Povey Prattle

My brother Martyn, his son Sam and I have just concluded the greatest week of vacation.   Sam and Martyn arrived from the UK on May 27th 2011 and will be flying back home (SRQ-ATL-LHR) in about 20 minutes from now (6:55 p.m. Saturday 4th June 2011). Sam, aged 15, has blossomed this week.   He’s always been a bit diffident about “new things”, but he overcame this diffidence in splendid fashion.   I noticed it, and his Dad commented on it. He’s learned to like good steak, cooked medium rare.   He’s been able to socialise well with folks he’d never before met.   We kayaked in Sarasota Bay and he took to the kayak like a pro. Dad and he went out on to the Intra-Coastal last Monday on a jet-ski, and Sam liked it so very much, that he and I repeated the adventure this morning   (more about this later).   Sam, Martyn and I parasailed off Anna Maria Island on Friday 3rd June and the formerly “slightly retiring” 15 year old enjoyed every moment. Of course, t...

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 minut...