Wednesday, July 1 through Thursday July 24:
July 1 through 7
I spent most of Wednesday, 7/1, with Jackie helping her take care of business related to Ken’s passing. Her sister, Ann, joined us and the three of us went through a lot of pictures trying to pick some for a slide show when they, eventually, have his celebration of life. Returned home in time to greet Vanessa who was on a day-trip from her new home in the Jacksonville area. She visited first with JP and Emma; then when JP went to play golf, both the girls came over to my house for about an hour before their mother got home from work and they went to eat supper. Vanessa and I had a nice visit and she seems happy in her new home.
I took Emma to Mote Marine Labs and Aquarium on City Island in Sarasota on Thursday, 7/2.
We saw lots of different sea life including manatees, sharks, jelly fish and sea horses; as well as alligators, the cayman shown below, otters and turtles. (Click on the picture to get a better look at this alligator relative sunning on the land next to his pond.)
When we finished there, we drove down to Lido Beach and took a 10-minute walk before returning home.
On Friday, 7/3, I brought some photos, taken of Ken in the Bahamas, over to Jackie and stayed for several hours to help her with various projects returning home in time to go to the gym with Dad. On my way home, Jackie texted that her coronavirus test results came back positive. I began self-isolation when I got home.
Saturday was the 4th of July and I wished Happy Birthday to Curt Mahoney. I continued my self-isolation today which will last until I am able to get a Coronavirus (Covidi-19) test and negative results. Since I was alone in my room, I celebrated America’s birthday by watching the Broadway show Hamilton on the new Disney + streaming service and then an early 70s musical on Turner Classic Movies titled 1776. You could say it was a very historic afternoon.
On Sunday, Dad and I watched church on-line (Emma is not allowed over for now). Whenever I am in the living area with Dad, I wear my mask and stay 6 feet away from him. I try to only leave my room to fix food for us.
Monday morning, 7/6, I drove to Lincoln Memorial Park in Palmetto to get a coronavirus test. I parked at the small park a block down the street at 9 a.m. and walked to the park. This testing is being done by the National Guard and was well organized. The park where they are doing the testing has many very large trees which provide shade; they have set up several tents for additional shade and have a number of large fans set up to provide a breeze. I got to the head of the line (there were 3) around 9:45; gave them my driver’s license and answered a few questions before proceeding to one of the two technicians who were doing the nose swab test. I was back in my car by 10:00. The test is being processed by Lab Corps and the results should be available in 5 to 7 days. In the meantime, I will stay home. This week I have cancelled my monthly cleaning service, my volunteer work at North River Care Pregnancy Center, and my hair appointment. Also, Dad and I will not be going to the gym at the YMCA. Since I’m not going shopping, J.P. picked up a gallon of milk for me. Thanks, son.
July 8 through 14
I am beyond excited. I have been unable to scan and I have a very large project for which I need this feature on my printer (scanning multiple photo albums of Dad’s). When I was at Jackie’s last Friday, I told her that I would scan some pictures for her and then I had to figure out how to do that on her printer. I did and today I tried the same method on my printer and it worked! This project is sure to fill in some of my coronavirus isolation time. This afternoon, JP took Emma to the dentist to get her first filling. I took advantage of their time away from home to get in the pool and walk for an hour. She loves to be in the pool with me and I didn’t want her to have to stay out because of my exposure.
Saturday morning, 7/11, Jackie texted me to say that her second test came back positive. She says that she has received Ken’s death certificates and contacted Social Security. I still haven’t received my test results so I continue to self-isolate. Jackie asked me to please stay away from her until after my trip to the Bahamas which I will do.
On Sunday, 7/12, I sent Happy birthday to nieces, Melissa and Mary. They are both my brother, Rick’s, children – born exactly 2 years apart. There were more than 10,300 new cases of coronavirus in the state of Florida yesterday with more than 400 souls lost. Palm View First Baptist’s pianist filled the entire pre-service music interlude with favorite songs of Dad in honor of his birthday on the 30th. He really enjoyed it and we both sang along to several old favorites.
On Monday– The early morning news announced that Florida had the most new cases of Coronavirus (aka Covid-19) in the entire United State 15,300 in one day. When I checked my e-mail, I finally had a notice that my test results were in (7 days after the test). I am very pleased to share that the results were NEGATIVE. I never had any symptoms and didn’t really think I had it, but I took care to self-isolate so that I did not pass it on if I did. That afternoon Dad and I returned to the YMCA to work out. This was his first time out of the house in ten days.
July 15th thru 18
Dad and I both got haircuts this week and I went to the cemetery on Friday to put a new arrangement at “Papi’s Rock”
July 19th thru 23
We watched church on-line Sunday. Monday started off with a message from Kellie that she had seen an article saying the Bahamas was closing to tourists again this Wednesday. I tried to call the airline without success. Their website said that they were trying to get clarification from the Bahamas and would update people ASAP. The announcement I read said that only commercial airlines were restricted and private airlines and charters could still bring passengers in from the U.S.
I went to my scheduled appointment to get the covid-19 test which is required for entry. JP, Kellie and Emma also have appointments today. In the afternoon, I received this message from the airline. “Although the Bahamas has closed to major airlines, Makers Air is allowed to proceed as a private group charter instead.”
