Winter in Florida 2017    
Josie and Katie Visits from Halifax

I can't over stress the benefits of staying in school long enough to acquire lasting transitional skills.  As I mentioned in the Education Chapter the benefits can be enormous both during your working career and after.  For me my retirement savings along with my pensions enable me to escape the winter and travel South each year. This is something that a limited number of seniors my age can afford. Keep this in mind when the temptation of what appears to be a good paying, albeit non-skilled job presents itself at a time that you are struggling academically.  Remember hard work and dedication always pays off in the end, regardless of how bleak and unrewarding things appear to be when you're in the middle of it.


The Original KFC

The Original KFC

The Colonels Hotel

The Colonel's Hotel

Surfing the Net

Surfing the Net

Deanna at the Car Show

Deanna at the Car Show

Chill'in with the Colonel

Chill'in with the Colonel

Friends Pat and Larry

Friends Pat and Larry

Morning Walk on Beach

Morning Walk on Beach

Walking the Pier at Sharky's

Walking the Pier at Sharky's

2017 was a big year for us. In January of 2017 we accepted delivery of our new Lincoln Continental and shortly after headed South. Our plan was to spend some time with friends in North Port. Florida before heading out on a road trip to California. 

On our way down to Florida we stopped in Nashville for a week to take in the country music sights. We weren't disappointed. We took a guided back stage tour of the Ryman Auditorium and went to the Grand Ole Opry at its new location just outside of Nashville

After Nashville we stopped in Corbin, Kentucky which was the home of Colonel Harlan Sanders the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The original restaurant and hotel kitchen where KFC was created is still there.  There are statues of the Colonel and the kitchen and one hotel room have been preserved for tourists as you can see in the photos at the left. 

The photo at the right is a selfie with our friends Pat and Larry Richardson.  I first met Larry in 1975 when I did the orientation visit to Royal Roads Military College. At the time Larry was also from the ranks. He was a Master Corporal at the time and like me accepted the challenge to attend military college. Pat and Larry own a home in North Port and have been visiting Florida for many years.   

The photo at the bottom left of Deanna Vautour was taken at a car show in Punta Gouda which is just a little North of Fort Myers where our friends Norm and Deanna have a home. Deanna is a long time friend of Marie's. They worked together in the Federal Government many years ago.

Aside from visiting friends or having friends from Canada come down to visit us, we really don't do much when we're in Florida. Mostly just lay back, relax and enjoy the weather. Every day we go for walk along the beach as shown in the photo at the right.  We normally walk about 4-5 miles a day - mostly in the morning when its not too hot.

The photos below were taken when Josie Earle and her daughter Katie visited us from Halifax for a week in April. Josie is also a long-time friend of Marie's. They were neighbours in Halifax for many years. The photo at the top of Josie and Katie was taken at Sharky's which is a very popular restaurant on the beach in Venice, Florida.

 
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