February 19, 2002, Tuesday- drove across the entire state, (100 miles) and met Bill and Cynthia at their new home. There's a great use of space and their location is only 2 blocks from the center of Coconut Grove. Lunch at the Green Street sidewalk café…what could be better. Then we got a phone call from Robert that Deb's plane was running late and they may not make the connection in Denver. Downside, instead of arriving at 5 PM, it would be 11 PM. Fortunately we left it…if we didn't get another call, that meant they caught the flight. No more calls…good news.

Got to Miami Airport and their flight isn't listed on the arrivals board. Went to the United counter…..Miami/Dade runs the boards and haven't put up the flight. It arrived on time.

Up to Mom's house and then out for dinner at the Macaroni Grill, and then back home to Naples. Rob and Deb were up at 3 AM to get their flights. Got to the coach at 11, shuteye at 12.

February 20, 2002, Wednesday- the wind was blowing this morning, so we didn't go kayaking in the mangroves…instead we returned to the Corkscrew Sanctuary. With Rob and Deb's help, and a few pairs of binoculars, we spotted a ton of different birds and a few alligators.

LITTLE GREEN FROG ON OUR COACH TIRE	AMERICAN BITTERN HIDING IN THE REEDS

HAWK LOOKING FOR PRAY	ROB AND DEB GETTING BACK TO NATURE

HERON REFLECTING	ANOTHER BIG BITE GUY

DEB AND ROB ADDING TO THE "LIST" OF WILDLIFE SPOTTED

Steve, Debi and Becky arrived on time without any hitches into Miami and by 10:15 were riding towards Naples.

February 21, 2002, Thursday- I picked up Debi to join Rob and Deb for breakfast at the coach while Steve and Becky slept in. A walk around the park stretched the legs. Steve and Becky caught up with us and off to the Isle of Capri we headed for a waterfront lunch at Backwater Nick's. Perfect weather, perfect table and perfect company. Next, over to Tiger Tail Beach for a 2 hour walk along the surf. The red tide was much diminished from last week, making the walk more pleasant.

STEVE WITH PAELLA FOR LUNCH	THE LOVELIES AT TIGER TAIL BEACH...DEBI, DEB, BECKY AND SUSAN

THE REST OF THE STORY...ROB, LARRY AND STEVE ON MUSCLE BEACH

Cleaned up our act and did dinner at the Mangrove Café. More stories and laughs.

February 22, 2002, Friday -early start for the day with dropping off Hobbes at the kennel, and then picking up Debi at 9. Steve and Becky had the day off (from us). Deb, Rob, Debi, Sue and I headed eastbound on highway 41 towards Miami, but the trip was like a Disney presentation. For miles and miles of travel we saw hundreds of birds and dozens of alligators alongside the canals on the sides of the road.

Arrived at Kathy's house to drop of the kid's luggage (they were all staying there), and our luggage at Bill and Cynthia's. Lunch in "the Grove" at a little wrap shop. Good sandwiches but the folks there will never made it in the big time. Imagine 25 minutes to make 5 sandwiches. Definitely getting paid by the hour.

Kathy joined Debi, Sue and myself for dinner at the Chart House while Rob and Deb were at the rehearsal dinner. By 8 we were at the hotel for the festivities…dancing and desserts. It was like old home week seeing so many people from Vail that we've not seen in 5 plus years…Susan and Harry, Sally and Paul, Shika, Pat and Lawrence, Rod and Beth, Ross and Deb, and on and on it went. Fortunately the weather, which was threatening to be terrible for the weekend, held up until after the action was concluded.

February 23, 2002- Saturday- as promised, the rain that started last night continued on and off all day. Based upon the forecast Becky wanted something else to wear so Debi, Steve, Becky, Susan and I went to the "Falls", an upscale mall with a Bloomingdale's that fit the bill. Two new outfits, good for tonight and work were purchased at great sale prices. Rob and Deb took our car, and visited Deb's folks for an art walk in South Beach.

By 5 we were at the Deering Estate for "The Wedding"…with an invitation list of some 350 people. As we walked down the tree lined path to the estate, greeters were passing our some Cuban rum type punch that would have been perfect if the day was sunny and in the 80's. We then proceeded to have our photos taken with a Polaroid Camera, and the photos placed into a wedding album that we then signed. Nice touch.

THE DEERING ESTATE	THE SCENE OF THE "WEDDING"

SUSAN ALONGSIDE TREE SHOWING THREE MAJOR HURRICANE WATERMARKS	TOP MARK, HURRICANE ANDREW IN 1992- HAD TO BE OVER 10 FEET ABOVE THIS GROUND LEVEL

The skies were sprinkling up to the moment that the wedding party started down the isle, on the wet grass, towards the waterfront. Umbrellas were in the ready, with a 10 foot "market" umbrella ready to be moved in over the Bride and Groom if conditions turned wetter. It was an interesting ceremony for us to observe in that two priests (ministers?) were presiding over Chris and Yvette's ceremony, one in English and one speaking in Spanish. Yvette's family had originally fled from Cuba, and are now a prominent leaders in the Miami community. After the Spanish speaking priest gave a long speech in his native tongue, he turned to Chris, and in English said "in case you didn't understand everything, the bottom line is that we do more then weddings, we also do baptisms". It brought down the house. Shortly after everyone filed into the tent and structure area, the winds picked up and the rains came down with more fury. Great timing!

