is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers by about 2 hours either way. Its current official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. These islands separating Sarasota Bay from the gulf near the city, known as keys, include Lido Key and Siesta Key, which are famous worldwide for the quality of their sandy beaches. We were lucky enough to receive a personal invitation from our old Frontier skydiving friend, Patrick and his wife Ann, to come and visit, exploring the Intercoastal Waterway on their sailboat ‘Peace’ and the local areas and beaches. Such an offer sounded divine … how could we say no? What initially was planned for a few days of beachside fun would turn in to a week of memories that we’ll never forget. And with a place to park our Airstream trailer in their front yard, our Florida adventures achieved perfection.
slaDE skillfully maneuvered our 34 foot home neatly in the pocket of their sandy front yard. After a quick welcoming hug plus an introduction to their dogs Zanzi and Rose, Patrick and Ann whisked us off to their favourite Tiki Bar for oceanside sunset drinks at O’Leary’s restaurant. Like a breath of fresh air, we were hooked on Southern Floridian living. Life is indeed good!
