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| Saturday Afternoon |
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| Mid-Week |
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| Friday Afternoon |
We've been back on AMI for a week. When we left on Christmas eve it was starting to get crowded. When we returned, it was clear that the great winter migration was in full force. From now until around Easter we'll be sharing this slice of paradise with a whole bunch of people. At the risk of stereotyping, they can be broken down into three groups.
There are the seasonal residents. These are mostly senior citizens from northern states and Canada, who will spend the "winter months" here. We affectionately refer to them as "snowbirds". They tend to make right hand turns from the far left lane and vice versa, usually without using a turn signal. They're good folks who eat dinner at 3:00 so they can get the "early bird special".
The second group and what seems to be the most rapidly growing group are the international tourists. Word of Anna Maria Island has not only spread across the US and Canada, it's also crossed the Atlantic Ocean. If you take a walk on the beach at this time of year it's likely that you'll hear happy chatter in German, French, Spanish, as well as a healthy dose of British accents. Because of the language barrier, the non-English speakers tend to stick to themselves although they are quick to flash a smile of euphoria . We do enjoy visiting with those from the UK, often sharing a laugh over the current political mess in our two countries. You might as well laugh about it...…………...
My favorite group to observe are those who are with us for a week. Most of this group tend to be from states that while beautiful in the summer, turn to ice boxes at this time of year. They stuff themselves onto an airplane in places like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, etc or pack up the car and point it south...…….destination sunny Florida.
The weekly rentals on Anna Maria Island tend to run from Saturday to Saturday, meaning there is a huge influx on Saturday afternoon. After quickly throwing the suitcases in the rental house, condo or hotel room they head westward toward the beach to catch the daily spectacle known as sunset. Their reactions as they reach the beach, kick off their shoes and their feet touch the sand is a priceless. There are mile wide smiles, hugs, high fives, cheering, clapping and other expressions of elation that simply can't be contained. We often volunteer to take pictures of these happy groups. There's no need to say "1, 2, 3, cheese"! It would take a jackhammer to get the smile off their faces.
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| Imagine leaving behind below freezing temperatures for sunset views like this...………. |
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| …….or this! |
We were talking to a nice family a few days ago that exemplified what I'm trying to describe in words. They were from Des Moines, Iowa. The father of this happy family told us that when they left the wind chill factor had the temperature at a whopping -21 degrees! The kids had been swimming in the chilly gulf all day and were looking forward to getting back to their residence so they could get in the pool. They were a really nice and very happy group of Iowans!
Throughout the weekdays families like this are all over the island. Riding around in golf carts, on scooters, pedaling bikes and for some strange reason walking in the middle of the road. They're sporting hats, sunglasses, Anna Maria Island t-shirts and sunburnt cheeks and noses. It's almost as if that look of euphoria from when they first stepped on the beach has become permanent.
Then the reality of the situation sets in...……..it's almost time to pack up and head back to the frozen north.
They're usually on an early flight Saturday morning or have a long drive, so the migration off the island starts early on Saturday morning. This means that the looks on the faces of these people on Friday afternoon is dramatically different. Tears of joy have been replaced by tears of reality that in 24 hours or so they'll be back in the icebox. The looks of despondence as they watch the sun disappear almost brings me to tears. I've shared their joy throughout the week and now I feel their pain. In less than 24 hours the cycle of joy and sadness starts all over again.
We're thankful for our time on AMI with NaNa for so many reasons. Sharing paradise with so many others is sometimes a challenge, like the other day when an "off season" drive that would take fifteen minutes took forty five minutes, but it can also be fun!
