Life After 50: January 2014

Biking on a Sunny New Years Day in Gulf Shore AL.......Happy New Year 2014

It's our last day here is beautiful Gulf Shores AL. The sun is shining this morning and its going to be 60 degrees F......woot woot. My wonderful husband made me my favorite breakfast amaretto french toast with amaretto maple syrup and amaretto butter........and my favorite sausage links. Give me a cup of hot coffee and I'm good for the day. I usually only get this treat on Christmas morning but getting it again was truly a delightful surprize.

We have decided since this is our last day here we want to take one last bike ride before we get back to Ohio's sub zero temperatures. Don't want to think about the nasty weather back home but need to think about enjoying this weather and my love for biking. We have decided to start our adventure at Gulf Shores State Park bike trail and ride until we get tired. :-) Arrived at the bike trail and got on our bikes ready to start the new year off with something we love doing. It was great looking at all the different sceneries as we rode along on the bike path. As we saw many people walking this path and biking I was happy to be telling them Happy New Years. All would smile and say thank you or Happy New Years back to me. It felt good to smile big at people and let them know they are noticed and I wanted to shed some of my happiness unto them. The smile back made it all worthwhile.

I stop along the way to look for birds that are only found in AL. So far I have not been able to get a picture of any bird.

Again I love to ride through these groves of trees with the hanging moss. It's pretty but eerie all the same.

We have reached the end of the trail and will take a break before starting the journey back. Marlon and I both hear birds singing and start looking around. I have my camera out in hopes of finding a bird to get a picture.

I finally got a few snapshots of a bird and I don't know the name of it. Marlon thinks its some kind of Warbler bird.

On our bikes again and heading back to our car.

During our ride back Marlon tells me to stop he thinks he has spotted an eagle in the top of a tree. I get off my back and put the longest lens I have on my camera. Snapping pictures hoping one turns out good enough to see if its a eagle.

of course as I am blowing up this picture you can tell its not an eagle but an Osprey. Keeping moving towards completing this bike ride.

We have completed a 15 mile bike ride today and we feel great. Marlon decided to put the bikes on the rack and take them apart and put in back seat. Both bikes are apart and we have put them in the back seat along with the bike rack. The trunk is now ready for our luggage.

Stopped in at Tangers Outlet stores so I could shop at Bass store for some boot socks. I will need them when we return to the snow and cold in Ohio. While I was there I also picked up a new pair of boots.

When we were done shopping we left and stopped at Publix to get some shrimp. When we got back to condo we poured a glass of wine and watched the sun go down. Last sundown from this location, tomorrow will be someplace else. I love to see the different colors of the sky as the sun gets closer to going down

Ending the evening with a nice glass of wine and my favorite dinner shrimp and grits.

Happy New Years.....To ALL

New Years Eve/Leonard & Carols 50th Wedding Anniversary

Breakfast this morning was good as always. Ham and cheese omelet, fried potatoes and toast. After sipping some coffee Marlon and I tried out the stream room. Wow I loved it, so relaxing.
Went back to condo and decided to get ready for today's adventures. Sitting on the lanai drinking some coffee listening to the ocean and watching some beach walkers. Marlon snapped a few pics of me while we were out there.

We went back in sat down and ate our salad for lunch. Gathered our gifts for Leonard and Carol and headed to car. Decided to go to Fort Morgan. This place has really populated in 3 years. Lots of land for sale and lots of new places along the coast.

Stopped out at the ferry landing and took some pics of a couple of ships and an oil rig. Se a telescope so I looked e the It to get a good look at the ships out in the ocean.

Right after we left the ferry landing we stopped and took some pictures of what is left of the Fort Morgan fort. Since 1834 Fort Morgan stood as the guardian of Mobile Bay.

We left and have pulled off again to travel down this gravel road. Took a few pictures of the landscape scape and vegetation.

One more stop before going into town, I want to get a picture of this huge tree covered with moss. The size of it just amazes me.

In town now and need eggs for morning. When Marlon went in to get eggs I picked up anniversary card from dash. Right away I saw that the gift card was no longer there. Panic attack oh NO frantic at this point. The gift card was just purchased last night. Marlon was back now and I told him the card was missing. He started the car and started driving. He decided to stop again and both of get out and search the car. Which we did and came up with nothing. Heading back out to the condo to look, we searched the parking lot, contacted management of building to see if anyone had turned it in. I knew that would be a miracle and just as I thought NO. Called security next , again NO card has been turned in. I called Mickey' s restaurant and told them what happened. No one was there that could say if they could give us another card. I mean we do have the receipt with the card number on it. If someone uses it they will know it's not there's. Hopefully I get a good phone call and this works out. Arrived at Leonard and Carols and gave them the wine in which I put in a gold wine box. Handed them the card and told them about losing the $50 gift card. Thurman and Karen were there when we arrived it was so nice to see them again.
On our way to Pensacola Florida restaurant named McGuire s Pub.

The place was packed. I got a drink while we waited for 1/2 hour to be seated.

It was served in a Mason jar and was called Irish Wake the liquid inside was GREEN. The drink consisted of fresh squeezed orange juice with 2 different kinds of rum. My good friend Carol helped me drink it. :-)

The restaurant's decor was an Irish theme. The minute you walked in you can't help but notice the entire ceiling was covered with one million signed dollar bills.