Turtle Cove Christmas

Is was a fairly quiet, laid back Christmas here. Sharie and James were here. Had turkey with all the trimmings and Sharie baked delicious pumpkin and pecan pies. Weather was a little iffy so we stayed close to home. Went to the Blue Hole, Sharie and I bobbed in the water, too windy for snorkeling. The guys did a half hearted beach comb. They were suffering from turkey overdose. Then we all went back for pie and more turkey. A nice day!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Chris is having a "White Christmas" with applying Lanco Siliconizer on the roof. I'm cooking up a storm, desert for Christmas Eve party up north end of island tonight and tomorrow Christmas dinner here with friends. Then a run to Guana Cay to keep up the Christmas tradition. Unless we overdose on pie and have lead belly.
Here's to another year, have a good one!

Antique Dresser

Well it comes with character, made the ocean voyage like a champ. Needs a little TLC (like glue on a few parts), just hope the termites don't eat it. Bought it at Cooper City Antique Mall, that's a terrific place to pick up some interesting items. Believe the dresser is at least 150 years old, has a faux finish, wooden screws holding the swivel mirror and attaching the mirror through the marble top. The drawers are pegged with wooden dowel pins.
The ugly painting on the floor next to the dresser will be a BIG project, this guy gave it to me because there is a small rip in the canvas.
There's a new customs agent, she was quite nice to deal with.

Wild Monkeys in Dania Beach!

We were going to our car, getting ready for "Extreme Shopping" when Chris noticed a large monkey crossing the road in front of our hotel. It scampered onto the fence and joined a second monkey in the woods. By this time other people had noticed and we were all snapping photos. Then the monkey became rather annoyed with all of us and looked like it was going to attack. I left! A lady said she has seen up to six of them at one time. She said they escaped during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, have been doing quite well in the wild. There's lots of tropical vegetation for them to live in around here.

Mizzou vs Auburn

Go Missouri Tigers, just by chance we're on the plane to Atlanta with all the Mizzou fans. The onto Fort Lauderdale, God willing. It has been cold here in St. Louis, had a great visit before the cold weather hit.

Brooklyn Bridge

It was a happening place, vendors were selling all kinds of junk. The Manhattan bridge was really close, Lexi likes that one better because you can walk below the traffic, the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway was in the middle of two lanes of traffic. I had no idea the bridge was such a tourist spot. It took us almost 2 hours to walk back to Lexi's place. Was dark for the last hour.

Urban Canyons - New York City

Went past the New York Stock Exchange, past some colonial era buildings, World Trade Center monument, Jordan & Javier's apartment building on our way to the Brooklyn Bridge. Lexi talked us into walking back, a seriously long way.

Staten Island

We walked around Staten Island for a few minutes then loaded back on the return ferry since day light was going. Amazing how fast it goes, rather cold on the return trip. The trip is free!

Staten Island - December 1, 2013

Lexi, Chris and I took the Staten Island Ferry, weather was mild had a great view of Manhattan as we pulled out.

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Terrific display of knitted flowers.

Knitted Flowers

More of the display.

Warm at Last

Inside the Botanical Gardens.

On Broadway - Beautiful

We had one busy Thanksgiving Day. After we devoured all the thanksgiving goodies, we hopped the subway with Claire for a Broadway Musical she's involved with. The show "Beautiful" is all about Carole King's life and music. It was absolutely wonderful, dancing and singing were amazing. We walked up and down Broadway before the show started, the lights were enough to give you a seizure. The place was jam packed, even when we came out around 10:30. We waited over an hour for the "C" train, finally called Lexi and found out we could take an "A" train.....it was a late night for the Bumpkins.
Meanwhile, Lexi & Kevin had decided on braving the "Black Friday" (which actually starts on Thursday) crowds, in pursuit of a BIG screen 50 inch TV for only $200. They waited in line for 3 hours, over a block long in extremely cold weather. Once inside they found out all the TVs were gone. They saw people wheeling carts to the checkout with multiple TVs, even though it was only one to a customer. Lexi pleaded with some of the greedy people to let her have one, they said NO. Then she decided to tattle on them. She went back again to some guys who had 5 TVs, and started begging and whining for one. That's when an angry mob began to form around the greedys. Finally the guys relented and gave her one. Then a large woman started trying to yank the TV away from Lexi, but she held on. Not often you get to use your hunter gathering skills to get a TV.

Thanksgiving Day Feast in Brooklyn

Lexi and Kevin's first Thanksgiving as a married couple, it was fabulous.