Gasparilla!

Tampa's "Gasparilla" is a January/February celebration, similar to Carnival or Marti Gras. The celebration continues for several weeks with parades, art fairs, music events, etc. Saturday was the most exciting day: a boat/pirate parade, a pirate invasion of Tampa and, finally, the pirates and other floats parading down Bayshore (just a couple of miles from our house!)

We went to a party thrown by one of Britton's attending physicians on Davis island to watch the boat parade. It was beyond words! My father would have been horrified: cannons on regular leisure boats; sling shots for water balloons, beads, and marshmallows; and boats coming into really close contact with each other (luckily they were moving REALLY slowly)! Then the fire boats came in spraying water through the air to clear the channel for Jose Gasparilla - the fully rigged pirate ship! I was loaded down with beads thrown from the boats. It was SO much fun!!!

The party continued at Dr. Holmstrom's house on the island and then back over to Bayshore for the pirate invasion street parade and finally wound up at another house in Hyde park. Although I was the designated driver (pretty convenient for Britton, don't you think?), I felt like I drank all day too! Being on your feet all day outside and getting a little dehydrated is more difficult for this lady to tolerate these days. Guess I'm being invaded too, though thankfully not by a pirate!

Thank you to all our friends and family who sent us well wishes via email and our blog. We are certainly excited about our impending arrival! Your love and support is very much appreciated!!!