Whatever is not suggested by the doctor should not be taken with grapefruit and alcohol as it can increase the side effects associated generic levitra their link with the medication.
On Wednesday, at 8:46 a.m. I got a call from the doctor’s office where I got my covid-19 test. It came back negative. One step closer to Compass Cay! Just after 11 a.m. I submitted the required information to the Bahamas for a Travel Health Visa. Another step closer. Now, I wait to receive their approval. Thursday evening at7:00 p.m. all but one of us received approval from the Bahamas for our travel visas. The last approval arrived at 8:30 p.m. Now we know that we can go to Compass Cay in the morning. This year I will be joined by Rick’s nephew, Mat and his fiancée, Lindsay, along with our son, J.P., his wife, Kellie, and their youngest daughter, Emma.
Annual Trip to Compass Cay, Exumas, Bahamas
Friday, 7/24 – JP, Kellie, Emma and I drove to Ft. Lauderdale in his car leaving Parrish about 7:30 a.m. and arriving at the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport’s Hanger #19 – Makers Air – at approximately 11:30 a.m. Mat and Lindsay (Rick’s nephew and our God son and his fiancée from Tennessee) had stayed with Rick’s brother, Edward, and drove down from Ormond Beach that morning. Our flight left a few minutes before its scheduled 12:45 p.m. departure time. The 10-seat plane had 9 passengers, so JP got to ride in the co-pilot’s seat.
We made a short stop at Chub Cay to check in with the Bahamian Customs and then flew to Staniel Cay. We were met at the airport by Bob Weems who handles the rental villas on Compass Cay for the owner Tucker Rolle. He took us to the community dock from where we walked about a block to the Pink Pearl store where we bought some groceries and a bottle of rum. Back on the boat, we headed north to Compass Cay with a short stop at Big Majors Spot to see the swimming pigs.
We continued south in the boat until we reach the Compass Cay Marina where we were welcomed home by a number of Rolles (Germal, Trevon, T. J. and Tucker). Then Bob transported the six of us by Kubota (in a couple of trips) with our luggage and food stuff up to Lilly’s Villa which overlooks the marina to begin our long weekend.
After getting settled in the villa, we all walked down to the marina and had our first swim with the sharks in 2020. We had a late supper and an early bedtime.
Saturday, 7/25 We were awakened shortly after 6 a.m. by lightning, thunder, wind and rain. Most of us were able to go back to sleep and stay in bed until mid-morning. The lightning abated but the wind and rain continued until after noon. Lilly’s has a porch that goes all the way around it, and JP caught this double-rainbow while he was checking the weather.
I have included a map of Compass Cay so that you can have some idea where all the places I will be talking about are located, including Lilly’s Villa.
When we felt it was safe to take a walk, we all went over to Crescent Beach (where it was too rough to get in the water), then continued on up to Hester’s Ruins (where I scattered Rick’s ashes three years ago). Because it was windy, Kellie got a really good picture of a blow hole nearby.
Note the coral surface where Emma, my granddaughter, got a really good scrape on her knee.
Hester’s Ruins have really deteriorated a lot over the last few years, but JP and Mat explored around the foundation where there was lots of vegetation and they found one of the rarely seen Bahamian Boa snakes.
When we left Hester’s Ruins, we walked across the island to the marina where we went swimming with the sharks again and had a few of the “World Famous Tucker Burgers”.
Sunday, 7/26 – This morning was very similar to yesterday morning, but the bad weather cleared up in time for JP, Mat and Lindsay to set off on a hike on the North Cliff Walk which begins behind Hester’s Ruins and ends at Rachel’s Bubble bath at the northernmost point on Compass Cay.
While they were walking a couple of miles, Kellie, Emma and I got a ride up there in one of the marina boats with a promise to come pick us all up at 2:00. We got there just before high tide which is the best time for the bubbles caused by waves crashing over a low ledge of rocks. Everyone also enjoyed a little snorkeling along the edges of the pool.
Monday, 7/27 – Bob picked us up at 7 a.m. taking the luggage and the guys (to help load/unload) to the marina. On his second trip up to Lilly’s, he picked up me, Lindsay, Kellie and Emma and took us down. While we got on the boat, he went up to the Mango House to pick up his wife, Kat. She joined us on the boat ride back to the Staniel Cay airport where they said goodbye to us and then set off to do some grocery shopping. We boarded our airplane around 9 a.m. and returned to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive airport where we cleared the U.S. Customs and then returned to the Makers Air hanger. We said goodbye to Mat and Lindsay and headed to a nearby restaurant to get something to eat. In years past, we would have had a nice breakfast at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club before going to the airplane, but on the Friday we arrived, the Bahamas went on “lock-down” for the weekend and the yacht club had only been opened to those who were staying there. We arrived home around 5 p.m. with more good memories of Compass Cay.
July 28 through 31
I didn’t even get out of my pajamas on Tuesday. I got an e-mail from my brother, Rick, who had stayed here with Dad while I was gone. He left his phone charger. On Wednesday, I went to the post office to mail Rick’s charger back to him and to drop a letter in the mail for Tucker. Then I went to the grocery store and went to the YMCA to work out in the afternoon. Thursday I worked on this blog and Friday Dad and I went to the Y again.
Our journey has been inspired by Joy and Steve Fredrick. You can see more of their story at