Well, then, Plan B, Sun, 2/24/19

This post's photos are a combination of an early morning 3-mile walk around the Meadows (in Sarasota) where we're staying with Bernice and Ibby, and a wee walk during a Sunday afternoon jazz concert in the park.

Ibby didn't have good news for us when we met him for Sunday morning coffee in the kitchen.  Bernice had been ill in the night and was resting; she wouldn't be joining us for the morning walk.  I quizzed him further.  She'd been throwing up and then some.  Okay, we left her to rest, but when we returned from our walk, she was no better and was still throwing up.  Remember, we'd eaten dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (a buffet-type place) the night before, but none of the rest of us had any symptoms.  There isn't much you can do between umpteen trips to the bathroom, except rest if you can.  I suspected food poisoning.

The three of us left a short time later for the near-by jazz concert.  It didn't last a long time, and when we returned again, Bernice was still sick -- time for Ibby to take her to Urgent Care.  Having endured a bout of norovirus last November (ugh - simply awful), I knew it was time for action.  People get dehydrated and weak, and she was.

Morning's calm reflection.

Florida carries some really colorful flowers ...

... and interesting birds, as in:  Anhinga drying its wings, and two white Ibis poking around in the shallow water.  This area has lots of ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, and RAIN, all of which attracts a variety of birds.  We also saw coots, herons, several Wood Storks, and egrets on our walk.  

Crazy trees adorned with vining philodendrons and ferns and epiphytes! 

We enjoyed (and appreciated) sitting under a tent and listening to the amateur jazz group.  They were lively and had the audience toe-tapping and clapping to the beat of some old favorites.  Most of the audience was made up of folks who could recognize the tunes and know the words (and even sing along!).  The afternoon was warm and muggy, even more so than morning.  I was dragging by the time we got back from our morning three-miler -- I'm not used to the heat/humidity any more (or ever). 

Jimmy and Ibby listening attentively ....

The Meadows does a bang-up job of landscaping.  I can't tell how big a "complex" this is, but it's bigger than many small towns.  And it's only one of a hundred or more "subdivisions" or complexes in Sarasota.  I think Florida is made up of tracts like these.  

A fading bottlebrush bloom had enough allure to coax this bee to stop.

I've never seen a white bottlebrush bush before,

but I think this is one.  Love the airy plumed look.

When Ibby and Bernice left for Urgent Care, Jimmy and I had a back-and-forth discussion about what to do.  We decided to return to our Tergel parked not far away at the Sarasota Elks.  Obviously we couldn't know how long they'd be gone or if Bernice would need even more attention than she could get at Urgent Care, so we thought we should go.  Regardless of when they returned, who wants company around at such a time?  We left a note and grabbed our bathroom bags.  As it turned out, yes, Bernice was diagnosed with food poisoning.  She was treated and they got back to their home after a couple hours.  We'd meanwhile also texted Ibby, telling him our plan.  If all was well the next morning, we'd come back.  Poor Bernice, I felt so bad for her.  She slept all that night, and you know for a fact that she'd be weak as a newborn for a while ....