The Official Grand Opening of Weaver Park in Dunedin has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 26^th at 4 pm.  Please see the following link for details:  http://www.dunedingov.com/docs/home/weaverpark.pdf

The 13.7 acre park on the east and west sides of Bayshore Boulevard, officially named Josiah Cephas Weaver Park, will have its grand opening celebration on Saturday, February 5^th 2011 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm.  Entertainment will be featured including The Dunedin Pipe Band.  There will be limited parking available at Weaver Park and at Unity Church at 1315 Bayshore Blvd., so attendees are encouraged to use the Pinellas Trail, Jolley Trolley, and carpools to attend the ceremony.

My wife and I had the pleasure of traveling back to the Northeast earlier this month for two family weddings, one on Cape Cod and one at the Jersey Shore.  It was most enjoyable to visit with friends and family, and see two young couples exchange vows.  There were only three negatives to the trip…the heat, humidity, and traffic.  I won’t bore you with all of the traffic issues; but suffice-it-to-say that nine hours on the highway from Newark airport to Hyannis, and six hours from New Seabury MA to Sea Bright NJ were exhausting.  Now for the heat and humidity…the only reason that these were noteworthy is that Floridians who migrated from the North often think that a price they pay for relatively warm winters is extreme heat and humidity in the summer.  We do in fact have heat and humidity in the summer, but it is just as bad, if not worse, in the Northeast.  A term I learned as a kid was feeling “clammy” on those hot, humid days in suburban Philadelphia.  Well, I felt very “clammy” most days traveling through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.  When I think of the tradeoff for the snow and ice of the Northeast during the winter, I’ll take Florida’s version of summer heat and humidity over that of the Northeast any day.

Jersey Shore Wedding Reception

In 2007 the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, in partnership with AARP, created the “Communities for a Lifetime” award.  Winners are communities who have demonstrated successful best practices in the areas of housing, transportation, employment, community development, health, intergenerational programs, and volunteer opportunities.  Award recipients have fostered community initiatives that address the benefits and challenges of an increasing elder population, and enhance opportunities for all individuals to live in their chosen community for a lifetime.  Dunedin was the first recipient of the award in 2007, and has been recognized again and awarded the 2009 Community for a Lifetime award.  For more information about Communities for a Lifetime, visit www.CommunitiesForaLifetime.org.

Deck Chairs for Two

My wife has been encouraging me to do posts periodically sharing our experiences with our recently adopted “Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers” or “Wheatens” for short.  This post will be purely an introduction to Harry and Daisy.  Harry was 8 years old when we adopted him last year through the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Greater Tampa Bay.  They have a wonderful “rescue” program for Wheatens who are in need of a new home for any number of different reasons.  Harry was from a family on the East Coast of Florida, so we met the “foster mom” in the middle of the State, near Lake Okeechobee, and brought Harry home.  He has been a joy and a challenge all at the same time, but without doubt a wonderful addition to our family.

Word travels fast when people hear that you are dog lovers who adopted a Wheaten.  Maybe you would like to adopt another?  Thinking that Harry could use a companion, we were open to the idea.  Friends heard of a situation where a young female Wheaten needed a new home, and they introduced us to the owner.  We now have Daisy who is not yet 2 years old.  Some will say “what were you thinking?”  We are sure Harry wonders that from time to time.  He had it very good when he was the sole canine recipient of our love and affection, and it is now shared with Daisy.  Most of the time Harry looks out for her as a big brother should; but they both crave affection, so there is some competition.  It is wonderful to share our home with Harry and Daisy, and we look forward to sharing their adventures with you from time to time. 

Harry and Daisy

DUNEDIN OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY JULY 12TH FROM 1 PM TO 4 PM.  This 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Laurel Oaks, near Honeymoon and Caladesi Island State Parks, will be open on Sunday for Realtors® and prospective buyers.  Those familiar with the area are aware that Dunedin is a laid back small town on the Gulf of Mexico just north of Clearwater on the west coast of Florida.  Dunedin has been recognized nationally as a leading retirement destination.  Laurel Oaks is a pet-friendly condo community; and unlike most condominium complexes, each unit has its own attached garage.  This “move-in ready” condo is priced at $139,000.  If you are in the area on Sunday, please stop by and say hello.

On Sunday, June 28th, Il Divo came to the Tampa Bay area for the first time.  Performing at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, this pop opera group gave an exhilarating performance to a full house.  The intimate venue was ideal for this charismatic group of multilingual superstars.

This was the third time my wife and I have had the pleasure of attending a performance by Il Divo.  Needless-to-say we are fans; but that aside, this was the best performance yet.  Joined by four close friends, we started the evening at Café Alma on 1st Ave. South in St. Petersburg.  We had not been there before, but the restaurant was highly recommended.  Our expectations were surpassed!  Known for their wine and tapas, their full course dinners were outstanding.  I had paella which I would highly recommend.  After a wonderful meal and some very nice wine, we were off to the Mahaffey.

The six of us had an ongoing debate whether the group was made up of two tenors and two baritones, or three tenors and one baritone.  So for the record, Il Divo has four members; American tenor David Miller, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, French tenor Sebastien Izambard, and Spanish baritone Carlos Marin.  Sebastien was a pop singer prior to Il Divo being put together by Simon Cowell, while the other three were all classically trained.  Their performance included songs from several of their CDs, many from their 2008 release “The Promise.”  Songs like “Bridge over Troubled Waters” and “Unchained Melody” were woven in to create a varied and totally enjoyable performance.

Until Il Divo’s next performance on the West Coast of Florida, we’ll have to be satisfied to listen to their CDs or watch their DVD; however, we won’t have to wait that long to go back to Café Alma. 

Mahaffey Theater

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit St. Augustine earlier this month for a mini reunion of classmates from the Naval Academy who live in or nearby the State of Florida.  As always, it was great to catch up with old friends and their families; but also a particular pleasure to partake of much of what the city of St. Augustine has to offer.  The organizers of our mini reunion were quite strategic in scheduling the gathering on the weekend featuring the once-a-year reenactment of Drake’s Raid of 1586.  England and Spain were at war in 1586, and Sir Francis Drake fired on St Augustine forcing Governor Marquez and his people to flee.  Our dinner that evening was held at the Columbia Restaurant; expert planning allowed us to watch the reenactment directly under the balcony of the restaurant.

Highlights of the trip included the First Friday Art Walk, wine and music at the “Cellar Upstairs” at San Sebastian Winery, and touring the city on open sightseeing trains.  St. Augustine features Lightner Museum, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Flagler College, and many other historic landmarks.  In addition to our enjoyable dinner at the Columbia, we had excellent meals at A1A Ale Works and O.C. White’s Seafood & Spirits.  All are highly recommended!

The diversity of Florida is amazing, and certainly much more than beautiful beaches and blue, green water.