Soo Long Florida

I've been back from Florida for about a week now and, of course, I'm missing it like crazy! There's just something about being by the water that makes life feel a million times better. Siiigh. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favorite moments from the trip with you.

Let's start from the beginning. My first day there was a Sunday. My dad and my uncle went out fishing but my cousin, Eva, and I stayed in. It was meant to be windy and rainy that day and we are both too familiar with the torment that results from boating in such conditions. Brrrr. As we are laying in bed after our dads leave we hear, "Get your cameras! The peacocks are right outside!" We fumble out of our beds looking a bit dishevled, disheveled being the understatement, and head outside. We take our time getting the pictures and, while doing this, an elderly couple comes riding down the street in their golf cart. Oh, lovely retirees and their golf carts. They wave and we wave back wishing we had at least combed our hair before going outside. Ohwell.

"Can peacocks fly?" "...And there's your answer."

Later that night we had a fish fry. Some friends of our dads came over to eat with us. Eva and I ate in the dining room, which is where we came up with our plan to steal some oranges from the neighbor's orange tree. Wholesome Sunday family activity. We waited until dark and put on our black hoodies. Not that they helped with my legs being as white as snow. We headed out saying we were going for a walk. "This neighborhood is safe. Little crime," said my uncle. Hmm. We get to the orange tree and my strategy is to grab as many oranges as I can in the shortest time possible and scram. Eva's strategy is to grab the oranges that are at the top of the tree and not give up until she gets them. It would be a good strategy...if she were tall. I'm running back to the street and I hear *thump* ...*thump* ...*thump thump*. The oranges are falling out of the tree as she is jumping to reach the ones at the top. "What the hell are you doing?! Let's go!" And back to the house we go. We get inside and my uncle is standing in the kitchen sneaking food. "You caught me," he says. Our hoodie pockets and hands are filled with oranges. "You caught us," says Eva.

"Girls, those were ripe in December.." 

Fishing. Florida = fishing. I don't mind fishing, I really don't. What I do mind is reeling something in and not knowing whats at the end of my line while being in waist deep water. I could be reeling in the death of me for all I know. My first day out I caught one fish and two rocks. That night I caught a stingray and an oyster bed. Score.

Beach day. Who doesn't love a beach day? I love them. My dad, Eva, and I headed into Vero for a day at the beach. I've been to the beach plenty of times growing up but I've never actually gone into the water. I'm standing in the sand all hesitant and Eva just jumps into the waves. "That girl is freakin' crazy," I thought. "Come on!" said Eva. No. "Let's go!" she says. No. Then she grabs my hand and pulls me in. I'm glad she did. I loved it. Then all the worrying came back. "Evaaa, what if a shark comes?" "The water is crystal clear. The lifeguard will see it and say 'Get out! Shark!' and we will. Besides, there's no sharks here." Okay, works for me. After a while we get out to dry off. She stays at the towels and I go walking down the beach with my dad. He stops and talks to a guy fishing. It was all very uninteresting until I hear, "Yeah, we caught a bull shark right out front here. Took three guys to bring him in. Took us all the way down to that pier." Say what? I went back to the towels to have a little chit chat with that girl.

So pretty!

I think this next story will be the last for tonight. Stingrays and I aren't friends. Unless, of course, I'm just watching them swim around at the dock. Then it's okay but if I'm in the water...no, no, no. So we are on an island..fishing, of course, and I'm doing pretty well. I see a stingray out in front of me and I freeze. I try to be like a statue when I see these things. It didn't move. I stomp my foot down in the water hoping to scare it. Usually they swim away when you do this. This one came towards me. "Ahhhhhhhhh!" I said as I walked closer to where my dad was. I was trying to stir up sand along my way to blind it. I don't even know if you can blind stingrays but I was trying. I look behind me and don't see it. Thank goodness. I cast my pole and start reeling in. I look to my left and there is the stingray. Dear goodness. "Dad! Do stingrays follow people?!" "No, they are scared of you!" This one wasn't. I walk a bit further down, stepping over rocks that are in the water. No way the stingray can get over those. I cast out again and start reeling. Look to my left and there the lovely thing is. "Daaaad! It's FOLLOWING meeee!" "Emily! Stingrays DO NOT FOLLOW PEOPLE!" Apparently you're meant to be quiet when fishing and my hopping around trying to lose the stingray didn't quite fall under the 'quiet' category so he was frustrated. Instead of arguing, I decided to walk by my dad. I purposely walk in front of him and wait. "Geez! It is following you! Get away from me! Get!" he says. Point proven, time to skedaddle. I went on shore for a bit and waited for it to leave. I guess it's not just the boys that can't get enough of me, eh?

Stingray!

The best story by far was Eva having to pull the boat to shore. Such a typical "Rice" moment. It was so sad that it was funny. Us Rices have learned to just laugh at the craziness that comes our way. We can't avoid it so why not laugh?