Monday, December 09, 2013

A Beach Day

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida  (high 84, low 62)

 

It was another nice day yesterday, so we started our day outside for our coffee and computer time.

Baxter got to come  too.  

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He is such a flea magnet, that we put his cage on top of the table, so that he’s further away from the ground and the fleas.

He likes it outside, but if we happen to walk away from the patio and leave him by himself for a minute two, he cries until he sees one of us again.

 

We  hadn’t seen any ocean water in months, so we decided to take a drive south over the Sunshine Skyway toward the gulf beaches.

Map picture

 

There is a nice fishing pier where the old Skyway used to be. The old Sunshine Skyway was knocked down by a large freighter during a bad storm in May of 1980.  It was a terrible tragedy with 35 people  killed when their vehicles went over the bridge when the span collapsed into the water.  Imagine driving over a bridge in a bad storm, and the bridge is gone, and your vehicle falls down into the ocean waters.  

Six cars, one truck and a Greyhound bus went off the bridge after a freighter struck a support on the bridge causing one span to collapse. 

The next pictures was taken from the newspaper.  It was a sad day in the Tampa Bay area and one I will never forget.

This first picture is one view of this car.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge   Wikipedia  the free encyclopedia

  Check out the other view of the same car.  You can see here how high the bridge was and how horrifying it must have been for the people that drove over the edge.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge Disaster  May 9  1980   Metro Jacksonville

The new bridge is much nicer than the old one, and not nearly as scary to drive over.  It’s a lovely drive on a sunny day like yesterday.

 

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They saved some of the old bridge span to make a fishing pier.  It’s very popular and people seem to catch a lot of fish.

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We just puttered around yesterday, with no particular plans on where to go.

We just needed to see the Gulf of Mexico.  Neither Al or I like to go to the beach and just sit, so we just took a walk on the beach.   If we’re sitting in a boat right offshore, we’re happy,  and can sit there for hours.  For some reason, neither of us can sit in a beach chair for very long.

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The air was warm, the water was clear, but a tad chilly for us Floridians.    

Of course people like David and Sherry would have been swimming!

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We ended up near where Jeannie and Eldy live, but we didn’t see them since we hadn’t planned ahead on being in their neck of the woods, and didn’t want to spring our visit on them. Next time we get that way, we’ll make plans to get together.  They know all the best places in the area. 

It looks like we have a couple more sunny days then it’s supposed to be a little cooler.  I won’t mind, after all it’s December.

13 comments:

  1. Jeannie and Eldie are super people, met them last year at Gulf Shores.
    Enjoy your time at the beaches.

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  2. Love that Baxter. That bridge collapse is a very sad story. I can't believe how that one car is hanging there. It may be December but I sure wish we'd get some warmer weather.

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  3. If Baxter is a flea magnet, do they come back into the motor home with him?

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  4. Yes. We think they come in in our clothes and jump to him as soon as they find him.

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  5. That beach sure looks nice this time of year.

    Amazing photos of the bridge collapse. Pretty scary stuff.

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  6. I remember that terrible bridge collapse story. Too scary to even think about driving off the edge. Makes you wonder how long it took the people driving that car that just stopped short of falling to stop shaking? Yikes!!!

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  7. And, you went right by where we live. I guess you did not want my cold. Call next time you feel like coming to the beach. I will email our number. Bummer about the Bucs game. I guess when I woke up and tuned in they just happened to be showing another game. I can't believe I never checked back.

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    1. We just went there on a whim and didn't want to intrude on either you or Jeannie and Eldy..... but NO, we didn't want your cold. Hope you're feeling better. I don't have your e-mail address.

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  8. You are right that we would both have been in that gorgeous looking water. I remember the bridge collapse too since my parents lived in Largo and drove it often. So sad, like the bridget in Minnesota. I never think when driving over a bridge that it might dump me in the water. Love the Baxter pictures. And the ones of Al too! :-))

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  9. Nice to be that close to the beach! Has Baxter taken a walk on the beach yet? :)

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    1. No beach walking for Mr. Bax yet. Maybe if we were camped right on the beach.

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  10. So beautiful, makes me want a beach fix! :)

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