Florida -Day one, plus one

Here we are without a thermometer. However, our friend, Ute, tells me by phone that it is 68 degrees in her back yard on the mainland. The locals, of which Ute is one in the "Winter," find this cold and I understand. It isn't bathing suit weather because of the wind out of the North West.

For me. This blog is mostly about me. Have you noticed? I'm trying to suppress my ego, but I'm not having a lot of luck. Anyhow I love this weather. I'm wearing sandals, flannel-lined black pants, a blouse and a fleece. Perfect! It's even too warm in the car with the windows rolled up. I can wait a few days to get into the pool or the Gulf. What's the Rush?

When we pulled into the parking slot for #115, the same condo we have rented for the last two or three years, I felt, as I often do, as if we had never left last April. Everything is much the same with a few differences.

Skip and I took a cart and unloaded the 25 bags, at my count. I think Skip's count was higher. I was able to catch a glimpse of the Elvis impersonator who parks his Bright Red Corvette in the slot next to ours in the car park. Last night the fellow who exited the Corvette looked shorter and darker than the fellow I'm used to seeing. But, it was dark and who knows, maybe he shrunk. The guy, whose name I don't know, doesn't converse much. He has had so much cosmetic surgery he may not be able to converse much. I have spent time talking with his sister who visits him some years. She walks around the complex taking photographs of wildlife with a camera with a huge lens. She is pleasant, friendly, but did mention her brother is "different."

I've seen him, in years past, leaving for a gig, I guess, dressed like Elvis, looking something like Elvis. His licensce plate reads Elvis. Somehow he isn't too convincing, but I've never seen him in action. And, he obviously doesn't like to talk to strangers. I've tried a "Hello," but I don't get much back. I may have had a single sentence conversation with him once about the weather.

Oh, yeah, I do remember the first time he saw me pulling in next to his car under the car park roof. He made some mention about not hitting his car. Well, you can imagine I wouldn't intentionally hit his, obviously, expensive car. It is very beautiful. Makes a great rumble when he drives in and out. I can tell he is really proud of it or attached to it, so I'm very careful not to hit his car. I suppose he thought he couldn't be too sure of what someone he'd never seen before might do, so he said whatever he said about not hitting his car.

He's a little menacing. Very tall. Big guy, not smilely, not friendly. A "different" sort of guy. Maybe this year he'll friendly up to me, a little. I'd love to know how he became an Elvis impersonator, how he remains one, etc. A photo op would be great too.

Gotta Go. Off to pick grapefruit and oranges right off the trees that belong to a friend's mother. I'm told she has lots and lots of fruit this year and we are happy to help her pick it and eat it.

There is always a lot going on here at Sun Rise Cove. I'm sure I'll have lots to report before long.

Could be a tough choice tonight on the telly. Dog show at Madison Square Garden versus the Olympics. Going for the Dog Show. The Olympics get repeated after midnight. At least they did last night.

FAN signing off, for now.