February – Short & Sweet

On By Suzanne@PictureRetirementIn month in review, On My Mind

Short and sweet pretty much describes February. Malcolm and I finally made the drive to Peebles, which was originally planned for January. That idea was postponed due to a major indulgence in chocolate cake on his actual birthday. I’m glad we finally made the 5-hour round-trip. It was the perfect Valentine’s Day celebration and a beautiful day for a drive across Florida. These are our plates of barbecue ribs and sides. Yum!

Route 60 is the best slice of ‘old Florida’ you can imagine – planted fields, cattle ranches, honey bee boxes, and the honey shack just East of Lake Wales. We affectionately call it that because it is an unassuming old building that you might just pass by if you didn’t know it was there. No signs are shouting ‘honey ahead,’ and the parking lot is empty. Not even an employee.

As you enter, a small sign reads, ‘only God is watching you.’ Jars of honey in all sizes and prices fill the small space. There is a tiny lock box in the center of the room for your cash payment. I chose a medium-sized jar that will last us until our next adventure across the state and deposited my cash, plus a small tip. Trust has its rewards.

We met up with the kids in Palm Beach (one hour drive for them, 45 min. for us) for a quick lunch, tax return signing, lots of hugs, and farewell kisses. This is the time of year that Malcolm blows the dust off his CPA hat and takes care of business. Every year, he says ‘no more,’ but we all know better.

Seems I had a lot of ‘halfway’ meetups in February. My friend who lives in Vero Beach drove for half an hour, and I did the same, from the opposite direction. We met for lunch at a popular waterfront restaurant. The Grouper in my sandwich and Talipia in her tacos were fresh off the boat and delicious. She has a busy life, and I travel a lot, so it was nice to make plans and actually see them through. That was one of my unstated ‘resolutions’ for the new year. Be a more attentive friend.

Bittersweet, I played my last tennis match of the season. I lost. Every year, when my last match is over, I question how much longer? Overall, I had more wins than losses, but evenstill, doubt is creeping in. Our team Captain treated us to a luncheon at her home to rally the troops for the final stretch. The gals will play the final three matches while I am away. Our first-place standing is in peril, but I have faith they will come through. Lunch was delicious, and it was fun spending time with teammates, getting to know them better. I contributed the dessert. Disclaimer: I brought the dessert. Malcolm baked his ‘neighborhood famous/almost world famous’ flan.

We had record-breaking, sustained cold for this part of Florida, and while we loved the cold weather (especially while sleeping), our plants did not. I tended the frost-bitten plants all over our yard, shaking branches to dislodge dead leaves (to avoid fungus) and trimming when it seemed the right thing to do. We were told by our HOA to let things be for one month before replacing or severely cutting back. The garden is pretty ugly. Even the Palm Trees suffered damage. While the urge is strong to begin replanting, we simply do not have time. Hopefully, everything will look better when we return in May. Even amongst the tattered and obliterated, there are signs of life.

I’ve been spending time with my new Canon point-and-shoot camera with a 40x zoom. It is compact and easy to use, which makes it ideal for travel. Of course, it doesn’t compare to my Lumix and special lenses, but it’s more versatile than my phone camera. The picture quality is slightly better, too. The Canon Connect app that I downloaded and synced to the camera lets me use my phone as a remote shutter. I purchased a tabletop tripod that extends to about 10 inches, so now I’m all set for capturing a full background while including us in some of the vacation photos. This is what the new set-up looks like.

While we were in ‘gadget’ mode, we updated our cellphones. It was time, as we were both still using the iPhone 11. I swear, the process is akin to buying a new car. Significant parts of three days were devoted to choosing phones, transferring data, and wiping the old phones clean. We got it done, and each of us chose the 17Pro. Now the learning begins.

Except for the uni-brow (which I think is supposed to be bangs), I’m getting better at making cartoon images of Malcolm and me with ChatGPT. If you have a little downtime and are looking for entertainment, I highly recommend downloading the FREE app and giving it a go. Anyway, this, my latest attempt, is the bookcover I created for our ‘travel bible.’

We bid you all a heartfelt goodbye as we jet off to LA, followed by a very long flight to Auckland, New Zealand. We will keep in touch via Instagram with those of you who follow, and we will return home in May. Until then, I wish you all good health, happiness, and fulfilled dreams.

I will be tending the blog from Jetpack for the next few days, so please continue to leave comments. I will likely get back to you from one airport lounge or another…

31 thoughts on “February – Short & Sweet”

  2. Well, that was a lot for a short month! Bon Voyage and I know New Zealand will live up to (and surpass your expectations) it seems to be a truly beautiful place. Enjoy the new phones and camera and I’ll look forward to any updates you share here when you’re free or home again. x

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  3. Sounds like a very good month (apart from the poor garden plants) and it seems the next few will be even better 🙂 Safe travels, and I look forward to hearing all about New Zealand!

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  7. Wishing you safe skies and happy travels! Did you know that the new iPhones can be used like regular digital cameras with manual focus, F stops, etc? I’m sure you’ll enjoy your 17 pro. The 8x optical zoom is a great feature. I’ll be upgrading my 15 pro to that one when we return home to Canada.

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  10. Pingback: Story Chat Digest: “There’s Bad News And There’s Worse News”  by Geoff LePard – Marsha Ingrao Always Write

  11. Have fun in NZ. That is a LONG trip. It’s far from CA, let alone FL. That flan looks delicious. Did you save a piece for all of us? mmmm I like the drawings of you both. Very cute.

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  12. I love the honor box system, which I, coinsidentally, first encountered in New Zealand in the year 2000. I hadn’t been to the US yet back then. In the US we once manned an honor-system maple stand while house sitting at a maple farm in Massachusetts for four months. That was before Maya.

    One of our jobs was to collect the money and restock the stand when necessary. The owners had installed a fake camera. I wonder how many people still pay for those kinds of purchases, especially as time progresses.

    I sure would like to try Malcolm’s flan one day. I love that stuff.

    Happy travels and happy cruising down under!!! You’ll have lots of experiences and stories to share when you get back. Are you on Facebook as well?

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    1. Liesbet, since you know Flan, you know it can be ruined by overcooking or undercooking. Malcolm gets it right nearly every time. If you ever make it to Florida…We are always amazed that the lock box at the honey shack is unattended. I guess there are still trusting people in the world. My Instagram Reels sync to FB. Just search Suzanne Vosbikian and you’ll find my page. Thanks for stopping by.

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  15. Hi! I shared your blog with my husband. This one hit a lot of marks for him, iPhone upgrades/gadgets, cameras, old highway road trips and BBQ. He was interested in the model number of your new Canon point-and-shoot camera with 40x zoom, plus the model number of your Lumix camera and special lenses for it. When you get time, could you email me or post here? We’ve not been to New Zealand. It sounds like a nice trip. Happy Travels! Tracey

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  16. Hi Tracey, I have a Panasonic Lumix GX9 (mirrorless) that I love. My lenses include a 35mm wide angle, (my favorite) a 50mm, a 14-140 (all purpose) and a 200mm. I shoot mostly landscapes. It’s great for road trips, but I can’t justify the added weight when flying. If your husband is interested in shooting birds or wildlife, get a 400 or higher. For poitraits, invest in an 85 or 100. The new Canon is an SX740. It’s not for ‘serious photographers’, but it gets the job done. I like that it’s small, lightweight and has a fixed lens. The 40xzoom gets fuzzy when all the way out, but I don’t expect to need that much on this trip. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by.

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