Follow that Dream! - Day 5 August 5th 2016 - Golf , Clearwater and more.

[walt4it]

Welcome back, thank you for your continued reading and for the posts so many of you have left. It makes it easier to keep writing knowing that so many of you are enjoying these ramblings!

DAY 4 is here if you missed it

The whole trip report is indexed here.

Today was a golf day!

Friday 5th August 2016

Saw this in Hallmark in the afternoon and still wish I bought it! Just sums up trip report writing

I woke with the sunrise again – can understand what people see in this early morning stuff! No dolphins this morning so I went back to bed, not for a sulk but for a little more than that.
Once again it was impossible to sleep although Alison also felt the same way.

The boys were dressed and ready for golf and I was all set to go too. Alison was not coming, as her usual role as a walking target for anything that bites would be in great demand in a golf course that last resembled a lake yesterday.

As we arrived at the Golf / tennis club we were once more greeted with warmth from the guy behind the desk- he did warn us that it would be very wet and our trainers will be muddy and feet wet once we finished! We were the only people on the course, seasoned golfers from Scarborough are used to a bit of rain, but not the lovely temperatures too!

$22 dollars for the 3 of us with club hire included it was a journey that can only be described as memorable!

Not only did I have 3 birdie putts in the 9 holes but we really did experience some extreme water still standing on the course.

The tee shots on the 4th hole involved a tee to green experience with all water in between. It was a mini Sawgrass

Joe took the easy option and skimmed his tee shot into the water and with 3 different bounces, like a skimmed stone, it appeared next to the green. There are pro’s who do this shot for a living! But just amazing to see, the chest was puffed out and a swagger returned to his walk as he had struggled on the first three, playing with clubs that were too big for him.

Amidst my backswing on the 5th tee I was put off to the extent that I actually stopped!
I’m used to both of my boys talking at the most inopportune time, and I usually ignore it and then blame them for my bad shot!
This time it was the call of “Dolphin! ” and then the sight of a second alongside it.
Everything stopped, it was mesmerising and a sight that will stay with us forever.

You don’t get that at any other golf course I have ever played. By the time the phone was out of the pocket,they were gone and the waterway then became busy with 3 boats , just an incredible sight to see them in their natural habitat and free.

The golf continued and we had a really good time – if you are reading this for info – the greens were no better than the pitch and putt at Peasholm Park in Scarborough , but it was a good laugh.
With 7 single putts, it took a lot to wrestle the rented putter from Josh’s grasp as he wanted to take it home!

We were back in the car after an hour and a half of golf with sweat a major contributor to the excuse list as to why I won – I am usually not too hot from 100 yrds in. But today it was working – a rarity, but needed in order to beat the boy with the red hot putter!

Obviously not a competitive family experience!
Their website is here although I am aware they are updating it as I type this.

Quality place to just have some family fun, if we ever go back to Treasure Island it will be for this place.

We thanked the guy in the shop, he apologised for the weather making the course a little wet, it didn’t matter to us and it actually added to our memories of the whole day. His welcome was worth it alone.

We headed back to base where Alison had been to the next door Publix for rolls and ham for some mid- morning food.

We had looked at the weather forecast and knew that rain was highly likely, we decided to go and see Clearwater once again, a part of our 2013 Bel13ve trip report.
If you have not read this epic then I suggest you put the kettle on, pour yourself a cuppa and have a read - and then see how much the boys have grown

It can be read here

The drive took us past so many beautiful homes and then we got to the Clearwater city line and the instruction seemed to be high rise and build it quick.

We drove past the place we stayed in in 2013 and recognised that due to the building of the most massive hotel in front of it the sea and sunset view was no longer.
no sight of this...

It just appeared as if they had succumbed to every opportunity to build in the area. Rather than stopping, we just drove on through. This was upsetting as it looked so needlessly over developed, and as a result, out of keeping with every other single town along the whole coast.

I can see what the city planners were thinking, but they have spoilt a lovely place and in the 3 years since we had previously stayed there, it had become unrecognisable from what we had experienced.

Little Toot was still there though, thankfully.

The weather was closing in and we made a conscious decision to just drop into a place that we always remember as being a hugely bargainous- a JC Penney visit in 2013, yet we were never sure where.
Some serious google mapping later we were convinced it was here.
As we arrived we parked in nigh on the same spot - a shopping trip mystery had been resolved after three years of wondering which JC Penney we had actually visited -we headed inside.

With JC Penney top of the list
Josh found a Rays top with 20% off , Joe a very cheap training top and a top for Alison. Once more we had someone behind the till who just so helpful – a $46dollar spend became $36 thanks to a coupon that she had and we didn’t!