YVETTE AND CHRIS....A PERFECT SETTING

It was a new experience wedding for us. We expected a traditional cocktail hour with heavy feeding stations, a bar and tray passed food, followed by a large ballroom with a big band and assigned seating. Instead, we found out at the end on the night, the bride wanted a "house party" feeling. And that was the overall theme. Five or more bars were set up in various small rooms throughout the estate, with one being a vodka shot bar with an "Olympic" theme. Several ice sculptures were on a flowered table. The bottles of flavored vodka were poured down a "luge?" to ice up, and the shot glasses were at the bottom. Some small tables were set up with finger food and some trays were passed with more nibbles. An hour later a "soup" was served with a Caesar salad for those that found that serving station, and an hour later another station opened with some salad and sliced tenderloin. A large selection of sushi was hidden in another corner.

YOU CAN TELL CHRIS IS THE GOOD GUY....HE HAS ON THE WHITE HAT	BECKY AND STEVE, NEXT IN LINE

In a patio area a tent had been set up with a small dance floor and a wonderful Cuban 10 piece band. The music was hopping and the feet were flying , ours included. Part of a porch area was turned into a cigar smoking and sweet drink section. Now we weren't talking about opening a box of stogies and passing these out, no sir, an elderly Cuban woman, with the appropriate working table, was hand rolling Cuban tobacco. It was an interesting process with different tobacco for the filler then the leaves used for the outside wrap. Next came the clippers to cut the ends, and a perfect cigar was born. Those into this got their choices of skinny ones, fat ones, light colored and dark colored, and don't forget short and long. Many, many people were lighting up, but, that was not our thing.

SUSAN AND DEB BURNING THE DANCE FLOOR	DEBI AND CHRIS

THE OFFICIAL CUBAN CIGAR ROLLER	ROB AND DEB, LOVERS

There were lots of different little seating areas in the various rooms around the estate house and tent, but with 350 guest and maybe 200 seats, we were on our feet from 5:30 (when the ceremony ended), until we left at 11. Wow!

STEVE AND ROB NEVER LOOKED BETTER TOGETHER	THE OFFICIAL MUG SHOT- STEVE, BECKY, DEB, ROB, DEBI, SUSAN AND LARRY

THREE LOVLIES...DEBI, DEB AND BECKY	DO WE CLEAN UP WELL?

We didn't know if it was the historical place, or the prominence of the bride's family in Miami, or if the neighborhood was a target, but there were security people and police everywhere, including the parking lots looking with searchlights between parked cars.

 

TOASTING TO CHRIS AND YVETTE

February 24, 2002, Sunday- our day started with a lovely walk around part of Biscayne Bay, followed by traditional goodies of lox, sable, bagels and bialys.

DEBI AND STEVE, SOUTH BEACH....WHAT A WATER COLOR	BISCAYNE BAY BY BILL AND CYNTHIA'S

FEASTING AT MOM'S- ROB, LOIS, ELAINE, SUSAN, MOM, PAULA, DAVID, GRACY AND DEB	PAULA, DAVID, GRACY, DEB, BECKY, DEBI, STEVE, ROB, STEVE, LOIS AND ELAINE

By 2 we were at Mom's and the troops arrived during the next hour. By 3 PM, 15 of us were carrying on with stories, laughter and hugs. Joining our kids and kids to be, were Mom, David, Paula, Hilda, Steve, Lois, Grace, and Elaine. Mom outdid herself with dinner, packing us with more goodies then we needed, but then, that's what Mom's do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

 

February 25, 2002, Monday- our last reunion day. Started with a walk along the water with Deb, Steve and Becky while Rob and Deb had breakfast with Steve and Lois. Deb and her folks left for 2 days in the Everglades, while the rest of us went to sun ourselves at South Beach in Miami Beach. Perfect weather for sunning and catching some zzzz's after a weekend of running.

DEB, LOIS AND STEVE BEFORE THEY HEADED TO THE EVERGLADES

NOW THAT'S A SAND CASTLE	EVERYONE GRABBING RAYS ON SOUTH BEACH

DEBI KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE CELL PHONE	EVEN WE HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE BEACH :-)

Best part of the day was the "last supper", where 10 of us dined at Monty's in Coconut Grove. The fish was fresh, portions large, presentation exquisite, and taste to die for. Food ranged from scallops to stone crabs with bouillabaisse, salmon and grouper in between.

INTENSE CONCENTRATION ON THE STONE CRABS	THE LAST SUPPER.....HILDA, MOM, LARRY, PAULA, DEBI, SUSAN, DAVID, STEVE, BECKY AND ROB

It's too bad that all good things have to come to an end, but Becky leaves on Wednesday for Scotland and then Dubai, and Steve leaves Thursday for Dubai, returns in two weeks, and the next day heads to Whistler for his ski-trip bachelor party.

We returned to Naples at 11:15. A long day.

February 26, 2002, Tuesday- parts of our computer shipment arrived during our absence, but the morning was filled with our RV Park annual meeting. Four new board members joined the three that ran for a second term. Hopefully this group will work together.

Picked up Hobbes from the kennel. As always, he did great. A good report card!

Started putting the computer together….printer, computer, cords, surge protectors, etc. etc. Tomorrow's project will be to load software and transfer files. Hope it goes smoothly.

February 27, 2002, Wednesday- finding all of the software disks to load into the new Dell was a challenge. Finally got it all up and running, surprising me that it went so well. Next, had to transfer the data from the Gateway to the Dell via a ZIP drive. The data loaded well, but some of the linkage was tricky. Some, such as the address book and favorites couldn't be linked, but fortunately the Palm linkage worked and we're up and running. New printer is super….1200 x 2400 dpi.

February 28, 2002, Thursday- tax time. Got Debi's started this morning, then started on the Pelican Lake return. 3 hour work session with the Board of Directors, and, the best part of the day, an hour of dance lessons tonight at the clubhouse. Steve left for Dubai today. Safe travels.