Travel & vacations

I sure did enjoy the travel and vacation, but I am ready to leave again, with all this cold in Ohio!

Meyer Real Estate, in Gulf Shores, Alabama has some of the best deals going on rentals in Florida and Alabama, along the coast. I'm really thinking we should rent a beach house for our 40th anniversary that is happening this July. I have stayed at several houses directly on the beach, at the ocean, but never in the really hot time of the year . So usually I am just walking along the shore, getting my feet wet and wiggling my toes in the warm sand. I would love to just be able to walk out to the hot sand and let it massage my feet then cool them off in the water, and be able to leave my window open at night to be lulled to a deep slumber by the rhythmic ocean waves!!!

I remember how much fun it was to lay on a air mattress and ride the waves back in! Relaxation doesn't get any better than that! (Just don't make the mistake of getting water in your mouth and then swallowing!)

The first time I did that at the ocean, I just about choked to death on the salt.Anyway, if you are going to visit that area, or buy, be sure to check out http://www.meyerre.com/ they will treat you right! And their building is so beautiful you will want to take a good look around. There is great art everywhere.......outside there is a wonderful bronze sculpture of a younb boy pushing a girl in a swing. It sets just below the perfect branch of the HUGE oak tree that was saved when they remodeled.....the architect just had to redraw his plans, so as not to diturb it.

Inside you will find one of a kind art glass, scultures, oils on canvas...you name it. Each area and floor has art displayed.........a feast for the eyes. If I get the chance to return, I plan to set my easel up and do a painting or two in the arches of their courtyard.

They have some condos at Orange Beach where I stayed and you could watch the dolphins swim by almost daily. You always know they are out there when you see a lot of birds staying over one small area of the water.

There seems to be a sandbar not far from the beach that the fish get caught behind when the tide is coming in.....the dolphins follow along this sandbar, feeding as they go. Sometimes there were as many as 25-30 at a time.

I thought I would love to go out to paint today since the sun is shining but after being out just briefly, the 10 degree temperature changed my mind pronto! It will have to get closer to 30 for me to try to go out again to paint.Wonder what the temperature is at Gulf Shores today??? I can dream.........