Time to get back to communicating.
On Monday we got a rental car and headed for Sarasota. We were amazed at how flat the countryside is and at how much water there is. Seems so strange to us. Even the prairies have a variation in the horizon.
Monday evening we had a "casual" cocktail hour beside the pool then dinner there. Let me tell you that casual in this crowd is not Salmon Arm casual. Don was in dress shorts but was the only one. So the next night we dressed up much more even though it was still "casual".
So, we are in what is probably a 5 star resort -- certainly has 5 star prices. Our room is wonderful with a kitchen , laundry, living room and king size bed. We have used the washer and drier twice so really a blessing. We are looking at the ocean and white sandy beaches. We have a balcony, but it's much too hot to use it in the afternoon.
Tuesday morning we went to a panel discussion on the economy with 4 experts. Two of them are from Don's class and two were local big wigs in finance. One is Senior VP with a wealth management company. Very interesting 3 hours.
For the afternoon we toured a local garden. Fascinating seeing the local plants plus they had a whole greenhouse full of orchids. In the evening we went to the "vacation" home of one of Don's classmates. He's the one who organized the reunion. Well, his condo takes up half of the floor he's on and has two elevators serving it!!! It was quite stunning, as was the view from the 9th floor. But it certainly isn't for me. I'd be bored to tears with nothing to do. The food was all brought in and served by hired people. This couple have bags of money and three homes. They love to golf so that keeps them buys plus he's still working.
Today we went for a long walk on the beach after breakfast. The shore birds aren't at all disturbed by people so I got very close to them. The beach is white sand with loads of shells. We then went off for an afternoon of geocaching. We looked for four and found four. I was hoping I could get some more travel bugs and was in luck with two of the sites. One had two and another three. So I was able to exchange my two. (I have hit an unknown button and now have a different font.) It will be interesting to see where my travel bugs go. I have requested that they be returned to Salmon Arm and expect that it will take years. I found it fascinating that the one travel bug I had earlier this year spent three years travelling around and still hadn't got "home".That was the one I took to Montreal.
Tonite we had a lovely experience. Do you recall the Ringling Bros. circus? Well, we had a tour of his house -- built from 1926 to 1928 at a cost of $1,500,000. It is magnificent. It deteriorated and was closed for 6 years in the 1990's for restoration. Cost of that was $15,000,000. We had dinner on the patio. Now, this is no ordinary patio. It is huge and marble. It is on the water and the front facade of the house is Italian. Mrs. Ringling had a gondola in which she took her lady friends for rides. Well. we had supper out there. Lovely. It is such an expensive place to eat (eg numerous people serving us plus the cost of renting the house) that it was subsidized by that wealth management company.
I have met a lovely couple and the four of us get along well. Of course Don knows Nigel from the course and I remember Vicky from 3 years ago, but we never really talked that time. They live south of London in a house that is really old and on about 50 acres. She loves to garden so we have a lot in common. They have pots of dough too as he was the head of \Marks and Spencer for England and Europe In addition to the time she spends in the garden, she hires a full time gardener!! I think just about everyone has pots of dough which is why these reunions are held in such pricey places.
One fellow, who owns pulp mills,couldn't understand how Don could be happy in a backwater like Salmon Arm. (I am now back to normal font -- ????)
Tomorrow we have another free day. We plan to visit the Ringling Circus museum. May do more geocaching after that. The interesting thing about today is that we got into three parks we wouldn't have seen otherwise. One was especially interesting as we had good views of the city and were walking (on boardwalks) through mangrove swamps. Again the birds aren't wary so got to see them up close.
Time for bed.
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