Pine Island anti-sobriety society

Well, we were able to escape Pine Island. We found a two hour window when we were sober enough to drive. GOOD GOD! These people know how to party! The average age in this community is probably 60+, but they don't let that stop themselves from throwing back the cocktails. It is common to hear the standard preludes to cap twistage and cork poppage of "it's 5 'o clock somewhere" or "anytime on the weekends is fair game" or "what? It's been a rough day and I am quitting early!" or "I always drink when I'm fishing" Whatever the excuse it is never heartfelt since all of these folks are retired and they really don't give a crap anyway. A good Florida tan will hide the ill effects of all of your bad habits, so go for it!

I have to say that we had an absolutely wonderful time. The people in this community are some of the most kind and friendly folks I have met. Kim and Claudia are so fun to be around. They are so high energy and positive that it is contagious. Kim has no time for friviality and is constantly on the move. Once in a while you can contain him for some one on one. Claudia has a strong enough personality to break his focus and re-direct it towards her when need be, so they mesh perfectly. They both like to excercise, work hard, have their cocktails and go dancing and there is plenty of room for all of that on Pine Island.

We stayed alongside Kim's house by his canal and shared kitchen and back deck with his friend Jeff from Minnesota. We traded cooking and dishwashing duties with Jeff and had many a good conversation with him on the back porch. After a few beers Jeff's Minnesota accent would try and infiltrate my speech patterns and I found myself struggling to keep my o's from stretching and ballooning into big, long O's. "Ohhh, you need a bottle ohhhpener, reeely? I always considered my friend Ed to have a very thick Minnesota accent, but when I talked to him yesterday it seemed normal compared to Jeff's. Jeff is a great guy. He was kind, considerate and full of good laughs, he even managed to get a very prolonged barking laugh from Kim which even escalated to the level two hyper barking laugh and this is something that only my brother seems to manage, so that is the ultimate approval. I hope to see Jeff again and again in my life, he is a good guy.

Jeff's friends from Minnesota, Bob and Linda, came down to stay in Claudia's downstairs apartment for a month. Bob and I went out fishing and had a good day of catching speckled trout. I think the next day was rough though as Bob's face coloration resembled that of a beet from getting too many of those sneaky, through the clouds sun rays. Bob can cuss more than I can and his wife is much like Kim in that she is good at ignoring him or waving him off when need be. I believe Linda is one of the sweetest women I have met and I think she puts up with Bob because under that unpolished surface appears to be a very smart, worldly and maybe even sensitive man. Just Kidding Bob! Great people who really enhanced our already wonderful time.

Our final night we had a cocktail party/ potluck at Kim and Claudia's house. We met several more fine Pine Islanders like Toni(y) and Tim and Ricky. We got to have another get together with those we had already spent time with like Butch and Lynn, Kim Larson's brother Jeff and his partner Mark, Kim Larson's mother Peggy and Claudia's sister Beverly. Beverly is another outgoing barrell of never-a-dull-moment and Kim's mother is quite the peppy, quick, bundle of energy that you would expect to have spawned a son like Kim.

Pictures: Claudia and Beverly, Captain Kim Larson, Kim and Claudia with Butch and Lynn, 1st mate Jeff Herron, Bob and Linda with Jeff