I was pleasantly rewarded with a lively cetacean show during a jaunt down to Fort De Soto Park earlier this week. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and conditions for fishing were supposedly excellent (according to the helpful and informative tides4fishing.com).

As a result, the pier was lined with hopeful anglers. I watched schools of bait fish glinting in the shallows but the show was stolen by a pod of speedy dolphins. Dashing, spinning, and even jumping out of the water as they searched for food.

I was excited when one man’s reel started spinning, I felt certain that I’d get to see him haul in big one. However, his line quickly went slack and as he brought up his empty hook I heard him mutter, “Damn dolphin!”

Apparently, the ever intelligent creatures have figured out how to successfully remove bait from a hook without getting caught. Admittedly, it is much easier than chasing down a fish in the open water!

When I asked him what he’s trying to catch, he replied, “Whatever the dolphins let me.” He was not a happy camper! Come on down, the fishing is free, after you pay the dolphin…

For the first time in my life I have a lawn to mow. And since I bought a corner lot on a cul-de-sac with a utility easement attached, I have more grass than most of my neighbors. Not really complaining, I enjoy the additional privacy (one of the benefits of only sharing one lot line).

Unfortunately, the property wasn’t very well-cared for (part of the reason I was able to afford it). As a result, the weed-filled grass was uneven and overgrown. I devised a plan to level the ground, reduce mowable area, and make the yard easier to care for.

To that end, last week 8 cubic yards of crushed shell were delivered. Now all I have to do is: remove sod, line ground with cardboard (to prevent regrowth), and dump in loads of shell. I’ve completed three small areas so far with three long walkways ahead of me.

Not to overstate the obvious, but if you remove 12 wheelbarrows full of sod, you will need 12 wheelbarrows full of shell. I won’t be joining a gym any time soon!

Final note, I am piling the removed sod against the outside of my fence as a buffer from potential flooding. During Tropical Storm Eta, water gushed out of the storm sewers and flowed down the street. Thankfully, the storm surge and high tide were off by a few hours or I would’ve had a bit of a problem.

As I mentioned in my last post, I drove through the outer edge of Tropical Storm Eta on my return trip. I felt fortunate to sneak home before the tempest arrived.

One of the reasons I haven’t been too concerned during this hurricane season is that the Tampa area hasn’t had a direct hit in about 100 years (though, of course, I know that’s not an indicator of future trends).

The next morning, after reading the warnings, I decided to err on the side of caution and install the hurricane fabric that the previous owners had left behind. As I explained to my neighbor, it was my first rodeo so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Unfortunately, the panels were not labeled, parts were missing, and the anchors were incorrectly installed. I discovered all of that while standing on a ladder in the rain. Good times!

Regardless, I did the best I could and it afforded me a bit of peace of mind as I listened to the wind howling around the house later that night.

Thankfully, all my preparations were for naught as the storm blew north of me. The next morning dawned warm and sunny, and in my new neighborhood things looked pretty darn normal.

My old neighborhood, however, did not fare as well. My afternoon walk to the beach was almost a swim. Low-lying areas were still flooded, and so many houses were trying to dry out. Friends of mine suffered some water damage, including a refrigerator that blew out since they had neglected to unplug it. Thankfully, they were all safe!

I have to admit though, the excess water did provide a scenic backdrop.

On a side note, someone missed me. Well, not me, but apparently my car…thanks for the mess, Morrissey! That’s the name I gave the big, sweet neighborhood tom cat. He doesn’t care what I call him, he doesn’t answer anyway.

I found these barnacle-bedazzled specatacles on the beach this evening. Hurricane Zeta stirred up the bottom of the Gulf as she swept through so all manner of oddities have washed ashore.

Hoping for the best for everyone in her path…

So, the good news is that I finally finished the guest bedroom! Well, I have yet to order the mattress and still need to decorate but the room and the new closet are painted and clean and ready to welcome guests.

The bad news is that during the process of installing the baseboards I tore the meniscus in my left knee. My doctor has ordered me to rest, elevate my leg, and ice it. After I start physical therapy (first visit on Friday) she will reassess and see if I need an MRI (and possibly surgery).

I wasn’t doing anything too crazy when it happened, well, maybe something a bit like this (but I’ll never tell):

Hope your weekend is full of wondrous and unusual adventures!

I can’t fathom why but the previous owners really, really liked shelves. And the guest bedroom held the motherlode. I spent hours yesterday removing shelves, screws, and anchors before patching the associated holes.

Looks like the room has a bad rash!

Though the damage has long been done, in my frustration I modified a phrase from Captain Jack Sparrow, “Stop putting holes in my house!”

Oh, and here’s a pro tip, if you have a whole bunch of stuff to display, buy a damn bookshelf!

Stepped away from all my house projects this evening for a much needed, relaxing stroll along the beach. The sunset wasn’t exactly a stunner but I still found it interesting. It may be a cliche but as they say out here, “No bad days!”

I learned, when renovating my previous two fixer-uppers, every project will take twice as long and cost at least twice as much as I thought. Unfortunately, I kind of forgot that and I was overly optimistic when I tackled the Florida room last week.

In my defense, I was thinking the room was relatively small and uncomplicated. Ha! It could’ve been but I decided the six foot opening from the dining room into the Florida room was too awkward. It left my dining room table floating in the opening, so I decided to enclose half of it.

I have some carpentry skills but lack all the cool tools so it was a largely creative process (don’t look too closely at my lines). Thankfully, joint compound and paint can cover a multitude of sins!

I am pleased with the outcome, it is now a bright and cheery room. I have some artwork and a dart board to hang and it will be done. Well, not entirely, the six windows that make up the majority of the exterior walls are all single-pane, aluminum which I need to replace but my budget doesn’t allow it at the moment.

Next up, the guest bedroom, which will require opening up part of a wall to regain the closet. Seems simple and straightforward, right? Wish me luck!