How did this all come about?
Remember the Port Charlotte Boat Show? Waz filled out a form to WIN travel without having to purchase anything. Yeh right! There is always a catch, so we were totally skeptical while being 'in to win', as you do.
I wonder how many people filled out those forms, all the while knowing that there is a catch, inevitably?
We got 'The Call' on the way back from Key West in the car. Fortunately Waz wasn't driving, coz the call lasted about 5 mins. To say I was dying to know what the silence on his end was for, would be an understatement. His Yes and No answers did nothing to let me know what came out when the call ended.
Here's how it went....We could win flights, cruises, $1,000, etc etc. If it all seems too good to be true, it generally is.
Anyway, it gave us something to talk about on the long trip home, and discussing whether we would ever take a cruise, and where would we go...on a cruise liner, that is...seeing as how we are already 'cruisers'. We don't particularly like the idea of being on a floating palace with a couple of thousand other people, but there are smaller cruise boats with less than 1,000 passengers, so would contemplate that kind...BUT...only if someone else was paying, lol. Not half cheap, are we?
We also tried to figger out where we would use a return airfare to in the USA. That is a hard one, because we are inclined to want to go the farthest we can go, with that kind of fare. We don't really have the time this coming year (they said we can do this any time within a year) to take side trips, as we are going to be pushing it to spend as much time as possible in the Great Lakes/Canada while there is sunshine and Summer up there. Christmas might be the time for us.
The presentation was typical of these things. They sign you up with all your 'details' recorded, and we had to prove that we are a couple because we have different last names! They also wanted to see a credit card in W's name, which he provided.
There were a large number of people there, so they obviously wanted to stack the odds of someone actually 'buying' what they were selling.
The lecture room was chock full, so we were privileged to get our own one-on-one spiel by a young man with a bad tie choice (only MY opinion!).He wore pink when he should have worn red...you know..red for money, right? It's a Chinese thing!
We listened to the spiel and asked the questions, and told him in the end that it wasn't about the money!, seriously!!
Here's what he was offering: A choice of purchase of TWO Travel Club options. The first one was for 10 yrs and cost $9,995. NO, that isn't a typo! For that you got lots of choices, but the one that got us the most, was that you had to pay $199 per year...PER YEAR to keep the scheme going. However, if you paid by credit card monthly without their having to bill you, it would cost $165! What a deal!
The second scheme was $7,995 for a LIFETIME of use...you can sell it, will it or give it away if you don't want it any more...and you pay only $199 per year which you can stop at any time if you wish, to put on hold, and then restart when you want to travel again.
We guess people actually do this, but that kind of money buys us a whole lot of diesel for the boat, so we are not inclined to buy. I know this was disappointing to the young man, and he kind of lost his professionalism when he realized that we would not be buying! bummer!
We came home and immediately did some research on these folks. It appears there are a number of unresolved 'issues' with them, according to the Better Business bureau.
I have to add here that we were obliged to sign a waiver to say that this company was only the middle man and therefore not responsible for any 3rd party hiccups.
Anyway, it is all kind of fun and we learn something each time we do this just because. We aren't buying anything, nor will we in the future. His spiel obviously didn't include people who live aboard their boat and travel at will. All our plans are on this boat and not on any plane, train, or cruise boat.
Osprey:
We always know when there are Osprey around because they chirrup. Even when they have something in their claws, and perhaps more, when they do, the 'talk' to us and their mates.
They are somewhat messy nest builders, and we get a kick out of sighting them anywhere and everywhere. There are a number of poles with nesting platforms around, and the nest building activity is full speed ahead at this time of year.
We stop the car to photograph them as much as we can. Endlessly fascinating watching them eating their prey, building their nests and feeding their young.
The house didn't look like it was occupied, but I don't think I would like to have them on top of my chimney at this time of year and with the cold we have experienced lately!
Lots of sticks didn't make it into the nest!:)
These are the pole/platform dwellers
The bird on the left, we spied carrying a mouse or similar small mammal back to the nest.
They are much bigger birds than you first think.
Osprey stand about 24 inches high, with a wingspan of around 63". They have an M formation to their wings when they fly, which is rather lovely to watch.
We see Turkey Vultures circling all day, every day, but it is something to stop and watch when an Osprey goes by. They are so lovely by comparison.
Back on the boat, after our tiki-tour out to Burnt Store to see the Osprey, I decided to make some Pumpkin soup. I have had the butternut pumpkin sitting and waiting for such a moment, and today seemed like a soup kind of day.
We had a late night last night at Len and Stefies...it was Len's birthday celebration. We all ate too much of his sister Janet's wonderful food, and brought left overs home to the boat, per usual. We have carrot cake for dessert tonight...well, Waz does. Im not supposed to be eating stuff with sugar in it, or too many carbs. I just feel so much better without them.
It is overcast, at 5.30pm, and looks like it could rain again, which it has done off and on during the day. The water in the canal is very still, which is great for reflections.
I will leave you with some reflection photos I took yesterday...fluffy little clouds in the water that disappeared in a flash, moments later.
Ciao for now.
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