Bargains bagged, yet again. We headed to the rest of the mall – at this point I would delight in telling you we bought nothing else – however I was in arrears and for her birthday Alison was promised a Pandora shop visit.

We bought in dollars what the shop at home sold and we also knew that the Disney shops charged a premium for – a basic bracelet and safety chain.
The charms will come but only once we reach Disney.( I'm hoping you can feel my pain at this point! )


The rain was hammering down outside so we felt good to be dry, although my wallet felt somewhat smaller than this morning and the clarity credit card leaving a hot feeling in my pocket, at least I hope that is what it was.

We never saw anything else in the mall and we got to the car to head back -or rather, Joe and I got the car and then picked up the rest of the family who chose to stay dry at the back door of JC Penney.
Noted Joe – thanks for taking the rain hit with me

We headed south and back to Treasure Island, with thoughts of this evening.
We went for the home cook option and stopped at a Publix along Highway 19.

We also stopped at a McDonalds for the boys to have an ice cream. We ate nothing else but the sugar rush from the Coke we had was welcomed as I was flagging a bit by this time.

In Publix we also got supplies for the upcoming days and as I typed this they were in the boot of the car.

By 5.30 we took the decision to go to the beach – no rain and a real warmth in the air. We stayed beyond our anticipated hour and by 7.30 we used food as the bait to curtail the excitement and building work that was being undertaken on the beach whilst just watched the world go by.

Swimming and just being in the sea was something we were holding as our own treasure, from the most wonderful time in this place. There were sanddollars beneath our feet and rather than joining the American family nearby who were removing them we simply enjoyed the challenge of finding them and then leaving them in their natural habitat.

We enjoyed the beach and headed back for home cooked ribs, mac and cheese and sweetcorn for the boys and a shared Rib eye steak for Alison and I.


We started watching the Rays game once again yet this was quickly superseded by the Opening Ceremony of Rio 2016.

Steak, baked spud and sweetcorn was washed down with the incredible thought of what happens next – we have not been here long enough and have loved every minute of it.

The accommodation has been the highlight and the proximity to so much has helped enormously. I just feel so lucky as to how good a place this has been, in a place we have never visited, yet has been perfect for us in just having time to unwind from all that has gone on work wise for the past few months.

Everyone – except me, was having an early night – I chose to write the above it was our final night here and what follows really does become a dream and a little more.

I think tonight the excitement hit me more than any other part of the planning process, our dreams were about to become reality and just how big a dream it was!

We were about to follow that dream – all the way to …

Well I will make you wait until tomorrow before I reveal the next part!
From the Beach to...




- just listen to the words as they sum up exactly where we have been as a family for too many months.

Day 6 is here

[Loopylooloo]

What a beautiful photo of your boys by the sea...
Sounds like a really nice day, and a lovely home cooked dinner too!

[mick]

Another great day glad you three enjoyed your golf, can't beat swimming in the gulf

Mick says do they still do the battles on the water at Peasholm Park that he remembers from his childhood ( long long ago )

Joan

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by Loopylooloo

What a beautiful photo of your boys by the sea...
Sounds like a really nice day, and a lovely home cooked dinner too!

See more...

Thank you - they really do enjoy the beach and the warm sea in the Gulf.
Thanks for reading a posting

Originally Posted by mick

Another great day glad you three enjoyed your golf, can't beat swimming in the gulf

Mick says do they still do the battles on the water at Peasholm Park that he remembers from his childhood ( long long ago )

Joan

See more...

Thanks Joan
Tell Mick they still re-enact the battle of the River Plate in the summer in Peasholm Park, It is still very popular and TBH is still a lot of fun to watch.

[flo-tinka]

Golf hurrah. A couple of hours off for Mum hurrah!
Your own treasure found and emotionally portrayed as usual
Can't wait for the dream details... Please don't leave us too long!

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by flo-tinka

Golf hurrah. A couple of hours off for Mum hurrah!
Your own treasure found and emotionally portrayed as usual
Can't wait for the dream details... Please don't leave us too long!

See more...

Thank you

The dream is coming and I had intended on it being a surprise this midweek , but work has got in the way
Keep looking at the weekend- the following day is written and is rather long and that is before the photos.

Next day is coming real soon

[Taffy1959]

Another lovely day, can't wait to see the Pandora buys I spent a fortune on Pandora last October thought DH was going to have a breakdown.
Looking forward to the next instalment

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by Taffy1959

Another lovely day, can't wait to see the Pandora buys I spent a fortune on Pandora last October thought DH was going to have a breakdown.
Looking forward to the next instalment

See more...

Don't encourage the Pandora frenzy!

Next instalment is coming very soon and is a rather exciting one

[walt4it]

Day 6 is now posted - click on the link to read

[KittyBlackDog]

More great photos. Laughing at the skimming/bouncing golf ball.