I'm back in Tampa this morning, preparing for my flight home, which takes off at 7 p.m. I'm ready to return to Dave and Bailey, though I'm dreading taking her to be spayed, which will be my errand on Tuesday morning. She'll only be able to take short, easy walks for the next week or so, and we'll have to keep her from chasing squirrels in the garden and jumping up on the furniture, which is not going to be easy for a dog with Bailey's energy levels! Of course she'll be on painkillers so that will probably mellow her out a bit.
Yesterday morning I spent time with my brother's family including my oldest niece, who is living at college now and came home to see me. We all went to lunch at a barbecue place where I got a sandwich that looked gigantic but didn't fill me up as much as I was afraid it would -- I guess a pile of shredded meat has a lot of air pockets in it! That's my theory, anyway.
I got on the road in mid-afternoon and promptly ran into this:
Yesterday morning I spent time with my brother's family including my oldest niece, who is living at college now and came home to see me. We all went to lunch at a barbecue place where I got a sandwich that looked gigantic but didn't fill me up as much as I was afraid it would -- I guess a pile of shredded meat has a lot of air pockets in it! That's my theory, anyway.
I got on the road in mid-afternoon and promptly ran into this:
Not just rain, but blinding, pounding, torrential rain that prevented any of us from traveling very fast. And it went on and on and on, especially between Daytona Beach and Orlando. I wasn't exactly white-knuckled but a person does get tense in those conditions, so a couple of hours of it was pretty exhausting. By the time I got off the interstate and took a more rural, direct route to north Tampa -- the top photo was taken near Lakeland -- the rain had mostly stopped and I could relax more.
When I got back to my stepsister's I was ready to settle down with a movie ("Magnolia," a perpetual favorite) and chill out.
I have no idea what I'll do today. I have a few minor tasks to complete around here, cleaning up the guesthouse, and maybe I'll catch up in blogland before I head to the airport. It's not great weather out there, gray and humid as heck, so I don't think I'll be stomping around anywhere outdoors. Coming to you tomorrow from London, insha'allah!
I have no idea what I'll do today. I have a few minor tasks to complete around here, cleaning up the guesthouse, and maybe I'll catch up in blogland before I head to the airport. It's not great weather out there, gray and humid as heck, so I don't think I'll be stomping around anywhere outdoors. Coming to you tomorrow from London, insha'allah!
Those kinds of rains are frightening because so many drivers speed up thinking they can outrun it.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I didn't see any of that. Everyone was pretty much poking along.
DeleteI hate driving in conditions like that. Safe travels home.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's stressful.
DeleteI hate it in heavy rainstorms when other drivers are snapping photos on their smartphones instead of being totally focused on their driving.
ReplyDeleteWho would do such a stupid thing?!
DeleteSafe journey home, Steve.
ReplyDeleteThanks, belatedly. :)
DeleteSafe travels. I hate driving in blinding rain or snow or fog. I always get out of the car realizing how tight my shoulders are from gripping the wheel. My comfort movie is A River Runs Through It.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's amazing how tight we become without even realizing it at the time.
DeleteCannot drive in rain like that. Nope. My first real panic attack arose from driving in a storm like that on the interstate and I will never do it again if at all possible. I'm glad you made it safely.
ReplyDeleteNow...on to home!
Some people even pulled to the side, but I think that's dangerous too. Someone's likely to plow into them.
DeleteWell, apart from the blinding rain (I can't drive it it!), you've had a week or two of wonderful times -- beautiful weather, family and friends, fun shopping, mostly good food and places to visit. It's been a wonderful journey. Good luck with Bailey!
ReplyDeleteIt WAS a wonderful journey. I couldn't ask for more!
DeleteHave a safe flight home!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely get your mixed feelings about returning - there‘s Dave and Bailey and your own quarters, but also Bailey‘s operation waiting for you.
As they say, coming home is the best part of traveling.
DeleteI hate driving in weather like that! Glad you made it toTampa safely and hope you have an easy flight home, Steve.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen!
DeleteI've been caught like that, on the highway too dangerous to pull over because of the chance of being rearended. It's a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteIt also reminds me that after all these years I still say dell-yuge, when my friends say day-looge. If we were on certain platforms, this would ignite a fight! But here, readers will say oh, really? and move on!
Yeah, pulling over is not a good idea, in my book. I say "day-looge." Maybe it's an American vs. British thing?
DeleteWow, I haven't seen rain like that in ages. It would have given me white knuckles for sure. Have a safe flight!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have made a video of it! I thought about it but it seemed too dangerous.
DeleteI hate driving in rain like that, not that I've seen rain in forever.! The drought here is awful. It rains all around us, but never here.
ReplyDeleteThat's the worst -- but at least the aquifer's being replenished somewhere and maybe that groundwater will flow to you!
DeleteNow that right there is a classic tropical rainstorm. Safe travels home.
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed. Very summer-in-Florida.
DeleteThe low visibility due to the downpour looks pretty bad. That made for slow going on the road and a very tiring trip. Despite the rain, thankfully you got through it okay.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the flight home is smooth going.
At least we'll be above any rainstorms!
DeleteThat would be awful to be driving in but what an amazing photo! Wishing you a pleasant journey home.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know about amazing -- blurry and hastily taken might be more accurate. :)
DeleteEarlier this summer we drove back from St. Augustine to Orlando in the middle of a similar "deluge." I find that kind of travel a bit terrifying.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's a particularly rainy part of the state?
DeleteWow, that rain is frightening. We have downpours like that sometimes here, but they don't last long. Humidity is SO uncomfortable for those of us not used to it. Or can people adapt to it?
ReplyDeleteThe humidity in Florida was literally about a hundred percent, I think. We had barely more air than water!
DeleteI hate driving through so much rain. Ugh. But despite the deluge, it seems like it was a very successful trip!
ReplyDeleteYes, very enjoyable!
DeleteI had a similar drive recently, only mine was fog interspersed with sunlight direct into the eyes - it really does tire you out! Safe travels.
ReplyDeleteOh, fog is terrible too, Fortunately I don't drive in England, where we get a lot of it!
DeleteSafe Travels
ReplyDeleteCheers
Thanks, T!
DeleteThis boy is not used to pounding rain.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with it, but it's been a while!
DeleteThat certainly looks like heavy rain. Maybe London will be dry for your home arrival.
ReplyDeleteI'm home now and the sun is out!
DeleteThat's a very heavy rain! I would have been white knuckled for sure. Makes me glad I don't drive.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sometimes I wish I didn't drive either! (I don't in England.)
DeleteWell hopefully you are in London now, safe but tired from your journey. I remember Moss my dog having the 'snip', having to be on the lead for three weeks. Then that horrible moment when he escaped the house, chased a cat and then jumped a seven foot wall, I really did say FFS but he survived.
ReplyDeleteA seven-foot wall?! Dear God. Fortunately Bailey can't jump that high!
DeleteHope that you are safely back with us by now! You will find it much drier.......too dry, the gardeners amongst us would say! Looks like rain on Wednesday though.....hooray!
ReplyDeleteI am back in London. We really are having the driest year, aren't we?!
Delete