Back home on Longboat Key

From the moment late yesterday afternoon we swung over the bridge from Sarasota to Longboat Key on the tail end of our near week-long jaunt across the Florida Everglades to Key West and Key Largo we were thrilled to be back on terra firma. We unintentionally prolonged our return home for about an hour by exploring Second and Seed, a CBD (cannabinoid) hemp apothecary shop.

Second and Seed-A CBD Story

My current euphoria is perhaps evidence that the oil has provided undeniable relief from my annoying neuropathy and pain in lower back and limbs. For the past twenty-four hours I have avoided the necessity of consuming Tylenol Arthritis pills.  I normally take between six and eight per day.

Nor can I diminish the palpable contentment attending my return to all my shameful habits, among them my customary dinner of fresh salmon, mixed green vegetables, Sumo citrus mandarin slices and lemon juice. This morning it was slices of green apple, steel-cut oats followed by honeycomb and walnuts.

My intention this morning when I awoke at shortly past 8:00 am was to go bicycling.  However the adage that everything connects was at work. Yesterday at Second and Seed I had spied a small bluetooth radio.  My own seed was thus planted.  This morning within minutes of my ablutions I resolved to purchase the device from Amazon. It will reportedly be delivered within the week.

My retail appetite was thus enthused.  Not long afterwards - say fifteen minutes at the outside - we were headed to the Apple store at the large Sarasota Mall to investigate the new iPads.  Several hours later we walked out with the Sixth Generation iPads, complete with fancy pencils and exotic covers. I can happily report that the device is a huge improvement over the iPads we've had for the past seven years. We resisted the iPad Pro because it appeared not to provide anything additional required for our purposes (mainly email, music, reading, writing and photography).  Speaking of music, we later proceeded to buy into the Apple Music product (using a Family Sharing plan which costs $14.99 per month). I am utterly smitten by the facility of the plan and I have no doubt we'll continue after the expiry of the free 3-month trial. I have already downloaded superlative recordings of Handel and Beethoven.

At last this afternoon - 24 hours after our reunification - I got onto my bicycle and headed as is my custom along Gulf of Mexico Drive for Bayfront Park. Though I resented having to forgo the pleasures of the brilliant sunshine on the beach, I confess the exercise did me good.

There is nothing about Longboat Key I do not like! Every tick of my ride I was reminded again and again of the seeming endless advantages of this relatively unknown resort. As preposterous as it must sound, I maintain an unqualified preference for Longboat Key over anything in Sarasota or beyond. The Fathers of the Town of Longboat Key are unquestionably diligent.  For example the sidewalk repairs begun nearby the golf course before our departure to Key West have now been expertly completed. It is illustrative of the high standard of operation throughout Longboat Key.

I lingered at Bayfront Park just long enough to telephone an ancient friend who - by her own admission - is sadly obliged to return to Canada from Anna Maria Island on Monday next. She clearly shares my unlimited endorsement of these immediate barrier islands.

By the time I returned to Longboat Club Road it was getting too late to swim in the sea; but I took time to capture a photograph of the sunset view.  I then played the grand piano - and chatted with a resident - before retiring to the condominium for the evening.