Oranges

Tuesday, June 21st.

What a gorgeous day to wake up to!  It was perfect!  I jumped on the bike and quickly passed through Alabama and into Florida!  I can taste the third corner, Key West.  My mouth salivates at the thought of it!  I can also taste oranges.  hhhhmmmmm.....

I drove 317 miles to the state's capital Tallahasee and stopped for the night.  The next day I rode the 219 miles to Land O' Lakes, Florida.  Not so much because I like butter, but because this is where my Aunt Colleen, Uncle Ray, and my two cousins, Emma, 5, and Julia, 4, live.  Ray and Colleen feel more like cousins because we are so close in age.  Great to see them again! 

Friday I met my Uncle Jack in Homossasa Springs, an hour north of Tampa, with plans to go out on the Gulf of Mexico on his boat.  The weather was calling for thunderstorms, so we just took the boat out on the Crystal River, and relaxed for a couple of hours, jumping in the aptly named crystal clear water of the Crystal River.  As I rode back to my Aunt Colleen's house, I got hit with those thunderstorms, and am starting to think I should just abandon all other form of clothing, and keep my rain gear on permanently.

Saturday Ray had a Harley booked to rent.  Of course, it was raining when we woke up, excited for a nice little Saturday ride.  The weather cleared by the time we were ready for the day's ride, after a little photo session with my cousin's sitting on our Harleys.  We cruised around central Florida, and stopped at a little Italian place in a remote part of Florida for some lunch.  Ray and I were pleasantly surprised at how delicious the enormous calzone we were served was!  Part of the pleasure of riding is finding little treats like this, in off the beaten path places you might not find if you were in your car, heading for a specific destination.   Once again, the rain wanted to join the party and we got soaked as we made our way back to Ray's house.

Thanks so much to Ray, Colleen, Jack, Emma, and Julia!  Good times in the Tampa area!