I pen this sitting at beach-themed dining room table in a generous open plan living room that overlooks the 15th hole of the exclusive Pelican Bay GC that lies just beyond the generous lanai of my mom's condo in Naples, Florida, and I'm dumbfounded by both the beauty of the vista and depth of my good fortune. The heavenly cross breeze that leisurely wafts through the condo thanks to the open doors and windows is a welcome respite from the 28 degree (celcius) daily temperatures, and a far cry more pleasing than the frigid conditions of Canada in January. Completing the idyllic setting is the dram of 15 year old single malt compliments of my long-departed father's generously appropriated liquor cabinet and my mother's disdain for the amber awesomeness that fills my glass.
I can't help but count my blessings.
As my mom's only retired son, I was the easiest choice to help my mom make the long drive south to Florida after her pandemic-forced hiatus, and Joyce was only too happy to assist so we packed up our car, created a two-car convoy, breezed through the border, and made the journey in 2 days, staying overnight in Jonesville, North Carolina. With the impending doom and gloom of a serious set of storms tracking from the west prompting multiple tornado and blizzard warnings, our timing was impeccable. The only issues we encountered were on I95 from South Carolina to Florida, when driving incompetence created an hour long parking lot, and finally arriving upon the source of the jam up, it became frustratingly obvious that the stoppage was simply the result of "rubber necking" the carnage of said incompetence. The obvious fringe benefit of assisting my mother's relocation is the opportunity for an extended respite from a Canadian winter, in addition to avoidance of the Omicron explosion taking place in Ontario right now.
My mother has owned her condo in a community called Pelican Bay in Naples for over 30 years, and any time we can make the trip down to enjoy the surroundings thanks to my mom's generosity is a complete bonus. For those who have either never heard of Naples or can't place it on a map, if you follow the gulf coast down from the Florida panhandle, Naples is almost as far as you can go before hitting the Florida Keys. Pelican Bay is a mixture of high rise, mid rise and villa style condos that boasts it's own stretch of beach accessed via berms through a Mangrove swamp, a wide variety of amenities, and diligently manicured grounds.
Of the Nature's bounty lining the streets of the community, our favourite is called a Banyan Tree because of its unique jungle-like shape thanks to the buttress roots that drop from its branches resulting in a massive multi limbed trunk that supports a huge canopy. Growing up, one of my favourite Disney movies was Jungle Book, and the first time we experienced the Banyans of Florida, I was immediately reminded of the trees that Mowgli lived amongst. The Banyans are balanced by a variety of southern species like Live Oaks, Palms, and Cypress satisfying any nature lover's interest. Interspersed amongst the majestic trees are a wide assortment of shrub-like vegetation serving as a continuation of the walls surrounding each of the complexes creating a labyrinth of roads and entrances through Pelican Bay.
There's no shortage of financing here ... my parents bought in at the perfect time back in the early 90's.
Case in point, the condo buildings in Pelican Bay spare no expense each holiday season when it comes to "showing off" when they light up the vegetation creating beautiful vistas to delight those interested in touring the complex. It's certainly big business brilliance by the companies who have filled a specific niche wrapping palms in "twinkle" lights, and the resulting designs significantly compliment the already incredible landscape design.
I'm sure it comes as little surprise that we brought our bikes to the sunny south and I wasted no time in mounting my trusty steed to explore the surrounding area, discovering that the grid-style arrangement of Naples can be somewhat confusing when trying to stay off the major thoroughfares and attempting a cross country route. What with guard houses, gates, and dead end routes, I've taken to Komoot in an attempt to plan my ventures, but rest assured, getting lost is half the fun since I've discovered all manner of Florida Gulf Coast sights. One thing that's cool around these parts are the number of roads that include a healthy sized bike lane, making riding the major roads significantly safer, but that doesn't mean that I can avoid being the brunt of some road-rager in a rusted out whatever colourfully educating me about using the bike lane on a road that doesn't have one.
As the saying goes, "Ya can't fix stupid!"
If my musings have sparked a sense of disdain because the view out your window is decidedly opposite, please know that was not my intention and I offer my humblest apologies. We are VERY aware that we are in a privileged position being able to winter in the sunny south and we are not looking to create animosity.
All the best, folks. I hope that you find some happiness in your lives today.
No comments:
Post a Comment