Wonderful Weekend!

Had the most wonderful weekend.  My family and friends decided to go down to Ybor City last Saturday and enjoy the "night parade".  It is kinda like a mini mardi gra, complete with floats, folks dressed up as pirates, and beads....lots and lots of beads.  Of course, we hung out at our favorite bar...while there....Billy was our designated driver....and it was just a hoot!  Then we all came back to the marina and sat around the campfire...(well some of us had to go to bed when they came home)..not me, I was up for pizza and hotdogs and hamburgers and.....lots of tums later....LOL!  OH, almost forgot...earlier on Saturday a mama dolphin and a couple of youngsters put on the most fabulous show for us all.  I so wish I would have had my camera, but alas I did not.  They were jumping way up into the air....almost looked like they were playing tag with one another.  I have never seen anything like that before and it was awesome and the "show" lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes before they moved on out into the bay.  It's no wonder we are having trouble convincing ourselves to move on from here.  Billy is still working on "buttoning up" the underside of the fiver, but should be finished up in a few days.. I hope.  I thought we might be leaving sometime this week, but Billy reminded me how cold that journey north is going to be and we might even have some problems finding rv parks open.  Ya see, we have to be in South Dakota by April 6th so Billy can renew his driver's license.  I want to spend some time in the Florida panhandle before we start the journey to SD, but we have been watching the weather there and it seems it is always in the path of whatever weather system is rolling through.  We sure have been spoiled by the weather here in Tampa....at any rate....sooner rather than later...we will be hitching up and heading out!

At the Easel

Been doing some painting....of one of my most favorite things.....FLAMINGO

I finished this up today and I'm pretty proud...if I do say so myself....LOL!  This is a young flamingo....how do I know that?  Well, flamingos don't start to pick up that "pink" color until they are between 1 to 3 yrs old.  This guy is just starting to see "the pink"!

More Critters and a Mishap or two.....

This morning I managed to once again fall out of our fifth wheel.....yeah, second time I have done this.  First time was our first year out and I thought I had learned my lesson, but guess not....bout 6am and furballs and I head out the door, my foot didn't quite land solidly on that first step and off I went with my butt bouncing down those damn stairs!  Landing oh so solidly on the ground, somewhat in a daze.  My furballs were quick to my rescue...licking my face and wagging tails.  Good thing.....as my Billy slept through the whole thing!  I checked a few body parts and all seems to be in working order although I'm sure some bruises are going to develop in the near future....LOL! 

I did have quite a scare a few days ago....just as I was stepping out of the fiver this guy was in the process of getting comfortable on my mat just outside my doorway.  He actually raised up his head about a foot off the ground and just stared at me......I screeaamed like a girl!  He just kept staring at me for what seemed like forever and then finally meandered away.  These guys have been very active of late...guess they like this warm winter too!

This guy was enjoying the sun as well....

Beautiful jelly fish have been abundant here...

And apparently...LOVE is in the air.....after all Valentine's Day is just around the corner!