SEDUCED!

This is my 2nd and final night in Venice, Florida.   I woke up this morning and it was raining!  And I said to myself,  "Self. . . . . . .do you think you should stay in a high priced hotel when it's raining?   Shouldn't you drive down the coast to a less expensive place to read your book?"   And then I answered myself (cause when you're traveling alone. . who else is there?):  "Nah. . . .let's just stay put!   What's money but a silly vanity in the guest bathroom of the Crappy Little House.  Heck. . . if any guests come, they can wash their hands in the kitchen sink!"   And so I stayed.   I always listen to my second self.   


It was rainy, and it was cold.  I went to the continental breakfast and boldly told the clerk that I was staying for a second day.  She looked at me with surprise (never mind the line at the desk of people checking out).    But she was only too happy to re-issue my key, given that everyone else seemed to be abandoning ship.    I ate my breakfast and went back to my room to begin on the book club selection,  Willa Cather's  "Death Comes for the Archbishop."'  So I'm reading in my room and feeling only slightly weird about paying this kind of money to read a book.  I mean, couldn't I find a library farther down the coast and do the same thing for free?   But I had made my decision. . . .and I always abide by my decisions.   And eventually I decided that I should not let any rainy weather keep me from my planned activities.  And with that I donned my Chautuaqua Institution,  lined windbreaker and headed for the beach.   What's a little rain anyway?  It was only sprinkling.   So I went across and was seduced for the first time of the day.


My new best friend. . . . the Gulf of Mexico!

This is me with my new best friend. . . .the Gulf of Mexico! (And for any of you out there that are amazed that I don't seem to have wrinkles,  let me just point out that my face is pointing upward towards the camera, which means that the wrinkles I do have, have congregated in the hood of the jacket where you can't see them!). 


I had met the Gulf briefly up in Clearwater.  But we had not really had time to get acquainted.   So I just assumed he would not really like me (yes, the Gulf is a man.   I don't know how I know this).   But when I got out on the beach this morning, he was like ALL OVER ME!!!!     And talk about a GIVER!   He just kept bringing me gift after gift.  It was kind of embarrassing.   First of all, as I walked down the beach, he just kept playing with my feet.  And the water was warm and gentle.  None of that Outer Banks North Carolina YIKES IT"S COLD!!!!   No,  GOM was very easy on the feet.   And every 100 feet or so he was laying some new wonderful thing at my feet.   


First there was the sand itself.  It's kind of . . . . well. . . black!  Or at least grey.    I kept looking at my feet and wondering why I loved this sand so much and then I realized. . . the sand in Venice, Florida is almost exactly the color of my new countertops in my Crappy Little House!   How weird is that?   And then I found the most wonderful piece of seaweed or something in my color of green.  Against the color of the sand.  It was gorgeous!   

Okay. . . the color of green is not translating to this picture.   But that sand is my countertops!


Well, GOM just kept giving and giving.  I walked for about 30 minutes and then turned around to go back.   I encountered the cutest couple that were looking for the sharks' teeth that are the signature find of this beach.  They had found several.  They were so cute.  So on the way back,  I decided to start looking myself.  Well. . . so now I was scanning the beach for shark's teeth.  And to tell the truth I did not find a one, even though cute guy from the cute couple had found several.  But here's a life lesson:   Sometimes when we're looking for one thing. . . we find other wonderful things.   And I did.   I started looking at the shells.  Now I'm going to be in the Sanibel area in the next day or so.  And one thing I've heard about Sanibel is that they have gorgeous. . . . GREAT BIG shells!   So here I am in Venice and the shells are minuscule so I'm not paying them one bit of attention.  Until I decide to look for sharks' teeth. And low and behold,  I find TREASURE!  Little teeny, tiny shells.  Some of them beat up a little bit, but others just miniature works of art.  All different colors and sizes and shapes.  Some iridescent, some striped, some smooth, some pitted. . . . just extraordinary examples of something bigger than any one of us at work.  I kept picking them up and picking them up.  And running back to my new best friend, Gulf of Mexico, who was only too happy to wash them off for me.  And while I was busy delighting at what I was seeing, don't you know the rain stopped and the sun came out!   Amazing!   I always listen to my second self. . . . . 


Good old Gulf of Mexico is also kind of a prankster, and during all of this he had also taken it upon himself to completely soak the bottoms of the capris I was wearing.  So I was a sandy, soaked mess when I went back to the hotel.  I had also grabbed a bit of that green seaweed stuff to see if it would  A.) dry out,  B.) retain its color and texture, and C) begin to smell.    I was like a kid in kindergarten getting back to my room!   I'm so glad that Gulf of Mexico and I will have a chance to see each other again farther south in the next couple of days.


After a short rest and a change to drier clothes,  I walked the mile or so into town.   And I'm  faced with my next seduction.   Palm Trees.    It goes without saying that I am not a beach person.   When you look like I've always looked in a bathing suit,  the idea of baking in the sun and strutting around up and down the beach holds little appeal.  So I'm not a beach person.  But suddenly, on this trip, for the first time I'm really seeing palm trees.  They are phenomenal!   I love them all so much!  And since I'm in Venice, I just have to say that I have a thing for banyan trees as well.  I've already bought two identifying publications for palm trees.  I mean, once I get on to something, I can't stop.  I mean. . . check this out:

According to one of my books:  Canary Island Date Palm.  Or this:

This may or may not be a Silver Date Palm.    Hey. . . I'm new to this.  I'm comparing pictures and it's harder than it looks.  But palm trees. . . . .WOW!  And then:

OMG. . . a banyan tree.  There is nothing on the planet cooler than this monstrosity with all the new roots growing out of it and then planting themselves.  Well, it just defies description.  I've totally been seduced by the banyan tree.  How about this one with a bench beside it?   This is where I was hoping to hang out and read today.

Well. . . I never did that because even though the sun came out, it turned really windy and a little chilly.    So I went back to the hotel and was seduced by the hot tub.   Pretty sweet after walking around all day.


I'm looking for a place to live during the winter months.   Venice is in the running.   Venice, Florida has:   1.  a sushi restaurant (check),  2. a walkable town (check),  3. a bike able town (check), 4. the Gulf of Mexico (check), consignment/thrift shops (check), 5. friendly people (check), 6. palm trees (check).    What I haven't found yet is a nearby grocery which sells quality produce.   Maybe if I got in the car.  Anyway . . . . Venice has seduced me and is in the running.    I could be happy here.