First Trip of the Summer - Wisters Retreat

 Cape Coral, FL (Hi 87   Lo 69)

The beginning of the week was sitting in the sun with the gals, playing cards and crocheting. Since I'm busier I'll tell more of the highlights. Monday I went to the monthly meeting on Dementia. I'm learning so much, not just for me, but what to watch for and care for the others in the community. Once you're 80 it is more prevalent and you need a base health list on people so you know what to watch for and things they do differently. This month was on the pain, the brain doesn't realize what part of the body the pain is located so the person having trouble will lash out. It was quite interesting. There's a lot on Youtube if you're interested in more info, search for  Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care. 

Tuesday was the meditation then balance class. The rest of the day I packed the car,  did the laundry, got everything in order just in case something happens. I don't trust leaving home anymore after losing Jim on a routine trip north. I'll have everything in order (cleaned up) before leaving for a week. 

Wednesday I started for Cape Coral, FL  with the time change going east it was 8:14. It's just as far going east as going south  I 10 to I 75, it was 8hrs 45 min with very heavy traffic on I 75 it was 3 lanes bumper to bumper. Roberta took me to a seafood place for lunch which was late in afternoon.

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

We drove around the area and saw sail boat mast. 

The sailboat was taken from the canal into this persons yard. They can't find the owner, it's not the people that live in the house. 

                                    The tree stopped the boat from hitting the house. 

                                    Roberta's back yard has a big tree that's in the electric lines. 

It took two days to get it all out of the yard. No more wind blowing the limbs into the electric lines. 

           Dinner prep of tacos. 

                        The gals so far, Jen, Jane, Julie, Roberta (hostess) Kathy and myself

 When some of the gals arrived we made tacos and visited. The Wisters Retreat is women from the Monday night zoom since Jim died. This is a core bunch of women with a few new gals that has lost their husbands recently. We're very supportive for each other. We went to bed at 1:30am. 

Thursday we had breakfast and waited for three more people to arrive. We had uber bring them here because of the airports are different directions. Seven of us were here by 11pm. We visited and again went to bed by 1:30am, It's a pattern. 

Friday we still had another gal coming in about 2:30 so we went to the beach for awhile to get some sun. I have quite a tan in the five weeks that I've been here in Florida. You can tell by the watch area and farmers tan at the shoulders. 

The beach was loaded with people The water was nice and the temperature 88, cool wind which was nice but chilly if swimming.  We went to Fort Myers beach. There's still a lot of buildings barely still standing, from hurricane Ian. Here's a few pictures of the area and all of us on the beach. 

                                                Chelsea and Dee

                                                                Kathy

                                                    Roberta

                                                            Julie and Chelsea

                                                Roberta, Jen and Jane

Roberta and Julie

Swings to sit on at the bar. 

                                             Boats are still in the mangroves, owners can't be found. 

                                           Jen, Roberta, Dee, Jane

                                            Chelsea, Kathy, Dee, Julie, Jane, Roberta

                                                        Dee, Chelsea, Julia

We got back to Roberta's by the time our next gal came in, Grace. We visited then went to Cape Coral to eat dinner. We had a great time sitting outside. This is meals in a green light above us. 

The Eagle's Club that Roberta is member was a block over. Jen, Grace, Jane, Roberta                                                                     

                   Three of us went back to Roberta's to go to bed, the others stayed out. 

Saturday we got up later, had something to eat and waited for the other four to get here from hotels and we gained our last gal that was coming, Michelle. 

At about 1:30 we went to Fort Myers and did a Scavenger Hunt. All of us ran around town to find different buildings and highlights of down town. It was great no traffic because it's Saturday. 

.

There's a statue that we were suppose to do the same pose. 

     The statues and paintings were all over town. 

                                            This house was built in 1901 and still standing, even after hurricane Ian. 

There was different photos we were told to do for the app Let's Roam. we were using for the hunt. This was putting your hands out for unity. 

                                                    A different kind of Palm tree, with palm frons from the hurricane. 

It was 85 degrees, and we were tired, so back to Roberta's for a surprise gift to Roberta. Then into the pool we went. 

 

The rest of the afternoon we ate and discussed the Glioblastoma deaths of our hubbies and how we can pass info to the people dealing with the cancer. We had leftovers from all the restaurants for dinner and made it a great gab session for the next few hours. More to come this week.