My visitors from Bristol, U.K.

My youngest brother Martyn and his son Sam are here from Bristol, U.K.  We are having a ball!

We had a low key Saturday (their first full day here), but enjoyed a wonderful swim in the balmy Gulf of Mexico off Siesta Beach  (Voted America's #1 beach).

I'd gotten some excellent sirloin steak, so in the evening Martyn grilled it, whilst I made up a mess of roasted vegetables.

I goofed off from Church attendance on Sunday morning, so that the three of us could Kayak off South Lido Beach in Sarasota Bay.  None of us had kayaked before.  Sam (15) "took to it" as if he were a pro!

We got out of the heat in the afternoon by ten-pin bowling, then later went to "Barnacle Bill's" restaurant on North Tamiami trail where each of us enjoyed super entrées  (Martyn and I having shared a bowl of the most delicious mussels as an appetizer.

It was too bad that my battery was "dead" when we returned to the car after dinner. AAA arrived within 50 minutes and jump started the car. We were smart enough to back it into the car port when we got home, because sure enough the battery was again dead on Monday morning.  This time AAA arrived within 10 minutes of my call, and after half and hour we were good to go with a new battery  (and $124 lighter!).

We were "good to go" to the City of Arcadia FL.  In its Oak Ridge Cemetery are buried 23 Royal Air Force Cadets who were killed whilst training at airfields in Arcadia and Clewiston between 1952 and 1945.

Each year the local Rotary Club organises a Memorial Service for these cadets on Memorial Day.  It's a touching ceremony.  This year I was asked to read out  the names as Union Flags and small wooden crosses were placed by the gravestones.  There was a nice flyover of vintage planes by the EAA Warbird Squadron 24 of Punta Gorda FL.  The Union Flag and RAF Ensign were hoisted (the Union Flag being upside down by mistake).

After good burgers and Ron and Charlotte Thompson's home, Sam and Martyn had more fun that you could imagine as they rented a jet ski and cruised up and down what is known as the Grand Canal -  part of Siesta Key.

Sam and Martyn left this morning to visit Sea World in Orlando.  They'll stay overnight in that area and drive to Busch Gardens tomorrow.

My home is unhappily quiet without their presence.  But best of all Sam is having "the time of his life"




Prior to the Arcadia RAF ceremony



Preparing to read the names





Reading the names




Union Flag and RAF Ensign





With my best nephew Sam





Sam Kayaking



Sam and Martyn  Memorial Day afternoon.

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