I’m so very grateful for the friends who made my birthday week such a blast! Lisa, my friend since college (not going to talk about how long ago that was), flew over from Portland for the week.

We squeezed in as much exploring as possible: sunsets, dolphins, manatees, kayaking to Shell Key (thank you for the loaner, Katie), Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzans, belly dancing, live music, lots (and lots) of sunscreen, raccoons, the obligatory alligator, and, of course, a fun birthday celebration with Alyssa.

Sadly, Lisa had to leave before the Gasparilla concert yesterday but my friend Loretta came over and played pirate with me. It was an epic birthday week and now I need a little recovery time (after all, I’m not as young as I used to be).

Yesterday, I switched it up and went for my beach walk earlier in the day. My timing coincided with low tide, which allowed for a great view of the algae growing on the jetty rocks.

Not only were the colors bold but it was mesmerizing watching the algae swirl and flow with the waves. It’s never boring out there…

In usual cat fashion, Westley has taken over my entire house. However, all his special cat things are in the laundry room. For the first few weeks I kept the door slightly ajar so Westley could have easy access but installing a cat door was a definite necessity.

Instead of buying a small dog door I decided to get creative. For the flap, I cut the hinged lid off a storage container I picked up by the side of the road. For the closure, I used a piece of wooden cat art that I found at a thrift store.

It works and it’s Westley approved, so that’s good enough for me.

Yesterday I learned that St. Petersburg is home to the Fountain of Youth. I have no idea how that fascinating detail eluded me for so long but I headed over there today to check it out. The current fountain occupies the northwest corner of the Dali Museum parking lot marked with little fanfare.

Like its current condition, the fountain had a humble beginning. The original natural spring was tapped in 1901 by Edwin Tomlinson, who owned bayfront land just south of downtown. He allowed people to drink their fill without charge, though since it was reportedly quite sulfurous in taste I can’t imagine folks drank much of it.

Somehow, word spread that the water had healing properties and soon locals and their guests were filling up their jugs at the fountain. Seeing a moneymaking opportunity Dr. Jesse Conrad purchased the property in 1908. He installed a large Fountain of Youth sign, opened soaking pools, and started charging for the restorative water.

A hurricane in 1946 damaged the waterfront operation and the spring was piped a few blocks west. In 1971, the spring water was tested and found to contain a high level of lithium, a known mood stabilizer. The water may not have been able to turn back time but apparently, it made you worry less about aging. The water continued to bubble up until 1975 when the pipes deteriorated and the site was closed.

I wasn’t able to find out when the city reopened the site but I do know that what gurgles out today is from the municipal water system. I took a sip and filled a bottle anyway, after all, I do have a birthday coming up soon.

My little kitchen garden provided me with my first salad the other day. I thinned the carrots, which is why these are so tiny. Hopefully, there will be many more yummy salads in my future.

Westley has a new favorite toy, which he practices all his best moves on. Should a shark ever end up in my house I’m certain he’ll make short work of it!