A Dream Come True

Coming to the end of their jubilant American Adventure, Eric and the ever fragrant one had left their last "proper day" gender fluid, allowing them time to go somewhere still left on their itinerary or revisit anywhere that had still left them  wanting.

They were still debating this when their beloved Helen messaged them to say she'd got a totally free afternoon and as they'd been so much fun to be with on their entirely unique itinerary, she'd like to take them out for one last time, free, gratis and on her and suggested that as the water temperature was dropping, the manatees were starting to congregate at the Apollo Beach Power Plant and would they like to go? 

Well, at first you could have heard a pin drop and then become deafened by the whoops of unbridled and unfettered joy of such a visit.  Eric and Alice had soooooooo wanted to see a manatee but the Power Plant was quite far out and if they were pushed for time it could have been cutting things very fine.

Needless to say, once they'd both recovered the answer was a resounding and  unequivocable "YES PLEASE" accompanied by a million thank yous!

So, at the appointed time Helen collected them with, once again, armed with an assorted plethora of snacks for the backseat!

I don't think I need tell you just how emotional the visit was ......

There were tears, an awful, awful lot of tears ......

..... with the backs of manatees as far as they could see, moving very slowly and serenely through the water .........

.......they were tears of awe and joy of a dream come true.

There would be the odd, incredibly cute nose pop up, blowing out water while coming up for air ......

..... or a magnificent tail silently rise and gentle fall as the manatees dived to get a little further down.

As for the mothers with their babies ....... oh my life!

After their visit Eric and Alice just couldn't find the words to begin to describe how the experience had touched the very depths of their hearts.

Eric, never one to be quiet or speechless for long was, according to Alice, rendered totally silent for at least half of their visit, he simply wanted to drink it all in .......

...... knowing that this would, most likely, be his first and only encounter with these beautiful creatures .....

...... he wanted to remember and embrace every single second spent with his "spirit animal". He could barely express his thoughts to Alice as to how much he loved them between huge sighs, sniffs and the wiping away of tears.

Alice felt exactly the same, but let Eric have his moment.

The whole thing was entirely free ......

...... but needless to say Eric and Alice left a good donation as a thank you for said dream come true, with Eric left wondering whether there was a adoption scheme ........

...... but then, how on earth could he ever decide which one, two, three to adopt, he'd have to adopt them all and his pocket money just wouldn't go that far!

It was the perfect end to their American adventure ........

...... and lost in his thoughts on the drive back ........

....... he noticed a huge kiss stretching right across the sky and fell apart all over again. 

He was leaving a huge part of his heart behind with all the manatees. 

What is he like and however will we ever be able to top this long felt want? 

A Festive Revelation And Tradition In The Making

Young Eric has always dreamt of trying real life, American Egg Nog, after seeing countless cooking shows fussing over its making and it's romantic imbibing in many a Christmas film or television show.  It all seemed to cosy and incredibly Christmassy,  but thus far, he'd remained a total stranger to it's delights ......

...... until, that is, he spotted a whole section of it in a Dollar Tree chiller, when needless to say a large carton was duly purchased for the sampling of.

Let's just say, it DID NOT disappoint, it was everything Eric had dreamed of, over so many years ....... and much much more .........

It tasted just as he had imagined, like melted, soft, vanilla ice cream or very, very runny custard when someone had forgotten to add the cornflour.  It was to die for, it was emotional and it tasted every bit as glorious as Eric had ever imagined. It was the drink of too many million Christmas celebrations all over the United States to count. It was, to put simply, too deliciously wonderful for words, no matter how many times Eric tried to express himself.

And yes, Alice had to agree with every one of Eric's enthusiastic superlatives, for her it said driving home for Christmas, hanging up stockings and chucking another yuletide log on the festive fire, not even her Stars and Stripes diet cola came close to it's delights.

And, as such I understand that although their extra return suitcase is rapidly filling up, there was no way Eric was returning home without bringing any home, even if it meant jettisoning his socks, pants and shorts or to be honest anything to make room for at least three cartons.  Darrell and I had to try it too and with it, a new festive tradition was to be created! Heaven help us all if we don't actually like it! ........... What on earth is he like? 

Eric and Alice LOVE An American Type Mail Box!

Chez Les Towers our mail box is a simple, boring, characterless functional facility in the communal hallway  ........

 ....... meanwhile in Dunedin it's a whole different kettle of fish .......

..... where the Meranova's mail box is a beautifully hand painted replica of the main building. It's absolutely stunning, which has Eric seeming to find a new tiny detail almost every time he stops to wonder at it. It's a bit like the hold his beloved, erstwhile Motorworld nativity used to have on him!

Needless to say and I bet you know what I'm going to say .....when Eric gets back to home .......

........ questions will be asked of our property management company ......

...... as to why we can't have something just as romantic, yet still practical at The Towers ........

..... and if he gets nowhere with them, then said questions may have to be asked in Parliament!!  What is he like?

What A Brilliant Festive Idea .....

