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Jul. 7th, 2009

  • 11:55 PM
swirl
 I am frustrated because I played Mah Jongg tonite after work--but my friend who has taught us coaches people - while she herself is playing and looking at everyones hands to "advise"---then she throws tiles for certain people and blocks others. IT sucks...plus we are playing for money (just small change but still!) For me this takes the fun out of the game. I didn't let her look at my hands though-but she won most of the games and the people she was "helping". I play on Mondays with another more mellow group that doesn't do this. I don't know if I will continue on Tuesdays as this bothered me a lot.

CRAP!

Offshore races

  • Jul. 5th, 2009 at 3:11 PM
swirl

turn
Originally uploaded by annexensen

What a huge crowd at the Sarasota Offshore races! We had a nice lunch and watched them from dads friend Dean's condo!

fireworks! fireants!

  • Jul. 5th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
swirl
my video of last nights fireworks---you cam watch in hd!

video


my swollen and fire ant bitten foot



fun day

  • Jul. 4th, 2009 at 12:24 AM
swirl
paddled with Gene down Gamble creek--swollen river--fast current fun!----stepped in fire ants--not so fun!--went to the Offshore Party at the Hyatt featuring the band from work-Fun!

met Travis Lofland from the show "deadliest catch" tonite---what a hunk!



another video from last weekend
HERE



bye bye Palin forever I HOPE!


Ginny Springs

  • Jul. 1st, 2009 at 8:10 PM
swirl

Ginny Springs
Originally uploaded by annexensen

Tubers at Ginny Springs

Itchnetucknee Springs Video

  • Jul. 1st, 2009 at 8:08 AM
swirl
Our paddle down the Ichnetucknee was awesome!  Music on video by Yusuf Islam from the album Roadsinger track 11 "Shamsia"




weekend on the water at High Springs

  • Jun. 29th, 2009 at 7:09 AM
swirl
We met with the kayak explorers group at High Springs, Florida and paddled the Santa Fe River and Ichetucknee River/Springs this weekend.

Gorgeous area---more to come!

 

ME in POE Springs--waering my SPF50 shirt!


on the Ichetucknee...


The Ichetucknee River is a spring fed, pristine river in north central Florida. Thousands of people visit the river and springs each year. Activities include tubing, hiking, wildlife viewing, picnicking, swimming, canoeing, snorkeling and scuba cave diving. The whole 6 miles of the river average 20 feet wide, 8 feet deep and lie within the boundaries of Ichetucknee Springs State Park.

The most popular past-time on the Ichetucknee River is tubing. There are several tube renting companies located just outside the Ichetucknee Springs State Park entrance and visitors can rent large tubes and rafts for anywhere from $5 to $20 per flotation device. Tubing here is very popular among college students at the University of Florida in Gainesville since it is just a short one hour drive to the river.



R.I.P.

  • Jun. 25th, 2009 at 7:25 PM
swirl
wow RIP-Michael J- Ed McMahon - Farrah Fawcett



anne_floats

  • Jun. 20th, 2009 at 12:54 PM
swirl

anne_floats
Originally uploaded by annexensen

Me enjoying the water ---we paddled 5.5 miles from The John Ringling bridge to Mote marine and then thru the Bird Key Canals....

Käsewähe (a Swiss cheese tart or pie)

  • Jun. 17th, 2009 at 7:59 AM
swirl
We played MAh Jongg at Ursulas last night---she made a yummy Swiss Dish---receipe link below

 

Käsewähe

(a Swiss cheese tart or pie)




MY set in use.



CRAP!

  • Jun. 13th, 2009 at 7:19 PM
swirl
today while paddling at Stump Pass...I went swimming  in the lovely azure waters...With my waterproof camera.....and DARNED it the dang thing stopped working with an error--"cover card open"----anyhow it no longer works---I dried it completely and tried different media cards in it....I see on the net that other people have had the same problem---fortunately it is warrantied by olympus for a year so I will mail it in and hope that they can replace it or fix it.....note to self...if you buy a waterproof camera  get the extended warranty!


sunset after Mah Jongg

  • Jun. 11th, 2009 at 9:43 PM
swirl
after playing Mah Jongg I went over to the bay for the sunset and saw two dolphins!

LOVELY








dolphins again!

  • Jun. 6th, 2009 at 8:48 PM
swirl
I started off on a cloudy rainy day enroute to Cortez...there were lots of great rainbows on the way...I have learned that in this tropical climate these thunderstorms have a way of disappearing in a short period of time, and then the weather is great...It was raining a bit at the launch but turned out to be a fabulous day and the clouds were gorgeous!

Gene and I paddled  5.3 Miles today starting off on Anna Maria Island at Bayside Park -we went around the mangroves and up to Cortez (with a dolphin around us on the way)...then back and past the launch and the Anna Maria Island bridge and all the way around Jewfish Key-which is an Island with private homes on it. GREAT paddle---we saw the dolphin feeding going up and back for about 30 minutes and were quite close to it. Lots of pelicans and other birds including a big Osprey....there were also quite a few people in the area--some vacationers sitting on a sandbar in teh middle of the water in lawn chairs having a great time!



cobbler

  • Jun. 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 AM
swirl
One of my friends here is a Mah Jongg freak and we now have a weekly game on Tuesdays at the yarn shop---last night she brought homemade blueberry/peach cobbler and we had wine and  dessert! Mah Jongg is fun but very complicated!

Blueberry/Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/2 sugar (I always use less than that; probably only a 1/4)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash of nutmeg
2 cups of peaches
2 cups of blueberries

Melt butter in dish - set aside, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Add in mild and stir until blended. Spoon batter into butter. Combine peaches and blueberries, place over batter. DO NOT STIR! 
Bake @ 350 for 45 to 55 minutes.


Rays game--in St Petersburg

  • May. 31st, 2009 at 5:17 PM
swirl
Took dad to see the Rays play---he loves baseball....they lost to Minn but there were a couple of good plays---some homers...



the indoor Tropicana field is pretty nice-the big orange and tropicana sign flashes when they get a home run---not as fun as AT&T park in SF though---there the big horns blow and the giant pepsi bottle lights and the big gloves moves  with a homer..however at tropicana field you can bring in your own water and sandwiches...i did get dad hot salted peanuts a beer and an ice cream though!



we got our seats from HUBSTUB---its an online site where you can buy seats from season ticket holders who aren't using them...out seats were GREAT! Right about the Minn dugout.....

geez

  • May. 31st, 2009 at 11:01 AM
swirl
I slept until 9 AM today and dad woke me up because he thought I was sick!
Just a typical type of event here at the nutso house.

Manatee river to dam

  • May. 30th, 2009 at 9:03 PM
swirl
great paddle today---the river was cool as we had a lot of shade from all the overhanging trees....great as the temps were high---it was 78 at 8 am!