Navigating the City

We spent the weekend learning how to get around our new hometown. Kudos in abundance to our iPhone map app. Without it we would probably be struggling with a wadded up and torn street map, our nerves stretched and frayed. Two of the most difficult things to get used to during a move are:

1) navigating the new city

2) finding anything in the new grocery store

But, with the map app and close attention to aisle directories in stores, we are figuring it out.

Palm trees are everywhere. They are a staple in The Land of Flip Flops. Everywhere we go, the landscapes are beautifully tropical. I love it. 

My readers may not know that I spent eight of my girlhood years growing up in Southern California. That was a very long time ago, but being in Florida brings back memories of coastal flora and fauna.

After we spent two days locating and driving to the necessities of life (grocery store, bank, churches, the Apple store, the malls, Sam's Club, and of course, Walmart), we took time off for fun with a trip to Amelia Island, which is less than an hour from our new neighborhood (depending on the traffic). 

Amelia Island looks to me like the perfect setting for a romance novel in a hammock and a glass of sweet tea.  I must add that to my "to do" list.

When I snapped this picture, I was trying to capture the sea oats waving in the wind on the horizon, but you can hardly see them. Imagine them in your mind's eye, okay? Just beyond them are the sand and surf of Fernandina Beach. Walk with me. You'll see them next.

Beloved is testing the capabilities of his water-proof sandals. We have "Tivas" packed with our household goods, so for today this had to do. ("Tivas" are sandals made to wear in the surf. There are many variations of footwear for the tender-footed on beaches.)

Keep in mind, of course, that we Coloradans have pasty-white legs and sock lines but that will all get better with time. One doesn't fully transition from mile-high mountain living to sea level in just a few days.

Once again, we just have to laugh at ourselves as we explore this new climate and way of doing things. I'm sure we will be perceived by the natives as fuddy-duddies! But that's okay. We'll figure it out.

With numerous skin-cancer episodes and scary changes in our body profiles, we are not beach people any more, but we do enjoy seeing the waves, feeling the sand, collecting sea shells and exploring piers. 

And the sea food. I look forward to more of that. Beloved, not so much (he's a dedicated beef and pork man).

The late afternoon sun glistened on the water as we made our way back to our hotel on a different route from what we took to get to the island.

My fascination with the many bridges continues. I posted an Internet photo of this bridge in my last post. This picture is one I took yesterday as we actually drove it.

Those dark clouds in the background -- they brought us incredibly hard rain, thunder and lightening around bed time. I love the tropical storms when I am safe indoors where it is dry. They are very exciting! (I have said the same thing about snow blizzards in the past)

Well, I'll close this out now. We expect to get the keys to our new home later today. Playtime will be over as we welcome a painter, an electrician, the Comcast installer, the land line phone person, and others to help us set up normal routines. Furniture should arrive the end of this week along with all those boxes!

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