Back home we've seen and heard of people decorating post boxes with some stunning knitted or crocheted confections .....

..... but in Dunedin it appears you can adopt and decorate a lamp post, which is a pretty clever and different idea.

Unfortunately, the sun was again really bright and distracting when Eric and Alice were trying to take their pictures, however they hope you can just about make out the lamp post adopted by the Scottish American Society .....

..... an iridescent nutcracker dressed in full Highland regalia, complete with bagpipes.

Then, across the road, the local law firm had such a simple yet affective idea ......

 ...... to wit, wrapping their lamp post in thick tartan ribbon (to compliment said Scottish nutcracker across the way perhaps), clear Christmas lights ......

....... and a whole, ginormous plethora of assorted golden, jingle bells of all sizes.  It was sooooooo romantic and just shouted Christmas, without going totally over the top.

According to Alice, when Eric gets back to Blighty, he's going to be asking some serious questions of the local council, perhaps even going right up to Parliament, demanding we do the same here. His idea for "The Towers" lamp post, would be to have a some sort of large wheel thingy wrapped round the post, just under the light, completely covered with huge, hanging branches of mistletoe for everyone to kiss festively underneath ..... a bit like the mistletoe tree he and his beloved niece and nephew used to kiss under, through so many cold and wintery school runs!  Alice says, for that idea, Eric alone deserves his very own lamp post outside 10 Downing Street, what is she  like? 

Have a look on YouTube for Dunedin's lamp posts

Paying Homage To The Late Great Hulk Hogan

Perhaps the reason that the ever fragrant one was a little confused and under the impression that she was going to Muscle beach rather than Clearwater Beach was the fact that Eric was absolutely determined to pay homage to one of his childhood heroes, Hulk Hogan ......

........ one of all our very favourite American wrestlers of all time by visiting "Hulks Hangout" his sports bar/restaurant and general "hangout", still carrying on despite the sad demise of the big man himself in July of this year!

It didn't disappoint, for Eric at least, to walk through the same door as his erstwhile hero must have done at least a thousand times during his ownership ........

...... to go for a wee in the same "restroom", perhaps in the very same cubicle as The Hulk, and to sit, maybe, on the very same seat at the bar as the big man himself had sat, was more than he had ever dreamed.

Alice didn't quite get it, but seeing her best friend so animated and happy, drinking in all the stories about Hulk from the bar staff and regulars, made her heart sing for the little fella .......

 ...... she'd have been exactly the same if it were her visiting the shrine of Alan Rickman!

What she would have given for Eric to have been able to try on any one of Hulk Hogan's championship belts, but with Eric being so diminutive to the Hulk's humoungousness, it would have been a disaster waiting to happen.

Unfortunately the merch was also a bit on the big size too ......

..... try as they might to find something Eric sized,  it wasn't meant to be .........

....... but on this occasion, despite being very much in the moment, the camera was working, Alice's hands weren't shaking and the light was absolutely perfect .......

...... so young Eric didn't have to keep the memory in his head forever, he actually had the proof.  Happy, happy, happy, happy, days!!

"Train, say your prayers and eat your vitamins"

Hulk Hogan, RIP

Hello Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach did not disappoint ......

..... despite Alice, for some bizarre reason known only to herself, mistakenly expecting to find herself on Muscle Beach?????

Eric did his level best to suitably impress, but in the end they both found themselves doubled up in hysterical laughter at his efforts! 

Though Clearwater isn't the most romantic or picturesque of beaches, in fact the buildings all along the front are quite faceless and ordinary, yet, it was still one of those places that Eric and Alice had to pinch themselves to actually believe they were there (once Alice realised, of course, that she wasn't at the aforementioned muscle beach!).

Though the weather was exceedingly warm, the sky was was far from blue, in fact it was pure white, so Eric and Alice knew that they weren't seeing it at it's very best .......

....... but that in no way dampened their spirits, they drank it all in and embraced it for all they were worth .......

....... especially, I have to say, the wonderous chocolate covered, frozen bananas, of which I believe several, of all varieties, were partaken of!

And the sand, it was like no other sand they had ever seen or walked on before, it was pure, pure white, it looked as if it had just snowed .......

....... it was all quite stunning and other worldly, Eric proclaimed, in an American type way!

Alice managed a cheeky paddle ........

...... and couldn't believe that the whole of the sea bed was made up entirely of small, white shells. It was totally enchanting, she sighed, wishing she was a mermaid. 

The pier, to wit Pier 60 was a must ........

....... however they didn't walk to the very end as there as a three dollar charge and as Eric reasoned, the view at the end would still be pretty much the same from the where the free bit ended and paying part started and unlike a British pier, there was not a whiff burgers, an amusement arcade or mini fairground at the end, just fishermen.

On the other hand the antics of the free roaming, wild pelicans kept them more than amused as they dive bombed for fish ......

Again, Clearwater far outweighed their expectations .........

...... but away from the beach, they had one more important port of call..........