Fun in the South Part II

Sitting here listening to the rain I am reminiscing about FLORIDA. I want to go back!!

This is part two of our vacation to the sunny-ish south. And this portion was a BIG trip down memory lane. My parents, brother and I use to go to Florida almost every year. My grandparents were snow birds and spend most of October - May in Florida each year.

In my life, we maybe spend 6-7 weeks in Florida total - but I can remember pieces like they were yesterday. After we landed, the very next day we took off to New Smyrna Beach where my grandparents lived. Below is their home that they rented. So many memories in that little house. There was never a garage, it was always what we called a car port - there was like a fold out couch in there - it was a spare spare room. I remember that there use to be "alligators" in there - I think they were anolies - but we always called them alligators, and there was also a side door in that room that had an outside shower to wash the beach sand off.

The kitchen looked out to a lemon tree in the backyard - I didn't see the tree when we were there....the new owners must of cut it down.

I remember being on the front porch - and my grandparents had those cheap plastic chairs - white - sitting on the porch. I remember my grandfather sitting in his chair - probably smoking a cigarette - and all of a sudden the chair collapses - splits in half and he lands on his butt.

Those are just a few of the memories of the house.

THE BEACH - you can drive on this beach!! But I remember crossing the busy highway to get to the beach most often. I remember piling into nana and papa's GIANT grand marquis cars and driving to the beach - we would pile out of the car, set up the chairs, get the umbrellas out and then enjoy the beach.

Of course we swam in the ocean. You can feel the undertow too - that sucking feeling of the ocean. Well my grandmother was always afraid of us getting sucked out, cause she saw it on the news one night. Well as I was standing in the ocean, feeling the undertow I could hear her voice...

"JUDY! YOU GET THOSE KIDS BACK HERE! THEY ARE OUT TOO FAR!"

Just like it was yesterday.

Ok - I hate the "hold the camera out and take a picture of yourself picture" BUT we didn't have a photographer with us, so we had to resort to that.

Brandi and I on the beach!

And Finally -

I got my toes in the sand. It was so nice to just relax on the beach. I finally got the chance to catch up on my photography magazines! Both Rangefinder and PPA - got so many great ideas - and it didn't hurt that I got both of the wedding issues not long before we left on vacation.

LOVE IT!